17 Fun and Easy Winter Activities for EYFS

When the temperature drops and little ones can’t spend as much time outdoors, it can be tricky to keep energy levels high and learning playful in the EYFS classroom.

But winter is actually the perfect season to spark curiosity, imagination, and exploration, all without needing to spend a penny.

In this blog, you’ll find 17 fun and easy winter activities perfect for Early Years settings.

From indoor games and creative crafts to outdoor adventures and sensory play, every idea supports key areas of the EYFS framework, helping children develop vital skills while embracing the magic of the season.

Whether you're a teacher looking to refresh your winter planning, a nursery practitioner wanting hands-on inspiration, or even a parent supporting learning at home, these ideas are simple to set up, engaging for young children, and packed with seasonal learning opportunities.

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17 Fun and Easy Winter Activities for EYFS

17 Fun and Easy Winter Activities for EYFS

Indoor Winter EYFS Activities

1. Snowflake Dance Party

Turn your classroom into a winter wonderland with music and movement.

Play winter-themed songs or rhymes (like “I’m a Little Snowflake”) and encourage children to dance, twirl, and mimic falling snowflakes.

This activity builds vocabulary through song lyrics and lets kids burn off energy while enjoying the seasonal theme.

2. Winter Wear Relay

A fun dress-up race that teaches about winter clothing.

Divide children into teams with a set of warm clothes (coat, hat, scarf, mittens).

One by one, kids race to put on all the winter gear and dash to a finish line, then quickly take it off for the next teammate.

They’ll giggle while practicing self-dressing skills and learn why we bundle up in cold weather.

3. Pin the Nose on the Snowman

A snowy twist on “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”

Display a large snowman picture (drawn or printed) without a nose.

Blindfolded children take turns trying to stick a paper carrot nose onto the snowman’s face.

It’s great for practicing hand-eye coordination and balance, and children learn about taking turns and laughing together when the nose lands in silly places.

4. Feed the Hungry Penguin

Blend literacy with wintertime fun.

Create a penguin figure with an open mouth (a box or poster) and prepare paper “fish” marked with letters or simple words.

Children search for the fish in a sensory tray or around the room, say the sound or word, then “feed” it to the penguin.

This DIY game reinforces letter sounds actively and can be adapted for numbers or colours.

Outdoor Winter EYFS Activities

5. Bird Feeder Friends

Invite wildlife into your outdoor area by making bird feeders.

Use pinecones, empty cartons, or day-old bread spread with peanut butter and dipped in seeds, then hang them on trees.

Children love checking the “bird café” and reporting which birds come to eat.

This activity nurtures empathy for living things and fine motor skills as they scoop and press seeds.

6. Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt

Turn the playground or garden into a winter treasure hunt.

Brainstorm a list of wintry items or signs for children to find

For example: an evergreen leaf, a bare tree branch, a pinecone, a conker, something that is white, or a bird in a tree.

Give children picture checklists and let them explore in pairs or small groups.

They’ll practice observation and teamwork while racing to find everything on the list.

(If outdoors isn’t feasible, hide winter items around the classroom instead for an indoor hunt.)

7. Nature Ice Ornaments (Frozen Art)

Combine creativity with science by making ice sun-catchers.

Children collect natural treasures like leaves, berries, and conkers and arrange them in shallow plastic lids or trays filled with water.

Add a loop of string in each before freezing overnight.

By the next day, you’ll have beautiful “stained-glass” ice ornaments to hang outside?

Kids marvel at their art catching the light, and observe ice melting later in the day.

8. Build a Snowman Bash

If you’re lucky enough to get snow, take the class outside to build a snowman (or a whole snow family!).

Divide into teams to roll snowballs for the body, then decorate with sticks, rocks, and a carrot nose.

No snow?

Improvise with a “snowman building” race using pillowcases or large paper to wrap one child as a pretend snowman, or stack white cardboard boxes.

Children exercise gross motor skills, packing and piling snow, and they express imagination by giving their snowman a personality.

Don’t forget to snap a photo of their snowy creation before it melts!

9. Winter Sensory Walk

Take your class on a guided walk to experience winter with all five senses.

Bundle up and stroll around the school grounds or a nearby green space, encouraging children to touch tree bark or frost, listen to the crunch of frozen grass or leaves, look for their steamy breath in the cold air, and sniff the chilly winter scent.

Prompt them to describe what they notice.

The air might “feel tingly,” or the sky looks “grey and quiet.”

This outdoor activity builds rich language as children articulate their sensory discoveries.

Sensory & Science Winter EYFS Activities

10. Arctic Ice Rescue

Freeze small toys (like plastic penguins or dinosaurs) in blocks of ice and let children become Arctic explorers rescuing the “trapped” animals.

They can experiment with toy tools: droppers of warm water, child-safe salt shakers, or wooden mallets to melt or chip the ice.

This is hands-on science disguised as play.

Children observe that warmth and salt make ice melt faster.

They’ll be engrossed in freeing their frozen friends, often working together and narrating their process. (“The ice is cracking!”).

11. DIY Snow Dough

Bring the feel of snow into the classroom without the cold!

Make fake snow for sensory play by mixing common kitchen ingredients.

One easy recipe is to combine baking soda and a little water or white hair conditioner until it clumps like real snow?bbcgoodfood.com.

Children can squeeze, mould, and even pretend to build mini snowmen with this cool, crumbly “snow.”

Add a sprinkle of silver glitter for extra winter sparkle.

The texture stays cold to the touch, enhancing the sensory experience.

12. Winter Discovery Basket & Sensory Bottles

Create a seasonal treasure basket filled with winter-related items for children to explore.

For example, include a knit mitten, a pinecone, a piece of shiny tinsel or foil “icicle,” a polar animal figure, and a small bottle filled with water, glitter, and sequins to resemble a snow globe.

Young children can handle each object, describe how it feels, shake the sensory bottle to watch a “snowstorm,” and talk about what each item is.

You can even hide the items around the room for a mini indoor scavenger hunt, extending the play.

This open-ended activity is calming and great for stimulating curiosity and conversation.

13. Melting Magic (Ice Science Experiment)

Turn your water tray or a large shallow container into a simple science lab.

Provide children with a big block of ice (freeze water in a plastic tub overnight) and tools like droppers of coloured water, salt, and flashlights.

Have them predict what will happen when they sprinkle salt or squeeze warm water on the ice, then observe the “magic” as the ice cracks and tunnels form.

Adding a few drops of food colouring makes the melting patterns visible and beautiful.

Kids can measure which method melts ice quickest or just enjoy the cause and effect.

Discussing their findings (“The salt is making it melt faster!”) builds early scientific understanding.

Creative Crafts & Imaginative Play Winter EYFS Activities

14. Sparkling Snowflake Art

Bring out children’s creative side with a classic paper snowflake craft.

Fold paper circles or squares into triangles and let children practice safe scissor skills to cut out small shapes along the folds (open them to reveal a unique snowflake!).

They can decorate their snowflakes with crayon patterns or a touch of glitter.

This activity isn’t just fun, it’s a sneaky lesson in symmetry and fine motor control.

Display the snowflakes around the classroom to turn it into a snowflake gallery that the children are proud of.

15. Fluffy Snowman Collage

Who says you need real snow to make a snowman?

Children can craft their own indoors using paper and cotton.

Give each child a large sheet of blue or black paper and pre-cut circles (or paper plates) to form the snowman’s body.

They then stick on cotton balls or white pom-poms for a fluffy texture, and add details: bottle caps or buttons for eyes, an orange paper triangle for a carrot nose, twigs (or drawn arms), and a strip of fabric for a scarf.

This simple craft uses inexpensive materials and strengthens fine motor skills as children pinch, place, and glue pieces.

Each snowman will have its personality!

16. Pinecone Winter Creatures

Turn a nature walk find into a cute winter craft.

Gather some pinecones (or use store-bought craft ones) and let children transform them into “snowy owls” or mini Christmas trees.

For a pinecone owl, kids stick cotton balls or pulled cotton wool into the pinecone scales to resemble fluffy snow-white feathers, then add paper or felt wings, googly eyes, and a tiny beak.

For a simple snowy tree, children can paint the tips with white paint or glue and sprinkle with glitter.

Using natural materials connects craft time to the outside world and sparks imagination, plus it’s free!

17. Arctic Imagination Station (Role Play)

Set up a winter role-play corner where children can pretend to explore the Arctic or have a snowy adventure.

Drape white sheets or batting to create a makeshift “igloo” or snowy landscape. Provide props like child-sized coats, plastic binoculars, a toy compass, and stuffed polar animals.

Children might imagine they are trekking through a blizzard, spotting seals and penguins, or building an igloo cave.

They can even have a pretend indoor snowball fight with rolled-up socks as snowballs?

Let their imagination lead the way – one moment they’re in a winter forest, the next they’ve encountered a friendly snow monster!

This dramatic play builds social skills as kids collaborate on stories and expand their understanding of winter environments.

If you're looking for other exciting activities for schools during winter, check out our blog on 20 Joyful Christmas Songs for Primary Schools.