Winter Ideas

Happy Sunday!  I hope you're having a wonderful weekend.  It's a snowy day here in Ohio...hopeful for a snow day tomorrow or later in the week!  Speaking of snow and winter, today's post is dedicated to all things WINTER!  Maybe you'll find some new ideas!

Mini-Book: I love a mini-book!  Been using them my entire teaching career.  They are great for building vocabulary and reviewing trick words.  I also love leaving a mini-book for a sub!  This "winter" mini-book is perfect for the first day of winter, and really any time during the winter season!  To use, I pass out copies.  Students cut, order, raise hand for a staple, and begin searching for trick words (or whatever you call your high-frequency/sight words).  *The color the trick words yellow, or use their highlighter to highlight them...FUN!  Finally, students are allowed to color.

All of my seasonal/thematic mini-books are available in a bundle below, but you can snag each one individually as well!  Click the cover page to check out the mini-books.

Winter Centers: My students visit one center each day.  Most are themed around Fundations Phonics, which is the phonics curriculum I use.  However, I do like to sprinkle a holiday-themed center in each week.  In addition to my Fundations Phonics centers, I always include a listening center.  This is compiled of multiple copies of books as well as a cd or tape (LOL) that reads the book aloud to students.  After students finish listening to the story, they grab a listening center report page and complete a picture and/or sentence about their favorite part.  Grab the free report page by clicking the cover below.

Below are more of my winter-themed center activities.  First is a winter parts of speech match.  I have these for all seasons.  You can grab them by clicking the cover page below.  These are perfect for use in a pocket chart.

Here is a winter rhyming pocket chart activity.  It comes with a corresponding recording sheet.  You can grab it in my seasonal rhyming bundle below, or grab it individually.

Winter Crafts: Who doesn't love a good craft?!?  With the demands on instruction being so intense, you MUST create time for art!  Our art projects are few and far between, so when I do choose to do one, I make sure it's a good one!  

Incorporating picture books with art projects is a great way to sneak in literacy!  "Snowballs" by Lois Ehlert is the perfect book to go with the winter aspen tree/cardinal art project!

The idea for this craft came from I Heart Crafty Things several years ago and it's been a favorite art project of mine since!

Crafty Bee Creations also has great art projects...think trace, cut, build for her crafts.  They are awesome for practicing fine motor skills.

This penguin craft was a new addition to my winter crafts last year.  The idea came from All Students Can Shine.  I'm obsessed with crafts that incorporate tissue paper squares.  Hahaha!

I Have, Who Has: We absolutely love playing "I Have, Who Has" as a morning meeting activity or time-filler throughout the day.  Shown below is my winter version, but I have a bundle which includes many holidays and themes.  Click the cover below to check it out!

I sure hope you found some new ideas.  Happy Winter!

xo

Megan