The seasons are changing and we are looking towards snowy winter days ahead – and all the fun they bring! Explore how and why the seasons change, experiment by making observations and predictions about the weather, and flex your creative muscles with wintry crafts.
Try some of our hands-on activities and experiments, play games, and enjoy the videos below!
Then, next week, explore and celebrate the winter season with Elinor Wonders Why and Nature Cat on PBS Kids 24/7. And keep playing and learning with our Learn Along Bingo.
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Exploring the Season Through Science
Elinor Wonders Why Science Notebook
Grades PreK-K
Encourage you child to be like a scientist and keep track of her winter season learning in this science notebook. Use the charts and tables to organize thinking, document findings, and record data from scientific investigations.
Dress for the Season | Everyday Learning
Grades PreK-1
Help the animals dress for the season! In this interactive game that can be played at home or in the classroom, children learn how people adapt to changes in weather from spring to winter.
Wintertime Creature Powers | Wild Kratts
Grades 3-4
Join the Kratt brothers to learn about wintertime creature adaptations. Forest creatures like otters, showshoe hares, lynx, and even porcupines are active during the winter. Some birds, like blue jays and chickadees, don’t travel south for the winter. They stick around, forage for food, and use their layered feathers to keep warm.
Snow Shelter
Grades 4-6
Watch as the kids on DragonflyTV demonstrate how and why an igloo-like shelter called a quinzhee can keep you warm at night. Learn how snow and clouds affect air temperatures and serve as insulators against extreme cold and heat.
Daylight Throughout a Year | Interactive Lesson
Grades 5-8
Make observations and analyze data to investigate how the duration of daylight changes throughout a year in this interactive lesson from Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms Collection on PBS LearningMedia.
Where Do Birds Go in Winter? | It’s Okay to Be Smart
Grades 6-12
As winter approaches, V-shaped flocks glide overhead as the world’s birds begin their long treks to warmer climates. Humans used to have some pretty crazy theories about where birds went for winter, like the moon, or to the bottom of the ocean. How did we learn the real story? And where DO birds go for winter? Find out in this video from It’s Okay to Be Smart!
Activities, Games & Crafts
Grover’s Winter Games
Grades: PreK-1
Get ready for skiing, showboarding, and ice skating! To play “Grover’s Winter Games,” little learners practice their number and pattern recognition skills, then watch as the athletes perform their moves.
Snowflake Chandelier Craft | Sesame Street
Grades: PreK-1
Make the winter season merry with a snowflake chandelier craft project! Then, encourage your child to observe the weather and describe what they see.
How to Make Snow Paint
Grades PreK-3
Making two-ingredient snow paint is such a fun craft and sensory activity for kids! The craft is not only a boredom-buster winter activity but is also a great way to open up a conversation with your kids about the changing weather and snow in winter.
The Mitten/La Moufle | A World of Stories
Grades K-5
“The Mitten” is a traditional folktale from Ukraine. It has been retold in many different ways and in many different languages. Watch Priscilla Howe tell us the story all about how a mitten dropped in the snow becomes a temporary home to several animals. The story is available in both English and French.
Homemade Snow Globes
Grades K and Up
A homemade snow globe is a childhood must! The best part about these snow globes is that they give you the perfect opportunity to get rid of some of those pesky plastic figurines lying around the house. Another idea is to use LEGOs — if your child can part with them!
Learn Along Bingo
With Learn Along Bingo, children can view, explore, and play as they learn alongside their PBS Kids friends on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel. We hope your family will use it to inspire learning each and every day.
Next week, invite your child to explore and celebrate the winter season through hands-on experiments, crafts and more! By identifying behavioral changes in the winter, we’ll learn how animals (including humans) change during different seasons to adapt to the environment and survive.
Grades PreK-K
Tune in: Watch Elinor Wonders Why at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, December 8th.
Play & Learn: In this packet, there are printable activities and everyday learning ideas for you and your child to choose from. As you complete each square, mark it off to celebrate the learning!
Grades 1-2
Tune in: Watch Nature Cat at 12 PM on Tuesday, December 8th.
Play & Learn: In this packet, there are printable activities and everyday learning ideas for you and your child to choose from. As you complete each square, mark it off to celebrate the learning!
For even more games and educational resources for young learners, go to the Celebrating Winter Collection on PBS Kids for Parents.