W is for winter and there is so much to learn about for this delightful season and the letter W. Also, I have more alphabet letter fun on my page How to Homeschool Preschool.
You can dive headfirst into snow, ice, snowmen, icicles, snowflakes, frost, and more with the theme as you learn all about W.
I have a great collection of ideas for you to make a full and wonderful study.
There is a fun melting snowman oobleck activity, books, songs, and even adorable winter-themed snack ideas.
I kept the oobleck simple, needing just a couple of simple supplies.
But I can promise this activity is going to keep them busy no matter what the weather is outside.
So, bundle up and let get chilly with these fun hands-on activities.
Oobleck is a wonderful sensory activity that preschoolers love, a non-Newtonian fluid because it has properties that are both liquid and solid.
If you hit it fast or keep it rolling in your hand it almost seems solid like a playdough but stops the movement and it quickly liquifies.
More How to Homeschool Preschool Letter of the Week Activities
- Alphabet Letter A is for Apple Craft for Preschool | Fun Apple Study
- Letter O is for Owl Preschool Craft | Fun Great Horned Owl Study
- Alphabet Letter H Handprint Craft For Fun Preschool Horse Study
- How To Make An Alphabet Teeth Cleaning Activity | 5 Preschool Letter T Crafts
- Alphabet Letter R is for Rainbow Craft for Preschool | Fun Rain Mobile
- Alphabet Letter M is for Monkey Handprint Preschool Fun Monkey Study
- Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask
- W Is For Winter Craft Easy Snowman Oobleck Activity
- Letter E Is For Eagle Easy Preschool Eagle Study
- Alphabet Letter N Is For Nest Handprint & Fun Nests Preschool Craft
- B is for Bird Craft | Free Preschool Bluebird Study
- X is for X Ray Craft | Unique Crayon Resist Skeleton
Language Arts Focus Day 1
W-w-w winter. Practice that sound a little each day as well as show it so they learn to recognize it. Because in life they will encounter it in many ways including environmental print.
I like to show letters in various fonts and settings. What other words start with W besides winter? Wet, wiggle, warm, white, wood, wool, and wind.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Grab a little snowflake punch to work on building muscles in little hands and let your child create this simple W is for Winter Craft.
Book- Over and Under The Snow is a precious story of what happens above and below a winter blanket of snow that has wonderful illustrations and simple text.
Craft/Activity-Learn How to Make an Adorable Toilet Roll Snowman for Winter Crafts for a fun wintery friend, maybe a whole gang of snowmen to decorate your home.
Song/Fingerplay- Learn the letter W with Jack Hartmann, a favorite.
Snack-easy and adorable try a cup of this Deconstructed Snowman Popcorn treat, you won’t even need any real snow to make this kind of snowman.
Science Focus Day 2
The science of winter is fascinating, from snowflakes to learning why some places don’t get snow. Break out a globe and show your child the equator.
This is a great time to explain that places closer to the equator are more consistently warm and don’t get snow like places that are farther away from it.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Name recognition and learning to spell it is one of the first literacy activities for preschoolers, help them put together this Name Snowman for some fun practice.
Book- The Snowy Day is a classic winter read about a boy waking up to find that it snowed during the night and his adventures in the snow.
Kids love the bright illustrations and the simple magic of a snowy day.
Craft/Activity- Raid your pantry for some aluminum foil and create this Stunning Sparkly Icicle Craft, it is fun, easy, and creates a lovely decoration for the house. Your preschooler can create one or a long strand.
Song/Fingerplay- I found not one, not two but three cute snowman fingerplays on this library website.
Snack- How cute and easy are these Baked Snowflake Tortillas, kids in Texas, Florida, and other places that don’t get snow will be tickled with this treat.
Math Focus Day 3
Count items, compare piles, ask which is less and which has more. Count the points on a snowflake. Work math naturally into your day.
Letter/Sound Recognition- This Snowy Letter Hunt activity can be practiced with all W’s or use all the letters your child is familiar with for review.
Letter/Sound Recognition- This Snowy Letter Hunt activity can be practiced with all W’s or use all the letters your child is familiar with for review.
Book- Sneezy the Snowman.
Craft/Activity- Make Snowman Oobleck, and turn it into a math activity by counting buttons, eyes, “sticks”, and hats.
Cut the buttons out in different sizes and have them sorted and ordered by the size of each button, which one is the largest? Smallest?
Song/Fingerplay- Little Snowflake is easy to learn with simple lyrics that are displayed in the video so you can learn it with your little one quickly.
Snack- Aren’t these Marshmallow Snowman S’Mores just the cutest thing? It feels like a pretty simple snack that can be made.
History/Geography Focus Day 4
Point out places where it snows on a map like Antarctica, Canada, and Michigan. Look at my free lapbook and Arctic Unit Study.
Letter/Sound Recognition- These Hot Cocoa Letter mats are great for practicing letters with playdough, dry-erase markers, pipe cleaners, or marshmallows.
Book- Learn about Animals in Winter
Craft/Activity-Snowballs and Snow Plow Sensory Tray is a great segue into talking about city workers who clear the roads in the winter, an important community helper that happens to be a very important part of social studies for preschoolers.
Song/Fingerplay- Dance around to I’m a Little Snowman and use hand motions as they sing.
Snack-Make up a batch of Snowman Poop for a giggle, kids will love it.
W is For Winter Themed Books
W is for Winter Preschool Theme
Teach your child the sound of the Letter W and add in these fun books and resources about winter.
Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Rainforest, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this volume takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow. Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.
The magic and wonder of winter’s first snowfall is perfectly captured in Ezra Jack Keat’s Caldecott Medal - winning picture book. This celebrated classic has been shared by generations of readers and listeners, a must-have for every child’s bookshelf and a perfect gift for the holiday season.
B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and make him feel “just right”. Hilarity chills the air with playful mixed-media illustrations by Stephen Gilpin as Sneezy attempts to warm himself with some silly results.
Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate Woodchucks don't like cold weather either, but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. How do these and other animals handle the cold and snow of winter?
The old lady is swallowing everything from snow to a pipe, some coal, a hat, and more! With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. And this time, there's a surprise at the end no reader will be able to guess!
Language Arts Focus Day 5
Letter/Sound Recognition- Draw W’s and several other letters on a piece of paper and give your child some small objects.
I found these snowflakes at Dollar Tree sold as table scatter decor. Have your child locate and cover up each W with their object. You could also print out some small wintery images and cut them into squares for your child to use.
Book- Remember the There was an old lady who swallowed a fly?
There are dozens and dozens of new variations out there that kids adore for the ridiculous items she swallows, There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow, is perfect for this winter unit.
Craft/Activity- You can make these Fun Paper Cup Snowman Game Matching Upper and Lowercase Alphabet Letters in as many or as few letters as you want to practice.
Song/Fingerplay- Wonderful W is very fun and engaging.
Snack-You could make this Winter Wonderland Snack Mix with whatever white dry treats you have on hand.
Easy Snowman Oobleck Activity
You will need:
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cornstarch
- Craft foam
- Scissors
- Glitter-optional
- Shallow container
- Bowl
- Spatula for mixing
First, in a large bowl mix water and cornstarch until combined.
You might want to get in there with your hands and mix it up well.
Grab some craft foam and cut out whatever items you like for your snowman like buttons, eyes, limbs for arms, hats, scarves, etc.
Make different items so your child has a choice of hats, arm positions, eyes, etc..
I couldn’t resist adding a little detail to the hat and carrots.
Now pour the mixture into a shallow container, these large ones at Dollar Tree are perfectly sized and come with a lid to cover it up when done playing.
Sprinkle on a little glitter if desired.
Set up the melting snowman items all around him as an invitation to play and let your preschooler’s imagination go crazy.
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