Winter is the perfect time to bundle up, head outdoors, and spend some great family time on an adventure. Winter can be the best season of the year filled with amazing memories. This winter bucket list will give you activities to enjoy the whole winter long.
Winter Bucket List
Dogsledding
This Winter see what all the barking is about and take a dog sledding tour through the snowy wilderness. There are sledding opportunities all over the world, but one of our favorite places in in Quebec City, Canada.
Dogsledding and Quebec City seem to go hand-in-hand. You already have an unbelievable outdoor winter playground and a pack of over 250 beautiful Malamute Husky sled dogs await at Chenil La Poursuite. It’s one winter bucket list item that the whole family can enjoy. The only down side is that you’ll want to take all the dogs home with you.
Alpine Coaster
Rollercoasters aren’t just for the summer. They can have a spot on your winter bucket list too. At Breckenridge Resort, you can race down the mountain on 2,500 feet of elevated roller coaster track as you enjoy a thrilling journey around and through the forest.
Ride single or with a friend, managing your own speed through the hairpin curves and twists!
Go Tubing or Sledding
Who doesn’t love sledding down the mountain? It’s one of those winter activities that’s fun for the whole family.
Located about 20 minutes from Quebec City, Villages Vacances Valcartier is known as North America’s largest winter playground. It has 35 snow slides, skating paths, snow rafting, a children’s playground, 5,000 inner tubes, and 17 mechanical lifts.
For the ultimate thrill, they offer Everest, the highest accelerating slide in North America. For the little ones, they offer a children’s playground. There is everything in between too. You can slide on an individual inner tube or whirl down on the Tornado, a huge tube that can accommodate three to eight people. You can even rush down the slopes on a snow raft that can hold up to 12 people.
See the Nutcracker Ballet
Via Texas Ballet Theater
One of our favorite winter bucket list productions is The Nutcracker. This classic Christmas story is centered around a young girl’s Christmas Eve celebration and is a must thing to do at least once in your lifetime!
We’ve seen The Nutcracker every year, with the exception of 2020 and it took a worldwide pandemic to keep us away, since Athena was born. We delight in visions of sugarplums and snowflakes at the ballet.
Locally, here in North Dallas, Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker is our number one choice for catching the magic of the season through ballet and theater.
Ice Skate on a Lake
Frozen ponds, lakes, or rivers can provide you with some of the most scenic ice skating rinks around the world.
Keystone Resort in Colorado offers guests the opportunity to twirl and whirl at two ice skating locations – Dercum Square in River Run Village and Keystone Lake in Lakeside Village.
At the Lakeside Village, you really feel like your on the set of a Christmas movie.
Learn to Ski
We are strong advocates for ski lessons. Kids, or adults, will progress faster and more efficiently if they take at least a day of lessons. The ski and snowboard instructors are trained in how to teach you and your family as quickly and easily as possible.
Even if you or your kids already know the basics, instructors will help you progress and they know the best terrain to suit their ability.
Breckenridge Ski Resort offers some of the best ski lessons for everyone from the all-inclusive Family Private Lesson to children’s lessons and advanced adult lessons.
Make a Gingerbread House
Via Gaylord Texan
Spend an afternoon putting together a gingerbread house that is filled with all the sweets and treats of the season. This is such a fun activity to do with children!
If you want to skip the mess of making a gingerbread house at home, the Gaylord Texan has a Gingerbread Decorating Corner! Choose from different design options to create either delectable holiday-themed gingerbread cookies or complete a gingerbread house, making this fun, sticky, and interactive decorating tradition even sweeter.
Sleep in an Ice Hotel
Visiting the Hotel de Glace in Quebec City is a winter bucket list must, especially since it’s one of only a handful of ice hotels in the world. The impressive hotel is completely rebuilt every year with a different theme. You can visit the hotel without staying or get more adventurous and book a room for the night.
The hotel’s architecture is entirely built of snow and ice and it’s as magical as it sounds. There are cocktails served in a glass made of ice and there is a giant ice slide inside the hotel. With 45 themed rooms and suites it’s a lot bigger than you’d anticipate.
Go on a Sleigh Ride
Rudolph may not be pulling the sleigh, but a quiet sleigh ride through the winter wilderness should still have a spot on your winter bucket list. Add a cozy blanket and some hot chocolate or apple cider to make this a ride to remember.
You can go dashing through the snow aboard a scenic horse-drawn sleigh at Keystone Resort. You’ll enjoy an hour of outdoor fun in the crisp winter air as you travel through the beautiful Soda Creek Valley. Your guide will tell tales of yesteryear and a stop at an original Keystone homestead will have you warmed with hot cider.
Perfect for all ages, a truly magical experience in a winter wonderland.
Celebrate Québec Winter Carnival
No winter bucket list is complete without celebrating Québec Winter Carnival. The annual event features massive snow sculptures, a canoe race, family-friendly rides and activities, street parties, and an ice palace. Québec Winter Carnival runs every year from the end of January to mid-February and it’s one of the best things to do in Quebec City.