This activity was designed for students in 2nd grade. After researching and learning about snowflakes in the classroom, students head outside to catch snowflakes and study them with magnifying glasses. Created and shared by the amazing teachers at Ames Elementary School in Searsmont, Maine!
Read More...Here is a fun, nutrition themed spin of the game The Price is Right, created and shared by the amazing teachers at HB Emery Jr. Memorial School in Limington, Maine!
Read More...This fun movement activity brings the classic board game Hungry Hungry Hippos to life! Thank you to the wonderful team of teachers at Edna Libby Elementary School in Standish, Maine for designing, implementing, and sharing this activity! We’ve also included a list of some of our favorite children’s literature books about hockey!
Read More...This is a fun, movement-based extension activity for the Creating A Better Plate lesson from the WinterKids Guide to Active Outdoor Learning. Thank you to the wonderful team of teachers at Harrison Elementary School in Harrison, Maine who designed, implemented, and shared this activity!
Read More...This is a great activity for connecting a nutrition/healthy foods study to Common Core ELA Standards. Thank you to the wonderful team of teachers at Dr. Levesque Elementary in Frenchville, Maine who designed, implemented, and shared this activity during the 2020 WinterKids Winter Games!
Read More...The changing of the seasons each fall means incredible foliage, the return of snuggly sweaters, pumpkin-spiced everything, and best of all, an opportunity for children to spend time outside learning about all things Autumn! We’ve rounded up some fun ways you and your family can get outside this season to celebrate fall.
Read More...Print, laminate, and cut these 11 customizable summer recreation picture puzzles for preschoolers. In addition to the benefits of working on a puzzle, these can be great for vocabulary development and may spark an interest in a new outdoor sport!
Read More...This swimming animals themed sensory play provides an opportunity for children to work on their fine motor skills, creativity, social skills and literacy skills, as children retell a story and bring it to life using items at the table!
Read More...The heat is on this summer, but that doesn't mean everyone needs to stay cooped up near the air conditioner! We've pulled together 15 ways you can incorporate water and…
Read More...Connecting to nature can restore our sense of wellbeing. For children, this connection is best made through play – whether outdoors in nature or indoors with natural elements. That's why…
Read More...It’s the perfect time of year to learn about the water cycle and explore ice! This fun and refreshing activity is great for a warm summer day. In this activity, children will develop an understanding of the water cycle as they sing and move along to a song, read stories, and observe water changing from a liquid to a solid, and from a solid back to a liquid. These ideas can be adapted and used in a home setting or classroom setting.
Read More...The 2019/2020 winter season was incredible here at WinterKids! Check out our season wrap up to learn more about our impact on families, schools, and our local communities.
Read More...Studies show that sensory table play can be calming, and provide an opportunity for children to work on their fine motor skills, creativity, and social skills- if they are playing at the sensory table with another child. In addition to these, sensory tables can also help develop literacy skills as children retell a story and bring it to life using items at the table! They are great for both home and classroom learning environments!
Read More...Step aside, lemonade stand! Enter: bike shop! This activity can provide hours of creative and imaginative fun, while also fostering a love for bikes! Here you will find fantastic children’s books about bikes, steps and resources for creating your own dramatic play bike shop, and our favorite children’s songs about biking. Move, learn and explore!
Read More...If your kids were looking forward to summer camp, but are, instead, staying home this summer, we’ve got great news: Our friends at Back40 and The Trail Van have partnered up to deliver summer camp to your back yard! Best of all, they’re offering a 20% discount, just for you, as part of our WinterKids community, and will be donating 10% of proceeds from your rentals using the discount code below to WinterKids.
Read More...This learning activity is a fun way for students to reinforce math skills and be active during summer break. Please be sure to follow social distancing guidelines while working on this outdoor activity. Stay safe, stay active! Move, learn and explore!
Read More...Exploring the outdoors is a fun learning experience for kids of all ages. This activity will encourage children to observe the world around them by looking for natural items and collecting them in a unique and reusable container. Enjoy getting outdoors in every season, while enhancing your child’s powers of observation with this Spring Scavenger Hunt activity, straight from the pages of the WinterKids Guide to Active Outdoor Learning.
Read More...With playgrounds, gymnastics, swimming pools, sports teams, and more currently closed for our safety, we’re having to find other ways to keep our children moving and active. Yoga can be a great option for all ages and levels! No gear is needed, it can be practiced in a small space, or outdoors, solo, or together.
Read More...If you're concerned that your kids are too young to talk about race, you're not alone. It can feel daunting to talk about race, gender, and class with children, but…
Read More...As parks, trails, and beaches begin to reopen, it can be confusing to navigate this “new normal” in terms of how to #RecreateResponsibly. These guidelines give advice on how to get outdoors right now.
Read More...LEARN, EXPLORE, and MOVE with us! These ideas can be adapted and used in a home setting or classroom setting. Follow along for our book recommendations, fantastic resources for learning more about birds, a simple binoculars craft for backyard bird watching, bird-themed Simon Says, songs about birds, and even bird-themed yoga!
Read More...Let’s Dance! These DIY Wind Streamers are a fun art project, and they’ll help inspire curiosity and movement while they learn basic earth science lessons.
Read More...Take the kids outside-your yard or a park or other outdoor space where trees may have dropped branches. Time to play “pick up sticks!” Seriation is arranging objects in order by size, location or position. Sorting and ordering are the building blocks of mathematics.
Read More...We were inspired by “I LOVE the Rain” (one of our books of the month) to make little stick rafts for bugs and fairies! We anxiously waited for a rainy day to bring enough puddles and streams, so that we could give this a try. Next time it’s raining where you are, gather your supplies, slip on those rain boots and raincoats, and head outside to create your own stick rafts!
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