We're celebrating winter and the holidays! Whether you are an educator looking to keep kids engaged as they anxiously await the winter break, or you are a parent needing activities for when kids are out of school, check out these resources and fun learning activities for kids.
Winter Holiday Collection
Learn about various holidays that are celebrated in winter. In this collection of videos, students will explore Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year's Day, and Chinese New Year. Check out the collection.
Don't forget, December also includes Pearl Harbor Day (Dec. 7), Human Rights Day (Dec. 10), and Bill of Rights Day (Dec. 15).
Celebrating Winter
Create a winter wonderland with these festive activities, videos, and interactive games for grades PreK-12. A few highlights are listed below.
Animals in Winter: Part 1 and Part 2 Children will explore different ways animals prepare for winter and make a hibernation cave.
A Weird Winter Wonderland? | Spot on Science Winter is full of weird phenomena, including thundersnow, frost quakes, ghost apples and more! Explore a few of these oddities.
Grover's Winter Games | Sesame Street A great game for number recognition, patterns, and working memory. Grover leads the way as you compete in ice skating, snowboarding, and skiing while learning along the way!
Winter in Mars | Spot on Science NASA is sharing what winter is like on Mars. The planet experiences cube-shaped snow that accompanies sub-zero temperatures. In some areas-- the red planet can get as low as negative 190 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 123 degrees Celsius) during winter.
Dress for the Season | Everyday Learning In this interactive game, children are prompted to help the animals get dressed for each season. The earth changes with each season, and children can enjoy and learn from these changes. Observing the ways in which these changes take place can be a wonderful tool to introduce concepts such as evaluation and very basic problem solving.
Five Physics Experiments for the Holidays | Physics Girl These five holiday-themed physics experiments will keep you and your family busy with science during the winter holidays! All experiments involve materials found around the house. Parental supervision advised.
Check out the entire collection.
Winter Arts & Crafts
Decorate your home or create gifts to give away with these fun winter craft ideas.
Decorate the Holidays with Luminaries | Craft in America Paper Artist Kathleen Trenchard demonstrates how to create luminaries.
Bake Gingerbread Letters It's time to take the ABCs to the k-i-t-c-h-e-n! Make gingerbread cookies in the shape of the alphabet with this simply delicious activity.
Make an Ice Sculpture | MOLLY OF DENALI™ Molly’s mom makes ice sculptures. “Chill out” and make one with your family! Observe how temperature affects water as you create a frozen ice sculpture.
Paper Snowflake: Wander & Wonder | Young Explorers Celebrate the snow with a snowflake party! Abby Brown and her friend practice fine motor skills by cutting paper snowflakes. Follow these directions and make your own snowflake.
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