Daycare Lesson Plans on Winter, Snow, and Ice

This page may contain affiliate links. Learn More.

Using daycare lesson plans on winter, snow, and ice in your daycare curriculum can spark curiosity, encourage sensory exploration, and develop early learning skills. Here are some engaging lesson plans and activities to introduce winter themes to preschoolers in a fun and educational way. Winter is a magical season filled with exciting learning opportunities for young children.

For a two week printable lesson plan with the Oklahoma ELGs listed for this Daycare Lesson Plan on Winter, check out this listing on Etsy. There are 8 days of activities, supply list, and daily schedule.

Introduction to Winter

I love to introduce each of my units with a book. We use The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats a lot of times to start our winter unit.

• Story: Read The Snowy Day, talk about cold and winter weather such as ice, snow, and sleet. Discuss winter attire such as coats, hats, gloves, etc.
• Winter Picture Walk: Show pictures of winter landscapes, clothing, and animals. Discuss how winter is different from other seasons.
• Dress for Winter: Set up a dramatic play area with winter coats, hats, gloves, and boots. Encourage children to practice dressing appropriately for winter weather.

Snow Sensory Bin

• Snow Bin: Fill a sensory bin with artificial snow or crushed ice. Add small toys, scoops, and cups for exploration.

Snow Play

• Snow Dough: Make homemade snow dough using corn starch and hair conditioner. Let children mold and shape it.

Ice Art

• Ice Painting: Freeze water with food coloring in an ice tray and let children paint on paper using the colorful ice cubes.

Snowy Tree Art

• Snowy Tree Painting: Cut out a rough tree shape out of brown construction paper. Glue it onto a dark sheet of paper. Give kids white paint and sponges, brushes, or daubers to paint snow on the winter tree.

Winter Science

• Melting Experiment: Place snow or ice cubes in a tray and observe how it melts over time. Discuss how temperature affects ice.
• Salt and Ice Experiment: Sprinkle salt on ice cubes and observe how it melts faster. Explain how salt is used to melt ice on roads.

Ice Melt Play

• Frozen Treasure Hunt: Freeze small toys inside ice cubes. Give children warm water droppers to melt the ice and reveal the hidden objects. You could also use hammers, or let them throw the cubes down on concrete and use their hands. We have done shovels outside as well to chip away at the ice.

Winter Animals

• Hibernation vs. Migration: Discuss how some animals hibernate while others migrate. Use picture cards to sort animals into groups.

How Animals Keep Warm

• Blubber Experiment: Fill a tub with water and lots of ice. Fill two quart sized bags with shortening or butter. Flatten them out and place them in a gallon sized bag. Have the child put their hand in an empty gallon sized bag and reach down into the icy water. Next have them place their hands in the other gallon bag between the two bags of fat and reach down into the icy water. Let them feel how blubber keeps animals warm.

Penguin Race

• Penguin Waddle Game: Attach beanbags to children’s feet and have them waddle like penguins to a finish line. If they are older, you could wrap something around their knees to waddle like a penguin.

Snowflake Art

• Paper Snowflakes: Teach children how to fold and cut paper snowflakes.

Snowy Handprints

• Snowy Handprint Art: Use white paint to make handprint snowflakes on dark paper.

Shaving Cream Snow

• Shaving Cream Snow Art: Mix shaving cream and glue to create a puffy snow effect on paper. Use brushes or finger paint a scene. You can also sprinkle salt on shaving cream or regular white paint to make a snow glisten.

Winter Song

• Sing Winter Songs: Teach songs like I’m a Little Snowflake

Snowball Fight

• Snowball Toss: Use crumpled paper or cotton balls to have a fun indoor snowball fight. We do ours with tongs to help with fine motor skills as well.

Snow Dancing

• Freeze Dance – Winter Edition: Play music and have children dance like falling snowflakes. When the music stops, they “freeze” like ice.

Winter Math

• Counting Snowflakes: Use cotton balls or white pom-poms to practice counting.

Winter Literacy

• Winter Letter Match: Match uppercase and lowercase letters on snowflake cutouts.

Building a Winter-Themed Dramatic Play Area

• Hot Cocoa Stand: Set up a pretend play hot cocoa stand with cups, play money, and pretend marshmallows.
• Arctic Animal Rescue: Provide stuffed polar bears, penguins, and seals along with a pretend ice landscape.
• Snow Fort Construction: Use pillows and blankets to build indoor snow forts.

Also, check out these winter themed snacks that kids will love!

For more home daycare lesson plan ideas, check these out:

• Daycare Lesson Plans on Shakespeare
• Daycare Lesson Plans on Jackson Pollock
• Daycare Lesson Plans on Picasso
• Preschool Pumpkin Theme

Winter, snow, and ice provide exciting themes for daycare lesson plans. By incorporating sensory play, science experiments, movement activities, and creative projects, you can engage young learners and make winter a fun and educational experience. Try these ideas in your daycare and watch children’s excitement grow as they explore the wonders of the winter season!