Winter Language Activities

Melting Snowfriends
(similar to Hangman)
Select a spelling word, as in hangman. Indicate the number of letters by sketching blanks on the board. Beside the blanks, draw a snowman (or woman) complete with features and accessories. (You want at least ten distinct parts in the snowperson--body, eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, hat, scarf, etc.) Let students take turns guessing letters. When students guess a letter not used in the word, erase one part of the snowperson. Continue to play until a student guesses the word or the snowperson has been completely erased.

For variation, create a list of sentences using students' vocabulary words. Write one sentence on the board, leaving a blank where the vocabulary word should go. Sketch a snowperson above the sentence. Let students guess which word best completes the sentence. If an incorrect word is guessed, erase one part of the snowperson. See how many sentences students can complete before the snowperson melts away.

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Mitten Match-ups
Click here for mitten pattern.
Use the mitten pattern provided to create a winter matching game. Adapt game to students' ability levels. Suggestions include the following:

• Uppercase-lowercase letter matching: Copy 26 pairs of mittens onto cardstock or heavy construction paper. On each left mitten, print one uppercase letter. On each right mitten, print one lowercase letter.
• Consonant-initial sound matching: Copy 21 pairs of mittens onto cardstock or heavy construction paper. On each left mitten, print one consonant. One each right mitten, paste or sketch a picture beginning with a corresponding consonant sound. (For example, /b/ and a picture of a ball; /c/ and a picture of a cat; etc.)
• Consonant-final sound matching: Prepare as above, except paste or sketch pictures ending with a corresponding consonant sound. (For example, /b/ and picture of a crib; /d/ and splotch of the color red.)
• Picture-word matching: On each left mitten, print a word. On each right mitten, paste a corresponding picture.
• Rhyming words matching: On each pair of mittens, print two words that rhyme. For instance, "duck" on the left mitten and "truck" on the right.
• Synonym matching: On each pair of mittens, print two words with similar meanings. For example, "happy" on the left mitten and "glad" on the right.
• Antonym matching: On each pair of mittens, print two words with opposite meanings. For example, "big" on the left mitten and "small" on the right.
• Subject-verb matching: On each left mitten, print a subject. On each right mitten, print a corresponding verb. If the subject was singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject was plural, the verb must be as well. Consider creating two similar pairs, such as both "dog" and "runs" AND "dogs" and "run." After matching the pairs, students might be asked to sketch the subject/verb combination.
• Word translations: On each left mitten, print a word in students' native language. On each right mitten, print an equivalent word in the target language. For example, "uno" and "one."
• Sentence translations: On each left mitten, print a sentence in students' native language. On each right mitten, print an equivalent sentence in the target language.

Laminate mittens for longer life if desired. Place all mittens face down on a playing surface. Children may flip over two mittens at a time. If the mittens form a matching pair, the child should keep the pair. If mittens do not match, the child should turn them back over. The child who collects the most pairs of mittens wins.

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Snowman Fashion Show
Click here for snowman pattern.
Copy a snowman for each student in the class, and laminate page. Give students either water-based markers or dry erase markers. Ask students to add the snowman's apparel as you describe it. (He is wearing a red scarf. He has a brown cap. His middle section is green. It has four yellow buttons. etc.) After you finish describing the snowman, ask students to hold up their pictures. Give a sticker or other small reward to each student who listened carefully and created the snowman's apparel as described. Wipe pages clean with a damp paper towel, and repeat activity.

To use in a learning center, make only two copies of the snowman. Laminate both snowman and attach each snowman to a folder. Place snowmen folders, one pack of water-based markers, and wet-wipes inside a larger folder or box. Two students at a time may use the fashion show. One student should decorate his or her snowman, without allowing the other student to see it. After the snowman is decorated, the student should describe the decorations. The other student attempts to decorate his or her snowman to match. After all directions have been given, students may compare snowmen. They may then wipe pages clean with wet wipes, reverse roles, and play again.

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Story Snowball Fight
Crumple sheets of notebook paper for an indoor snowball fight. Divide students into groups of six to eight. Give one student in each group a snowball. That student begins to tell a story. After about 30 seconds, call "snowball fight!" The student should stop immediately and toss the snowball to another member of the group. That member must carry on the story until "snowball fight!" is called again. Vary time between calls from 15-60 seconds.

After the fight is over, ask each group to summarize its story for the rest of the class.

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Snow Dough
Materials Needed: flour, salt, white powdered tempera paint, silver glitter, water, oil, cream of tarter
Preparation: Mix dough in advance, or plan to make with students
Time: 5 minutes or more
Directions: Mix together the following ingredients:
          1 cup flour
          1/2 cup salt
          1/3 cup white powdered tempera paint
          1/3 cup silver glitter
          1 cup hot water
          2 Tbsp. oil
          1 Tbsp. cream of tartar
Use as you would use play-dough--Review shapes, letters, sounds, vocabulary, numbers, etc....Or just play with the stuff for fun!

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Winter Story Starters

• After a morning's work, Maggie and Mark stood back and looked at their snowman. He looked pretty good, but they thought he still needed something. Suddenly, Maggie had an idea.... 
  
  
• It started out like any other winter day. Mom woke (child's name) up, and he/she got dressed. She/he put on her/his coat and mittens and headed for the school bus. But then...
  
  
• If I were a snowflake, I think I'd... 
  
  
• Even under two blankets, Jimmy lay in bed shivering. It had to be the coldest night of the year....
  
  
• One by one, the children headed home for supper, leaving Sammy the Snowman alone in the park. "Ah, they're gone," he thought. "Now maybe I can move around a little and check out this place!" Sammy blinked his eyes. Then he turned his head ever so slowly to the left. Then...
  
  
• Tim woke up with a start. Light was streaming through his bedroom window. But it was supposed to be a school day. He'd overslept. "Oh no!" he yelled. Just then Dad stuck his head in the door. "No school today, son," he said. "Go look out the window." Tim walked over and opened the blinds. He looked once. He looked twice. He couldn't believe his eyes. Outside...

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