Fun Story of Snow Lesson Plans – Winter Activities Students Love
- By Deedee Wills
- Updated on December 12
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Winter lesson plans for kids!
Oh my goodness… winter season is one of my favorite times to dive into all things snow! Even if your classroom is soaking up sunshine instead of snowflakes (I see you, Florida and SoCal!), your students will love exploring snowy fun through your winter theme activities. There’s just something magical about learning how snow works, even when you don’t have to shovel it!
In this blog post, you’ll find a whole bundle of great ideas and snowy day activities that work beautifully in kindergarten, first grade, and even second grade classrooms. Your kids are going to have so much fun!
One of my absolute favorite books for kicking off a snow study is The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson. Wow… this book is just perfect for welcoming winter scene into your classroom! The stunning photographs pull students right in. They make it so easy to have meaningful conversations and spend a full 5 themed days exploring snow with the themed lesson plans in our Engaging Readers units.
You can find these snow-filled reading comprehension lessons in:
SNOW LESSON PLANS
The Story of Snow – Day 1 Lesson Plans
On day one of The Story of Snow, we kick things off by building an anchor chart together to capture what students already think they know about snow. This is such a sweet moment because kids come in with all kinds of ideas. Some are spot-on. Some are… well… “snow is cold.” Ha! But this is where the magic happens. We start nudging them to think like little scientists, using critical thinking to look beyond the obvious.
Students can also jot down their schema in their reading journals. It’s such a quick way to capture their thinking. Then, after you read the story, they can go back and add what they’ve learned. I just love watching those little lightbulbs turn into new notes on the page!
The Story of Snow Read Aloud Video
We ALWAYS recommend using the actual book for your reading comprehension lessons. There’s just nothing like holding a real text in your hands with your students gathered around you. But if you’d like a quick peek before teaching it, you can preview the story and see exactly why this book is such a huge hit with kids. Wow… they are instantly hooked!
Oh! And you have to see this absolutely adorable little review of the book. I CAN’T EVEN. It’s the kind of thing that makes your heart melt faster than a snowflake on mittens!
Winter-Themed Lessons Day 2
On day two, we really start to dive deeper into the text and explore those wonderful nonfiction text features. Students get to pick a vocabulary word (or 5!) straight from the book. Then they roll up their sleeves and draw different kinds of snow crystals. Wow… the focus you’ll see during this part of the lesson is just the sweetest thing!
The Story of Snow Day 3
Day three is one of my favorites because students get to flex their literacy muscles and step into the role of author. After spending so much time learning about snow, these young learners start planning their very own informational books. The amount of writing you’ll see really depends on the age of your young students. Our youngest writers will draw pictures to share what they’ve learned. Older students will begin adding words. The example below came from a second grade class, and it’s just precious.
This lesson is such a wonderful way to write across subject areas while digging deeper into informational writing. If you’re looking for a little extra support, you can find the informational writing resources in our writing curriculum here:
The Story of Snow Lesson Plans Day 4
On day four, students keep building their informational books. This is where they start adding their own nonfiction text features, and wow… it is a great fun to see what they come up with!
One more little piece of writing to wrap things up! Students finish the unit with some opinion writing by sharing the most interesting thing they learned about snow. This part is always such a hit. They love reading their writing aloud and comparing their ideas with their classmates. The conversations that pop up during this share time are just the sweetest!
A Winter Craft… Of Course!
Students love a fun snowflake craft in their snow crafts. So why not add one to your week? After learning that snowflakes have six sides, are symmetrical, and how snowflakes form, students got to create their very own. And oh my goodness… they LOVED this fun activity! It’s such a simple, low-prep way to let them explore everything they’ve learned. Plus, all that cutting, arranging, and designing gives their fine motor skills a nice little workout too!
These pattern blocks are copied on plain white paper, and students arrange them in all kinds of creative ways to design different types of snowflakes. Could there be a simpler materials list? Teacher win!
Adding a few extra snowflakes on blue construction paper is the perfect finishing touch to this winter activity. It gives the whole project that snowy, magical feel… and your kids will be so proud of their creations, especially when they see their very own unique snowflake shining on the page! It’s one of those snow day activities that just feels extra special in the classroom.
Turn this into one of your winter bulletin boards or a cheerful hallway display after winter break. It’s such an easy way to bring a little snowy magic to your space… and it pairs perfectly with all your winter crafts and fine motor activities. Your students will beam when they see their work on the wall! It’s also a great time to celebrate all the creativity and hard work they’ve poured into these projects, especially after learning how snowflakes form and creating their own beautiful designs.
The Story of Snow is truly one of my favorite picture books for helping little learners understand the science behind snow flakes and snow crystals. The wintry photographs are absolute perfection! They pull kids right in and spark so many great conversations.
You can find all of the winter comprehension activities mentioned above by clicking:
Winter Themed Activities for English Language Arts
Here are a few more hands-on winter activities your students can use during independent work time or in small groups. You can click on the images to find each resource.
Hello Winter Literacy Activities
Students spin the spinner and look for a picture with the same ending sound. Simple. Fun. And such a great way to sneak in extra phonics practice and improve young children’s literacy skills!
Penguin Blends Literacy Center Game
This center works just like the one above, but this time students are hunting for beginning blends. They get so excited when they find a match!
Winter Themed Activities for Math
This math game features the cutest little snowmen, and students get to practice their ten frames while they play. This game pairs perfectly with your other winter math activities to build confidence and fluency. Such a sweet way to keep math skills fresh all winter long!
Snow Unit Fun
As you wrap up your winter plans, I hope these ideas make your week feel a little lighter and a lot more fun. When kids get the chance to explore snow through books, writing, crafts, and hands-on activities, the learning just clicks in such a joyful way. Here’s to a winter full of curious conversations, creative projects, and those sweet little moments that make teaching so special.
Snow Lesson Plans Free Download
Want to grab this free winter lesson plan template? Just click the lesson plan image below, and you can download it right from my Google Drive. It’s that simple! The PDF version of these lesson plans is also linked to the resource, so everything you need is right at your fingertips.
Want to see other weekly lesson plans like this?
If you’d like to explore more lesson plan posts just like this one, click below and keep the inspiration going with more hands-on activities:
Additional Winter Lesson Plan Ideas
Would you like other winter and snow theme lesson plans? Check these out here:
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