Winter is a well loved preschool theme. From snow and ice to sledding and winter clothes, these preschool winter theme activities are fun and engaging while being packed full of learning.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and sit down with a notepad. It’s time to make a list of winter preschool activities to add to your preschool lesson plans.
Preschool Winter Activities for Fun Learning
There are so many activities to include in your winter preschool theme. So many, in fact, that sometimes it can be hard to know where to even start.
All these winter activities can be done with minimal supplies in the classroom or home. They are fantastic for preschoolers and a great addition to your winter theme lesson plans. If you are not a classroom teacher and are just looking for fun winter activities to do with your kids at home, these are perfect for you too!
Many of the ideas on this page can also be winter themed toddler activities.
FAQ About Teaching January Themes in Preschool
Like any preschool theme, there is always a larger theme that can be broken down into smaller themes. For example, in a winter preschool theme, you can teach your preschoolers about snow and ice, snowflakes, frozen ground, hibernating animals, sledding, winter clothing, cold weather animals and so on.
All of these things can be taught through winter themed alphabet activities, winter math activities, and of course, winter preschool art projects and sensory activities too!
Just see all the ideas below!
While still snowy woodland scenes are icons of winter landscape, you can teach a winter preschool even if it doesn’t snow where you live. You can still teach about ice and frozen things, hibernating animals, as well as coats and mittens.
You can purchase fake snow that makes a really fun science experiment, but you can even make your own faux snow by mixing baking soda and shaving cream together.
Winter Literacy Activities for Preschoolers
These preschool winter activities for literacy include winter alphabet activities, winter letter formation activities, and (soon to be) phonological awareness activities.
FREE Preschool Winter Printables for Pre-Writing Practice
There are so many fun ways to practice writing in your preschool winter theme. Check out these preschool winter printables for pre-writing practice. They’re all winter themed and ready to go in your lesson plans!
5+ Snowman Matching Activities for Preschoolers
Matching activities are really good for developing minds. Download these free snowman matching cards and try out all five matching activities for preschoolers found in this post.
Penguin Alphabet Find and Cover
During the winter months, some of the best activities for preschoolers are penguin activities! Try this fun preschool alphabet activity that has a friendly penguin theme. Pair this activity with other winter preschool activities or add it to your arctic animals activities.
5+ Arctic Animal Activities & Free Arctic Animal Cards
There are so many arctic animal learning activities that it can be hard to choose just a few to include in your arctic theme lesson plans. But why limit yourself? Try all five arctic animal preschool activities in this post!
Arctic Animal Alphabet Activities
These free Arctic Animal Alphabet printables are designed with adorable polar animals and are perfect for teaching preschoolers letter recognition, phonics and handwriting. Add them to your preschool arctic animal activities this winter.
6 Snowy Printable Winter Activities for Preschoolers
It’s winter here in the northern hemisphere which means it’s time for warm mittens and cozy hats, building snowmen, and sledding in the snow! Oh, and it’s time for a winter theme in preschool, too! Here you will find six printable winter activities for preschoolers that are a perfect addition to your winter theme lesson plans.
Winter Theme Preschool Lesson Plans
This winter themed unit is designed specifically for preschool and pre-kindergarten students! It can even be scaffolded for toddlers (my 2’s class loves the songs and art!) and would be a great compliment to kindergarten intervention.
Our Favorite Winter Themed Picture Books
Any preschool theme is made better with some high quality picture books. Children love reading books that are rich in language and imagery. This is our go-to winter book list for preschoolers.
Winter Math Activities
This is a growing list of winter math activities for preschoolers. Featuring winter patterning activities, sorting activities and (soon to be) winter counting activities, graphing activities, and winter measurement activities.
Free Snowman Counting Cards for Winter
Winter is such a delightful time of year (especially for early learners) with it being bitterly cold, and full of ice, snow, and wonder. This year, you can teach counting to preschoolers with this free snowman counting printable. What’s more: this printable can be used for 6 different winter counting activities!
Topographic Melting Snowman Craft
This topographic melting snowman is not only a super cute craft but also a fun way for preschoolers to practice sequencing size and a meaningful way for teachers to assess scissor cutting skills in their young students.
6 Snowy Printable Winter Activities for Preschoolers
It’s time for warm mittens and cozy hats, building snowmen, and sledding in the snow! Oh, and it’s time for a winter theme in preschool, too! Here you will find six printable winter activities for preschoolers that are a perfect addition to your winter theme lesson plans.
5+ Snowman Matching Activities for Preschoolers
Matching activities are really good for developing minds. Download these free snowman matching cards and try out all five matching activities for preschoolers found in this post.
5 Preschool Math Activities for Winter Using FREE Patterning Cards
Looking for a quick patterning activity to add to your winter preschool lesson plans? These pattern cards will fit in perfectly to your preschool math center. Be sure to read how to get five different preschool math activities for winter out of this single printable!
5+ Hot Cocoa Activities Including Free Printable
With the weather turning cold and the holiday season approaching, I would be remiss not to share some hot cocoa activities for you to use in your preschool this winter. This dominoes hot cocoa game is a wonderful free printable, and this post includes five additional ways it can be used!
Marshmallow Snowballs Winter Counting Activities
As the temperature on the thermometer drops, the winter activities for preschoolers begin to appear in our thematic lesson plans. This marshmallow snowball transfer activity works on fine motor skills, but is also just one of six winter counting activities for preschoolers.
5+ Arctic Animal Activities & Free Arctic Animal Cards
There are so many arctic animal learning activities that it can be hard to choose just a few to include in your arctic theme lesson plans. But why limit yourself? Try all five arctic animal preschool activities in this post!
8 Rainbow Snowman Winter Fine Motor Activities
Snowman activities are always fun for preschoolers. With these winter fine motor activities, not only do preschoolers get to…you guessed it…work on their fine motor skills within a winter theme, but they also get to practice color sorting skills. And, these cute rainbow snowmen are a free printable, too!
5+ Icicles and Snowballs Winter Math Activities
Is it all ice and snow where you live? No matter your answer, preschoolers will love these winter math activities that features “icicles” and “snowballs”. This post features a free number formation printable, too.
Winter Theme Preschool Lesson Plans
This winter themed unit is designed specifically for preschool and pre-kindergarten students! It can even be scaffolded for toddlers (my 2’s class loves the songs and art!) and would be a great compliment to kindergarten intervention.
35+ Awesome Snow Day Activities
Feeling a little snowed in? Try any of these 35+ crazy awesome snow day activities you can do right from home.
Our Favorite Winter Themed Math Manipulatives
Winter math activities can be even more fun with special winter themed manipulatives. These are some of our favorite items.
Then keep reading for more winter activities for preschoolers. Below I’ve listed out our best winter crafts and winter art activities for preschoolers.
Winter Arts and Craft Activities for Preschoolers
These winter art activities include both winter process art activities and winter crafts for preschoolers. From glittery winter landscapes to fluffy snowman, these winter art activities are fun for preschoolers while encouraging fine motor and creativity skills.
Sparkly Winter Paintings Make Gorgeous Winter Process Art
‘Tis the season for winter themes in preschool, and these winter paintings are perfect for young toddlers as well as preschoolers. This is winter process art at its best.
With no specific outcome intended, these winter beauties still make wonderfully sparkly keepsakes. (We’ve also made some similar Christmas process art, too).
Fluffy Paper Plate Snowman Craft
This adorable paper plate snowman is a fun part of any winter theme unit in preschool. Appropriate for even toddlers, your little one is sure to enjoy this winter craft
Fine Motor Winter Process Art for Preschoolers
Now that winter is upon us, the days are short and the nights are long. So, let’s make some beautiful, sparkly winter process art for preschoolers. In this winter art, we used some special (but common) materials that loaded these preschool winter paintings with tons of fine motor work too. If you’re like me and always looking for creative process art ideas for preschoolers, then you’ve come to the right place!
Frame Worthy Winter Process Art for Toddlers
When children engage in process art, they all come away with individual and unique masterpieces. Here is an idea for winter process art for toddlers that does just that. All using the same process and the same materials, we ended up with 16 completely different works of art!
Topographic Melting Snowman Craft
This topographic melting snowman is not only a super cute craft but also a fun way for preschoolers to practice sequencing size and a meaningful way for teachers to assess scissor cutting skills in their young students.
Winter Cookie Cutter Art
Cookie cutter art brings a smile to any preschooler’s face. The thought of cookie cutters, (or maybe just cookies), and art projects combined just makes little three year olds happy, and when my students are smiling at the fun of the winter season, so am I.
Winter Theme Preschool Lesson Plans
This winter themed unit is designed specifically for preschool and pre-kindergarten students! It can even be scaffolded for toddlers (my 2’s class loves the songs and art!) and would be a great compliment to kindergarten intervention.
35+ Awesome Snow Day Activities
No need to feel snowed in with these 35+ crazy awesome snow day activities you can do right from home. They are all easy prep and only require basic craft supplies.
Grab These Crafts Supplies for Winter
There are a few craft supplies that are used over and over again in winter process art for preschoolers, as well as other winter crafts for preschoolers. These are the items I always keep stocked in my preschool craft closet so my preschoolers never have to go without.
Then keep reading to see all our fine motor activities for your winter preschool theme.
Winter Fine Motor Activities
Fine motor skills can easily be incorporated into every theme, including a winter preschool theme. Try some of these winter fine motor activities.
8 Rainbow Snowman Winter Fine Motor Activities
Snowman activities are always fun for preschoolers. With these winter fine motor activities, not only do preschoolers get to…you guessed it…work on their fine motor skills within a winter theme, but they also get to practice color sorting skills. And, these cute rainbow snowmen are a free printable, too!
Marshmallow Snowballs Winter Counting Activities
As the temperature on the thermometer drops, the winter activities for preschoolers begin to appear in our thematic lesson plans. This marshmallow snowball transfer activity works on fine motor skills, but is also just one of six winter counting activities for preschoolers.
5+ Icicles and Snowballs Winter Math Activities
Is it all ice and snow where you live? No matter your answer, preschoolers will love these winter math activities that features “icicles” and “snowballs”. This post features a free number formation printable.
FREE Preschool Winter Printables for Pre-Writing Practice
There are so many fun ways to practice writing in your preschool winter theme. Check out these preschool winter printables for pre-writing practice. They’re all winter themed and ready to go in your lesson plans!
Topographic Melting Snowman Craft
This topographic melting snowman is not only a super cute craft but also a fun way for preschoolers to practice sequencing size and a meaningful way for teachers to assess scissor cutting skills in their young students.
The Best Tools for Fine Motor Skills
These in and of themselves are not strictly winter themed, just related to developing fine motor skills. Fine motor work has a huge impact on developing pencil grip, so if you plan to add any of the above fine motor activities to your winter preschool lesson plans, then you might like these tools.
More Printables for January Themes in Preschool
Do you have a winter fanatic on your hands? This winter activity pack is for your little one. Packed full of uniquely hands-on, printable winter activities, preschoolers love learning different math and literacy skills in a winter theme format.
This pack contains six fun and educational winter activities appropriate for preschool through kindergarten. Three activities are math based, three are literacy based. All are fun.