The Best Preschool Winter Circle Time Activities

Inside: Looking for the best preschool winter circle time activities? This collection includes songs, stories and learning ideas that will keep preschoolers engaged during your winter theme!

When planning preschool circle time ideas, we make sure to include kids songs, stories, and learning activities.

Circle time is a great way to help build language and social skills while also learning new concepts.

Each day our preschoolers hear at least one story, sing songs and/or recite finger plays, have the opportunity to hold and flip though books, and have short discussions.

Some days we also have one sharing person and we will also play a large group game or involve all the children in some sort of activity.

The Best Preschool Winter Circle Time Activities

• Make a snowmen glove puppet and recite 10 Little Snowmen. (Making Learning Fun)
• Hand each child a colored bear and invite them to place them in the matching colored caves.
• Children can put together their own polar bear masks to use during the winter circle time.
• Create felt penguin puppets to use while reading Where is Home, Little Pip? (Creative Fun for Kids)
• Play a snowman game to recognize numbers. (From the Hive)
• Will the groundhog see his shadow on February 2nd? Make this stick puppet to use during circle time! (Typically Simple)
• Children will love working together to play this build a snowman game. (Homegrown Friends)
• Build letter sound awareness with this mystery mitten activity. (Growing Book by Book)
• Print out the free snowmen puppets and have fun singing “5 Little Snowmen”. (From ABCs to ACTs)
• Toddlers and Preschoolers can have fun playing the hidden snowball game. (Kiwi Crate)
• Download free printables to use as a felt board activity for “Six Little Penguins”. (Nuttin’ But Preschool)
• Have the children make their own paper plate penguin chick puppets to hold while reading penguin books. (Kids Craft Room)
• Sew some simple penguin bags and carry them like a father penguin. (My Montessori Journey)
• Use ice cream sticks and a penguin pattern for a “Five Little Penguins” circle time prop. (Making Learning Fun)
• After reading “The Snowy Day”, try some “Peter’s Pocket Activities”. (Preschool Wonders)
• Retell the story “The Mitten” using props from free printables. (Blissfully Domestic)
• Sing the “Hot Cocoa” song. (Little Fingers that Play)
• Download and use these free winter calendar cards for circle time. (Doodle Bugs Teaching)
• Use a free snowman pattern to make flannel pieces for “Five Little Snowmen”. (Kids Soup)

Winter books to read at preschool winter circle time:

• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Snowballs by Louis Ehlert
• The Mitten by Jan Brett
• The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll
• The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming
• No Two Alike by Keith Baker
• Time to Sleep  by Denise Fleming
• Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
• Animals in Winter  by Henrietta Bancroft
• The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino
• Bear Snores On  by Karma Wilson

Songs to sing during preschool winter circle time:

Here’s my collection of favorite toddler and preschool songs for winter. They are fun to sing during circle time, while in the middle of a transition, or any time you just want to get those winter wiggles out!

CLICK HERE to see them all!

Planning your winter theme? We’ve done the work for you!

I am the co-author of these winter theme lesson plans.

24 preschool learning activities for your winter theme, including literacy, math, science, art, fine motor, and more! A great resource for teachers and homeschoolers.

24 preschool learning activities that cover

• Literacy
• Math
• Science
• Fine Motor
• Sensory
• Gross Motor
• Art
• Social Studies
• Music
• Circle Time
• Social/Emotional