We’ve found that many PTOs and PTAs have had great events with a general winter theme. A holiday-neutral event can use any number of winter themes, from snowmen to blizzards to penguins. Plus you don’t have the pressure of putting it together before the traditional holidays. In fact, holding a winter celebration after Christmas, Hanukkah, and other religious holidays can be a big hit.
It gives families something to look forward to once the long days of winter set in.And the bottom line—you will be bringing kids and families together to have fun.
A good place to start is our cover story from the October issue of PTO Today. In 5 Winner Winter Events, you’ll find details on hosting a cozy family reading night, an arts and crafts event, a tailgate party, indoor sports games, and dances.
Our 6 Ways To Celebrate Winter Holidays includes ideas for a walkathon (which can be invigorating in the cold!), cookie-making, and a potluck dinner.
Here are some additional ideas to make winter events fun:
- You can borrow an idea for a snowball relay from Winter Party Games for an Elementary School Class Party. Use buckets, spoons, and cotton balls. Teams compete with children carrying “snowballs’’ with spoons and dropping them into buckets.
- Try an indoor ice-skating relay. Set up an area to race; kids slide on paper plates along the track. Or set it up as an obstacle course to make it more challenging.
- Pin the nose on the snowman: Have kids make snowmen with construction paper. Make a carrot nose from orange construction paper and follow the traditional rules from the classic game, pin the tail on the donkey.
- Freeze dance: Play music, and all children must stop and freeze when the music stops.
- Snowflake hunt: Make paper snowflakes and hide them at your event. Add a value for a small prize on each snowflake. When a child finds a snowflake, he can trade it in for the prize.
- Have extra toiler paper rolls? You are ready for project snowman: Break into teams. Team members must dress each other as snowmen using toilet paper. Snowmen need to get to a designated spot with as little melting (ripped toilet paper) as possible. The most intact snowman wins a prize. Can also give away prizes for best-designed snowmen.
