Snow days can offer beautiful sights, as well as a chance to have all kinds of winter fun. We get a lot of snow where we live, so I love finding children’s books about snow that celebrate all the beauty and fun that winter brings. Today’s book is a tribute to all the fun of playing in the snow, and we paired it with some awesome snowy activities!

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First Snow was written by Nancy Viau and illustrated by Talitha Shipman. This lyrical tribute to snowy days follows a young brother and sister as they venture outside to enjoy the first snow of the season. They bundle up in their winter gear and spend the day playing in the snow with their friends, before heading back inside for some delicious treats and a cozy read aloud. The simple rhyming text flows nicely, while the bright and vivid illustrations showcase all the joy of playing in the snow.

I loved the way that this story captured the excitement of a snow day, from the first sight of those fluffy flakes, to the drowsy and cozy evening spent inside after a day of play. The illustrations really captured my daughter’s attention and gave us lots of ideas for our next snow day.

Dress Up Relay Race

Set up a relay race for kids with winter wear! Start kids on one end of the room and have them race to the other end. When they get there, they have to put on a pair of gloves or mittens. (Putting on the mittens first makes the other steps a little harder). Then they have to race back to the start line and put on a hat or scarf. Have them run back and forth adding more winter wear until they have everything on. The first child or team to have all items wins. You could also make this into a scavenger hunt, hiding items around the house and giving clues for kids to find the next one.

Check out these fun Winter Wonderland activities!

Walk the Snowflake

This gross motor game helps kids to practice their balancing skills. Make a snowflake shape on the floor with masking tape. Place winter wear items around the snowflake, either on the lines or next to them. Have kids balance on the lines to make their way around the snowflake and pick up and put on the winter wear items without stepping off of the lines.

Paper Plate Igloo Craft

In the story, the kids work together to make an igloo. So we decided to make our own using paper plates and cotton balls! Cut the bottom edge off of a paper plate to give it a dome shape with a flat bottom. Next, cut a small door on one side. Kids can then use a paintbrush to spread glue over the entire surface, and add cotton balls all over.

Related Post: Exploring Winter with Little Owl’s Snow

Snowball Fight

My daughter loves throwing snowballs this year, so I decided to put that passion to better use with this game! First, I took a bunch of white socks and rolled them up into ball shapes for our snowballs. Next, I set up three baskets with different point values on them. Finally, I laid out alphabet cards upside down and encouraged my daughter to pick one. For each letter she flipped, she had to say the letter name and make the sound. If she got them right, then she got to throw one of the snowballs and try to earn points. I flipped over cards too, but to make things fair, I threw my snowballs from farther away. We had a lot of fun practicing letter sounds, and neither one of us got a face full of snow!

Snow Day Snack Time

One of my daughter’s favorite parts about playing in the snow is coming inside and snuggling up with some hot chocolate, just like the kids in the story. Baking with kids provides so many fun learning opportunities, and this book offers a great excuse for baking up some chocolate chip cookies to go with your hot chocolate!

First Snow is full of fun reminders of all the joy and excitement that comes with a snowy day. What are your favorite winter activities to participate in with your kids? Share in the comments below!

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