Winter days are the perfect time to slow down and enjoy meaningful, hands-on activities with your kids. Whether you're looking for an easy way to introduce sensory exploration to babies or a seasonal craft that even older kids will love, these two activities will bring warmth and creativity to your home this season.
Sensory Play: Ice Exploration for Every Age ❄️
Sensory play is one of the best ways for young children to explore and learn about the world. This ice activity grows with your child, starting with simple exploration and evolving into a fun, hands-on science experiment.
For the Littlest Explorers (6-18 Months): Ice Bin Sensory Play
For babies and younger toddlers, the simplest version of this activity is a bin filled with ice cubes.
Place ice cubes in a shallow bin or tray.
Add spoons, scoops, or measuring cups for them to grab, push, and explore.
Let them feel the cold temperature, slippery texture, and melting process with their hands.
💡 Why it works: At this stage, babies don’t need added elements—they’ll naturally focus on the sensory experience, practicing grasping, fine motor skills, and cause-and-effect thinking.
For Toddlers & Preschoolers: Ice & Fizzing Reactions
As kids grow, you can level up this activity by adding new sensory elements that encourage questions, predictions, and problem-solving.
Baking Soda Ice Cube Experiment
Fill a bowl with ice cubes and sprinkle baking soda over the top.
Provide small bowls of colored vinegar (blue for an icy effect is a favorite!).
Hand your child a spoon, pipette, or small measuring cup and let them drizzle the vinegar over the ice.
Watch as the bubbles and fizz react with the baking soda, creating a fun, hands-on science moment.
💡 What they’ll learn: This activity introduces cause and effect, descriptive language ("fizzy," "melting," "cold"), and basic science concepts in an engaging way.
Winter Craft: Dried Orange Ornaments 🍊✨
These beautiful natural ornaments add warmth and color to your home while doubling as a great fine motor activity.
How to Make Dried Orange Ornaments
Slice oranges into thin rounds and count them together as you lay them out—sneaking in a little math!
Bake at 200°F for 2-3 hours, flipping occasionally, until they are fully dried.
Once dry, use a hole punch to create a hole near the top. (No hole punch? A small slit with scissors works too!)
Thread twine, yarn, or ribbon through the hole to turn them into individual hanging ornaments for your windows. We like to add ours to greenery leftover from the holiday season.
💡 For little hands (2+): They may not be able to thread the string themselves, but they can practice snipping the twine with safety scissors—a great way to build early scissor skills!
💡 For older kids: Let them string the ornaments themselves and even create patterns with different materials like cinnamon sticks or wooden beads.
🖼 Finished Project Inspiration: These ornaments smell amazing and look gorgeous in a window where sunlight can shine through them!
Simple Winter Fun That Grows With Your Kids
These two activities are easy to set up, adaptable for different ages, and full of learning opportunities. Whether your child is exploring ice for the first time or stringing their own dried orange ornament, these moments create meaningful play that lasts beyond the season.
🌟 Have you tried these activities? Tag us in your photos or share your favorite winter tradition below!
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