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Blizzard of Ideas: 10 Winter Literacy Activities for Preschoolers

Writer's picture: Melissa McCallMelissa McCall

Updated: Jan 28

       In the winter, the days can feel longer as a preschool teacher—especially when those chilly temperatures keep you and your little learners stuck indoors.  But don’t worry, the days don’t have to drag on!  With these exciting winter-themed literacy activities, you can keep your class engaged and learning while having fun. These literacy activities for preschoolers are designed to not only bring fun to your classroom but also build essential literacy skills through intentional instruction and play.  Whether you play these games as a whole group activity and then transition them to centers, or you use them form small group lessons, you are creating meaningful learning moments through play!  Need help planning purposeful play?  Be sure to grab my free guide to simplify your lesson prep and bring even more intention to your teaching! Let's dive in!

 

Snowman rhymes

  1. Build a Snowman with Rhymes


    Use rhyming words to "build" parts of a snowman. For example, say, "To add the snowman's head, let's find a rhyme for 'bed'!" Continue with rhymes for body, eyes, nose, scarf, and hat.

    • Snowman Rhyme Example:

      • Hat – Look at that…he needs a HAT!

      • Body – He wasn’t spotty…he needed a BODY!!

      • Head – I said, he needed a HEAD!

      • Arms – Sound the alarms, he needs some ARMS!

      • Mittens – I didn’t say kittens…he needs some MITTENS!

      • Scarf – Don’t barf…he needs a SCARF!

      • Eyes – Come on guys…he needs his EYES!

      • Nose – Not toes…he needs a NOSE!

      • Mouth – Don’t look south…he needs a MOUTH!


    • Why we love this activity: Builds rhyming, phonemic awareness, and listening skills while engaging in dramatic play.

 


  1. Ice Excavation Letters


    Freeze small alphabet letters in ice cubes or blocks. Children use tools to "excavate" the letters and name or match them to a sound chart.

    • Why we love this activity: Encourages letter recognition, fine motor development, and sensory exploration.


 

  1. Syllable Freeze Dance


    Spread out multisyllabic stuffed animals or winter pictures around the classroom. Play the song, Dance, Freeze, Melt by Mr. Eric and Mr. Michael.  When the music stops, each child must clap the syllables of the picture or object they are standing on to unfreeze and stand back up. Restart the music and play again.

    • Why we love this activity: Builds syllable segmentation skills, coordination, and listening skills while keeping kids active.




  2. Snowball Toss


    Write letters on “snowballs" (crumpled paper). Children unwrap the snowball, say the sound, crumple again, and toss it into buckets labeled with the corresponding letter.

    • Why we love this activity: Develops letter-sound correspondence, gross motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.



  1. Mitten Match


    Hang a string in the front of the classroom. Laminate mittens with the alphabet and scatter them around the room. Children hunt for the letters, then sequence them from A-Z using clothespins. This can easily transition into a center activity!

    • Why we love this activity: Supports alphabet sequencing, fine motor skills, and teamwork.


ABC mitten ordering



  1. Snowy Letter Tracing

    Fill a tray with artificial snow or shaving cream. Children practice writing letters in the tray while stating the steps to forming the letters aloud.

    • Why we love this activity: Strengthens letter formation, tactile learning, and sensory exploration.


      Snow letter building



  1. Snow Shovel Beginning Sounds


    Place two hula hoops apart with a letter inside each one. Gather a collection of objects that begin with each letter's sound. Children use a small plastic shovel to scoop up an object and place it in the correct sound's hula hoop.

    • Why we love this activity: Builds phonemic awareness, sorting skills, and gross motor development.



  1. Snowman Name Stack


    Use Play-Doh and ping-pong balls labeled with letters of the alphabet. Children form a Play-Doh base and stack ping-pong balls with the letters of their name (ball, Play-Doh, ball, Play-Doh) to create a snowman.

    • Why we love this activity: Encourages name recognition, fine motor skills, and letter identification in a creative, hands-on way.



  1. Letter Ice Skating


    Tape giant letters on the ground using painter’s tape. Provide paper plates or wax paper squares for “ice skates.” Children skate over the letters, saying the letter names and sounds as they go.

    • Why we love this activity: Reinforces letter sounds, letter formation, and gross motor coordination.


Letter ice skating


  1. Penguin Slide (perfect for small group)


    Use penguin-themed sound boxes (linked below). Give each child a board and three penguins. Say a simple three-phoneme word, such as “fish,” and slowly tap the sounds down your arm. Then, slide one penguin into each box as you make each sound. Say the entire word fast at the end.

    • Why we love this activity: Strengthens phoneme segmentation and blending, while incorporating imaginative play.

    Phoneme sound boxes

  

Have fun diving into these winter-themed literacy activities. 

Which one are you going to try? 

Drop a comment below and share this post with your fellow educators! 


 

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We believe that every child deserves a bright future, and this begins with a strong foundation in early literacy skills.  At Moving Little Minds, we are dedicated to providing research-based literacy activities in fun and engaging ways!  By merging instruction with play, we ensure that children are reaching their full potential and embark on their educational journey well-prepared for the

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