Snow-filled learning fun

Snow-filled learning fun

Here are a few activities that will provide plenty of learning fun while keeping children active! These activities can be adapted to fit your pedagogical intentions and the age of the children in your group. You can use them to help children learn to write their name or simply to explore colors, letters, shapes, or numbers.

1. A snowy wall: Press sticky snow on a wall in your yard to represent letters, shapes, numbers, etc. With older children who would like to learn to write their name, provide laminated nametags that they can use as models.
   
   
   
   
2. Snowball press: Use colorful chalk to draw letters, numbers, or shapes on a wall in your yard. Have children prepare several snowballs. Next, name a letter, number, or shape. Children must press a snowball on the corresponding item, on the wall. If you prefer, name a color and invite children to find a letter, number, or shape of the corresponding color and press a snowball on it.
   
   
3. Snowy hunt and seek game: For this activity, prepare several laminated cards. For example, if you wish to work on shape recognition, draw two sets of different shapes on small pieces of cardboard. Laminate the cards. Use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of each card in the first set. Thread a ribbon through each hole to create a loop. Hang the cards on toys in your yard (buckets, shovels, sleds, etc.). Hide the items throughout your yard. Give each child a card. They must find the item that has the matching shape attached to it. Once all the items have been found, children will love to help you hide them for the next round.

Have fun in the snow with your group!

Naomi Hamel, early childhood educator and future teacher