Winter Outdoor Play: Will Playing Out in the Cold Make Me Catch a Cold?
Thank you to Dr. Louise de Lannoy, Executive Director, Outdoor Play Canada, and Kim Hiscott, Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Fleck Children’s Services, for providing this post.
Why play outside when its cold? What are the benefits?
The health benefits of outdoor play are clear and wide-reaching… but what about in winter time? Is it safe to play outdoors in the winter? Will playing out in the cold make me (or my child) more likely to catch a cold?
Getting outdoors in winter can help boost your immune system. Spending more time indoors means being in closer contact with others, which makes it easier for disease to spread. Also, spending less time outside usually means engaging in less physical activity, where physical activity is important for maintaining a healthy immune system. Reduced outdoor time also means less exposure to sunlight and vitamin D, which can further negatively impact immune function.
And there’s more! Getting outdoors during winter (and really in any season) helps boost physical activity, reduce sedentary time, improve sleep quality, build resiliency, foster a connection to nature, and promote social engagement at a time when we’re prone to sequestering ourselves. It can also provide a source of clean, fresh air. On the physical activity front, recent evidence has shown that engaging in regular physical activity may be protective against severe COVID-19 (yep, it’s still around) and its complications (i.e., staying active is an important preventative measure).
Are there risks associated with winter outdoor play? Of course, but they can be mitigated.
Cold weather can irritate your respiratory tract – but wearing a scarf or mask outdoors helps! Wearing a scarf or mask outdoors has the added benefit of increasing the moisture of the air you breathe, which provides better protection against viruses. Another big risk is not being dressed properly. Luckily, there are many resources out there on how to dress for the outdoors. Check out this blog post from the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada on how to stay warm in cold weather: https://childnature.ca/how-to-stay-warm-in-cold-weather/
Overcoming barriers to getting outdoors in winter — even when it’s snowy and hard!
Beyond putting on the right layers, having the right equipment to participate in winter sports can be a major barrier. Luckily, outdoor equipment libraries are popping up across the country. You can also get equipment at a cheaper price by buying used, with added bonus of being better for the environment! Second-hand retailers like Play It Again Sports, and MEC’s used equipment section are a good place to start, with knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions. If you already know what you are looking for and/or have done some research yourself, buying second hand through second hand stores like Value Village and through individual sellers on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji can be a great source of equipment. Note: make sure you take safety precautions (e.g. have a friend come along, use e-transfer instead of cash) when meeting-up with individuals.
Wondering what to do outside with young children? Here are 17 ideas to start you off!
- Snow Treasure Hunt
Hide small toys or colourful objects in shallow snow. Give the kids a scoop or mittened hands to dig and find.
- Mini Snow Kitchen
Use bowls, muffin tins, scoops, and spoons for pretend cooking: “snow cupcakes,” “snow soup,” etc.
- Paint the Snow
Fill spray bottles or squeeze bottles with coloured water (water + food colouring). Kids can spray or drizzle designs in the snow.
- Snow Moulds & Castles
Use beach buckets, sand moulds, or small containers to make snow bricks and towers.
- Snow Slide
Pack a small snow hill or use a toddler-safe plastic slide to add snow at the bottom for extra fun and cushioning.
- Nature Decorating
Make “snow faces” or creatures using sticks, pinecones, leaves, and pebbles.
- Ice Block Discovery
Freeze small toys in moulds or containers outside (or in the freezer). Take the blocks outside and let kids melt them with warm water in squirt bottles.
- Winter Nature Walk Bingo
Make a simple picture-based card: pinecone, bird, truck, footprints, icicle, dog, etc. Children look for items during a short walk.
- Frozen Bubble Play
Blow bubbles in cold air (below freezing if possible). Toddlers love watching them turn glassy or freeze on surfaces.
- Chalk on Frost
Sidewalk chalk works beautifully on frosty surfaces, turning into bold, creamy colors.
- Obstacle Course
Set up cones, logs, sticks, or stepping stones. Add winter twists: “hop over the snow patch,” “tiptoe on the ice bridge,” etc.
- Animal Footprint Game
Ask kids to move like winter animals: stomp like a bear, hop like a rabbit, glide like a penguin.
- Shadow Tag
Even on cloudy days, low winter sun makes long shadows—easy for little ones to tag.
- Snowplow Play
Give kids small shovels or push toys to “clear” paths, move snow piles, or transport nature objects.
- Winter Scavenger Basket
Collect safe items: pine needles, bark, seed pods, icicles, stones. Kids touch, sort, and make nature “collections.”
- Ice Ornaments
Freeze colored water in muffin tins with a string sticking out. Hang the finished ice ornaments on trees for sparkle.
- Listening Walk
Winter is quiet—pause to listen for birds, crunching snow, wind, or distant traffic.
Do you have other ideas you’d like to share? Contact us: info@outdoorplaycanada.ca.