The Best No Prep Winter Activities
It’s December so that means that you are likely looking for no-prep winter activities you can do with your students in-person or online. I will share five, simple, fun, and engaging activities! All you have to do is print and go! Don’t forget to download the freebies at the end of the article!
Reading: Gingerbread Man Retell Stick Show
Students love the story of the Gingerbread Man! It’s fun, has a charismatic rhyming main character, and has an interesting conflict. For these reasons, the Gingerbread Man is a great story to read aloud. It’s also perfect for retelling the key details and major events. Instead of giving them a cut and glue sequence worksheet, have them put on a stick show in which they act like they are the different characters in the story and act it out!
If you want to challenge your higher students, they can put on a Reader’s Theater play! I wrote about how to incorporate Reader’s theater in the classroom because it was a huge hit with my emerging readers.
Writing: Life in the Arctic
A fun way to incorporate winter and writing is to write about the Arctic.
There are tons of books about the arctic on Epic. Some of the books are “read to me” which means that audio is included in the book. This is super helpful for students that are not yet reading complex texts.
My students wrote about what life in the Arctic is like. Then, they read their books to their classmates.
Click the image to download this free booklet!
S.T.E.A.M. Activity: Build a Tower
Here’s another simple, low-prep engineering activity you can do with students: have them use materials that are in the classroom to build the biggest tower.
For this activity, students were only allowed to use paper cups, and tape. The rule was the tower had to stand without someone holding it.
This activity was a lot of fun and students enjoyed looking at all the different structures!
Math Winter Word Problems
In math, have students solve winter-themed word problems! What I really like about these worksheets is that students solve word problems using multiple strategies such as a ten frame, drawing a picture or a number line. They also write number sentences/equations and a statement.
Math Digital Games – Boom Cards!
I have written before about my love for Boom Cards. They are a no-prep, one-click web-based digital game that is easy to implement in an early childhood learning environment.
Here are some digital winter activities you could use to teach phonics and math skills.
Winter Medial Sound Activity
Students drag and drop the correct vowel to finish the word. These are self-checking activities so students can monitor whether they got the right or wrong answer and try again.
Winter Missing Number Activity
In this activity, students type the missing number. They can use the number line as a strategy to help them solve.
Winter Addition using a Number Path Activity
Students solve addition number sentences/equations by using a number path and a bunny. See it in action below.
Throw a Class Party
Whether you are teaching in person or virtually, use these fun printables and digital activities to play before winter break!
Some other activities include:
Scavenger Hunt – Search for items that are fall colors/objects
360 Virtual Tours – 360 tours of the Natural History Museum and Penguins in the Arctic
Directed Drawing – Penguin and polar bear
Rabbit Trouble: The Game – Similar to Hangman – students guess letters to figure out the word! Don’t get too many words wrong or you’ll put the rabbit in the cage!
Act it Out – Similar to charades, students act out winter activities
Wish List – Students type a wish list of items they want
Read Aloud – Listen to a story, encourage parents to come in and read their favorite fall book to the class
Gingerbread House – students make a digital gingerbread house
What are some other winter activities you use in the classroom? Let me know in the comments section below.
Happy Teaching!
Tee
