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How to Have a Pretend Snow Day With Preschoolers

There's just something about the snow that captivates young children, making them want to bundle up and play in the fluffy, white precipitation. If you're a preschool teacher and you live in an area that doesn't receive snow or you live in an area that does get snow, but want to avoid the cold and mess, you can easily recreate a snow day indoors. With some creativity and some interactive activities, you can provide students with the experience of a snow day sans real snow.

Things You'll Need

  • Snowflake decorations
  • White fabric
  • White sheets
  • Cotton balls
  • Winter clothing
  • Paper plates
  • Craft supplies
  • Scrap paper
  • Snacks
  • Snow-themed children's books
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Instructions

    • 1

      Transform the classroom into winter wonderland. Suspend cut-outs of snowflakes from the ceiling. Drape white fabric over chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture. Cover the floor with white sheets. Wad up large balls of cotton and set them in various locations around the room to create the look of snow drifts. Hang images of snowmen on the walls of the classroom. Add any props and decorations you think will help to turn your classroom into a snow-filled location.

    • 2

      Offer children winter accessories to wear upon entering the classroom. Provide them with hats, gloves, boots and scarves to wear. Avoid heavy items, such as winter coats and snow pants, as they can overheat children while indoors.

    • 3

      Create paper plate snowmen craft. Show children how to glue three dessert-size paper plates together in a vertical formation to create the body of a snowman. Offer them foam shapes, paint, markers, construction paper, scissors and glue to add features and accessories to their paper plate snowman. For example, children can glue black foam stickers to the body and face of their snowmen as eyes, or an orange triangle glued it to the face as a nose.

    • 4

      Engage children in a pretend snowball fight. Wad up pieces of white scrap paper and spread them on the floor of an open space in the classroom. Encourage children to pick up the paper and toss them at one another for a winter-themed, gross motor activity. Supervise children to ensure they are playing appropriately and aren't getting rough.

    • 5

      Serve snow-themed snacks. Offer children scoops of vanilla icing, whipped cream, marshmallows and coconut shavings. Make pancakes and let children decorate them with blueberries, strawberries and other fruits to create the look of snowman faces. Serve hot chocolate for a drink.

    • 6

      Read snow- or winter-themed stories. Titles to consider include, "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats, "Snowballs" by Lois Ehlert, "Snow" by Philip.D. Eastman and "The Snowman" by Raymond Briggs.

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