Ho, Ho, Ho! The Season’s Best Family Outdoor Fun from the Web

Girl playing in snowThere’s no way you and your kids can feel stuck indoors this holiday season. Not with all the great ideas on the Web for getting outdoors and connecting with nature!

For starters, we here at the National Wildlife Federation have some great seasonal suggestions for gifts, crafts, and ways to help wildlife near you. Here are just a few:

  1. Prepare your yard for wildlife this winter
  2. Make a wreath for the birds!
  3. Encourage your kids to go out and gather up sticks, pinecones, and acorns, and then make these simple, but lovely, picture frames, ornaments, and jewelry.
  4. Check out this selection of holiday gift ideas that will encourage kids to go outside and play.
  5. Get everyone outside for a birding adventure with the Christmas Bird Count!

Elsewhere on the Web, some of our favorite bloggers weigh in with terrific seasonal ideas for the whole family.

  1. Kari at ActiveKidsClub.com: Nothing beats a steaming cup of hot chocolate when you come inside from playing on a cold day, right? Kari has a nifty Hot Chocolate Kit gift idea, along with her favorite hot chocolate recipe. Check out her holiday ice craft, too.
  2. Kids with snowmanDebi at Go Explore Nature: Look for Debi’s list of 10 holiday gift ideas for little nature explorers and for her winter nature scavenger hunt activity.
  3. Melynda at Your Wild Child: This site has lots of fun-with-ice ideas and some awesome Advent Adventures, too.
  4. Marghanita.com: Here you can discover how to make an oak leaf mobile from willow branches, oak leaves, and pinecones, and find more ideas for Winter Fun for Kids.
  5. Melissa at Adventure Tykes: Got a nature-loving little one, aged five or younger? Then you’ll want to peruse these gift ideas.

Got more recommendations? Add them below! But in the meantime, Happy Holidays to you and yours!