The Simplest Winter Activities That Keep Kids Busy!

According to the calendar, it may be “winter”, but here in Georgia, winter is merely a word, and not a feeling. That means that sometimes, we have to make our own snow! I don’t see anyone complaining, though!

Here is how we are celebrating winter, even if it is 60 degrees outside. And I meant it when I said these are simple. These activities are low stress and little prep. Because why would you want high stress and big prep? “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

Play With Instant Snow

This activity requires an outside purchase, but it will be worth it. I promise! And this small little container will make a ton of snow! (And by “a ton”, I mean 2 gallons) Like all good things in life, Instant Snow can be purchased here on Amazon.

Once you get your Instant Snow, follow the instructions located in the packaging. Within seconds, you will have snow! Seriously… you have to check it out for yourself. Place the snow in a tray or plastic container with a lid. Last, play in the snow! Your child will thank you for this fun (and life-like) winter activity!

We use Instant Snow to prove that learning can be fun! Here are just a few things that we like to work on in therapy:

• Describing the snow by talking about its characteristics
• Tolerating the touch and feel of the snow
• Searching for objects hiding in the snow
• Scooping and dumping the snow using cups and spoons

          

Build a Snowman

White Paper, Construction Paper, Markers, Glue, & Scissors. These are the bare necessities needed for you and your little one to make an indoor (and flat) snowman!

Depending on the age and skill level of your child, you may need to help them cut out the 3 circles, each a different size (small, medium, and large). Glue each snowball in their correct order on a different color of construction paper. Have your child decorate the snowman using their imagination! Our favorite elements include: eyes, nose, mouth, scarf, buttons, arms, and a top hat!

In therapy, we build a snowman to work on many skills including:

• Identifying common vocabulary (body parts, clothing items, colors, shapes)
• Improving fine motor skills such as cutting, drawing, and coloring
• Visual perception skills, such as putting elements in their correct position (example: eyes on the head)
• Describing sizes (small, medium, and large snowballs) and shapes (circle snowballs, square hat, etc.)

       

Snowball Stamp

This is another simple activity to do on a rainy day…. Or snowy day if you are several miles north of Georgia! You will need just a few materials, including a piece of paper and stamps/paint dotters (shoutout again to Amazon). Kids love paint dotters. Trust me.

Write (or draw) several different items scattered across the page. Some ideas include: letters of the alphabet, sight words, numbers, and shapes. (The options are quite literally endless!) As your child tries find the target item (remember the letters, words, etc.??), have them stamp the item. After all of the items are stamped/painted, you have a pretty picture scene of the snowfall outside. Well, sorta. See how simple this activity is?!

You’ll see us use this activity in therapy for many different skills:

• Drilling skills, such as speech sound words, while getting many opportunities for practice
• Working on fine motor skills, such as gripping the paint dotter
• Following directions
• Attending to table-top tasks without requiring many redirections

        

Snowball Bowling

This is definitely a crowd favorite with the kids! I mean, who can blame them? You get to throw a ball at something, with the purpose of knocking it down. It is a low-prep activity that only requires a stack of cups and pretend snowballs. We found these at the one-and-only Target Dollar Spot. If you are nowhere near a Target (to which we send our condolences), you can always use crumpled-up white paper or foam balls from a craft store.

To do this activity, stack up the cups in a tower or pyramid. At the opposite side of the cups, take turns throwing your snowballs at the tower. Cheer when you knock them down! Repeat as much as your patiences allows. Just like real bowling without the smelly rental shoes. A win-win, if you ask me.

What does this have to do with therapy, you ask? This activity is used to work on:

• Practicing hand-eye coordination
• Taking turns with others
• Sequencing steps (First, stack the cups, Second, throw the snowball, Last, count the cups)
• Repeating and modeling early words, such as “1-2-3 go”, “more”, “fall down”, and “uh-oh”