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As the weather changes and temperatures drop in Ohio, we love to do many snow themed activities. January is the perfect time to dive into these engaging activities about snow, and our hallways truly shine, filled with snowmen and winter wonder. Here are my top 10 snow themed activities to enjoy with your students!
1. Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
This imaginative rhyming adventure follows Sneezy, a snowman who melts while trying to warm up. To help him, the children rebuild Sneezy and make him feel “just right.” After the long holiday break, this story is ideal for reviewing reading comprehension skills such as sequencing the events, analyzing the problem and solution, and discussing character traits and reactions. Students love creating their own Sneezy craft, complete with a melted snowman version. I also set up math games and word work activities in centers throughout the week as fun extensions.
You can purchase my Sneezy the Snowman unit on TpT or find a copy of the book on Amazon. (As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases.)
2. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
This Caldecott-winning story of Peter’s snowy adventure provides a simple yet captivating way to teach cause and effect. In the story, Peter hides a snowball in his pocket, only for it to disappear once inside—sparking a great class discussion! After reading, we sequence and retell the story, and students write about what they would do on a snowy day. To extend the activity, we create a snowy day scene using torn construction paper on a blue background. Students add their own details, and the results are always charming.
The Snowy Day reading comprehension unit is available in my TpT store and a copy of the book can be found on my Snow Themed Activities list on Amazon.
3. The Snowy Nap by Jan Brett
Hedgie the hedgehog tries to stay awake to see winter’s wonders, despite being ready for hibernation. The story’s beautiful illustrations and borders encourage prediction and foreshadowing skills. After reading, we create a snoozing Hedgie craft by cutting triangles to form his pokey quills. Students love this sweet and cozy project, and it provides a great way to connect art and reading comprehension.
The Snowy Nap reading comprehension unit is available in my TpT store and a copy of the book can be found on my Snow Themed Activities list on Amazon.
4. Froggy Builds a Snowman by Jonathan London
Froggy’s excitement for the winter carnival and building a snowman offers great lessons on patience and perseverance. After reading, we dive into reading comprehension strategies, complete writing prompts, and explore word work and math games inspired by Froggy’s snowy day. To wrap up the unit, students create a craft of Froggy bundled up or turn him into a fun Frog Snowman, which adds a creative touch to our winter-themed activities.
The Froggy Builds a Snowman unit is available in my TpT store and a copy of the book can be found on my Snow Themed Activities list on Amazon.
5. The Snow Thief by Alice Hemming
Squirrel experiences his first snowfall, enjoying snowball fights and ice adventures until he notices his hazelnuts are missing—perhaps stolen by the mysterious snow squirrel. This story lends itself perfectly to discussing winter animal behaviors and adaptations, as well as learning winter weather facts included at the end of the book. It also serves as a wonderful transition into our next unit on Animals in Winter, making it a perfect mix of fiction and nonfiction elements.
The Snow Thief reading comprehension unit is available in my TpT store and a copy of this book can be found on my Snow Themed Activities list on Amazon.
6. Snowman in a Cup Snack
This interactive and delicious activity combines cooking, teamwork, and sequencing skills. To start, students decorate plastic cups with snowman faces using permanent markers. We predict whether they will like the snack, assemble ingredients, and mix everything together in small groups. With 24 students, I use two bowls to keep everyone involved. We follow a mini booklet to sequence and complete the recipe. Once finished, we enjoy the treat and graph the results of the taste test. Students always love taking the recipe cards home to share with their families!
Grab the printable recipe, extension activities, craft, and more for my Snowman in a Cup Snack activity here.
7. Winter Movement Breaks
These snow themed movement breaks are perfect for releasing energy while reinforcing academic skills. Once students learn the movements for the theme, they can focus on specific skills such as time to the hour, place value, counting by 2s and 5s, and addition and subtraction to 15. We also work on identifying 2D and 3D shapes, decoding digraphs, r-controlled vowels, glued sounds, and blends. With 16 activities in the bundle, these movement breaks keep students active, engaged, and focused throughout January and February.
Grab these Winter Movement Breaks for Math or Winter Movement Breaks for Phonics here, or purchase them together in the Winter Movement Breaks Bundle!
8. Solve the Mystery: The Snowman’s Missing Nose
In this collaborative activity, students solve clues to uncover who took the snowman’s nose, when it was taken, and where it was hidden. We start by sharing the problem using a short video or story on the SMART board. Students split into small groups to complete 11 task card challenges, using correct answers to eliminate suspects and locations. The activity wraps up with a fun story, awards, and snowman-themed headbands. This mystery challenge is always a classroom favorite for promoting teamwork, problem-solving, and movement.
This Solve the Mystery activity is available for:
9. Snow Theme Day
One day during January or February we have a Snow Theme Day. I choose this day based on assessments I need to do with my students and when I want more small group or one one-on-one time. I begin this day by reading The Magic of Friendship Snow written by Andi Cann we complete a few activities to go along with this story and make some Magic Snow. Then we make one of my favorite winter crafts, a child catching snowflakes. After that, we sit together and I carefully go over all the different center activities they will complete for the day. There are loads of writing, poetry, word work, and math activities. Students rotate to an open center and work on the activities with their partner(s). During this time, I pull children that I need more time with to work on specific skills. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Everything you need for a fun-filled Snow Theme Day is included here!
10. Arctic Animal Research
This unit combines guided and independent research on Arctic animals. During the first week, I model the research process using The Snowy Owl nonfiction book. Students gather facts, analyze headings and diagrams, and learn about the owl’s adaptations. In the second week, they complete a report template using Chromebooks and books as resources. After completing the class project, students pick their own Arctic animal to research in groups. Choices include animals like the arctic fox, hare, orca, polar bear, caribou, harp seal, walrus, and beluga whale. Over two weeks, students collaborate to gather information and complete their reports, producing impressive results.
You can grab my Snowy Owl Research Unit or Arctic Animal Research Unit here.
More Winter Classroom Activities
These engaging activities about snow are sure to make learning fun this winter! If you’re looking for more activities for January or February be sure to check out my other blog posts:
