A Snowy Day: Learning Center Activities and Free Build a Snowman Craft!

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Inspire your students with learning center activities and a free build-a-snowman craft, all centered on the delightful children’s book, “A Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats.

In a previous post, we shared how repeated interactive read-alouds benefit young learners by enhancing their comprehension skills, developing vocabulary, fostering critical thinking skills, and encouraging a love for reading.

We then broke down the story of A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats into little bites of discussion that will guide the child through this engaged learning experience through the repeated read-aloud.

In this post, we want to share some ideas for learning center activities that can explore the ideas presented in the book, through hands-on interactions centering on the theme of snow. Since the three repeated read-alouds are best spaced apart over the span of a week or two, learning center activities will keep the momentum for the topic moving, and will continue to reinforce the understanding of new learnings presented in The Snowy Day.

These focused story reading times provide opportunities for engagement, discussion, and reflection, helping children make connections to the text, expand their understanding of story elements, and deepen their overall literacy skills in a supportive and interactive setting.

Review of Learning Centers

Before we jump into the snowy day activities, let’s briefly review the purpose and benefits of learning centers and how they can be integrated into various themes and learning experiences.

Learning centers are also known as exploration corners, play stations, discovery spots, activity zones, and so on. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, a homeschool teacher or a parent, any spot in your learning space can be set apart and equipped to allow your child(ren) to explore concepts taught in your thematic instruction through hands-on, collaborative activities.

Benefits of Learning Centers

1. Hands-on exploration:

Learning centers provide opportunities for students to engage in hands-on exploration related to the main topic or theme. For example, if the theme is “ocean animals,” learning centers might include a sensory table with water and toy sea creatures, a dramatic play area with costumes and props for acting out ocean scenes, and a science center with books and materials for studying different types of ocean animals.

2. Differentiated instruction:

Learning centers allow for differentiation, as students can choose activities that align with their individual interests, abilities, and learning styles. For example, in a preschool classroom studying the theme of “community helpers,” learning centers might include a writing center for students to practice writing letters to community helpers, a construction center for building models of community buildings, and a math center for sorting and counting objects related to different community helper professions.

3. Reinforcement of concepts:

Learning centers provide opportunities for students to reinforce and apply concepts related to the main topic or theme. For example, in a preschool classroom studying the theme of “colors,” learning centers might include a color-mixing art center, a sorting and matching center with colored objects, and a sensory center with different colored materials for exploring textures and patterns.

4. Collaboration and social skills:

Learning centers encourage collaboration and the development of social skills, as students work together on activities related to the main topic or theme. For example, in a preschool classroom studying the theme of “gardening,” learning centers might include a planting center where students work together to plant seeds, a dramatic play area with pretend gardening tools and a market stand for selling pretend fruits and vegetables, and a sensory table with soil and materials for exploring the textures and smells of different plants.

5. Extension of learning:

Learning centers provide opportunities for students to extend their learning beyond the main topic or theme through further exploration and investigation. For example, in a preschool classroom studying the theme of “insects,” learning centers might include a science center with magnifying glasses and bug specimens for close observation, a literacy center with books and materials for learning about different types of insects, and a math center for counting and sorting insect-themed objects.

Extending the Snow Theme into Learning Centers

During the time allotted for the repeated readings of The Snowy Day, the children will benefit from learning center activities that center around the theme of snow.

All of the following suggested learning centers do not need to be in use all at the same time. As space allows, you can change out the less relevant centers and keep the ones most closely related to the theme and the skills needed to explore with the children.

Here are some preschool age-appropriate activity ideas for each learning center based on the theme of playing in the snow and the book “A Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats:

1. Dramatic Play:

Create a “Snowy Day” Storytelling Center where children can use props and costumes to act out scenes from the book, retell the story in their own words, or create their own snowy day adventure stories.

2. Language & Literacy: 

• Practice writing letters of the alphabet in ‘snow”, by covering a tray or cake pan with shaving cream or white fingerprint, in the literacy center.
• Visual Sequencing Cards: Create word cards containing activity words from the story with a simple image on each card. For example, one card could read, “building a snowman”, and show a boy in a snowsuit making a snowman. Invite children to place the sequencing cards in order of when they happened in the story. This can be done on a sentence strip chart or on a table.
• “A Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats and other snow-related storybooks can be available for children to read with an adult.
• Read books about winter and snow, and talk about the different animals that live in snowy environments.

3. Math:

Set up a Snowflake Counting and Sorting Center where children can practice counting and sorting different types of decorative snowflakes based on size, color, or shape.

3. Science and Discovery:

Provide Snow Sensory Bins filled with cotton balls, ice, fake snow or real snow (if available!) and winter-themed objects for children to explore different textures, temperatures, and sensory experiences related to snow. 

4. Physical Development:

Set up an Indoor Snowball Toss game using soft, lightweight snowballs or crumpled paper balls to help children develop hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills.

Or better yet, get outside and make a real snowman with the kiddos!

5. Social Studies:  

• Create a Winter Clothing Dress-up Center where children can try on and learn about different types of winter clothing and discuss how people dress for snowy weather.
• Provide a Map Center: Create a map of a snowy town or village, and have the children use toy cars and figurines to act out different scenarios, such as building snowmen at one friend’s house,  sliding down a hill at the park, driving to an ice skating rink, or walking home from school.

6. Building and Small World Play:

• Provide snow-themed building blocks or small-world play materials to encourage children to construct snow-covered landscapes, build igloos, or create winter scenes.
• Supply the children with white play dough or clay and invite them to form their own snow people and igloos out of the dough.

8. Art and Creativity:

•  Offer a Snowflake Craft Station where children can create their own unique snowflakes using paper, glue, glitter, and other art supplies.
• Build a Snowman Craft (*free printable activity sheets available below!)

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Build a Snowman Craft

Print

Materials

• -Snowman worksheet
• - Blue construction paper (or white paper to color a background)
• - Embellishments (optional)

Tools

• - Scissors
• - Glue stick
• -Crayons

Instructions

1. Give each child a snowman worksheet to color and cut out.

2. Help children cut out the colored parts.

3. Invite children to arrange and glue the parts onto blue construction paper for a background.

Notes

Optional Tips:

•   Add googly eyes, buttons, or sequins for extra decoration.
• Spray salt water over the pictures and allow to dry for a sparkly, snowy effect. (Shake off the excess salt after it dries.)
• Scribble the sides of white chalk onto the background to look like a snowy blizzard, similar to the illustrations in The Snowy Day.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

9. Music and Movement: 

• Lead a Snowflake Dance Party where children can move and dance to winter-themed music, pretending to be snowflakes falling from the sky. Use cue words like “twirling” “floating” “lightly” and “gently” to guide children’s snow-like movements.
• Re-read the parts of the story where Peter makes large movements and ask the children to show how they do those actions:
  •  i.e, making footprints with toes out, then in; 
  • rolling a small snowball, then a big one; 
  • throwing snowballs; 
  • sliding down a hill

10. Cooking:

• Make Snowman S’mores.

• Snowy Yogurt Bark: Spread Greek yogurt on a baking sheet, sprinkle with berries and nuts, and freeze. Break into pieces for a delicious and healthy frozen treat.
• Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix – (see recipe below) – Don’t forget the snowman shaped marshmallows!

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Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Yield: 21 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Warm up on the inside when it's cold on the outside with this yummy hot chocolate mix! Easy to mix up with kids, it's a fun activity for family or a classroom. Once prepared, just add hot water and enjoy !

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, powdered milk, and salt until well combined.
2. Add in the dark chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, and mix thoroughly to distribute evenly.
3. Store the hot chocolate mix in an airtight container or mason jar until ready to use.
4. To make hot chocolate, mix 2-3 tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix with 1 cup of hot milk or water, stirring until the chocolate is fully dissolved.
5. Top with additional marshmallows or whipped cream if desired, and enjoy a cozy and delicious homemade hot chocolate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

I hope you have found some new ideas and inspiration to make a snow-themed wonderland of your snowy day learning centers.

To get more ideas for your literature-based crafts, visit our Storytime Crafts category of blog posts.

Thanks for reading!

👇👇👇In case you missed it, here’s that form for the Free Build a Snowman Printable Craft! 👇 👇👇