Hey there teachers!
Winter is here and with the new year, comes fresh opportunities for learning. Even with chilly weather upon us, it’s possible to create a cozy backdrop for fun and educational activities.
So, grab a cup of cocoa, and let’s dive into 20 winter activities that will make your classroom a magical place for learning!
1) Snowflake Symmetry
Okay, this first one is a classic winter craft we’re all familiar with! Use it to teach a fun lesson all about symmetry! Grab a piece of white paper, fold it, and let your students cut out snowflake shapes. Then, simply unfold the piece of paper to reveal the beautiful symmetrical designs! Decorate your classroom or bulletin board with them to create a winter display as unique as your students!
2) Penguin Pal Shape Crafts
Who doesn’t love adorable penguins? Teach all about shapes by letting your students choose from a variety of different shapes and make their own penguin pal. You can use construction paper, foam, googly eyes, or any other materials you have in your classroom!
3) Winter Nature Walk
Take advantage of the crisp winter air by organizing a nature walk. Encourage students to observe changes in the environment, discuss winter adaptations, and collect interesting natural items for a show-and-tell session.
4) Hot Cocoa Math
Combine the warmth of hot cocoa with the excitement of math. Use mini marshmallows or chocolate chips as counting tools, making addition and subtraction a sweet experience.
5) Snowy Sensory Bins
Create sensory bins filled with fake snow, small winter-themed objects, and scoops. Students can explore, touch, and play while engaging their senses in a winter wonderland. Try using cotton balls for snow and throw in some winter animal toys!
6) Winter Task Cards
Explore a variety of math, science, and literacy skills with these engaging, winter-themed digital task cards! Great for learning, practicing, and reviewing different concepts. Your students will beg to play them all winter long! Click on the images to play samples!
7) Snowball Sight Words
Write sight words on white paper snowballs and have a friendly “snowball fight” in the classroom. When the music stops, students grab a snowball and read the sight word aloud.
8) Cozy Story Corner
Transform your reading corner into a winter wonderland. Provide cozy blankets and pillows, and encourage students to explore winter-themed books. You can even have students bring in their favorite winter stuffed animal to read with!
Need some winter books to add to your cozy corner? Give these a try!
9) Winter Science Experiment
Explore the phases of matter with a winter science experiment. Have your students observe the effects of temperature on ice and draw a picture of what happened!
10) Winter Bingo
Put a wintry spin on the classic game of Bingo. Create or purchase Bingo cards with winter-related images or words, and let the students enjoy a friendly game that reinforces vocabulary. Or play a non-winter theme bingo game and award the winner winter themed prizes, like winter bookmarks or erasers!
11) Cozy CVC Challenge
Students can practice beginning, middle, and ending letter sounds and further develop their phonological awareness with these winter-themed, interactive flashcards, task cards, and play mat activities!
12) Build a Snowman Storytelling
Bring the joy of building a snowman indoors. Have students create their own paper snowmen and then write or tell a story about their snowman’s adventures.
13) Winter Weather Journals
Encourage budding meteorologists by keeping a winter weather journal. Students can record daily weather observations, including temperature, precipitation, and even their own predictions.
14) Arctic Animal Research Project
Dive into the world of Arctic animals. Each student can choose an animal to research, draw, color, or write about! They can even present their findings to the class. It’s a wonderful way to combine science and writing skills together!
15) Snowy Number Bonds
Use cotton balls as snowflakes to create hands-on number bonds. Whether you’re introducing addition or reinforcing subtraction, this tactile activity makes math more engaging.
16) Winter Wonders Show and Tell
Encourage students to bring in something related to winter for a special show-and-tell session. Whether it’s a favorite winter toy, a unique snow globe, or a story about a winter adventure, it’s a great way to build classroom community.
17) Iditarod Activities
Winter is the perfect time to introduce your students to one of the most thrilling races in the world—the Iditarod!
If you want to teach your students about about this legendary sled dog race through the Alaskan wilderness, but aren’t sure where to start or how to make it fun, I’m here to help!
With these Iditarod writing crafts and activities, you’ll have everything you need to bring this thrilling Alaskan tradition to life without the extra prep work!
It includes teaching materials, vocabulary words, differentiated craft projects, writing prompts, and extension activities like reading comprehension, sentence-fixing, research on Alaska, and even a fun word search!
Best of all? These activities are low prep—just print and go! Save yourself some time and give these activities a try!
Want more Iditarod activities you can use in your classroom?
You can find more in this blog post!
18) Nature Craft
Bring the beauty of winter into your classroom with a fun nature craft! Paint pinecones, paint snowflakes on stones, make a pinecone and peanut butter bird feeder, or create a winter tree on paper with twigs and glue!
19) Social-Emotional Learning
Provide extra emotional support for your students this winter. These hands-on activities create meaningful opportunities to learn, identify, discuss, and practice feelings through play!
20) Snowman Stick Craft
Get creative by painting popsicle sticks (or using colored ones) to create a snowman! Simply cut off the edges of one side, glue the sticks together, and add some finishing touches to the face and hat! You can even use the popsicle sticks in a mini math lesson beforehand (one-to-one correspondence, equations etc.)!
And there you have it—20 winter activities that will turn your classroom into a magical winter wonderland of learning and fun. From snowflakes to penguins, hot cocoa to snowy science experiments, these activities will keep your students engaged and excited throughout the winter season. So, bundle up and let the learning adventure begin!
I hope you’ll try out a few of these winter activity ideas! I can’t wait to hear which activity your students loved the most! Be sure to tag me on Instagram and let me know!
And if you’re looking for quality activities to support your learners this winter, but don’t have time to make them yourself, save your time and money with this discounted bundle!
Until next time, stay warm, and happy teaching!
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