What Should We Focus On Over the Winter Break? Tips and Activities for Parents
by Julie Diamond, OCT
Winter break is a chance to rest, recharge, and refocus as a family. It’s also a great opportunity to keep your child’s learning on track in fun and meaningful ways. Here’s how you can balance relaxation with enrichment, ensuring your child returns to school refreshed and ready to succeed.
Prioritize Rest and Relaxation
The school term can be demanding, so start the break by giving your child the gift of rest.
Tips for promoting rest:
Let them sleep in while maintaining some daily structure.
Encourage mindfulness with yoga or quiet activities.
Plan downtime for hobbies or family movie nights.
Keep Learning Fun and Engaging
Learning doesn’t have to feel like work. Winter break is the perfect time for creative activities that expand your child’s skills and interests.
Try these ideas:
Conduct winter science experiments, like growing crystal snowflakes.
Cook together to teach math and chemistry through measuring and mixing.
Dive into holiday-themed arts and crafts projects.
Check out some ways you can teach your child about Canadian holiday traditions in a fun way using crafts and cooking.
Reflect and Set Goals
Help your child review their successes and set achievable goals for the year ahead.
Steps to guide reflection:
Celebrate their accomplishments, no matter how small.
Create a vision board for their hopes and dreams.
Use SMART goals to make their aspirations actionable and clear.
Make Reading a Daily Habit
Reading strengthens language skills, sparks imagination, and builds lifelong learners.
Tips to encourage reading:
Visit your library for new books or join a winter reading challenge.
Create a cozy reading corner at home. I have one at home with a beanbag chair, pillows and a cozy blanket. Setting up a comfortable space helps entice the reader.
Read as a family or explore audiobooks on car rides.
Focus on Social-Emotional Skills
Build your child’s emotional resilience with simple yet impactful activities.
Ideas to develop social-emotional skills:
Start a gratitude jar to reflect on daily blessings. We started this at my house as a New Year’s resolution last year! It’s a nice way to keep your family in a positive mindset reflecting on what they can add to that jar that day or week.
Volunteer or perform acts of kindness, like writing thank-you cards.
Use books or movies to discuss empathy and overcoming challenges.
Stay Active and Explore Outdoors
Keep your child moving with winter-themed outdoor and indoor activities.
Outdoor ideas:
Sledding, ice skating, or winter hiking.
Building a snowman or snow fort.
Indoor options:
Family dance parties or yoga sessions(!)
Create an obstacle course using household items.
Strengthen Math and Problem-Solving Skills
Keep math fun and relevant during the break to maintain their confidence.
Activities to try:
Play board games like Monopoly or card games (Multiplication War is a favourite of mine) that involve strategy.
Bake together to practice fractions and measuring.
Solve puzzles like Sudoku or jigsaw challenges.
Explore New Interests
Encourage your child to try something new and develop fresh skills.
Ways to explore:
Enroll in a short class or workshop, like coding or painting. Scratch is a fun and free coding game that will keep your child engaged for hours!
Experiment with photography by capturing winter landscapes.
Introduce a new sport, such as indoor rock climbing or snowboarding.
Prepare for the New School Term
A little preparation can make the return to school less stressful.
Get organized:
Refresh supplies and review completed schoolwork.
Practice school routines, like early bedtimes and morning habits.
Strengthen Family Bonds
Above all, winter break is about spending time together and creating lasting memories.
Fun family activities:
Host game nights or movie marathons.
Start a new tradition, like baking a holiday treat together.
Write letters to each other reflecting on the past year.
Final Thoughts
Winter break doesn’t have to mean a pause on growth. By combining fun, relaxation, and enriching activities, you can support your child’s academic and emotional development while making the holidays truly special.
From all of us at Diamond Teachers Group, we wish you a joyful, peaceful, and productive winter break!