Twin Cities Winter Bucket List

In Minnesota, we love our summers. We put this beloved season on a pedestal and fit as much as we can into these precious days. On the other hand, winter doesn’t get nearly as much love. Most of us – myself included – accept this season begrudgingly, counting down the days until the spring thaw.

But winter in Minnesota can be long, and it seems short-sighted to wish this time away. So this year, I’m creating a winter bucket list to help my family embrace Minnesota’s colder months. Unlike a summer bucket list, I feel less pressure to make the most of every weekend. Instead, I’m finding myself focusing more on discovery, creativity, and having fun together as a family.

If you’re ready to embrace winter and all it has to offer, here are 75 ideas to help you make your winter bucket list. Minnesota winter, here we come!

Outdoor activities

1. Ice skate at an outdoor rink
2. Go sledding on a hill in your neighborhood. For a list of great spots, check out the Twin Cities Mom Collective’s Sledding Hills Guide
3. See a frozen waterfall. Visit Minnehaha Falls locally or take a road trip to see a waterfall outside the cities
4. Stay in a yurt at Afton State Park, Glendalough State Park or Cuyuna Country State Recreation
5. Try curling
6. Go ice fishing
7. Walk, ski or snowshoe on a candlelit trail at the Luminary Loppet
8. Go tubing at Buck Hill (Burnsville), Elm Creek Park Reserve (Maple Grove), Green Acres (Lake Elmo) or Wild Mountain (Taylors Falls). Some of these locations even have nighttime laser tubing
9. Visit Como Park Zoo or the Minnesota Zoo. The animals are often more active in the cold weather and the crowds can be smaller too
10. Attend the St. Paul Winter Carnival
11. Sit outside on an outdoor patio. Fire pits, pop-up igloos and heaters will keep you toasty. Check out this list of local spots
12. Go on a winter scavenger hunt in your neighborhood
13. Take a moonlight hike
14. Build a snow fort or tunnel in your backyard
15. Shovel your neighbor’s driveway
16. Visit The Ice Castles
17. Hide Easter eggs in the snow and dig for buried treasure
18. Cheer on teams at the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships
19. Attend the Kites on Ice Festival in Buffalo
20. Visit the Normandale Japanese Garden in Bloomington
21. Play at your favorite playground. Snow combined with the padding of winter gear makes for extra fun
22. Use balloons to make colorful frozen ice globes
23. Go downhill skiing
24. Try kick sledding. Rentals are available at many regional parks
25. Enjoy art and creativity at the Art Shanty Projects multi-weekend event on Lake Harriet

Indoor activities

1. Immerse yourself in art at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art, or Weisman Art Museum
2. Go to an indoor playground. For ideas of top spots, check out the Twin Cities Mom Collective’s Indoor Play Area Guide
3. Have an underwater adventure at SeaQuest in the Roseville Mall or SEA LIFE in the Mall of America
4. Escape the cold at an indoor water park
5. Make a ceramic creation at Color Me Mine
6. Visit one of the Twin Cities lesser-known museums like the Bell Museum, Bakken Museum, Minnesota History Center or Mill City Museum
7. Experience art and culture during Sundays at Landmark event series
8. Race go-karts at ProKART Indoors in Maple Grove or Burnsville
9. Watch a movie at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis
10. See a family-friendly improv show at ComedySportz
11. Scale an indoor climbing wall
12. Visit a trampoline park and get those wiggles out
13. Soak in the peace and beauty of the Cathedral of Saint Paul or the Basilica of Saint Mary
14. Tour the State Capitol
15. See a play at the Children’s Theater Company, a community theater, or your local high school
16. Visit the Minnesota Children’s Museum
17. Learn something new at the Science Museum of Minnesota or The Works Museum
18. Organize a family donut crawl and discover the Twin Cities’ amazing bakeries. Consult Twin Cities Mom Collective’s Donut Shop Guide to create your route
19. Put on your conductor hat and visit the Twin City Model Railroad Museum or the Jackson Street Roundhouse
20. Attend an event at your local library
21. Cozy up with a book at the Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul or Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis
22. Enjoy food and treasures from around the world at the Midtown Global Market
23. Visit one of the cities’ family-friendly breweries. Check out this list of brewery favorites from one of my fellow writers
24. Explore and learn something new at a nature center
25. Get up close to all kinds of animals at the Sustainable Safari in the Maplewood Mall

At-home activities

1. Make frozen bubbles
2. Host a chili cook off
3. Get competitive with a family board game tournament
4. Have a movie marathon. Watch a series, choose a movie theme or pick films featuring your favorite actors
5. Build a blanket fort. Bonus points if you add twinkly lights
6. Make your own snow globe
7. Dress up, use the nice dishes and have a family dinner by candlelight
8. Build a Lego masterpiece
9. Make homemade bread or cinnamon rolls
10. Grab flashlights and play hide and seek in the dark
11. Host a family painting contest using the Bob Ross YouTube channel as your guide
12. Make fancy hot chocolate
13. Have an indoor picnic
14. Make snow ice cream. Your kids will likely eat the snow outside anyway…
15. Bake treats for local first responders
16. Create a family time capsule
17. Look through family photos and videos
18. Host a waffle party
19. Roast hot dogs and s’mores over a bonfire
20. Create a stop motion video
21. Have a family dance party
22. Get artistic with snow paint
23. Create an at-home escape room experience. Check Etsy or Pinterest for printable kits.
24. Build an obstacle course and see who can get the fastest time
25. Brighten your backyard with a DIY flower icicle

* For more great ideas, check out these posts of at-home activities for kids and tweens.