Winter bucket list printable: pick, tick and print

The short answer

A winter bucket list is a short list of cold-season things you want to do, such as sledding, ice skating, seeing the Christmas lights, baking cookies or a blanket-fort movie night. Choose 15 to 25 ideas that fit your people and budget, date the holiday events first, print the list and tick each idea as you go.

How to make a winter bucket list you actually finish

1. Pick 15 to 25 ideas. December to February is about 13 weekends, and the holidays take a few. Start from a ready list above.
2. Date the holiday ones first. Tree lightings, Christmas markets, holiday shows and light displays run for a few weeks only. Check local dates and put them on the calendar.
3. Keep snow ideas flexible. Sledding and snowmen depend on the weather, so give each one an indoor swap, like a blanket fort or a cocoa taste test.
4. Save some for January. The weeks after the holidays feel long. A few ideas for January and February give you something to look forward to.
5. Put the list where you see it and tick ideas the same day. Print it for the fridge or save the image as your phone wallpaper.

All 120 winter bucket list ideas

Every idea in the maker, grouped. For a Christmas bucket list, a sample snow day and tips for kids and couples, read the winter bucket list ideas guide.

Snow and outdoors

Cold-air days out, with or without snow.

• Build a snowman and give it a name
• Go sledding on the best hill in town
• Make snow angels
• Have a snowball fight
• Go ice skating on an outdoor rink
• Try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing
• Take a winter hike and look for animal tracks
• Step outside for the first snowfall
• Catch snowflakes on a dark sleeve and look closely
• Build a snow fort
• Spend a day skiing or snowboarding
• Walk through fresh snow before anyone else
• Watch the sunrise on a cold, clear morning
• Go stargazing on a long winter night
• See a frozen lake or waterfall from a safe spot
• Learn to spot three winter birds
• Take a sleigh or wagon ride
• Go tubing at a snow park
• Warm up by an outdoor fire pit
• Paint the snow with colored water in spray bottles

Christmas and holidays

Holiday traditions for the weeks before December 25 and the days after.

• Go see the Christmas lights
• Pick out and decorate a Christmas tree
• Bake and decorate Christmas cookies
• Build a gingerbread house
• Visit a Christmas market
• Have a Christmas movie marathon in pajamas
• Go caroling or sing carols at home
• See The Nutcracker or a holiday show
• Make a homemade ornament
• Wrap gifts with a holiday movie on
• Write and mail holiday cards
• Wear matching Christmas pajamas
• Go to a tree lighting in town
• Read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve
• Make a paper chain countdown to Christmas
• Write a letter to Santa
• Host an ugly sweater party
• Set up a hot cocoa bar
• Play a white elephant gift swap
• Donate a toy to a toy drive
• Go to a Christmas Eve service or concert
• Leave cookies for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer

Cozy at home

Warm projects for dark evenings and snow days inside.

• Make hot chocolate from scratch
• Build a blanket fort and read inside it
• Finish a 1,000-piece puzzle
• Make a big pot of soup or stew
• Bake a loaf of bread
• Have a board game night
• Start a winter reading stack of three books
• Learn to knit, crochet or embroider
• Make a reading corner with a lamp and a throw
• Try a new tea or warm drink each week
• Cut paper snowflakes for the windows
• Light candles and have a no-screens evening
• Cook a slow Sunday dinner, like a pot pie
• Watch a classic winter movie
• Make s'mores in the oven
• Have a spa night with a long bath
• Journal by candlelight
• Make a winter playlist
• Bake cinnamon rolls on a snowy morning
• Hang a bird feeder you can see from a window

With kids

Hands-on ideas for families with young children, most with things you already have.

• Make pine cone bird feeders
• Freeze colored water and build with the ice
• Make a snow volcano with baking soda and vinegar
• Blow bubbles on a freezing day
• Have an indoor snowball fight with rolled socks
• Fill a winter sensory bin with cotton balls and scoops
• Build a pillow and blanket fort
• Have a pajama day
• Make handprint snowman or reindeer art
• Go on a winter scavenger hunt
• Put on a family talent show
• Read winter picture books from the library
• Build an indoor obstacle course
• Have a family movie night with popcorn
• Dress a snowman with things from the kitchen
• Make salt-dough ornaments
• Measure the snow each day and chart it
• Have a hot cocoa taste test
• Make a time capsule to open next winter
• Throw a birthday party for a favorite toy

Couples and date ideas

Winter date ideas for two, from nights in to a weekend away.

• Go ice skating hand in hand
• Share a warm drink at a Christmas market
• Book a cabin weekend
• Have a fondue night at home
• Take a slow lights drive with hot drinks
• Make a new winter drink together
• Have a blanket-fort movie date
• Take a cooking or baking class
• Build a snowman together and take a photo
• Go to a holiday concert or show
• Read the same book and talk about it
• Spend a day at a sauna or hot spring
• Kiss under the mistletoe
• Plan next year's trips over a long breakfast
• Give each other an experience, not a thing
• Stargaze wrapped in blankets
• Play a two-player board game tournament
• Write each other a letter to open next winter

Free and cheap

Winter fun that costs little or nothing.

• Walk the neighborhood to see the lights
• Sled on a public hill
• Borrow winter movies and books from the library
• Make gifts from things you already have
• Go to a free holiday concert, parade or tree lighting
• Volunteer at a food bank or shelter
• Shovel a neighbor's sidewalk
• Donate warm coats, hats and gloves
• Host a potluck with friends
• Fill a gratitude jar and read it on New Year's Eve
• Write thank-you notes to three people
• Have a game night with games you own
• Visit a museum on its free day
• Take a winter photo walk with your phone
• Hang paper snowflakes in a window
• Watch the sunset from the best spot in town
• Start a 30-day challenge for January
• Clear out a closet and donate what you do not use
• Build a snowman in the front yard for neighbors
• Host a cookie swap

Count down to Christmas

Doing the holiday ideas first? The Christmas countdown shows the days, hours and minutes to December 25 in your time zone, with a 24-day advent habit calendar of small family, self-care and kindness ideas you can print.

Turn one idea into a habit

Some winter ideas are worth keeping. A walk in daylight, a soup night or a no-screens evening can become a routine that lasts past February. Pick one and try the 30-day walking habit plan, or start the new year with the Dry January tracker or a Winter Arc tracker. Missed fall? The fall bucket list printable uses the same maker, and the bucket list maker is for a whole life.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a winter bucket list?

A mix of snow and outdoor days (sledding, skating, a winter hike), holiday traditions (lights, cookies, a gingerbread house), cozy things at home (soup, puzzles, a reading stack) and a few free ideas. Add one or two events that only happen near you, like a tree lighting.

What is the difference between a winter and a Christmas bucket list?

A Christmas bucket list covers the holiday season, roughly Thanksgiving to December 25, with lights, baking, gifts and carols. A winter bucket list runs from December to the end of February and adds snow days, cozy nights and ideas for January, when many people need something to look forward to.

How many ideas should a winter bucket list have?

Fifteen to twenty-five. Winter is about 13 weekends, and holidays fill several of them, so two ideas a week is plenty. Keep the rest of the 120 ideas for next year.

What if we do not get snow?

Most of the list works without it. Pick from the Christmas, cozy at home and free lists, and swap sledding for an ice rink, a winter hike or a hot-cocoa taste test. The Classic winter list has four snow ideas you can remove with one tap.

Can I print the winter bucket list?

Yes. Pick a design (snow, minimal or holiday) and press Print my list for one page with a box to tick next to each idea. Save as image makes a phone-sized picture for your lock screen.

Where is my list saved?

Only in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to our server and there is no sign-up. Your list and ticks are still here when you come back.

Sources and evidence

1. Van Boven and Gilovich (2003): To do or to have? That is the question — Across surveys and experiments, people reported that experiential purchases made them happier than material purchases.
2. Kumar, Killingsworth and Gilovich (2014): Waiting for Merlot, anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases — In four studies, waiting for an experience was more pleasant and exciting than waiting for a material purchase.