Top 10 Outdoor Winter Birthday Parties for Kids

Having a winter birthday party including one close the holidays can be less than fun for kids. It may be cold, but you can still host a fun and active outdoor birthday party for kids.

Tips for Hosting a Winter Recreation Birthday Party for Kids

For all outdoor winter birthday parties for kids, make it clear on the invitations that part of the party will be held outside.

Request that party goers bring winter gear including snowsuits, snow boots, gloves or mittens, winter coats and hats.

Suggest they also bring an extra pair of socks or shoes for inside.

Provide hot beverages after the outdoor activities to warm kids up. If you make hot chocolate, make it half-strength and use milk to make it creamy. Also make herbal tea and apple cider.

Serve a warm snack for kids when they come inside including homemade mini pizzas, chicken noodle soup, or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Provide enough time for cake and presents.

Top Winter Recreation Birthday Parties for Kids

Mini Snow Golf Course

Create a miniature golf course in the snow in your yard. Use a shovel to flatten down the snow and make ball baths. Dig a hole where the ball can go in and add a small homemade flag, with a number or a picture.

Build obstacles and mounds with snow. Use food coloring to make it colorful. Kids can use large, plastic golf clubs and regular golf balls.

Ice Skating Party

Invite party goers to a local, outdoor ice skating rink. Using a public or maintained rink is the safest idea when you invite a group of kids to a winter birthday part outside.

For smaller children who may not ice skate but want a skating party, create your own home made ice rink in the yard, with a top layer of ice. Let the slide around on the ice.

Pirates of the Snow

Combine the fun of a treasure hunt with word puzzles and prizes, and you have a hit birthday party theme for kids. Bury a waterproof treasure chest (a plastic box with a cover) after you fill it with party favors.

Place clues inside empty and cleaned food containers with covers. Use chip cylinders or yogurt containers. Write up a series of clues leading to the treasure.

Sledding Party

Ask guests to bring their own sleds and meet up at your family's favorite sledding spot.

Snow Tubing Party

Go snow tubing at a local ski resort or snow tubing park. They provide the tubes and the clean up. Plan on bringing your own birthday cake to the location.

Sugar on Snow Party

Make some sugar on snow if there is clean and fresh snow available. This one is more difficult to plan. Combine this birthday theme party with one of the others, if snow happens to fall the day before or the day of the child's winter birthday party.

Ice Picasso

Find a somewhat flat place in the snow in the yard where kids can draw pictures in the snow. Provide them with bird seeds, lentils, and dried beans including kidney beans and pinto beans. Place the seeds or beans in small containers with spouts, including recycled coffee creamer containers.

Mix some food coloring left in a small spray bottle with water. Let kids paint the snow. For a more natural snow paint, use pure grape juice or beet juice mixed with water.

Be sure to take photos with a digital camera. Have the images printed out in time for the kids to take them home. Or save them and mail them out with thank you cards.

Winter Parade

Ask kids to come in warm costume, or paint their faces when they arrive. Have them create a parade in the yard or the driveway. Give out prizes and awards. This outdoor birthday theme idea is best for preschoolers and younger.

Winter Olympic Games

Set up games in the snow using snow balls, ice cubes and plastic balls. Make games where the balls can be rolled or tossed into a hole in a snow mound, for points or prizes.

Clear off a place for kids to have a short race. It may be cold but they still like to run.

Animal Tracks

Host an outdoor winter birthday party at a local nature sanctuary or park where there is a guided tour. Children can learn about animal tracks and winter habits of animals. The party pace will be leisurely.