Try these winter preschool songs and activities for circle time with the kids when the leaves have fallen, the temperature is dropping, and soon there may be snow. This is a time of the year the kids look forward to each year. Use their seasonal enthusiasm during circle time.
Try These Winter Circle Time Ideas
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Try these songs, activities, and read-alouds to warm up your winter circle times with preschoolers.
Sing Winter Preschool Songs
Winter Months of the Year Songs
I created some fun months of the year literacy songs with activities to sing with the kids during your winter circle time. And, email subscribers can download them for free!
- “December Doodle”– is easily adapted to work on letter recognition, sight word practice, or just about any preschool literacy concept
- “Hello January”– can be used to work on air drawing the letter “J”
- “This February”– builds letter or name recognition
Are you ready to meet the needs of all your growing readers? Become a part of the Growing Book by Book community and receive emails full of time-saving resources and offers. As a thank you, you’ll receive the winter month songs.
More Winter Songs
The “I Live Inside a Snow Globe” by Laurie Berkner is perfect for getting some of those winter wiggles out before settling in for circle time. Plus, you could give the song a literacy boost by having the kids hold and shake a letter of the alphabet during the song.
“Once There Was a Snowman” by Jbrary is another fun one to get kids to interact as well as talk about opposites.
“The Snow Song” by Ms. Jessica would make a good calling song to circle time. Pop it on and invite the students over to the gathering area.
Enjoy reading the book, Little Red Sled, and then sing along to this song that pairs with the book by Emily Arrow.
Teaching Mama has some more fun winter songs to sing with the kids. See them—>More Winter Songs
Winter Circle Time Activities
Mystery Mitten
Build letter-sound awareness with this easy-to-prep mystery mitten activity. It also pairs great with a read-aloud of The Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone or The Mitten by Jan Brett.
Rhyming Mittens
Work on identifying rhyming pairs of words. Rhyming Mittens builds phonological awareness and can also double as a center activity.
Winter Books Great for Circle Time
All books are not equal when it comes to a good circle time read. You want short books, books that engage kids, and illustrations that a large group can see. Here are a few of my favorite picks for winter circle-time read-alouds.
If you need a fun winter read, check out this silly read. It would be a gem pick for a circle time or read-aloud session. For when the farmer isn’t looking, the animals like to stick out their tongues and catch snowflakes. Bonus points if you read this on a day with flurries so you can take the kids out and catch snowflakes too. Check out Snowflakes on Our Tongues by Mike Ornstein.
Five Flying Penguins by Barbara Barbieri McGrath is a perfect cirlce time read aloud. It will remind you a bit of Five Little Pumpkins. The penguins are trying to get away from the seal, but in the end the seal catches them in a playful game of tag.
Bunny Slopes by Rueda is an interactive book where kids can shake the book to make it snow and help the bunny down the slopes. Pure fun!
The Mitten by Jan Brett is a classic. How many animals can fit inside one mitten? You can even print out a set of mittens and animals from Brett’s site. A great choice to pair with a flannel board activity.
Enjoy a cumulative variation of I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly in There Was A Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow! by Lucille Colandro.
Preschoolers love the Bear books. In Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, Bear has snuggled in for his winter hibernation. The other animals come to his den and prepare a party, but when Bear wakes up, he realizes he doesn’t have anything to bring to the get-together. A good book to discuss hibernation. Plus, I have Bear Snores On book activities for you too.
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Snuggle in with some literacy-rich activities with these winter preschool songs, games, and books.
You will also want to add these great songs that build literacy skills all school year.
Get the 35 Circle Time Song and Chants to Build Literacy Skills.
*This post first appeared on 11/29/17 and has since been updated.
Ofee limas says
I just looked into some of the activities and i am excited about making some to have students eork with them this week. I love the present delivery activity with chimney.
Jodie Rodriguez says
I’m so glad that they will be helpful to you. I hope the kids love the learning fun.