There is no greater joy, as a kid, than to open one’s eyes in the morning and see your world blanketed in snow. For some, this joy and enthusiasm wanes as we grow and must navigate our world, now covered in frozen fractals. For children, this joy should be fostered. Winter is full of magic and wonder ready for children of all ages to encounter. A beloved winter memory of mine is associated with the Little House in the Big Woods book. As my mother read this to us as kids, that winter season, we found ourselves making maple candies and perfecting our snow angels.
Before cabin fever sets in and you send the kids outside to play in the snow, yet again, let’s fill your arsenal with winter literature, games, activities, and crafts. Not only will these spark the imagination, but each provides educational building blocks during these short winter days.
Curl up with a good book and some hot chocolate. Whether you are already a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder or new to her books, there’s nothing like a reading of The Long Winter to make you appreciate a mild winter. For younger readers, check out the picture book editions of Winter on the Farm, and Winter Days in the Big Woods. Cherished stories like these get everyone excited for winter, they may even spark a love for reading and the Little House Series.
Literature is not the only thing to add to your winter arsenal. The winter months are a great time to schedule a unit study. Older students could kick off a Shakespeare study with The Winter’s Tale and then chose other plays and sonnets to dig into during these hibernating months. All ages can participate in a winter unit study like Five in a Row Nature Studies – Fall & Winter. Get outdoors with a reason and a purpose then participate in interactive, hands-on activities.
Student-interest-research can brighten any cloudy, snowy day. Start with a hands-on activity like a puzzle, diorama, or sensory bin that identifies things in nature during winter months. Then students can select flora or fauna they are interested in and do independent research on that selected item. This may take you on snowy adventures to the library to find books or conducting field research in your own backyard.
The beautiful snow decorating your front yard has a place in your kitchen as well! Make your own maple candies like Laura, Mary, and Ma or find a recipe for snow cream. Indoor snow doesn’t stop there. Take a week or two to study snow, snowflakes, weather patterns and conditions, global regions, or the North and South Poles. Make your own snow with baking soda and shaving cream or expanding snow powder polymer. Not wanting messy experiments? Enjoy designing your own snowflakes to adorn gifts and your home. You can create or find your own snowflake templates. Grab a magnifying glass or pocket microscope to investigate and document, in a notebook, each unique snowflake as they fall.
These wintery explorations are endless. They bring creativity and learning into any family’s snow day. You are sure to have fun exploring the winter snow globe you may find yourself in and bringing the childlike joy back to Winter. ~ Rebecca
