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Winter doesn’t have to be dull and dreary—there are countless ways to stay active and entertained indoors and out this season. Whether you’re into outdoor activities like skiing or sledding or prefer an indoor movie night or spa day, there’s something for everyone. We have a fantastic list of the best outdoor and indoor winter activities for 2025. Read on to find out what they are, and then prepare to have fun.
What Are Some Outdoor Winter Activities?
Don’t spend your entire winter indoors; when you dress appropriately for the weather, getting outdoors can be enriching, rewarding, and healthy. Enjoy the crisp, fresh air, and get your body moving and active. Here are some great ways to enjoy the great outdoors.
Have a Backyard Bonfire
Bonfires are perfect for winter as long as it’s not too cold. Dress in warm layers, and bring out your camping chairs and blankets to get cozy by the fire. Enjoy hot chocolate or spiced hot apple cider (add rum for adults), roast marshmallows, and make some delicious s’mores. You can also bring out the grill and cook your dinner outdoors. Use the EcoFlow Portable Power Station to run lights and music or a portable projector for an outdoor movie.
Sledding
Pack up the sleds and hit some local hills for excellent family fun that’s also free. Make a day of it, pack some lunch and hot cocoa, and bring extra clothing and blankets in case anyone gets wet.
Alternatively, you can often go tubing at or near the ski hills. It’s more affordable than skiing or snowboarding and requires no special gear other than warm clothes, a winter jacket, snow pants, gloves, and a hat to stay warm.
Skiing or Snowboarding
Skiing and snowboarding are all-time favorite winter sports. While it can be expensive, you can always look for smaller, cheaper local ski hills rather than going to the fancier resorts. Also, look into season passes if you plan to go more than a couple of times, as that’ll make it much more affordable.
Go For a Nature Hike
Yes, you can hike in winter. In fact, it can be a lot of fun. There usually aren’t any other people around, allowing you to enjoy the solitude of the trail. Be sure to dress in plenty of layers with a hat, gloves, warm jacket, and winter boots to keep your feet warm. Bring an extra sweatshirt in your backpack and understand some essential winter safety tips to stay safe when outdoors. Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll return.
You can go out for an hour or two or make a day of it and bring electronic hand warmers, a thermos of hot cocoa or hot apple cider, some lunch, and a small camp stool or tarp to sit on when you stop. You can also bring the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Portable Power Station. It’s compact enough to fit in your backpack, and you can use it to recharge your devices, play music, or even run small portable appliances.
If the snow is extra deep and the path you want to take has not been traveled, put on some snowshoes. It’s a great way to exercise and explore nature. Or, if you’re already on a hike and want to check an area out, you can make snowshoes out of evergreen boughs that you strap to your feet. They’re not as good as the real thing, but they work in a pinch.
Paint Snow
If you want to get creative or have artists in the family, break out the tempera paints, jars, paintbrushes, and some sticks and twigs. Tempera paints are the best choice since they are water soluble and will wash out of clothing, but they’re also non-toxic and environmentally friendly so that you won’t harm the ecosystem. Mix the paint fairly thin so it’s easy to apply. Then, paint the snow with your creation and create a border around it with the sticks and twigs. Take lots of pictures of your creations before they melt.
You can also paint snow with spray bottles. Mix the tempera paints in water in the spray bottles thinly so they spray well. Shake the bottles well, and get creative.
Build a Snowman
Building snowmen isn’t just for kids; people of all ages can get out and have fun rolling snowballs and making snowmen. Bring things to decorate it, like hats, scarves, and a carrot or a stick for the nose. You can use rocks for the eyes and mouth. Avoid using plastic or paper items that make trash when they melt. The carrot will likely end up being eaten by a grateful wild animal, and the hat and scarf can be brought back indoors.
Skating
Grab the skates and head to a frozen pond or lake for some free family fun. No skates? Go to your local skating arena and rent some. Whether indoors or outdoors, dress in layers and bring gloves, a warm jacket, and a cozy hat.
Winter Camping
For the really adventurous types, why not go winter camping? Be sure to pack for the weather with a four-season tent, a warm sleeping bag, lots of warm clothing and outerwear, and all the other winter camping essentials. Once you are outdoors in the elements, dressed appropriately, and sitting around a campfire with friends or family, you’ll realize how much fun camping in the off-season can be. You can even bring along the EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable AC; it works as a heater and lasts wirelessly for up to 8 hours. You can recharge it with AC wall plugs, DC car plugs, solar panels, or a portable power station.
What Are Some Indoor Winter Activities?
What about those days when it’s just too cold or snowy to head outdoors? You can still have loads of fun indoors. Here are some great indoor activities to pass the days when the temperatures are too frigid for outdoor expeditions.
Have an Indoor Picnic
Set up a picnic blanket, cups, and plates on the floor and have an indoor picnic. Include sandwiches, veggie sticks, fruit, chips, and other snacks you might bring on an outdoor picnic. For kids, use cups with lids to prevent spills, or you can even put a tarp under your picnic blanket. You can get creative with it: make it a fantasy theme of your favorite fairytale or a time travel theme from a different era, then get dressed appropriately for the theme and act out different characters for hours of fun.
This is also a great option if you experience a winter storm or power outage and are looking for something to pass the time and keep your mind off the storm. You can run your EcoFlow Smart Generator 4000 (Dual Fuel), an inverter generator that runs on gas and propane, perfect for extended power outages. If using it with fossil fuels, ensure you only run it outside to prevent potentially lethal carbon monoxide poisoning and run a heavy-duty extension cord from it into your home. It will keep you powered up, run lights and essential appliances, space heaters, and recharge electronic devices.
Grow Indoor Plants
We know winter can feel dreary for the gardeners among us since little to no gardening can be done, depending on your climate. So, why not set up a mini greenhouse indoors? You can buy relatively inexpensive ones online, add some LED grow lights, pots and trays, and good potting soil. Then, grow fresh basil, dill, cilantro, lettuce, kale, and even radishes and baby carrots, peppers, or tomatoes (choose small varieties meant for pots), and you can keep your green thumb busy all year long.
Have an Indoor Snowball Fight
Yes, indoors. But make your “snowballs” out of paper, white socks, or fabric. Then, you can set up cushions, chairs, or other large objects to hide behind and toss snowballs at each other. Make sure you use a games room or another room in the house that doesn’t have fragile ornaments or breakable things.
Build a Blanket Fort or Cardboard House
Who doesn’t love blanket forts? Create a fort in your living room, then sit inside with a flashlight and some hot chocolate. Or if you have enough cardboard, make a cardboard house. Tape one end shut and cut out windows and doors. Then, let the kids decorate it with recyclables, markers, and paints. You can even add a string of Christmas lights for extra fun.
Set up an Indoor Campsite
Why not camp indoors? Set up a small tent, bring out the camping chairs, and make a “campfire” with some wood and decorate it with flames made from orange construction paper. Then, make some hot cocoa, set up an electric grill, and cook some burgers, hot dogs, or whatever you usually make when camping. Never use a propane or other fossil fuel grill indoors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Make a Sugar Cube Igloo or Snow Fort
You can make a sugar cube igloo or snow fort with sugar cubes, a piece of cardboard, white glue, white paint, and a paintbrush. Paint your cardboard white, then outline your igloo or snow fort on the cardboard. Lay down a strip of glue along it and start laying down sugar cubes. Allow the first layer to dry a little before adding the next, and stagger the cubes so the cracks between them are always covered. You can use heavy mugs or other objects to prop up the walls as they dry. Once it’s ready, decorate it with cotton balls, glitter, or fake snow.
Have a Spa Day At Home
This is great for adults and kids alike. Treat yourselves to a spa day. Give each other back massages, do manicures and pedicures, and paint your nails. If you don’t have a footbath, fill a large bowl with hot water and bath salts, and add your favorite essential oils. While your feet soak, put on facial masks.
Have a Family Movie Day/Night
Pick your favorite movie or something you haven’t seen before. Make popcorn and tasty beverages like hot chocolate or spiced apple cider, and set up cozy chairs or cushions on the floor. Turn out the lights and enjoy your “theatre.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, and snowshoeing are the most popular winter activities.
With appropriate clothing and the right gear, there’s lots to do for fun in the winter. The biggest thing is to dress warm and get outside. Go for a hike, sledding, skiing, or snowboarding, or just sit around a campfire with some hot chocolate and smores.
Final Thoughts
Winter offers endless possibilities for fun and adventure, from outdoor thrills like skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or even winter camping to cozy indoor activities like spa days, picnics, and movie nights. No matter how you choose to enjoy the season, being prepared with the right gear, from warm clothing layers, jackets, gloves, and hats to the EcoFlow Portable Power Stations, makes all the difference when trying to stay warm and have fun. Now, go and make the most of your winter experiences, both indoors and outdoors.