Snowy Landscapes (Sensory/Dramatic Play)
Preschool & Kindergarten
On a day when there’s snow outside, bring in a few rocks of assorted sizes, and clip a dozen or so foot-long evergreen bush or pine tree branches. Also get a shallow tray and fill it with water, and set out some play people or play animals at the table. Finally, bring in a large tub of snow from outside.
Pour the snow onto the table, and have kids mold it around the items. Bury the tray with water under snow and it becomes a cool lake. Poke the evergreen branches into the snow for some trees, and find places for the rocks. You’ll end up with wet floors, but the kids will have a great time. Helpful tip: Be sure to wait until the last minute to retrieve the snow, so it doesn’t all melt before your kids get to it.
Ski Mountain (Preschool Preschool & Kindergarten)
Drape a large white sheet over a chair, table, or shelf. Tape the edges of the sheet to the floor, pulling the edges out slightly so that it sits at an incline like the hillside of a mountain. Next get some popsicle craft sticks and some play people, and tape or glue one stick to each foot of your play people to make skis. Have kids play with their pretend skiers by sliding them down the mountain.
Cuddle Up by the Fire (Preschool & Kindergarten)
Bring in several fireplace logs and stack them up like a fire in your dramatic play area. Add orange & yellow tissue paper for a pretend fire if you’d like. Next get a couple large blankets, and some coats, mittens, scarves, stocking caps, or other winter dress up items. Set the scene by telling children to pretend they were stranded by a winter snowstorm and ended up in a small cabin with only a fireplace to keep them warm. Let their imagination take the story from there!
Indoor sledding (Preschool & Kindergarten)
Bring a sled or two into the classroom, and set them in your dramatic play area. Have kids get in and use their imagination to create wild sledding adventures. Add some ski goggles, stocking caps, and other winter dress-up items for added fun.