As we say goodbye to the holiday season, I’m thrilled about the winter-themed activities ahead. One enduring favorite in my classroom is exploring snow and crafting snowmen. Over the years, I’ve shared glimpses of these experiences on Instagram, observing firsthand the joy they bring. From counting adventures to personalized creations, these snowmen activities have become a cherished tradition in my teaching toolkit.
Snowmen Craft
When I introduced my students to snowmen, we embarked on exciting counting journeys. We tackled numbers from 10 to a hundred and diligently arranged them in order. But our exploration didn’t stop there. We elevated our snowmen by personalizing them with our names, transforming a simple winter activity into a true masterpiece. Over the years, I recognized the importance of adaptability and refined the activity to meet each student’s unique learning needs.
Differentiation with Snowmen
Flexibility became the key to this yearly tradition. Each school year brought new goals and challenges, allowing me to tailor the snowman activity accordingly. Whether improving name-writing skills, mastering skip counting, or getting into comprehensive number work, these snowmen became a canvas for educational exploration. For students needing extra support with sounds and blending words, I seamlessly integrated those skills into our snowman adventures.
I’ve done some number work where students would do a sketch, expanded form, ten frames, etc. After years of doing this activity, I wanted to clean it up a bit and add more to it. Every year, my students may not need to work on the same area, and it allows for differentiation if necessary. So one year, we may do names; another year, we may practice skip counting to 100, or we may do some number work.
I normally do this activity in January, so I’m always seeking an activity that’s both simple and versatile. The snowman project is the perfect solution. With its endless possibilities and ability to cater to individual student needs, it ensures an engaging and meaningful return to the classroom.
Whether working on sight words, numeracy skills, or focusing on names, the snowman activity provides choices that will make our return to school both educational and delightful.
There’s also an option for welded/glued sounds, as one year I found myself with students who really needed to work on this skill.
Grab your copy of Building Snowmen and let the learning engagement begin!
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