A matching game helps children learn colors and sizes. A mitten-matching game brings the fun of outside winter fun into the classroom. Cut several mitten shapes out of different colored construction paper and place them in a pile or throughout the classroom. Ask students to pick a mitten and then find the matching mitten. For an added challenge, mittens can be made in different sizes and students can be asked to find a mitten of the same color and size to make a match.
Snow art lets children create winter masterpieces. Children can either be allowed to create whatever design they wish or you can direct the creations by asking them to make specific shapes. Fill several squirt bottles with colored water and find an area with a relatively flat snow covering. Allow children to squirt the colored water on the snow to create their own piece of snow art. Adequate supervision is a must for this activity to ensure children squirt only the snow (and not each other).
Preschool children love to play dress-up and make believe. Pick one child to be the snowman and then dress him or her for the winter weather. Have children help you dress the snowman by having them tell you what parts of the snowman wear different cold weather gear. For example, hold up a mitten and have the children tell you that it goes on the snowman's hand. After the snowman is "dressed," have children close their eyes and change a piece of the snowman's clothing and then ask them what changed on the snowman. This winter-themed game will help children learn about parts of the body and build observation skills.
While it is desirable for preschool activities to have educational value, it is also sometimes fun to just play and let children burn off some of their excess winter energy. An indoor snowball fight is just the ticket to accomplish this goal. Divide children into two teams and equip each team with jumbo-sized cotton balls, to represent indoor snowballs. Then let the snowballs fly. Limit the game to a specific amount of time and at the end, see which team can collect the most "snowballs" for a special treat.