This collection of winter-themed activities includes math, literacy, and STEM-based lessons, games, songs, fun sensory bin ideas, hands-on crafts as well as plenty of snow day ideas to keep your preschooler engaged for hours!
1. Create a Winter Fake Snow Sensory Bin
This winter-themed sensory activity recreates the fun of playing with snow by using cotton balls, foam snowflakes and snowmen, and tools for scooping. It’s also an excellent way to strengthen motor muscles.
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2. Snowflake Tracing Printable Pack
Preschoolers can practice tracing their upper and lower case letters with this fun winter printable, decorated with adorable snowflakes.
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3. Fun Winter Activity with Sequencing
Snowmen at Night is a fun story that will keep kids guessing what happens to this group of adventurous snowmen. There are four versions of these story sequencing cards, giving young learners plenty of chances to practice organizing information and putting together a narrative structure from beginning to end.
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4. Snowman Sensory Shaving Cream Activity
While messy, the squishy shaving foam used for this snowman craft makes for a super fun sensory experience. Using a paper plate, some cut-out nose and eyes, and lots of imagination, this craft is sure to keep your young learner entertained for hours.
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5. Winter Themed Cookie Cutter Fun
All you need for this hands-on craft is some paint and winter-themed cookie cutters. It makes for a great brain break as well as an easy sensory play idea.
Learn More: Stay At Home Educator
6. Create a Picturesque Winter Environment
This beautiful winter art landscape requires only paper, crayons, and white and blue paint to produce some stunning results. Being so simple, it offers lots of room for kids to put their own creative twist on the creations.
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7. Classic Snowflake Craft
This all-time favorite snowflake craft requires only blue construction paper, glue, salt, and your choice of watercolors. The results look like glittering, colorful ornaments, perfect for decorating window displays or Christmas trees.
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8. Make an Icicle Garland
This simple icicle garland makes a beautiful winter decoration for the home or classroom. It’s also a great way to learn about color mixing and water absorption while building fine motor skills.
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9. Paper Plate Snowman Craft
You can skip the white paint and instead repurpose paper plates to create this adorable snowman. Why not decorate him with some accessories and clothing for winter as well?
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10. 3D Snow Globes
These sparkly, clear plate snow globes make a great activity for winter as well as a beautiful winter ornament or keepsake. Kids are sure to love shaking them and watching the glitter fall over their pictures.
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11. Winter Lantern Craft
If your preschooler is a fan of process art, this is the project for them. Using a mason jar and some tissue paper, they can create their own beautiful version of winter lanterns.
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12. Coffee Filter Snowflakes
This classic winter art activity makes for a beautiful window display while giving kids a chance to get creative blending colored water in lovely pastel shades.
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13. Arctic Animals Lesson
Winter is a perfect time to study polar animals. This printable collection includes challenging arctic letter puzzles as well as a fun arctic roll and graph game.
Learn More: Stay At Home Educator
14. Create A Snowman Factory
Kids will love assembling their own snowmen from the assortment of crafting supplies including google eyes, candy for buttons, ribbon for scarves, twigs for arms, and whatever else you would like to include.
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15. Arctic Animal Puzzles
These arctic animal puzzles are an excellent way to build number recognition skills, practice sequential ordering and develop problem-solving abilities. Learners will love spotting their favorite winter animals such as the arctic hare and polar bear and learning about new ones.
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16. Gingerbread Man Math Activity
This sensory activity requires only some cookie cutters, buttons, and gingerbread men cutouts. It’s an excellent way to reinforce counting skills, and color recognition while giving preschoolers plenty of fine motor practice.
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17. Winter STEM Science Activity
This STEM activity is an excellent way to explore the natural world outside the classroom. Preschoolers will learn about states of matter as well as the difference between physical and chemical changes.
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18. Ice Fishing Fun
Who needs a snowball fight when you can go ice fishing in your own backyard? This creative science experiment requires only some cold cups of water and ice cubes for hours of fishing fun!
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19. Hot Chocolate Counting Cards
These hot chocolate counting cards can be used with white pom poms or real marshmallows for tempting fun. They are a fun and easy way to teach number correspondence for digits up to 20.
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20. Paper Plate Snowflake Yarn Art
This art-themed winter activity requires only yarn and paper plates and is a creative way to build fine motor skills.
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21. Mitten Matching Math Practice
This adorable mitten-matching activity is a fun and hands-on way to learn about color matching, forming pairs, and counting.
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21. Polar Bear Paper Plate Craft
This arctic animal craft makes for a great opportunity to discuss polar bear habitats and needs.
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22. Winter Counting Sensory Table
This winter-themed counting activity is also a great way to explore the interesting textures of sequins, gems, and pom-poms.
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23. Sing a Winter Themed Song
Five Little Penguins is a classic counting song and a great way to develop numeracy skills, encourage speech development, and enhance storytelling abilities.
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24. Make Snow Paint
This simple paint recipe requires only a few ingredients but makes for hours of painting fun. The spray bottles can be used to paint snow, snowmen, snowballs, or any type of snow you like!
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25. Read a Classic Winter Book for Children
Stella, Queen of the Snow is a delightful story full of winter activities including building snowmen, going ice skating and sledding, and making snow angels. Kids will love exploring a winter wonderland through the eyes of Stella and Sam.
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26. Make 3D Process Art
This creative idea repurposes scraps of leftover paper strips into beautiful 3D winter art. It can be combined with a favorite winter story to enhance student learning.
Learn More: A Little Pinch of Perfect
27. Make a Snowflake Craft
This super simple craft is great for developing fine motor skills and also makes a beautiful beaded ornament for the Christmas tree or a festive window garland.
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28. Winter Pattern Block Mats
Add a pop of color to your winter-themed lessons with this vibrant pattern block activity. Simply provide your kids with these printable snowflake mats before inviting them to fill their mats with color by placing an appropriate pattern block in each segment of their snowflake.
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29. Make Your Own Snowman Puzzle
This budget-friendly DIY winter math game is a great way to learn numbers and practice counting.
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30. Sensory Snow Play Activity
This sensory snow activity is sure to create lots of traffic jam fun. Kids will love creating their own snowy transportation world with their choice of toy vehicles.
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31. Cardinal in Winter Art
With just a few simple steps, you can turn a handprint into a beautiful cardinal, complete with a winter scene. This craft is great for improving pencil grasp, cutting and pasting skills, and following directions.
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32. Make an Igloo
Winter is a perfect time to learn about igloos. Let kids choose their own materials from marshmallows to egg cartons to pipe cleaners and enjoy letting their imaginations run wild.
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33. Colorful Ice Painting Bin
Preschoolers love to paint and working with this icy texture makes for a wonderful way to expand their artistic skills.
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34. Study Animal Tracks in the Snow
Is it a rabbit, bear, or skunk? Students will have plenty of fun guessing which tracks belong to which winter animals.
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35. Snowman Button Counting Puzzles
In this delightful activity, your children will have to help these charming snowmen find all their buttons! Engage them in using their number recognition and counting skills to search for the button cards that match the number that’s represented on each snowman.
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36. Exploding Snowman STEM Experiment
This fun DIY experiment only requires baking soda and vinegar and is a great way to teach kids about chemical reactions. It is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and one that they will want to repeat again and again.
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37. Practice a Penguin Waddle
This fun winter-themed physical activity requires only a balloon but makes for loads of fun. It’s also a great opportunity to talk about how male penguins have to keep their eggs warm by shuffling them on their feet while the female penguin is out searching for food.
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38. Snowstorm in a Jar Experiment
Your students will learn all about the properties of oil and water in this icy experiment. Guide them through filling a jar with oil and a mixture of white paint and water. For the main event, you’ll prompt them to drop an alka-seltzer tablet into the jar before inviting them to observe as it fills with bubbles and culminates in a frosty snowstorm!
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39. Play a Winter Dice Game
This easy-to-make dice game is a great way to get kids active. They are sure to love falling like snowflakes and waddling like penguins.
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40. Potato Print Polar Bears
These potato print polar bears make for a creative and easy project that gives preschoolers plenty of fine motor practice.
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