• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Educational Learning and Play for Children 2-7

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Shop Lesson Plans
    • My Downloads
  • About
    • PR/Social Media
  •  
  • Literacy
  • Math
  • PreK
  • Science
  • Fall Theme Activities
  • Preschool Themes

Jan 2, 2012
Literacy· Science· Winter Theme Activities

Activities for use with “The Snowman Storybook,” by Raymond Briggs

Thanks for sharing!

  • Share
  • Tweet
The Snowman Storybook is a classic for young children. Below are some suggested extension activities for use with this book.

Literacy –  Snowman -AT Word Families – Snowman Word Families

 

Materials needed:  One Snowman Word Families.pdf per student (linked above), 1 basket/tray labeled with the –AT snowman from page 8 of the word families file, scissors, clothespins labeled with the individual letters to each of the 6 –AT words on the cards, and dry erase markers.

Print the snowman cards on heavy paper and laminate for durability, if desired. Have the children cut out the word and letter cards. Label one basket with the –AT snowman from page 8 of the file. Place all the individually lettered clothespins in the basket. Have the children work to clip the appropriate individual letters to each of the word cards. When the children have finished clipping the clothespin letters to the word cards, they can use dry erase markers to copy the letters clipped to the blank lines on the snowmen on pages 5-8.

The children can also turn the letter cards face down and work to find the matching letters to their word family cards.  When all the letters that make up the word have been found, clip that word together with one clothespin.

Extension idea for younger children: Students can clip only the beginning letter of each word card. They can use the blank snowmen on pages 5-8 and stamp or write the beginning letters to each of the word cards. The blank snowmen could also be used for different word families: -OP, -IT, -AN, -AR, etc.

Extension idea: Have the children place all the beginning letter snowmen cards face down on a table.  Have the children turn over the card, say the letter sound, and clip to the A and T letter cards to form the word. As the children begin to recognize the rhyme of the words and the change in the beginning letter sounds, reading the word will become less difficult.

We use the Crayola Dry Erase Activity Centers with the kids at home as they help us save on laminating costs and are durable!

Math – Snowball Patterning – Blank Pattern Strips

 

Materials needed: Blank pattern Strips.pdf for each student, marshmallows or white pompoms (snowballs), seasonal winter stickers.

Print the blank pattern strips and have the children use the pompoms, marshmallows, and stickers to create different patterns.  For younger children:  Make a pattern on one of the strips and see if they can copy the pattern onto the second strip.  Older children can make their own patterns with the “snowballs” and stickers.

Science – Properties of SNOW – Melting Snowballs

 

Materials needed: 3 containers, snow or shaved ice, Melting Snowballs.pdf (linked above) recording sheet, pencil, scissors, crayons/markers, and poster putty or tape.

Make 3 snowballs (as close to the same size as possible) and place them in containers in different areas of the room (ex: close to the heater, near a window, on the counter, etc.). If you live in an area that does not have snow, shaved ice (or even an ice cube) can be substituted. Observe and record which snowball melts first, second, or third on the recording sheet. Cut out the clock circle and arrows from the worksheet (assist younger children or pre-cut for them.) Use crayons, stamps, or markers to make the numbers on the circle for the time the 1st snowball melted. Stick the arrows on the clock with poster putty or tape.

Young children may not have the ability to grasp the actual concept of TIME, but when they watch the hands move on a clock at home (or the change in digital numbers), children become aware of the passing of TIME.

ART – Cardboard Tube Snowman – Snowman Features 1

Materials needed:  One empty cardboard tube for each child, white paint, paintbrushes (we used sponges), hole punch, scissors, snowman features template linked above, smocks or old t-shirts to protect clothing, and fabric scraps.

Ask the children to paint the cardboard tube white with a small sponge or large paintbrush. Using fabric or paper scraps, let the children add a hat and a scarf (the paint will act like “glue” so none is needed unless the cardboard tubes have dried.)  Print the snowman features (linked above) and have the children punch out eyes from the black dots (assist younger children with the hole punch.)  If the children want, they can punch more black dots for the mouth of the snowman.  The children can cut the nose from the template and even the hat, if desired.

Extension:  With a few modifications, the children can make penguins from the cardboard tubes/template for use with a penguin or winter unit.

Large Motor/Large Group Activities – Color Match Snowball Toss

Crumble white grocery bags (be cautious when using plastic bags around young children as they pose a suffocation hazard – *SUPERVISE CHILDREN WELL) into balls and secure with clear tape. Add a colored dot to each snowball. Label laundry baskets or large bins with color words. Line the baskets up on one side of the carpet and have students stand on the other.  Students then throw the snowballs into the correct baskets.

For more snowman, snowball, and snow activities, please see the Winter Theme here on the blog!

 

 

 

 

1 Comment

Join our newsletter & receive the FREE DOWNLOAD:
Explorations with ALL 5 SENSES!

Enjoy in the classroom or at home!



Previous Post: « “RINGing” in the New Year with a Circle Theme Kids Party!
Next Post: Snowman Crafts for Creative Learning with Mixed Age Groups! »

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Playful Learning Literacy Games for Preschool and Kindergarten! • The Preschool Toolbox BlogThe Preschool Toolbox Blog says:
    August 19, 2015 at 5:36 am

    […] Snowman Word Families – explore missing letters and word families with a free snowman printable. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

SEARCH for an ACTIVITY or SEASONAL THEME HERE!

Subscribe

Theme Activites, Parenting, Education

Copyright © 2023 · The Preschool Toolbox · Become an Affiliate · Web Hosting & Design by Servously

The Preschool Toolbox Blog uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and to personalize content. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Click READ MORE for details: Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT