Winter learning activities

You'll Love These Exciting Winter Classroom Activities

Winters in Canada are long, so technically you could be doing winter classroom activities for most of the school year and you’d still be on track weather-wise.

We tend to use winter classroom activities from November through February, especially around Christmas, since many of our students come from different religious backgrounds. Many do not celebrate Christmas, so everyone deserves to do fun activities that aren’t connected to a specific faith or holiday.

Winter Classroom Activities for English Language Arts

Winter Themed Puzzles and Writing Activities were created to fill in a little time around the holidays. We had lots of kids who weren’t participating in some of the schoolwide Christmas events. We made this package of puzzles and activities to give them something fun to do. It includes a digital version for most of the activities. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

Our favourite part of that set was the week of winter writing prompts. Our whole class had fun with those. In fact, our students enjoyed the writing so much, that we made an entire set of Winter Writing Prompts. There are ten days of prompts, each with three different choices. Better yet, they can be used with paper or digitally. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

Want to try a free sample of our writing prompts? If you’re already on our email list, you can find it in the Resource Library. If you’re not a ninja yet, sign up and we’ll send a sample directly to your inbox.

Winter Themed Types of Sentences was an activity we did one year to build in some content and use a cute winter theme. Students learn about the different types of sentences and the punctuation that indicates each through an interactive journal activity. They complete task cards (in paper and digital formats) to practice what they’ve learned. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

Our students LOVE logic puzzles and the few that were in the Winter Themed Puzzles and Activities bundle just wasn’t enough. So, we wrote ten more Winter Themed Logic Puzzles just for them. These ones can even be done online through Google Slides. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

Nothing beats cozying up with a great book. Check out our list of winter books: Cozy Up With Great Winter Books.

Winter Classroom Activities for Math

It still amazes us how putting a few cute decorations on a page can encourage students to do their work.

Our Winter Math Worksheets for Numbers to 1000 includes place value, addition and subtraction (with regrouping up to 999), multiplication and division (with arrays up to 5 x 5 = 25), bar graphs, concrete patterns, word problems and representing simple fractions. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

The Winter Math Worksheets for Numbers to 10 000 includes addition and subtraction with regrouping, multiplication and division (up to 7 x 7 = 49), simple bar graphs, pictographs, reading an analog clock, 2D shape names, word problems and representing simple fractions. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

Our Winter Math Worksheets for Numbers to 1 000 000 includes addition and subtraction with regrouping up to 99 999, multiplication and division (up to 9 x 9 = 81), comparing numbers, adding and subtracting decimals to thousandths, double bar graphs, perimeter, area, volume, 2D shapes, equivalent simple fractions and word problems. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

All of our math worksheets come in other themes and specific strands as well. They are available in bundles and you can even find some free samples to try out. Find all of them on TpT or BN Shop. Learn more about how we use worksheets in our classroom Math Worksheet Games Your Students Will Love.

Winter Classroom Activities to Get Kids Moving Inside

Paper Skating/Snowshoeing

Grab some of the flat paper from your recycling bin and place one piece under each shoe. Shuffle down the hallway, but keep your paper with you the whole time. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll feel it the next day.

Have students race as they shuffle along.

We called it paper snowshoeing, but then another teacher mentioned it. They called it paper skating. One group of our students called it paper shuffling.

Snowball on a Spoon

This is a variation of an egg on a spoon race. Instead of an egg, use a pompom. Students can race outside, indoors in a gym or even around your classroom.

Make it more challenging by using a wooden spoon (because it’s much longer). Have students hold their other hand behind their back.

Blowing Snowballs

This is not recommended for cold and flu season because it involves students blowing their germs through a straw. Each player has a straw and a pompom. They have to blow through the straw to move the pompom. Race down a hall, across a table or all the way across a gymnasium. It’s lots of work.

Paper Snowball Fight

Crumple up that paper in the recycling bin into perfect snowball sized snowballs. Divide the class into teams and build a line down the middle of the room.

Establish rules about how (or how not to) throw the snowballs. If there are any out of bounds areas or rules about how hard snowballs can be thrown, be very clear about your expectations.

Once the rules are in place, play “junkyard.” Divide the snowballs in half and dump half onto each side of the room. Set a timer for a specific amount of time. Each team will work to clear their side of the room.

When the timer goes off, all throwing stops. Teams count the number of snowballs on their side of the room. Lowest score wins.

Our students have come up with variations over the years.

Variation 1: The Secret Snowball. Add one snowball into the mix that has a special message or symbol (which won’t be visible when it’s in ball form). The team that unwraps it after the timer goes off wins.

Variation 2: Secret Trades. After each round, both teams get to choose one player from the other side to join their team. Teams decide on the player they want and tell the referee (teacher) who then announces the trade.

Variation 3: Bean Bag Junkyard. Play a larger version of this game in your gymnasium with bean bags or small balls (like Nerf balls).

Variation 4: Set a specific time. Instead of the timer amount being unknown to students, use a visual timer so students can try their best to strategize. This usually only works once and a while. Once one team figures out they should hold onto all the snowballs until the last possible second, the game is less fun.

Are you stuck inside for recess due to the cold weather? You might need this post: Chill Out With These Sanity Saving Ideas for Indoor Recess.

Winter Classroom Activities to Get Kids Moving Outside

Snowman Building

If you live somewhere with snow, there is nothing more fun than building a snowperson or sculpture out in the snow. A spray bottle with a little water can help make the snow stay in place and pack a little better if the snow is too dry.

Snow Painting

Put a little food colouring into water and a spray bottle so kids can use the colours to spray into the snow. If the food colouring isn’t enough colour, a little liquid Tempera paint added to the water can make the colour a little brighter (but it can stain).

We have a strict rule not to spray our friends.

One year we actually took paint outside and painted the packed snow with paintbrushes. We had mostly abstract works, but it was fun on a sunny afternoon. We photographed the snow paintings to save them for later.

Snow Walking

Walking through deep snow is great exercise. Take your students through a walk in deep snow (just make sure you already know the area and it’s generally flat. Students need to be dressed appropriately.

Skating, Skiing or Snowshoeing

If your school has access to the equipment, taking your students for an activity like skating, skiing or snowshoeing can be so much fun. Look into community organizations for equipment grants to purchase or rent equipment.

If you have a parent council that has money to spend, consider purchasing these types of equipment so that all the students in your school can benefit.

Frozen Bubble Experiment

We gave this one a try last winter and it was so much fun.

The basic idea is that students will blow bubbles outside that will crystallize because of the cold weather. This one needs a very cold, but still day.

We found this activity on another blog and frankly, they wrote about it so well, we’re just going to share it instead of writing up what we did.

Winter Classroom Activities for Fun and Creativity

Create some Winter Art

There are so many different ways to integrate art into your classroom. We collected and crafted until we had a collection of Winter Inspired Art Projects. We put these together along with lesson plans, photographs of student examples and reflection pages. Find it on TpT or BN Shop.

You can even try one of the projects for free. Grab our Snowman Heads lesson in our Resource Library. We can send you the lesson directly when you sign up for our ninja mailing list.

Now, if you’re thinking-art? That’s so messy! Well, then you need to read our post: Are You Avoiding Teaching Art?

Try a Digital Escape Room

Last year we found ourselves trapped in our classroom for several weeks during a cold snap. During that time, we created a Winter Escape Room called Can You Escape Winter? It’s a collection of puzzles that students can do just for fun. Our students loved it and it came in very handy while being stuck inside for days. Everyone needs a break once and a while.

Colour Collaboratively

Colouring can be very calming and one of the best ways to put that to work is by working together on a project. Our collaborative posters allow each student to colour a piece and then they are reassembled into a larger poster. They come with 18, 24, or 36 pieces and follow-up activities. Learn more about how we use them in our classroom in this post: How to Use Collaborative Tasks to Create Classroom Community.

Teamwork or Working Together Collaborative Poster can be found on TpT or BN Shop.

Indoor Recess a Snowy Day Collaborative Poster can be found on TpT or BN Shop.

We have all of our posters together in one big bundle. It includes a variety of different holidays, classroom messages that encourage teamwork and learning, and different cultural concepts. The bundle can be found on TpT or BN Shop.

Explore the Mpemba Effect

This one is short but sweet. Before you start, get everyone bundled up on a very cold day (-30C or colder). Boil water and pour it into a mug.

Take your group outside and have them stand in a semicircle around you, but standing quite far back. Toss the boiling water out of the mug (do not throw the mug and do not throw the water toward anyone).

It should evaporate into vapour instantly and your students will be wowed. This is because of the Mpemba Effect which hypothesizes that hot water freezes faster than cold water. Have a discussion with your student to talk about why this happens (but maybe go back inside to do this).

Try Some Free Activities

We put together a list of free activities from our website and store that you’ll enjoy. You can learn more in our post: Free Winter Activities Worth Scooping Up.

Just Enjoy Winter

Winter is a long stretch here in Canada, so it only makes sense to have an arsenal of activities available to use for all those months. If you have another great winter activity that you’ve tried, we’d love to hear about it. Leave us a comment below.

28 Winter Activities for Elementary

October 26, 2022 // by Christina Cunningham

The cozy months are easily the best months in an elementary classroom. The anticipation of what the season will bring, be it Winter holidays, snow days, or yummy treats, makes every day more exciting and magical. Add to the magic with this list of ideas for Winter play and learning! From fun art projects to explore the ice and snow through STEM, your students are sure to be engaged by these classroom ideas that can be paired with any Wintery theme!

Winter Process Art

1. Watercolor Ice Painting

Freeze liquid watercolors (or water dyed with old, dry markers) to create ice pops! Once frozen, students can use the colorful ice cubes to paint on watercolor paper. Alternately, challenge them to paint their name or sight words!

Learn More: Busy Toddler

2. Frozen Suncatchers

Play with ice again as you make these frozen suncatchers! Fill a cake pan with water, then drop food coloring into the water and add nature items. When they freeze, hang them up by ribbon to accent your Winter wonderland!

Learn More: Felt Magnet

3. Bow Painting

Easily turn this fun project into a holiday gift for families! Children will dip bows into paint and then stamp them onto a canvas. Finish it off by writing a sweet note and attaching a student's school photo to the back!

Learn More: Pocket of Preschool

4. Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Work on cutting skills with this classic winter activity! Students will fold and cut slits into coffee filters (which are much easier for little hands than copy paper). When they unfold them, they will each have a unique snowflake to decorate the classroom or their bedroom windows!

Learn More: One Little Project

5. Snowy Process Art Painting

Children will love creating a sparkling snowstorm from paint and Epsom salts in this art lesson. Encourage them to paint large, whirling strokes with blues and whites, then sprinkle salt on top of their designs. When it dries, they will be left with a glistening blizzard!

Learn More: Stay-at-Home Educator

6. Dreidel Painting

As your classroom community studies various winter celebrations, kids can create this sweet craft using dreidels! Dip dreidels into blue and white paints, then spin them onto cardstock, leaving whimsical trails behind. Children can use these cards as they give gifts during the holiday season!

Learn More: Hands-on as We Grow

7. Northern Lights Chalk Art

Bring some shine to the dark Winter months with this stunning art project depicting the aurora borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights. Cut out a mountainscape from thick black paper. Children will layer colors of chalk above the mountains and blend with their fingers to create a whimsical masterpiece!

Learn More: One Little Project

8. Pine Tree Collages

This fun Winter craft allows students to work with real pieces of pine trees, adding a sensory element! Students can create their own holiday trees by gluing small sprigs and spangles to triangular pieces of paper. Display your twinkling forest on your winter bulletin board afterward!

Learn More: Fun-a-Day

Frosty Literacy

9. "Ice Fishing"

Let students practice their letters, letter sounds, and sight words with this fun ice fishing activity! Simply write what they are studying onto paper fish that have staples attached. Students then fish with magnetic poles and read the letter or word they catch aloud.

Learn More: Joyfully Weary

10. Stocking Letter Pull

Hide letters inside a stocking and have students pull each out, then match them to a printed alphabet worksheet. For a greater challenge, have children match the letters they select to a picture that begins with the sound that letter makes!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

11. Retelling Jan Brett

The Hat and The Mitten are common read-aloud during the winter months. Luckily, Jan Brett's website has tons of printables to accompany her books! Students can create their own mittens and hats or color their own characters to use in retelling the stories in class.

Learn More: Jan Brett

12. Unwrap the Alphabet

Who doesn't love the joy of unwrapping a gift? Students will love this winter literacy activity where they get to unwrap puzzle pieces hidden in wrapping paper. As they open their letter surprises, have them complete the alphabet puzzle! This activity helps children hone alphabetical order and letter recognition.

Learn More: Busy Toddler

13. Snowball Letter Toss

Print or make a handful of paper snowflakes with the letters of the alphabet printed on them. Let your students toss a tissue paper or yarn "snowball" at the letters. Have them name or produce the sound for the letter they hit!

Learn More: Fun Learning for Kids

14. The Snowy Day Class Book

If ever you're out for a snow day, encourage parents to take and send you photos of their children playing outside! Use the photos as a journal prompt upon students' return to school. This activity pairs well with a read-aloud of Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day.

Learn More: Welcome to Room 36

15. Gingerbread Man Scavenger Hunt

This indoor activity is perfect for one of those frigid Winter days when you're trapped indoors! Students will follow rhyming clues left by the Gingerbread Man to different parts of the school. Clues will lead students to a delicious treat at the end of the scavenger hunt!

Learn More: Sunny Day Family

Seasonally-Inspired Math

16. Beaded Pattern Snowflakes

Practice patterning as you create beaded snowflakes! Twist 3 pipe cleaners together to form the six prongs of a snowflake. Encourage students to create whichever type of pattern they are practicing with cool-colored beads.

Learn More: Early Learning Ideas

17. Condensation Shapes

This is one of the simplest activities for winter fun and learning- all you need is a window! Students will learn how their warm breath can cause condensation to form on cold windows. In the condensation, have children draw shapes, numbers, or whatever else you want them to practice. Simple and sweet!

Learn More: Learning Junction

18. Gingerbread Play Dough Cookies

Work together with students to practice measurement concepts as they make gingerbread-scented play dough. Then, use the dough for some fun winter sensory play, or use cookie cutters to create shapes. Students will practice shape recognition, counting, and one-to-one correspondence all while having a fantastic time playing!

Learn More: Erica's Edventures

19. Holiday Light Sticker Patterns

This simple butcher paper activity will be an easy addition to your lesson plans! Simply draw several empty strands of holiday lights across a large piece of butcher paper. Have students create or complete patterns with dot stickers, bingo daubers, or colorful loose parts.

Learn More: Super Coloring

20. Winter-Themed Pattern Block Puzzles

Challenge students to complete the classic pattern block puzzle, but with a Winter spin! Students can build mittens, snowflakes, hot cocoa mugs, and more while also practicing shape recognition and spatial awareness. Set out puzzles without guiding lines for a greater challenge!

Learn More: Ms. Moran's Kindergarten

Cool Winter STEM

21. Marshmallow Toothpick Structures

Students will get to try their hand at engineering and design as they create structures from marshmallows and toothpicks. As students manipulate these simple materials, they will learn about concepts like balance, building strong foundations, and problem-solving. Give them specific challenges or let them have free rein!

Learn More: Learn with Play at Home

22. Candy Cane, Baking Soda, and Vinegar Experiment

This sticky, fizzy experiment is the perfect idea for hands-on Winter science when you are stuck indoors! Add candy canes or peppermints to the classic vinegar and baking soda experiment and see what happens as the treats begin to dissolve.

Learn More: Fun with Mama

23. Gingerbread Man Traps

Elementary students love hearing the stories of the Gingerbread Man and comparing them! Inspire even more excitement by challenging kids to build a trap for him as a culminating activity. Surprise them by leaving a gingerbread cookie in their traps for them to find the next morning!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

24. Ice Cube Shaving Cream Towers

Challenge students to build with "ice" and "snow!" Using shaving cream and reusable ice cubes, children can create towers, igloos, snow forts, you name it! They will love this messy play activity that challenges their engineering minds!

Learn More: Instagram

25. Snow Tracks

Explore the different types of tracks that animals leave behind in the snow. Then, experiment with ways of making your own footprints in the soft powder! If real snow is not available, try making tracks with plastic animals and white play-dough!

Learn More: Montessori from the Heart

26. How Do Coats Work? Experiment

Explore how coats help to keep animals warm through this winter science experiment. Fill two water bottles with warm water. Wrap one in a coat and leave one unwrapped before placing both outside in the cold. After a few minutes, check to see which is warmer and consider why!

Learn More: SciShow Kids

Dramatic Play Themes

27. Holiday Bakery

Integrate literacy, math, and social-emotional learning in your dramatic play center by turning it into a holiday bakery! Children can follow recipes, work with play money, create menus, and take on the different roles of workers and customers in this holiday bake shop. The ideas are endless!

Learn More: Play To Learn Preschool

28. Ice Skating Rink

Turn the tiled floor into an ice skating rink by simply adding pieces of paper or felt! Students will be able to get moving indoors, which is perfect for cold days when recess can't happen. Work with students to create the skate rental desk, signage, and more as a collaborative project.