Snowflakes falling, wind whistling, and kids going crazy?! Yes, you read that right… winter can be challenging for students and teachers alike. The cold temperatures, early sunsets, and unpredictable weather tend to make student engagement and motivation a difficult task. In this post, we will cover 5 fun and engaging winter activities that will help to keep your elementary students engaged and motivated all winter! From reading and writing activities to math and fine motor work, these activities are sure to keep your students excited about learning! So, if you’re feeling daunted by the impending winter, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered!

Engage Your Students this Winter

Maintaining student engagement during the winter can be downright hard. Students love winter but in many locations, the weather makes it difficult to experience all that winter has to offer. While our kids daydream of snowflakes and snowmen it can feel impossible to get them focused on classroom activities. The best way I have found to fight against this is to invite winter into the classroom. We might leave the snow and freezing temperatures outdoors, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bring some of the whimsy of winter inside.

There are many ways to engage students and keep them excited about learning throughout the winter. You can organize a cozy winter reading nook, complete with comfy pillows, blankets, and a variety of winter-related books. They could also introduce a winter-themed book club. This is when students can discuss their favorite wintry tales and recommend new books to their peers.

If you’re looking for a few new wintery reads then you will want to check out this list. Here are a few of my favorite winter-themed stories:

• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
• All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle
• Snowmen At Work by Caralyn Buehner
• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
• The Secret Life of a Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht

And. . . you can’t go wrong with virtual field trips to wintery locations. This is a great option, especially for teachers living in warmer climates like me!

Some of my students’ favorites include Minnesota Ice Castles, Sledding in Montana, and Winter Wonderlands Around the World videos. Whether you are snowed in or never have snow you can add some winter fun to your classroom lessons.

Winter Activities and Resources

Below you will discover an assortment of math, reading, and writing resources. These resources are guaranteed to liven up your classroom during the winter season while keeping students focused on academic skills. Get ready for a winter of engaging and enjoyable learning!

Winter Activity 1: Snowman Reading and Writing Activities

If you are an early elementary teacher, then this resource is about to become your ultimate winter companion! The Snowman Sight Word Reader and Activities is a reading and writing-focused resource that your students are going to love.

Literacy skills form a crucial foundation for all academic areas. The activities in this resource are engaging and exciting for your students while they simultaneously bolster their literacy development. Included are over 100 pages of sight word, reading, and writing activities. This sight word reader introduces the sight words “look,” “at,” “my,” “said,” and “the” to your students. Pair that with the included practice activities and your students will have these words mastered in no time.

But that’s not all! This resource is packed with a variety of snowman themed activities to extend the learning. While many are focused on learning to read the target sight words, there are also opportunities for students to work on writing too. Some activities include ‘Feed the Snowman’ sight words, graphing activities, cut and paste activities, and so much more. Your students are in for a winter wonderland of reading fun that will both captivate and challenge them. Watch as they immerse themselves in this treasure trove of winter learning fun!

Winter Activity 2: Winter Hidden Pictures

Kids of all ages love coloring. What’s better than just coloring? How about revealing a secret picture along the way. Incorporating Winter Hidden Pictures is a fabulous way to maintain student engagement during the winter season.

Hidden pictures are puzzles that encourage students to “solve” by coloring according to a code. This set includes 7 wonderful winter-themed puzzles that are also EDITABLE! What does that mean for you? You can use them to practice or review ANY TOPIC you are teaching in your classroom.

If you are reviewing multiplication facts, you can use facts as the code. If grammar is your focus, incorporate the grammar skill you are working on. The possibilities are endless! Whether it is sight words, spelling words, parts of speech, or math facts, these are just a few skills you can review with these color by code hidden pictures.

This tool is also incredibly useful for differentiating your instruction. You can give all of your students the same picture but with different codes tailored to their skill level. This approach ensures that students can feel included in classroom activities regardless of the targeted instruction that they need to work on.

Winter Activity 3: Digital Mystery Pictures

Helping our students master their math facts is an important skill in the elementary classroom. We all know that math facts are a crucial element in mathematical mastery. Memorization of math facts facilitates the growth and development of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Having these skills makes it easier for students to tackle more complex mathematical problems. Fluently being able to complete basic math facts means that more advanced math just got easier. But. . . learning math facts means lots of practice. And for many kids that means one thing – BORING!

Prove your students wrong with these fun math fact digital mystery pictures!

It is important to provide opportunities for students to practice and master their math facts continually. The more they do, the more fluent they will become. But that doesn’t mean you have to pull out the flashcards or worksheets filled with practice problems.

By using exciting tools such as our Digital Math Fact Mystery Picture resource you’ll see substantially enhanced student motivation. Students will answer the math fact problems on the screen. If they are correct, their answer will turn green and a part of the picture will automatically reveal itself. If they answer incorrectly, their answer will turn red. This prompts them to correct their answer. These activities include 60 problems – more than your students would likely complete on a worksheet. But I promise – they won’t be groaning or complaining. They will be engaged and actively involved in math fact practice.

Accessible on computers or tablets, this resource utilizes Google Sheets, making it easily integrated for Google Classroom users. Even non-users of Google Classroom will find it captivating. The resource offers multiple versions for all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), catering to students of all skill and ability levels.

Check out a few of the options here:

• Subtraction within 20
• Subtraction within 10
• Addition to 20
• Addition to 10
• Multiplication to 12’s
• Multiplication to 10’s
• Division to 12
• Division to 10

These mystery pictures are loved by students of all ages. A great addition to your independent math centers, morning work, or early finisher activities. You could even project one to the board and have students take turns answering the problems. They will LOVE trying to figure out what picture is going to be revealed.

Winter Activity 4: Winter Scissor Skills

If you’re teaching in an early elementary setting, chances are your students could benefit from some scissor practice. And what better time to work on this essential skill than during the winter season? These cutting pages and simple crafts are the perfect way to add some winter cheer to your classroom walls or bulletin boards.

Our Winter Scissor Skills and Simple Crafts resource offers a wide range of scissor skills practice pages. The resource includes a variety of cutting practice for straight lines, curved lines, and cutting out shapes. Then let your students put their new skills to use with the included simple crafts.

Imagine your students cutting out the most adorable mittens, perfect for displaying on a bulletin board or decorating the classroom. In this winter activity set, your students will strengthen their fine motor skills by holding and cutting with scissors.

Having proficient scissor skills is crucial for young learners. It aids in developing fine motor coordination, finger strength, and hand-eye coordination. These skills, in turn, support tasks such as writing, drawing, and other activities that require precise control. Incorporating scissor practice provides your students with an opportunity to enhance their motor skills while engaging in fun and wintery projects.

Winter Activity 5: Winter Would You Rather?!

Daily writing practice is of high importance in the elementary classroom. It provides students with opportunities to strengthen their communication skills, develop critical thinking abilities, expand vocabulary, and enhance their creativity. Regular writing exercises allow students to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas, fostering self-expression and self-confidence.

Writing practice can be done during the school day as a quick write, drop everything and write time, or even as homework practice. I’ve created a fun and engaging activity to support your students’ writing this winter. My Winter Would You Rather writing resource offers a collection of over 30 winter-themed “Would you rather. . . ” questions for students to explore in writing. These printable pages are perfect for various purposes, including quick writes, morning work, homework, or independent word work practice. My students loved it when the winter season was upon us! Their morning work became quick writing activities using this Would You Rather resource and they LOVED it!

In addition to the writing space, each page includes a checklist to guide students in utilizing proper grammar, conventions, and capitalization. By incorporating these winter-themed writing topics into your daily routine, you can create a supportive environment for your students to improve their writing skills and enjoy the process.

More Winter Activities Your Students Will Love

Looking for even more activities to help you bring some winter fun and engagement into your classroom? Try out these free Winter Writing Crafts. Your students will love stepping into a winter wonderland and writing about life inside a snowglobe. This free download also includes a melting snowman writing activity that kids of all ages love!

For even more winter activities, check out the Teaching in Blue Jeans store.

Save These Activities

Make sure to save this pin to your favorite winter activities Pinterest board so you can come back for more winter activities for your classroom or homeschool lessons.