Fun & Engaging Winter Activities for the Upper Elementary Classroom

Winter is such a magical time in the classroom! There's something about the season that brings out the excitement in everyone. I loved channeling that energy into fun and meaningful learning experiences. I’ve found that winter activities were the perfect way to keep my students engaged during the colder months. Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite winter activities that spark creativity and support learning in a way that feels fresh and exciting for this time of year. 

Keeping Students Engaged With Winter Activities

The winter months can be challenging when it comes to keeping our students motivated. With shorter days, holiday buzz, and colder weather, it’s easy for focus to waver. That’s why I loved using winter activities to energize the classroom and make learning feel extra special. These activities tap into the magic of the season but also help our students stay excited about learning when they need it the most. Winter is a time to embrace creativity, curiosity, and a little extra fun!

Winter Activities for ELA and Writing

Figurative Language Task Cards

Figurative language can be tricky for many students to grasp which is why I created figurative language task cards. These task cards help to break the concept and practice into bite-sized chunks. Add some winter whimsy and you have my Winter Figurative Language Task Cards! 

This resource helps students dive into seven types of figurative language: similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, personification, idioms, alliteration, and hyperboles. Each task card encourages them to apply their understanding in creative ways.

What I love most is how versatile this resource is. The printable task cards work wonderfully in small group centers, where students can collaborate and discuss their answers. The Google Slides version is a fantastic option for independent practice. It’s so easy to assign specific slides to fit each of your student’s needs. The built-in text boxes make responding seamless.

The Winter Wonders Word Storm Template was my go-to tool for helping students brainstorm strong winter-related imagery and word choices. When paired with the Winter Wonders Booklet and Writing Pages, my students had a structured yet creative way to organize and revise their examples of figurative language.

To further support their learning, I displayed the Figurative Language Posters in our writing center. These visually engaging posters are available in both color and black-and-white. They provide clear definitions and examples for each type of figurative language. Whether your students are writing together as a class or working independently, the posters offer a quick reference that keeps them on track.

This resource truly brings out the best in students' creativity. It makes learning figurative language fun and accessible during the winter months. It’s a must-have for turning tricky concepts into winter activities that our students actually enjoy!

Winter Roll & Write Activities

If you're looking for a way to bring some winter fun into your writing lessons, Roll-a-Cube activities are always a hit! This winter-themed activity is one of my favorite ways to get students excited about writing while practicing different formats. With six engaging prompts to choose from, the roll-and-write format brings a playful element to learning that students can’t get enough of.

This activity fits seamlessly into so many parts of our day. I would often set it up in our writing center, where students could work independently or in pairs to roll the cube and tackle their prompts. It was also my go-to for early finishers who loved the chance to explore writing in a new, creative way. The randomness of rolling the cube kept them guessing and engaged as they dove into crafting stories, applying figurative language, or organizing ideas with a purpose.

The included reference sheets are a game-changer for students needing extra support. These half-sheets provide clear explanations for each writing format. This format gives students the confidence to tackle their prompts. I used them as bulletin board anchors, handouts for journals, or quick references in our writing center. 

Roll A Cube Stories is a very adaptable resource. For a quick brain break, I would have students roll the cube and share their ideas aloud. This sparked creative conversations and laughter. For longer writing sessions, the included booklet and lined pages allowed them to turn their brainstorming into polished pieces. Whether we were focused on literacy skills or simply having fun, this winter activity always delivered big learning and lots of smiles!

These activities reinforce important literacy skills with fun themes like hot chocolate and Groundhog's Day. It’s the perfect way to mix in winter activities that spark creativity and keep our students engaged all season long!

Additional Writing Resources

When it comes to writing, some students write us pages, and others write a few sentences and call it a day. Finding engaging ways to weave writing into the day can help improve their overall writing skills. Below are a couple more posts that give guidance and suggestions on making writing accessible for your students!

• Elaboration in Writing
• Written Communication in the Math Classroom

Winter Activities for Math Lessons

Winter isn’t just a great time for creative writing and storytelling. It’s also perfect for mixing some seasonal fun into our math lessons! I loved finding ways to keep my students engaged with math concepts during the colder months. Winter activities are great for making math practice feel fresh and exciting. Let me share some of my favorite math resources that will add some winter energy to your classroom while reinforcing important skills.

Whole Numbers Math Practice

Math practice doesn’t have to feel like a chore, especially with a game like Uh-Oh! Snowman Meltdown! This interactive and engaging activity is one of my favorite winter activities for helping students review key math concepts, including whole number place value, rounding, estimating, and addition and subtraction with numbers up to 1,000,000. The hands-on nature of the game kept my students excited while they practiced. The playful element made it an instant classroom favorite.

To set up, I would grab a snowman-themed container or festive gift bag and fill it with the included question cards and MELTDOWN cards. Students take turns drawing a card, solving the problem, and collecting as many question cards as possible. While they do this, they try to avoid the dreaded MELTDOWN card! The suspense of potentially drawing a MELTDOWN card keeps the energy high and adds just the right amount of friendly competition to keep everyone motivated.

This resource includes 28 skill-focused question cards. I love how versatile these cards are. They work well with both paper and pencil and dry-erase boards. This made it easy to adapt to different learning styles. When I looked for alternate ways to use the cards, they doubled as task cards for early finishers, a math center activity, or even a write-the-room review. The recording sheet is such a helpful addition because it allowed me to track student progress and ensure they stayed on task. 

With Uh-Oh! Snowman Meltdown, math becomes less about worksheets and more about interactive, meaningful practice that fits perfectly into my winter activities. It’s a win-win for keeping our students engaged and reinforcing critical skills!

Math Decimal Review Game

When it comes to reinforcing decimal skills, my Winter Math Review Games bring all the fun to the classroom! These interactive activities are perfect for turning what could be dry decimal practice into something exciting and memorable. Whether you are working on reading, writing, rounding, or decimal operations, these winter activities make math review engaging and hands-on for each of our students.

Each game has its own unique winter twist, keeping things fresh and exciting. Downhill Decimals focuses on reading and rounding decimals, helping students build fluency with these key skills. "Chill Out with Decimals" challenges students to write decimals in word form and expanded form, offering a creative way to reinforce those concepts. For a little friendly competition, “Snow Better Way to Get There" gets students ordering decimals in unique ways. Then there’s "Operation Hot Chocolate", where students practice adding and subtracting decimals like pros. Finally, "Spin-a-Snowman" is all about multiplying and dividing decimals by 10 and 100.

I used these games in our math centers, where students could rotate through stations and practice different skills at their own pace. They’re also a hit for small group work or even as a quick option for early finishers. When I ultimately needed to create a sub plan, these games were always a go-to because they were simple to implement and kept my students engaged.

Some of these tasks are ideal for partner activities, encouraging collaboration and discussion. Working in pairs provides students with immediate feedback from their peers, helping them refine their thinking. Partner work can transform learning into an interactive experience, keeping students actively engaged. 

Additional Math Resources

If you are on the quest to help your students better understand math concepts and math in general, then these resources can help:

• Using Graphic Organizers to Teach Math Vocabulary
• Literature in the Math Classroom

Engage Learners With Winter Activities

Winter in the classroom was such a special time. I loved finding ways to engage my students with fun and meaningful learning experiences. From creative writing projects to interactive math games, these winter activities brought a spark of excitement to our day while reinforcing important skills. Whether we were rolling cubes, dodging meltdown cards, or spinning snowmen, these activities made learning feel fresh during the colder months. I hope these ideas inspire you to bring a little winter magic into your classroom, keeping your students excited about learning all season long!

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