Winter can be hard work for families. Children get bored stuck inside, unable to let off steam. They will likely take out their frustrations on each other and the parents. After a few days, let alone weeks, of the Christmas holidays, nerves and tempers can become very strained. It is also hard to find activities for you and your children to exercise, and stay fit and healthy.

If you know where to look though, there are loads of great solutions out there to alleviate the boredom, get some fantastic exercise, and have lots of fun at the same time.

It’s brilliant if the parents and children can do these activities together; bonding as a family unit is important of course, but statistics have shown that parents participating in exercise and sport make it much more likely that the children will continue in this vein in later life.

To get things going, get outside as soon as there is some decent snowfall and go tobogganing together. It’s incredibly good exercise and a real laugh too. More than likely, you’ll combine it with a snowball fight, building igloos and snowmen too. And don’t forget making a snow angel; lie on the snow on your back and wave your arms up and down to make the wings.

For the more adventurous, there are lots of online resources to explain how to make an ice-rink in your backyard for ice hockey and skating.

In the snow, or on a wet day, find a muddy park or field, and find as many animal tracks as you can and try to identify them. You can also track each other in a game of hide-and-seek. Even simpler, get your young ones out after rain and just splash around in puddles. As soon as your child has learned to walk, they’ll love it.

There is also a large range of actual fitness equipment suitable for children so you can exercise whatever the weather, perhaps alongside you in your home gym. Everything from kid’s electric treadmills to junior cross trainers to mini exercise bike options.

On a more traditional note, a trampoline for indoors if you have space will keep your children occupied for hours. For something a little different, pick up a dance pad or mat; this is linked to a video game, you stand on the mat and follow the game directions, jumping from panel to panel on the mat in time with the music.

Games you classically associate with the summer are just as fun in the winter, and keep you warm too. Football, soccer, catch ball, Frisbee and kite flying all work brilliantly.

If the weather is just too awful to venture out, why not set up a play-zone indoors. Get rid of breakables, put lots of cushions and blankets and duvets down, and let the children, and parents, go for it. Climbing, jumping, wrestling, pillow fights, making dens and destroying them, whatever takes your fancy.

From classic outdoor fun to the latest exercise based video games, there is plenty to keep you going right through the winter months.

Click here for some fabulous Valentine craft ideas!

These winter coloring pages for kids can be printed out from your computer. You can shop for fun winter coloring books after the links!

Girl Skating
Boy Skating
Dad And Son Sledding
Bear Skating
Country Snowman
Snowman Family
Winter Moose

Click here for some fabulous Valentine craft ideas!

Winnie the Pooh Super Coloring Book 60+ page coloring book with Pooh, Tiiger, and the rest of his friends. Strengthen hand-eye coordination while providing hours of pure entertainment. Price: $8.85

Raised Line Winter Fun Coloring Book The Raised Line Coloring Book features 10 pages of winter activities such as sledding, ice skating, horse sleighing. Great for helping children to stay within the lines. Price: $11.95

LapTop Winter Wonderland Coloring Book LapTop Coloring Books open like a laptop computer and will easily sit on a child’s lap because of its plastic spiral binding. Price: $5.99

Scented Sticker Coloring Book Price: $0.90

Sesame Street Winter Wonderland Coloring Book This is a 96 page JUMBO coloring and activity book featuring all your favorite Sesame Street characters enjoying the great outdoors in the winter time. Price: $3.97

Bobblesberg Winter Games Coloring Book Bob and his dream-machine team are off to Bobblesberg, where the Winter Games will take place. Price: $2.99

Bear’s Winter Wonderland Coloring Book The weather may be chilly, but Bear and his friends from the Big Blue House have lots to do to keep warm in this coloring book celebrating the wonders of winter. Price: $2.74

Here’s a bunch of winter printables for kids. I’ll have more for you in another post.

~~~** Enjoy! **~~~

Winter Word Search
Snowman Connect The Dots
Snowflake Connect The Dots
Snowman Maze
Design Your Own Mitten
Children Sledding
Make A Snowflake
Make A Snowflake (intermediate)
Make A Snowflake (advanced)

Click here for some fabulous Valentine craft ideas!

Card games for kids are a great indoor winter activity. My youngest daughter really enjoys playing cards with my husband or I, and War is one of her favorite games.

Use a standard 52-card pack.

Rank of Cards: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

The deck is divided evenly, with each player receiving 26 cards, dealt one at a time, face down. Both players turns up a card at the same time and the player with the higher card takes both cards.They put them, face down, on the bottom of his stack.

If the cards are the same rank, it is War.

Both players place one card face down and one card face up. The player with the higher cards takes both piles (six cards). If the turned-up cards are again the same rank, each player places another card face down and turns another card face up. The player with the higher card takes all 10 cards, and so on.

The game ends when one player has won all the cards.

Have fun!