20 fun outdoor winter party ideas that will thrill guests of all ages
Winter is a magical time for a party. Typically, people gather inside during the chilliest months, attending get-togethers filled with fairy lights, plaid tablecloths, and pine-scented candles.
But why limit yourself to indoor activities when some of the most beautiful, exciting elements of the season are happening outdoors? Pulling off outdoor winter party ideas lets you fully enjoy the crisp air, sparkling snow, and natural winter beauty. Whether your goal is to break up the usual routine, embrace the season, or simply show off a cozy new coat, hosting a gathering outside is an experience worth trying—especially if you live in a cooler climate.
Ready to embrace the chill and host the outdoor winter party of your snowflake-filled dreams? We’ll walk through everything you need to kick off the planning, from festive invitations to winter party themes to fun activities that will delight guests of all ages.
How to prepare for an outdoor winter bash
Before you start executing your outdoor winter party ideas, you’ll want to make sure your venue—whether at home or elsewhere—is fit to host in the cool weather. With a little preparation, these tips will ensure that your guests stay comfortable, warm, and ready to enjoy every moment of your winter celebration.
1. Keep things warm
An outdoor winter party works best when guests feel cozy. Here are some ways to provide warmth:
- Light up the fire pit for instant heat and major cozy vibes.
- Supply blankets for guests to use as needed.
- Hand out body-warming packets, which guests can stick in mittens or boots to keep fingers and toes toasty.
- Set up heaters. Strategically placed space heaters will have guests gravitating toward them like moths to a flame.
2. Set up lighting
Winter days are short, and sunlight disappears quickly. Thoughtful lighting makes outdoor winter parties feel festive and inviting, and also helps guests see after the sun sets:
- String lights hung from trees, fences, or draped around the party area make for a magical-feeling ambiance. Mini fairy lights or larger lanterns can also work, depending on your activities.
- Bonfires or fire pits provide both light and warmth.
- Chargeable, restaurant-style mini lamps add extra illumination for tables or seating areas.
If bringing in extra lighting isn’t feasible for your venue, consider hosting during daylight hours so guests can enjoy natural light before dusk.
3. Keep an eye on the temperature
Everyone has their own barometer for when being outside is simply too cold to be fun. If you and your guests are shivering more than smiling, it’s a sign to take the outdoor party indoors. Fortunately, many of our outdoor winter party ideas can be transitioned to inside if the weather decides to take a frigid turn during the festivities.
4. Stock up on warming food and drinks
No party is complete without festive food and drinks, and an outdoor winter party menu is the perfect opportunity to lean into the coziness. These options are guaranteed to help guests warm up:
- Hot chocolate, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot toddies
- Soups, chili, and hearty stews served in insulated containers or crock pots
- Baked goods, roasted nuts, or warm finger foods that guests can snack on while mingling
Outdoor winter party themes
Looking for outdoor winter birthday party ideas, or winter party themes for adults and kids of all ages? Start here!
5. Winter games
Bring some friendly competition to your outdoor winter party. Set up winter-themed games like balloon hockey, ring toss, or even a donut “ring” tower. Guests can compete in teams or individually, and you can award winners with medals or ribbons to keep the energy festive. Between events, make sure everyone stays warm with cozy drinks like hot chocolate or spiced cider. If your space allows, streaming live sporting events on an outdoor television creates a fun, immersive atmosphere and gives guests a chance to relax for a moment while still feeling part of the competition.
6. Après-ski soirée
Skip the skiing and go straight to the most fun part of a ski trip: the après. Invite guests to dress in their most festive ski gear, from fuzzy sweaters to colorful snow pants. Set up a cozy mountain lodge vibe with tons of candles and plaid tablecloths, serve Champagne or other festive drinks, and create a fondue station with a spread of meats, breads, and veggies for dipping. Cin cin!
7. Souper Bowl
For a casual but crowd-pleasing winter gathering, host a “Souper Bowl” party. Guests bring their favorite homemade soups to share, creating a tasting experience that keeps everyone warm and happy. Provide small cups or bowls so guests can sample each recipe, and consider hosting a friendly competition to determine whose soup reigns supreme. This DIY approach makes the event feel interactive and relaxed, and perfect for a birthday or a simple winter get-together.
8. Mocktails afternoon
Following the holiday season, people are ready for a fresh start in the new year. Why not host a Dry January party with non-alcoholic beverages and an afternoon of flag football to get the juices flowing?
Start with a friendly game of flag football and then settle in for festive drinks and snacks to follow. Invite a professional bartender to teach your guests how to make alcohol-free drinks, like a Hot Not Toddy or a Peppermint White Russian. Serve in insulated cups to help keep them warm. Then, send them home along with mini mocktail kits for guests to enjoy later. An invitation wording idea could be:
Ready to shake things up in the new year?
The games (and mocktails!) begin at 2 PM
Saturday, January 8th
Cheers!
9. Chili cook-off party
Nothing feels quite as cozy as a bowl of hot chili on a cold winter’s day. Invite everyone to bring their A-game by whipping up a batch of their own unique chili recipe. Either set up food warmers on a folding table or encourage guests to bring their chili in crock pots to plug in outdoors to keep everything heated before it’s time to taste.
10. Tailgate party
Invite your crew over for a tailgate party at home. Transform your backyard, garage, or driveway into game day central. Encourage guests to wear their team jerseys and have a TV or projector set up to broadcast the game. As for the menu, think concession stand foods: nachos, hot dogs, and BBQ are all hits.
11. Bar crawl
You may not be outside the whole time, but you’ll certainly be spending plenty of time traveling from bar to bar. Map out stops ahead of time and share your route by adding a Details Block to your invitation so guests know where to go. On the day of, provide live updates of your location via broadcast message to make sure latecomers can easily join the fun.
If you prefer not to drink, the concept works well with a pastry crawl, coffee tour, or hot chocolate tasting, too.
12. Sledding or skiing day
For a lively outdoor winter birthday party or casual gathering, sledding or skiing is a perfect activity. Head to a nearby hill, mountain, or park, and encourage guests to dress in layers with hats, scarves, and waterproof gloves to stay warm. Bring sleds, skis, or snowboards, depending on the terrain and the experience level of your group. Between runs, set up a fire pit or provide thermoses with hot drinks so guests can warm up and refuel.
13. Scavenger hunt
Perfect for kids (or the kids at heart!), a scavenger hunt is a fun, energy-filled way to host a winter gathering. Choose a park, neighborhood, or large backyard as your stage, and hide clues or seasonal items like pinecones, mini snowmen, or ornaments throughout the area. Encourage participants to form teams or play individually, and reward winners with small prizes or treats. Keep everyone comfortable with warm drinks in thermoses and optional blankets or hand warmers.
14. Hot tub party
If you or a friend has a backyard hot tub, turn it into the centerpiece of a cozy winter gathering. Have towels or robes available so guests can transition between the cold air and the hot water comfortably. Crank up the fire pit, curate a fun playlist to keep energy lively, and serve warm drinks or cocktails in nonbreakable glassware for safety.
Fun activities to liven up any winter party
Whatever winter party theme you go with for your chilly get-together, incorporating one or a few of these activity ideas will make it even more memorable and entertaining. From cozy s’mores by the fire to ice skating in the park, add some spice (preferably a dash of cinnamon!) to your party with these fun ideas for activities.
15. Hot cocoa and a bonfire
Nothing feels cozier on a cold winter night than hot cocoa by an open fire. Invite guests to bundle up and join you outside for an evening under the stars. The party invitations could say something along the lines of:
Join us for a hot cocoa night
And s’mores by the fire
We’re keeping it casual
So wear your snuggliest attire!
Set up a station with tins of hot cocoa mix, hot water or warm milk carafes, and a variety of accompaniments, like mini marshmallows, chocolate bombs, whipped cream, and sprinkles. Also, you can’t have a bonfire without s’mores. Set out a platter with skewers, chocolate bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows for roasting.
16. Stargazing with telescopes
Enjoy winter’s beautifully clear nights with a stargazing party. Rent a few telescopes to get an up-close view of the constellations or check with local museums or planetariums that may offer stargazing nights open to the public during the month.
If having the party at home, set up outdoor heaters to keep everyone toasty. (Try avoiding lighting a fire pit as it will distract from the stars overhead.) Then, encourage guests to use stargazing apps to locate the best constellations. As for refreshments, keep them low-key with a mulled apple cider and a charcuterie or candy board for guests to graze as they gaze.
17. Ice skating
Gather friends for a spin at the ice skating rink. If possible, reserve a specific section with heat lamps for your group where you can enjoy hot cocoa or mulled cider after a few laps on the ice.
Skating rinks in December are often decorated for the holidays, offering you built-in twinkly décor. Even after the fanfare is gone by February, your group will still be thrilled to have a fun reason to get out of the house.
Get cheeky with your winter party invitations. Use messaging along the lines of:
Going bananas indoors?
Meet us for an ice skating party
Bundle up and join us for a spin!
Saturday, February 19th at noon
18. Movie night
Set up a backyard projector with plenty of comfortable outdoor furniture and blankets to keep cozy. Provide simple, on-theme snacks. Make sure there’s plenty of buttered popcorn, boxes of candy, warm drinks, and soda to keep guests satisfied during your cinematic event.
19. Game day or night
Set up board games for a spirited competition or host a backyard party during the day with lawn games like bocce ball, ladder rope, and cornhole. Food-wise, keep it low-key by ordering a few pizzas or a large sub sandwich with chips, cut-up veggies, and dips.
20. Snowman-building competition
Take advantage of the snowfall by planning a snowman-building competition. This family-friendly idea is a great way to escape cabin fever and have fun outdoors. Invite guests to bring props to share, such as old hats, gloves, sunglasses, and scarves, plus carrots, licorice, and pieces of candy (for the face), and anything else to help build a snowman family in the yard.
Award prizes for the Biggest Snowman or Most Creative, and take photos of the creations for guests to take home. As for snacks, keep it simple with pigs-in-a-blanket, chips and dip, and an assortment of cookies and warm drinks.
Pull off your outdoor winter party ideas with Paperless Post
Hosting an unforgettable outdoor winter party starts with inspiration—and the right invitations. With Paperless Post, you can explore invitations with winter party themes for adults or kids, from intimate birthday parties to larger seasonal gatherings. With the perfect invite and a few thoughtful touches, your outdoor winter birthday party ideas or casual winter gathering will be remembered long after the snow melts.
