Inside: Ready for the kids to be home for 2 weeks? Instead of wondering “how do I keep my kids busy over Winter Break?” I’ll show you how to create a predictable (but festive!) daily winter break routine for kids (toddler through school-aged).
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I don’t know if this is just me, but I find the shorter school breaks to be so different from summer break.
The end of the school year has a finality to it, and the length of summer offers the opportunity to find your groove with kids at home.
But Winter Break?
Winter break is more like a puzzle to solve with:
- a short-yet-long 2 weeks
- multiple holidays
- family visiting
- travelling
- being home for 2 weeks
- winter illnesses
- and sugar overload 🙂
That being said, you know that here at Because I Said So, Baby we are all about being proactive and practical in our approach to life with kids.
How do you plan Winter Break with kids?
It may or may not surprise you to hear that yes, you *can* have a routine over school breaks.
This doesn’t mean that everyone follows a rigid schedule or that there’s no room for kids to be bored or have unstructured time.
It just means that you have a plan heading into the day, and in this case, for 2 weeks!
We often picture having a routine as some rigid thing, but in reality, it’s just a predictable road map for your day.
Rather than waking up each day this Winter and wondering:
- What to do with the kids each day
- How to create structure
- When to allow screentime
- Where to take them when it’s cold
It’s much less work to have a flexible schedule in place so that everyone knows what to expect, toddler through big kids!
- This Winter my girls will be 3.5, 7.5, and 9.5 – the half-ages are important 😂
- It’s a wide age range with different needs for each kid, toddler to tween.
- That being said, we can create a festive and fun daily routine that benefits each child.
What can I do at home with kids during Winter Break?
My two main considerations for structuring the day:
- Weather
- Naptime / Quiet time
While it does get very cold where we live, it doesn’t snow.
The coldest times are typically early morning and evening-time as the sun goes down.
The peak sun hours are still perfect for bundling up the kids and getting outside.
Obviously Winter weather can range from too cold to leave the house, snowed-in, or cold but still beautiful out, it really just depends on where you live!
- When writing out your routine, really consider the times it would make the most sense to try and get out of the house (if possible).
- It’s also important to factor in that the sun sets much earlier, and windows for leaving the house or being outside will be shorter.
- If it’s not reasonable to get outside, consider when you can incorporate some gross-motor or movement activities inside the house to burn off energy.
I know we’ve all experienced the act of bundling up all the kids for them to only play outside for 5 minutes, but honestly, sometimes that 5 minutes outside is a good enough reset.
Remember that part about balancing kids of different ages and their needs?
Another consideration when planning out your winter routine is to factor in naps or quiet time.
My 3 year old doesn’t typically nap anymore but she does a daily quiet time in the afternoon that is a helpful reset / downtime for her.
If it doesn’t happen it’s not the end of the world and certainly wouldn’t keep us home from a fun day trip, however, I also wouldn’t try to purposefully plan a fun activity or outing at 2 PM knowing she’s going to have a hard time being out and about then.
Mom-to-Mom Tip: If you have a younger child who is screen-free (but older kids who are allowed to watch TV), consider planning their screen-time during the younger sibling’s nap or quiet time. Shop my go-to quiet time toys in my Amazon Storefront.
Winter Break Routine for Kids PDF Printable
Our printable Winter Break guide is in the works and will be linked here once it’s finished!
Related: My Stay at Home Mom Morning Routine
My Daily Winter Break Routine with 3 Kids
I’ve included times to help provide context and for planning purposes, however, times will vary day-to-day and of course will vary for your family as well.
How to survive winter break (and thrive!)
Even though it’s a school break my 2 big kids never sleep in and are always up at 6 AM 🙂
That being said, over the years we have created a morning routine where they stay in their rooms until at least 7 AM.
This took a lot of practice and consistency but overall has been really worth it, especially with 3 kids and a toddler who does sometimes sleep until 7:30/8 AM.
- Both of my big kids have a regular digital clock in their room so they know when it turns 7 AM
- Before that they can read or play in their room
- I usually wake up at 6:15/6:30 and get myself ready + do a quick workout (15 mins) before 7
7-10 AM
- Breakfast
- Play
- Watch TV
- Get Ready (if we’re planning to get out)
In the mornings the kids will play, help make breakfast, help out with our toddler, color, etc.
Sometimes free play works for us and sometimes more structure is needed.
If more structure is needed, try a morning routine that includes:
- Reading (book basket)
- An activity
- Daily calendar
We love The Preschool Playbook and not only is there a Winter theme week, there is also an entire week of activities for Hanukkah and another theme week for Christmas.
Sometimes I’ll set up an activity from the Playbook and sometimes I take out little holiday crafts from Michael’s or Dollar Tree and set them on the table.
Helpful Morning Routine Resources:
- How to Make a Morning Basket
- 2 Year Morning Routine + Morning Activities
- 3 Year Old Morning Routine Makeover
- Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas
After breakfast I load up the dishwasher and quickly wipe down the kitchen.
At this point in the day the house is still relatively clean, but if a lot of toys or activities have been taken out, we’ll do a quick clean-up before leaving the house.
- I assign each kid a specific job to help make clean-up easier and I have my oldest be “in charge” to make sure it all gets done.
- In the summer we don’t watch TV in the mornings, but I’ve found Winter Break is a different vibe.
- Over the summer we try to get out earlier before it gets too hot, but in the Winter we try to stay inside until it warms up 🙂
- Since it’s only a short break and it’s a special time of year, we adjust our screen-time rules.
Get my fake snow “recipe” here.
10 AM – 1 PM
- Morning outing: playground, playdate, grocery pickup, library, children’s museum, indoor activity center, etc.) – OR –
- Morning at home: Winter theme activity (shared below) or free play around the house
- Lunch
If you want to incorporate an outing and at-home activities, use the Winter-theme activities (shared below) in the afternoon after naptime and before dinner.
Kids bouncing off the walls while stuck at home? Try these gross-motor activities:
- Obstacle course
- Building a fort/tent
- Make a balance beam (with blocks or firm pillows)
- Red light, green light
- Floor is Lava
Read: Hands-On Sensory Play Activities
As for getting out, one “hack” I’ve found to be really helpful over the years is to pack lunches for morning outings or even just snacky lunches.
This helps avoid that rush home for lunch and naptime.
When we walk in the door from our morning outing I don’t have to start quickly making lunch while everyone is starving and my toddler is ready for a nap.
1 PM – 2 or 3 PM
- Lunch (if didn’t have out)
- Quick clean-up / load or run dishwasher if needed
- Toddler naptime or quiet time (quiet time is usually an hour)
- Big kids: pickup room, quiet play, TV or video game / screentime
During this downtime portion of the day I usually get some work done, make any important phone calls, work on any house projects or just sit and watch a movie with the big kids.
3 PM – 6 PM
- Outdoor play (ride bikes/scooters, backyard, family walk, afternoon outing)
- Indoor play (if it’s too cold we’ll do a holiday craft, sensory play, or set up a dramatic play scene like vet, doctor, grocery store, etc.)
- Prep dinner (usually I have my toddler watch a TV show while I get dinner ready)
- Bathtime
- Family Dinner
Mom-to-Mom tip: stock up on crafts and activity books from Michael’s, Costco, and Dollar Tree. These make great “time fillers” for the afternoon before dinner. Put on a holiday Spotify playlist or your Tonies box and you’ve instantly got something going on.
As mentioned earlier, it doesn’t snow where we live, so I find it pretty easy to throw on jackets, hats, and mittens and get the kids outside to ride their bikes.
However, I completely understand that whole aspect is shifted when snow, ice, and real Winter weather is involved.
I can only share my routine based on my experience, so adjust the times of day or outdoor play as necessary.
Helpful Dinnertime Resources:
6 PM – 7 PM
This is when we wind down for the day. This typically includes:
- Loading up and running the dishwasher after dinner
- Walking the dogs as a family
- Cleaning up & picking up toys and putting things away
- Putting away laundry & running a load (see how my laundry routine works, here)
- Bathtime
7 PM – 8 PM
As my girls are all different ages they have staggered bedtimes with my youngest being put to bed first and my oldest last.
- Either my husband or I will get our toddler down for bed, usually by 7 if she doesn’t nap
- My older girls can read in bed (my 7 year old until 7:30, my 9 year old until 8:30)
I am a firm believer in early bedtimes and this is what works for our family. Especially since my kids are early risers!
- Adjust times as needed based on what works for your family
- Sometimes we will have a holiday family movie night after my toddler is in bed and they’ll end up in bed later
- I try to be flexible over school breaks but I’m always mindful of the fact that even if they go to bed at 9 PM, they’re still getting up at 6 AM 🙂
Helpful Bedtime Resources:
- 3 Year Old Bedtime Battles (And How to Stop Them)
- Bedtime Routine with a Baby & Toddler
- 2 Year Old Sleep Schedule (1 Nap or No Nap)
- My Nightly Home Reset Routine
- 1 Year Old Sleep Schedule (1 or 2 Naps)
Here’s a look at my Winter Break Daily Routine with 3 Kids (without the notes)
7 AM – 10 AM
- Breakfast
- Watch TV
- Play
- Get Ready
10 AM – 1 PM
- Morning outing – OR – Morning at home
- Lunch: car lunch / snack boxes
1 PM – 2 or 3 PM
- Lunch (if didn’t have out)
- Quick clean-up / load or run dishwasher if needed
- Toddler naptime or quiet time
- Big kids: pickup room, quiet play, TV or video game / screentime
3 PM – 6 PM
- Outdoor play
- Indoor play
- Prep dinner
- Bathtime
- Family Dinner
6 PM – 7 PM
- Load up and run the dishwasher after dinner
- Walk the dogs as a family
- Clean up & pick up toys and putthings away
- Put away laundry & run a load
- Bathtime
7 PM – 8 PM
- Toddler to bed by 7 if she doesn’t nap
- Older girls can read in bed (7 year old until 7:30, 9 year old until 8:30)
What to Read Next:
- Easy Hanukkah Activities for Toddlers
- Fun & Festive Christmas Cookie & Craft Playdate
- Grinch Pancake Breakfast Family Tradition
- Best Gifts for Toddler Siblings to Share
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