Bring Winter Activities into Your Classroom This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a magical time to connect kids with the beauty of winter, all while sneaking in some hands-on learning! Whether you’re able to take the kids outside or are staying cozy indoors, there are so many ways to incorporate nature-themed activities into your classroom or home learning experiences. Here are some fun, easy, and engaging ideas to try out with your young learners this winter!

Winter Activities: Outdoor Adventures

Winter Nature Walks

Bundle up and head outside! Taking kids on a winter walk allows them to explore how nature changes with the season. Look for animal tracks in the snow or mud, notice how trees look without their leaves, and see if you can spot any birds or evergreen plants. Want to add a learning twist? Bring along some field guides or a scavenger hunt checklist with things like pinecones, icicles, or even specific bird species found in your area.

Snowy Science

If you live somewhere that gets snow, have your kids examine snowflakes up close with magnifying glasses or hand-held microscopes. Talk about the science of how snow forms and why each snowflake is unique. Then for some creative hands-on time, have a snow sculpture contest!

Feed the Birds

Help your students create simple bird feeders using pinecones, peanut butter (or a nut-free alternative), and birdseed. Hang them up outside and turn it into an observation station to see what kinds of birds visit. It’s a great way to teach about local wildlife while giving kids the satisfaction of knowing they are helping out their feathered friends during the winter when bugs are scarce.

Cozy Indoor Activities

DIY Snow Globes

Here’s a craft they’ll absolutely love: homemade snow globes. All you need are small jars, water, glitter, and a few natural elements like small twigs or pebbles. Students can create their own little winter worlds to take home.

Sensory Bins with a Winter Twist

Create a sensory bin filled with winter-themed items like pinecones, cinnamon sticks, and evergreen clippings. For snow, use cotton balls or biodegradable fake snow. This is perfect for younger kids to explore textures and smells, and keeps younger siblings busy if you’re trying to work with older learners at home!

Winter Tree Art

Bring some natural materials indoors! Collect twigs of different sizes, and use hot glue to connect them in a triangle. Wrap green yarn around the twigs, then use elements from nature such as small pinecones, acorns, or other nuts to decorate!

Science Fun

Ice Experiments

Freeze natural objects like leaves or berries in blocks of ice and let students explore how they melt. You can also use this as an opportunity to talk about why water freezes and if you live in a cold climate that stays below freezing, you can leave these ice blocks outside to preserve them for the season and watch when they start to naturally melt outside.

Animal Adaptations

Teach students about how animals adapt to winter with hands-on activities. One idea is to create a “blubber glove” like the activity found here using bags of shortening and ice water to demonstrate how insulation works for animals in cold climates.

Evergreen Exploration

Bring in samples of evergreen branches and compare them to bare deciduous twigs. Talk about how evergreen trees survive winter, and let students take a close look at needles and cones. Turn this into a craft by making prints with paint and evergreen branches!

Literacy Activities

Nature Journals

Encourage students to start a winter nature journal. They can write about their observations, draw what they see outside, or reflect on how the season makes them feel. Provide prompts like, “What do animals do in the winter?” or “How does the forest prepare for snow?”

Winter-Themed Read-Alouds

Get into the wintry mood with some wintery books! Favorites like Owl Moon by Jane Yolen or Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner are perfect for inspiring a love of winter wildlife.

Holiday-Themed Nature Fun

Wreath-Making

Have students make their own mini wreaths using natural materials like twigs, pinecones, and evergreen sprigs. It’s a festive activity that doubles as a beautiful decoration. One simple way to do this is by cutting the center out of a sturdy paper plate, then let students glue the natural elements around until they have filled in their wreath.

Nature Garlands

String together dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, popcorn, and cranberries to create garlands. Hang them in the classroom or even outside for birds to enjoy!

Wildlife Holiday Treats

Make edible ornaments for animals! Use suet, seeds, and fruits to create treats that can be hung on trees around your school or home. 

Winter is such a wonderful time to bring nature into the classroom, whether you’re exploring outdoors or crafting with natural materials inside! I hope these activities help your kids connect with the world around them and learn to appreciate the wonders of the season. Let the winter magic begin!