Winter Fun Math and Literacy Activites

Can I be honest? Winter is not my favorite season. I love warm weather. I live for April to get here, and dread January through March. I'm ok with winter in November and December for the holidays, but then I'm done! However, what I like about this time of the year is what is going on inside of the classroom! The kids are really getting it! They are starting to apply all of the things we have been learning since August. They are reading and writing. They are developing number sense! They are independent problem solving machines! Here are some of the fun ways we celebrate winter while staying warm on the inside!

4 Seasons Tree Map

It takes us 4 days to complete this chart. When teaching kids each of the 4 seasons, it is helpful to show them the differences between each. Each day we learn about one of the 4 seasons. We use interactive writing to record the things that we learn. On Friday, we compare the items for each season on our tree map.

4 Seasons Flap Book

On Friday, the children make their own 4 seasons flap book. Here's how:

1. Fold a piece of 12 x 18 paper in half.  Cut the top flap into 4 sections.
2. Use rectangles to make the tree trunks for each season.
3. For the fall and winter trees, cut smaller rectangles to make the branches.
4. Round the corners from squares to make the spring and summer trees and to make the leaves for the fall tree.
5. Add pink tissue paper flower to the spring tree.
6. Glue a text box under each of the 4 flaps. On each text box, the children record information about the four seasons.

Snow on Me Poetry Book

To make this poetry book:

• Cut off the first sentence. Put the words in the correct order.
• I teach the kids to put the capital letter first and the word with the punctuation last.
• Manipulate the remaining words by placing them between the first and last word.
• Read the sentence and ask yourself, "Does it make sense?"
• If not, switch the order of the two middle words.
• Find the picture to match the sentence.
• Here's how we do that: Look at the word at the end of the sentence. What letter does it begin with? Look at your pictures and find a word that begins with that letter.
• Repeat with the remaining sentences.
• Invite the kids to add this book to their bag of books for repeated practice.

Building Sentences

Here's what we did to make these winter clothing sentences:

• Match the pictures to the words. (We look at the beginning letter.)
• Look at the 4 other words and ask, "Which words do I already know?" (We know some words fast.)
• Using the idea that we are building sentence about clothing that we wear, ask yourself what could this other word be?" (We use our schema.)
• Build the sentence. (We know the difference between words and sentences.)
• Record in your book. (We can write a sentence.)
• Circle the noun that names the pictures. Draw a line to the picture. (We look at pictures.)

Isn't it crazy all that we are teaching using this simple book!?

Making Snowflake -ake Words

Here's how we made our snowflake books.

1. Display the color pictures in a pocket chart.
2. Find the beginning sound for each of the pictures. (Yellow letters).
3. Add the word ending ake to each.
4. Cut apart the black and white pictures.
5. Glue one on the first page.
6. Find the word in the pocket chart and record it in your book.

 

Snowman Buttons Patterns

This activity can be played as a game, or made into a simple book.

To play as a game:

• Make the snowman.
• Collect buttons or use button clip art.
• Invite the children to make a pattern on the snowman.

OR To make as a book:

• Reproduce the book.
• Invite the children to color the buttons to match the core at the beginning of the button pattern.

Marshmallow Addition

This is a fun math activity to practice number combinations or addition.

• Invite the children to record a number sentence on their recording page.
• Add marshmallows to the mugs to match the number sentence.
• Write an addition story on the recording page.

Number Line Mystery Game

This is a class favorite. We play the Number Line Mystery Game All.The.Time.! Here's how to play:

• Make a deck of cards, with 4 different symbols.
• Make cards 1-10, and a blank card for each symbol.
• Place the four symbol cards without the numeral in a column.
• Arrange the remaining 40 cards in an array.
• Invite a child to turn over any card.
• They need to determine where that card goes on the number line.
• In this case, they take the number 10 snowflake and place it on the snowflake row in the 10th position.
• Move the facedown card in that position and replace it with the 10 snowflake.
• Now, look at the new card and determine where it goes on the number lines.
• The game is over when all 40 cards are face up in the correct order.

Winter Clothing RElay

By the end of winter do you have enough winter clothing items to dress an entire class for recess? It always amazes me in April when our principal places all of the winter clothing on tables in the hall. There are coats for days! How can you not know that your child has lost their expensive coat!!!!??? But, that surplus of clothing items, helps me with this fun activity!

• Collect a variety of winter clothing items and place them into two buckets.
• Collect clip art images of the different clothing items.
• Invite two children to select a clothing card from the deck.
• Ask the class, "Do you think it will take more time to put on the ___ or the ___?"
• Say, "Ready, set, go."
• The two children, dress for winter.
• Who finished first? Did it take him more time or less time?

This is especially difficult for kids. Here's why: Children generally think that MORE means winner and less means LOSER. That means, they think that the child who finished first, took more time!

All of these activities are from the Winter Wonderland unit. It has been completely revised with new clip art, frames and fonts. Easy to use patterns and an editable page have been added.  The snowman's buttons game has also been added. If you already have this unit, go to your my purchases section on tpt and download the updated version.