Fresh Air, Fresh Benefits: Outdoor Play During School Holidays

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Winter school holidays can become a cycle of screens and staying indoors, but colder days offer a different kind of adventure. Outdoor play encourages movement, supports wellbeing, and creates shared stories. Whether it’s a frosty woodland walk or a week in the mountains, winter weather is worth embracing together.

Embracing the outdoors in winter

Outdoor play isn’t only for warm weather. Winter changes familiar places: puddles freeze, leaves crunch, wildlife becomes easier to spot, and an ordinary hill becomes a sledging run. Adults can stay active and enjoy a break from routine, while different surfaces and conditions invite children to experiment. Cold weather doesn’t automatically make outdoor play unsafe; suitable clothing, visibility, icy surfaces, and extreme conditions are the real considerations. With preparation, short outings can be enjoyable on grey days.

For a bigger adventure, skiing combines outdoor exercise with learning new skills. However, winter play doesn’t require snow, specialist equipment or a large budget. A torch walk, scavenger hunt or park visit can transform an ordinary afternoon.

Physical and mental benefits of winter play

Running, climbing, balancing and pulling a sledge help children use their bodies in varied ways. England’s 2023/24 survey found that only 47.8% of children met the recommended average of 60 minutes of daily activity, making school breaks an important opportunity to move.

Outdoor time also provides space from noise, school pressures and digital distractions. Recent University of Exeter research linked more early-years outdoor play with better mental health later in childhood. Try a winter picnic, geocaching, den building, birdwatching, football, cycling or a photography challenge. The aim isn’t relentless exercise. Children engage when activity feels playful, offers choices and includes time for rest, conversation and a warm drink.

Building family bonds through shared experiences

Winter adventures put families on the same team. Finding a route, building a snow figure or mastering a skill creates opportunities to cooperate and laugh. Family ski holidays can deepen that connection through a shared focus away from everyday obligations, while allowing different ages and abilities to progress at their own pace.

Keep expectations realistic. Mix energetic activities with gentler ones, let children help choose, and take photographs without experiencing the day through a phone. Small rituals, such as hot chocolate after a walk, often become treasured memories.

Overcoming barriers to outdoor play

Bad weather, low motivation, cost, and limited access make staying inside tempting. Start with 20 minutes outdoors rather than a full-day expedition. Check the forecast, use light layers and waterproof outerwear, and carry spare gloves or socks. In snow or ice, choose suitable footwear, avoid unsafe water and use helmets where required.

Accessibility matters. Look for surfaced routes, accessible playgrounds, inclusive skating sessions or adapted equipment. Council websites, leisure centres and community groups can highlight free or low-cost options for school holiday fun.

Not every outing will be perfect. The goal is to try something new, notice the season, and return home feeling the day was a success.