Winter in Milwaukee is a magical place, no matter how cold it may be! The holiday lights make the streets come to life and it’s almost like the air smells of hot cocoa. There is certainly no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the fun of the season!
If you’re looking for new ideas for winter activities in Milwaukee, check out this handy resource for parents – offering 50 ideas of things to do this winter for every budget, interest, and age. Think you’ve done it all in Milwaukee, think again!
Be sure to check websites and call ahead to confirm the hours and offerings of any business or organization listed.
The Ultimate Milwaukee Winter Activities Bucket List
- Go ice skating! In Milwaukee, you can go indoors at the Pettit National Ice Center or head outdoors using our Outdoor Ice Skating guide!
- Enjoy a Packers or Bucks game game with an indoor family tailgate!
- Indulge in your favorite holiday drink! Visit a local coffee shop or bakery and try a sweet winter-themed creation. We love Fiddleheads or Stone Creek Coffee, but there are so many great local options to ring in the cold season!
- Lace up the skates and take the family ice skating.
- Take some time to participate in a service opportunity together.
- Enjoy skiing, snowboarding, or the largest tubing park in the world at Sunburst! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to skiing, Sunburst offers a fun range of options for your whole family. Enjoy the chairlifts and gentle or more challenging slopes; private and group lessons are available.
- Learn how to make your own marshmallows and then enjoy them in a cup of cocoa! There are also plenty of outdoor dining spots in the Milwaukee area where you can enjoy great food and warm drinks outside, all while staying cozy and warm!
- Bundle up and enjoy a winter visit to the Milwaukee County Zoo. We are so lucky to have a world-class zoo open year round!
- Looking for a free Milwaukee winter activity that is super-unique to our community? Walk the lakefront and take a look at how beautiful the waves are as they crash into ice and the beach. We are so used to it, but it’s like experiencing winter on the shore of an ocean!
- Have fun outdoors doing something other than sledding and tubing! Try snowshoeing for a new adventure!
- Sit back, cozy up with a blanket, and let the kids gorge out on candy and popcorn at the movies! This year, the Marcus Theatres Seasons Screenings series includes family favorites like Elf and The Grinch Stole Christmas, plus classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas.
- Start a new holiday tradition of seeing the lighting of the Pfister Hotel Christmas Tree! The gorgeous lobby in this famous hotel is made even more spectacular by the gigantic tree, all decked out with lights and ornaments. If the Pfister isn’t the right fit, there are numerous tree lighting events all over the area.
- Have you been to A Cedarburg Christmas? This festival is a must for families who enjoy the vibes of a small town, classic Christmas celebration, complete with a parade, a visit from Santa, and more.
- Take a drive through Country Christmas in Pewaukee – a local favorite drive-thru holiday lights extravaganza! Admission includes a trip through the Country Christmas Trail and entrance to two buildings located at the end of the trail, Christmas Village and The Streets of Bethlehem.
- Visit Home for the Holidays at Old World Wisconsin in Eagle. Experience an “old fashioned Christmas” up close and personal, through the lens of Wisconsin’s early immigrants. Step into the daily lives of the people who called this world home as you get hands on with history.
- Write letters to Santa, decorate the envelopes, and drop them off at a local Santa’s Mailbox to start their journey to the North Pole.
- Visit a local bookstore and create your own story-time.
- Don’t miss Pancakes and PJs at Marcus Theatres, an event where families can come to the movies in pajamas and enjoy a decked-out pancake bar, hot chocolate, a photo station, and more holiday activities – all before settling in for either Elf or The Polar Express. Check out the schedule and get your tickets for this fun event.
- Make paper snowflakes and decorate your window with them!
- Visit Kopps for a scoop of one of their special seasonal flavors. Our favorite is Sugar Plum Fairy – blackberry strawberry custard dolloped with marshmallow clouds and sparkling jewels of sugar!
- Pick up some books from the Milwaukee Public Library or enjoy a virtual book club or storytime!
- Start a family gratitude jar to read at next year’s Thanksgiving dinner!
- Hide clues around the house for a hunt that will keep them busy solving riddles and working as a team. Leave a “treasure chest” at the end with a few treats for an extra special surprise!
- Have a Build-A-Snowman contest!
- Being a member of the Urban Ecology Center is as simple as making a monthly or one-time donation. In exchange for your membership, you can borrow winter equipment completely free of charge during any of their public hours.
- Invest in yourself, learn a new skill, and create something new by taking a virtual class through Milwaukee Rec.
- Make a Gingerbread House or a Charcuterie Chalet, and then eat your creations!
- Can’t go on a vacation? Do a Staycation! There are awesome local hotels with a pool or even indoor waterparks where the weather doesn’t stand in the way of a good time.
- Fill water balloons with colored water, let them freeze, break balloons off, and use them for outdoor bowling!
- Bundle up and walk through Candy Cane Lane to view the holiday lights…or drive!
- Take the family on a new adventure by incorporating a new Milwaukee winter activity this year – cut down your own Christmas tree!
- Add a snowy twist to your favorite game or sport. Whether it’s soccer, baseball or football, keep warm by running around in the snow. Don’t forget to buy a brightly colored ball so you don’t lose it!
- The winter blues are real – so reach out to a friend or family member with a phone call or a hand-written letter!
- Learn how to curl!
- Grab a scoop of snow and make some ice cream!
- Find a hill and go sledding!
- Make some Jell-O homemade playdough!
- Stroll the Ornament Trail in downtown Milwaukee, a holiday art installation the whole family will enjoy.
- Have an Ugly Christmas Sweater family game night!
- Take a photo a day for one month and then make a slideshow of your holiday season that you can upload as your TV or Alexa screensaver.
- Go cross-country skiing at Grant Park!
- Bake cookies on a snowy afternoon with the kids! Try a recipe or two from the WE Energies Cookie Book!
- Mark your calendars and bundle up—Christmas in the Ward is returning to Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on Friday, December 5, 2025, from 5:30–8:30 PM. Each year, the neighborhood transforms into a glowing winter wonderland filled with music, food, fireworks, and unforgettable holiday magic…and 2025 is shaping up to be the best celebration yet.
- You may think about kite-flying as a springtime activity. But there’s no reason not to enjoy it in winter. The winter wind makes kite-flying a great family activity that gets you out of the house and enjoying the season.
- If there’s enough snow, take the time to build a snow fort. If you’re looking for something a little warmer, use pillows and blankets! See who can make the best fort and have a cozy slumber party one night.
- Watch the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train as it comes through the area, spreading holiday cheer and raising money, food and awareness for people struggling with food insecurity.
- Let the kiddos go crazy with glitter and glue to make some ornaments for your tree and even send some to a local nursing home to bring the residents some cheer!
- The Domes have TONS of different holiday-themed events for young and old alike, including hosting the Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market.
- Perfect your favorite soup or stew recipe while you watch the snowflakes fall!
What fabulous Milwaukee winter activities would YOU add to this list?
