Here in Texas, we don't always get a lot of winter weather. However, this year we have actually seen SNOW! I'm talking INCHES of snow that stuck to the ground and was perfect for making snowballs and snowmen! And we even had a few straight DAYS of freezing weather a couple of weeks later. Now when we talk about winter and snow in class, the students can actually personally relate to what we are learning about.
Family Snowman Project
Before we get out for Christmas break, I send home our Family Snowman Project. It is just a letter of instructions for the parents, and a blank snowman outline. The students work with their families to decorate the snowman using any items they would like. When I introduce this project, I like to start off by reading Snowballs, by Louis Ehlert. This book gives tons of great ideas on items the families could use to decorate their snowmen, or snowgirls.
(affiliate link)
Letters in the Snow (FREEBIE!)
This is a quick and easy center activity for the kids to practice letter recognition and letter writing. I filled an empty bottle with letter beads and epsom salt for the snow. The students turn the bottle around to reveal the letters and then they trace the letters they find on the recording page.
Click here for your FREE copy of the recording sheet!
Snowflake Letter Match
Here's another easy-to-make center activity. Students match the uppercase letters to the lowercase letters. They can also put the letters in alphabetical order or even play a memory game.
Winter Sensory Tub
Where's the Snowman?
These "Where's the...?" pocket chart games are our favorites! On this one, the students are trying to find the snowman that is hiding behind one of the snowflakes. The students have to point to a snowflake and say the number on it. Then they look behind the card and see if the snowman is hiding back there. (This "Where's the Snowman?" packet also included number words and color words.)
You can get your copy of this game in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Winter Count Around the Room
In this activity, I have the ten frame cards hung around the room. The students move around the room looking for the cards and recording the number of each object in the ten frames.
Winter Vocabulary Match and Write
This activity is great for learning the vocabulary of the season. Students cut out a picture and read the word written with the picture. They then match the word on the picture with the one on the recording sheet and write the word themselves.
Winter Writing Center
I switch out our Writing Center with each new season or holiday. The activities stay the same so the students know what to do with minimal instruction, just the vocabulary words change!
Snowflake Non-standard Height Measurement
Each season I put up a new height measurement strip on our classroom door. For Winter, we measure ourselves with snowflakes! The students get to come up to the measurement strip with a partner and help measure each other. They then record how many snowflakes tall they are on the recording sheet.
