Winter games for kids
The winter games for kids below suit a snow day or a cold afternoon: an indoor snowball fight, Snowman Dice, Penguin Waddle and Freeze Tag to burn off energy, and a blanket fort and Snowflake Symmetry for quiet. Each one lists ages and supplies. Free online learning games are at the end.
Winter games for kids at a glance
Dip & Dash
Stage 24, Christmas Town, is snowy streets and twinkling lights, with gingerbread men and nutcrackers to jump on.
- sums
- words at the doors
Pet Hatch
Hatch eggs, care for and breed pets, ride them through nine 3D worlds, and battle.
- making ten
- adding
- first sounds
Slide Kart
Race a snow track, among others, in a critter kart.
- counting
- making ten
- first sounds
Stack
Drop the right block and build a tower to the sky!
- counting
- making ten
- first sounds
Memory
Turn over the right card and find its pair!
- counting
- making ten
- first sounds
Dino Dash
Hatch dinos, ride them through nine lands, chomp wrong eggs.
- counting
- making ten
- first sounds
| Game | Ages | Where | You need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor Snowball Fight | 4 and up | Indoors | Rolled-up white socks or paper balls |
| Snowman Dice | 5 and up | At a table | A die, paper, a pencil |
| Penguin Waddle | 3 and up | A hallway or yard | A small ball or a rolled sock |
| Freeze Tag | 4 and up | A yard or gym | Nothing |
| Mitten Match | 3 and up | Indoors | Pairs of mittens or socks |
| Ice Cube Race | 5 and up | A kitchen or porch | A tray, ice cubes, spoons |
| Cocoa Cup Stack | 5 and up | At a table | Paper cups |
| Build a Blanket Fort | 4 and up | Indoors | Blankets, chairs, pillows, a flashlight |
| Snowflake Symmetry | 6 and up | At a table | Paper, scissors |
| I Spy Winter | 3 and up | Anywhere | Nothing |
| Polar Bear, Polar Bear | 3 and up | In a circle | Nothing |
| Winter Word Scramble | 6 and up | At a table | The list on this page |
Winter games for a snow day or a cold afternoon
Indoor games that burn off energy, and a few for outside. Each lists ages and supplies. Move the breakables first.
Indoor Snowball Fight
4 and up · Indoors · You need: rolled-up white socks or paper balls
Two teams on either side of a sheet of paper taped up like a wall. Toss soft snowballs over it. When time is up, the team with fewer snowballs on its side wins. Move the breakables first.
Snowman Dice
5 and up · At a table · You need: a die, paper, a pencil
Roll to build a snowman: a 1 for a body, 2 for a head, 3 for a hat, 4 for a scarf, 5 for arms, 6 for a nose. You need the body before the head. First complete snowman wins.
Penguin Waddle
3 and up · A hallway or yard · You need: a small ball or a rolled sock
Tuck the ball between your knees and waddle to the finish line like a penguin. If it drops, pick it up and start from there.
Freeze Tag
4 and up · A yard or gym · You need: nothing
The tagger turns players into ice statues with a touch. A friend can melt a statue by crawling through its legs. Swap taggers every minute.
Mitten Match
3 and up · Indoors · You need: pairs of mittens or socks
Spread a pile of mismatched mittens on the floor. Each child races to find pairs. Count the pairs, then count by twos to find the total.
Ice Cube Race
5 and up · A kitchen or porch · You need: a tray, ice cubes, spoons
Carry an ice cube on a spoon across the room and drop it in a bowl. Don't touch it with your fingers. Everyone gets the same size cube.
Cocoa Cup Stack
5 and up · At a table · You need: paper cups
Stack paper cups into a pyramid as fast as you can: six on the bottom row, then five, down to one. Time each try. Then try again with one hand.
Build a Blanket Fort
4 and up · Indoors · You need: blankets, chairs, pillows, a flashlight
Work together to build a fort. Plan first: how many chairs for the walls? Then read a story inside by flashlight.
Snowflake Symmetry
6 and up · At a table · You need: paper, scissors
Fold a square of paper in half, then half again, then into a triangle. Cut small shapes along the edges and unfold. Count the matching sides on your snowflake.
I Spy Winter
3 and up · Anywhere · You need: nothing
One player says, "I spy something that starts with S" (snow, sled, scarf). Others guess. For the youngest, spy by color instead.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear
3 and up · In a circle · You need: nothing
One child walks round the circle tapping heads and saying, "Polar bear." The one who is called "Arctic fox" chases the first child round the circle.
Winter Word Scramble
6 and up · At a table · You need: the list on this page
Unscramble the words in the list under these games. Read them aloud for a child who is still learning to read and let them say the answer.
Winter word scramble
| Scrambled | Answer |
|---|---|
| NSWO | SNOW |
| DESL | SLED |
| RAFCS | SCARF |
| NTETIM | MITTEN |
| ECI | ICE |
| TOBOS | BOOTS |
| CAOCO | COCOA |
| KIOOCE | COOKIE |
| DERENIER | REINDEER |
| WSNOMAN | SNOWMAN |
| WFLANOKES | SNOWFLAKE |
| NUPGENI | PENGUIN |
Cover the answer column, or fold the printout, before you hand it over.
Free online games for the long wait
For the car ride, the airport or the hour before the party. None of these is a Christmas game, with one exception: Dip & Dash has a Christmas Town stage. All of them ask a reading or math question as you play, start easy enough for kindergarten and follow the grade your child picks.
| Game | What you do | Practises |
|---|---|---|
| Dip & Dash | Stage 24, Christmas Town, is snowy streets and twinkling lights, with gingerbread men and nutcrackers to jump on. | sums and words at the doors |
| Pet Hatch | Hatch eggs, care for and breed pets, ride them through nine 3D worlds, and battle. | making ten, adding, first sounds, rhymes and more |
| Slide Kart | Race a snow track, among others, in a critter kart. | counting, making ten, first sounds, rhymes and more |
| Stack | Drop the right block and build a tower to the sky! | counting, making ten, first sounds, rhymes and more |
| Memory | Turn over the right card and find its pair! | counting, making ten, first sounds, rhymes and more |
| Dino Dash | Hatch dinos, ride them through nine lands, chomp wrong eggs. | counting, making ten, first sounds, rhymes and more |
Every other game is in the arcade. A Just play mode in each game turns the questions off.
Winter math on a snow day
- Measure the snow. Push a ruler into the snow and read it. Check again in an hour. How much more fell?
- Count the layers. Four layers of clothes, two mittens, two boots: how many things to put on? How long does it take?
- Melt time. Put three ice cubes in three places. Which melts first? Guess, then check every five minutes.
- Cocoa share. A pot makes 8 cups. If 5 are poured, what fraction is left? (Three eighths.)
More for a snow day
- Rainy day activities for kids: about 100 indoor things to do, with what you need and how long each takes.
- Free stories for kids to read together, at every reading level.
- The Activity Book: word finds, mazes and puzzles, printable with answers.
Questions parents ask
What winter games can toddlers and preschoolers play?
Penguin Waddle, Mitten Match, I Spy Winter, Polar Bear, Polar Bear and an indoor snowball fight with soft socks. Keep small things away from anyone under 3.
What indoor winter games burn off the most energy?
The indoor snowball fight, Penguin Waddle and Freeze Tag. Move the breakables first and keep the fight to soft things.
Does Peabody have a winter game?
Not a whole one. Slide Kart has a snow track, and Dip & Dash has a Christmas Town stage. The games to play at home are written out on this page.
Are Peabody's online games free?
Yes. They are free through the end of 2026, with no ads and no sign-up to start playing.
Play one now
Checked against how Peabody works on 29 October 2026. Written with help from AI, from Peabody's own code and library. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: if you're worried about your child's learning, talk to their teacher. How Peabody's pages are made.