Winter Activities

The Winter seasonal pages will provide you with great educational resources for winter. Ideas within this section include resources for general activities like football, bird feeding, New Year's, and snow. You can also find more specific resources for the following: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Chinese New Year, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and more.

We are always looking for new ideas! Your creativity can help other teachers. Don't forget to include additional resources-documents, web sites, or a photo.

Holiday Patterns Grades K-1st, requires Kidspiration software
This Kidspiration computer activity allows students to practice their patterning skills with icons from the various December holidays.

Internet Snowman Grades K-3rd
Students access an online resource that allows them to build and save an image of their own snowman. We use that image in grade specific computer activties.

Snowman Adventures Grades K-3rd
This fun, seasonal writing activity will allow your younger students to take their snowman on an adventure.

Winter Onomatopoeia
An onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the source of the sound that the word describes. Depending on the age of your students, you will want to do some instruction around the concept of onomatopoeia. Check with your school librarian – they should have some books that you can read with students during your lessons.

Once you have completed your lessons and instructions, move on to having your students select their word and begin planning their drawing. When it comes to the drawing, provide students with a variety of art supplies. (The examples in the image were done with a combination of water colors and crayons. This was a great choice for a winter focus.)

This activity can be used for a variety of topics and subjects – seasonal or curriculum.
Submitted by: Jennifer

Finger Painted Wrapping Paper
Materials Needed: Liquid starch, glass jars (one for each color), powdered poster paint, paper with a glazed surface (butcher or shelf paper)—cut the piece of paper the correct size for wrapping your gift, newsprint or newspapers to cover table, sponges and paper towels, source of water for cleanup (bucket or sink).

Procedure: Pour a cup of liquid starch into a glass jar. Use a separate container for each color. Mix in powdered poster paint (about a teaspoonful) a little at a time until it is the color you want to use. Place paper on a table covered with newspapers. Using your hands, put the paint into the center of the paper and spread it over the whole sheet. Then, use your knuckles to make waves, your fist for swirls, your fingernails for lines, and the side of your hand for zig—zags. If the paint begins to dry and becomes sticky before you have finished, mix in drops of water squeezed from a damp sponge. Allow paint to dry completely. lf the dry picture curls at the edges, press the back of it with a warm iron. When picture is ready, wrap your gift.

Winter Word Search
Create your own or use our word list.

New Year Resolutions
At the beginning of each new year, I discuss 'resolutions' with my language arts classes. We talk about the benefits of making long-term goals, and the advantages of planning and documenting them. I provide them with some official-looking paper and they write down their behavior and/or academic goals for the remainder of the school year (in ink, of course!) for the and then sign them with their full name. In past years, I collected the papers and returned them during the last week of school. They are good for reflection and for noting progress made. This year I think I am going to keep them in their portfolios!

Winter Word Scramble

Winter Journal Pages
Print ready-made winter-themed lined journal pages to use in your classroom.

Winter Crossword Puzzle
Create your own Crossword or use our premade word/clue list.

Ring in the New Year
In order to maintain effective classroom management upon returning to school after winter recess, I review behavior expectations and classroom rules. By reviewing class rules, students are moved back into the swing of the school day. Students work in cooperative learning groups and create collages of favorite moments or holiday presents from the break. Rather than 'coming down' on kids, I take advantage of their energy and excitement at the New Year! Students enjoy the activities.

Football Grades Various
View all of the great Super Bowl & Football lessons and resources.

Bird feeders Grades Any
Here are a variety of easy and fun bird feeder activities you can use with your students.
Submitted by: Susan Seagraves

Winter Bulletin Boards Grades Various
Visit our Bulletin Board pages to find some great ideas.

Ice & Snow
A Teacher's Corner thematic unit that includes lessons, activities, web resources, and books.

The Iditarod
Resources for your classroom focusing on this great race.

New Year's Activities & January Bulletin Boards
Be sure to visit our pages dedicated to New Year's activities and bulletin boards.

Snow Day!
Make the declaration in your classroom! Hang up a sign that tells the children that "Today is a Snow Day". Serve snow balls for a treat or powdered donut holes!
Submitted by: Kathy

Let's Get Warm! Grades K-4
Students investigate various methods that animals use to warm up in cold weather - everything from growing new fur to burrowing in mud - and explore the scientific principles involved. They then identify human parallels and create a presentation.

Snow School
Visit this site and click on the "For Teachers" link to find great lesson plans for snow.

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Celebrate Winter Grades Various
These 50, simple winter related activities are brought to you by About.com. These great crafts and snack ideas can come in handy with planning for winter lesson plans or themes.

Electron Microscopy Snow Page Grades Any
View snow crystals as you have never seen them before!

Fall/Winter Lesson Planning Grades Various
This is an archived newsletter, but contains fun resources.

Jokes
Snowman Jokes and Snowmen Humour

Snow Activities Grades Any
Find everything from snow arts & crafts to science activities.

Science of Snow
Resources to help students understand the science behind the snow.

Snowtastic Snow Grades Various
Find a lot of different information on snow and ice.

Wilson A. Bentley - The Snowflake Man
Mr. Bentley was the first person to photograph snowflakes. During his lifetime he photographed over 5,000 snowflakes, finding no two alike. At this site you can find various snow resources and links.
Purchase Snowflake Bentley, Caldecott Medal Book, the true story of Mr. Bentley.
Click on the book to purchase.

Winter Theme Unit Grades Various
EdHelper.com has put together a fun winter unit including: word searches, puzzles, stories, math problems, and much more.

Winter Word Search Grades Any
A fun puzzle with winter terms.