It can be hard to keep children entertained during the winter when it’s too cold to play outside, which is why drinking hot cocoa and reading some fun winter books is a great winter pastime! However, it can be challenging for a lot of children to sit still for long periods while reading. Here we’ve included fun videos for great winter books as well as crafts to go along with them!
Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
This heartwarming story is great for any child because it talks about how rewarding friendship can be. Penguin and Pinecone are very different and have different needs. This book reminds us that all children have different needs and skills, and when we recognize those differences, a beautiful friendship can grow.
After watching the read-aloud, you can decorate your own pinecones! You can either find pine cones outside or buy them at a craft store. Pinecones can be decorated with anything you have around the house! Use things like paint, glitter glue, ribbons, or even stickers to decorate your pinecones. If you love the outdoors, coat your pinecone in peanut butter, roll in birdseed, and then hang outside for a cute and easy bird feeder!
ABA Skills Used:
- Attending/Listening: Your child needs to attend to Penguin and Pinecone.
- Following directions: Your child needs to follow the directions for making a decorative pinecone. You can tell your child what the directions are verbally at the beginning of or throughout the craft. If your child can read, you can print the directions out for them to read.
- Making choices: This craft gives your child the opportunity to decide how to decorate their pinecone: what color to paint it, what color glitter to use, and what materials to use.
- Fine motor skills: Your child will need to squeeze out the paint, paint the pinecone, cut any materials, and tie them onto the pinecone.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats
This classic winter story brings to life the magic of a snowy day. Peter takes us on a walk outside and helps us get excited about all of the fun activities we can do in the snow. This book teaches us that although the magic of a snowy day doesn’t last forever, a new adventure will come along again soon.
After watching the animation of this book, you can make winter pictures of yourself! Using shaving cream and Elmer’s glue, you can make puffy paint. Using the puffy paint, you can paint pictures of yourself doing all of your favorite winter activities.
- Pour out a generous amount of shaving cream onto a paper plate and mix in Elmer’s glue
- Choose your favorite color construction paper (or any kind of paper!)
- Using a popsicle stick, paintbrush, or even your fingers, create your snowy picture with the shaving cream/glue picture – it will stay puffy!
- Bonus: you can add a drop of colored paint or food coloring to the shaving cream to change the color!
ABA Skills Used:
- Attending/Listening: Your child needs to attend to The Snowy Day.
- Following directions: Your child needs to follow the directions for making a puffy paint picture. You can tell your child what the directions are verbally at the beginning of or throughout the craft. If your child can read, you can print the directions out for them to read.
- Making choices: This craft gives your child the opportunity to decide what picture to make, what color to add, and how much glue or shaving cream to use.
- Fine motor skills: Your child needs to squeeze out the glue, paint, and shaving cream. Your child needs to paint the picture using their hands or a brush.
Pete the Cat Snow Daze by James Dean
This is a great winter story about the excitement of a snow day. Children with disabilities will be able to relate to this story because they too miss the structure of their routines and everyday activities, even when these routines are interrupted by something fun like a snow day.
After you watch the animated story, you can make a sock snowman! You will need the following materials:
- 1 white sock
- 1 sock in color for the hat
- rice
- rubber bands (or thread)
- colorful buttons
- ribbon or pipe cleaner
- Elmer’s glue
- markers or paint
- Fill the white sock up with white rice and seal the open end with a rubber band or sew closed..
- About two-thirds of the way up, place another rubber band to form the snowman’s head.
- Glue or sew the buttons of your choice onto the body of the snowman.
- Use markers or more buttons (or even stickers) to make a face on your snowman.
- Twist your ribbon or pipe cleaner around the middle rubber band to create a scarf for your snowman.
- Trim your colored sock so it fits onto the snowman’s head as a hat!
ABA Skills Used:
-
Attending/Listening: Your child needs to attend to Pete the Cat Snow Daze.
- Following directions: Your child needs to follow the directions for making a sock snowman. You can tell your child what the directions are verbally at the beginning of or throughout the craft. If your child can read, you can print the directions out for them to read.
- Making choices: This craft gives your child the opportunity to decide which socks to use, which buttons to use, and how to decorate their snowman.
- Fine motor skills: Your child needs to put the rice into the sock, section off the head, tie up the sock, and glue the items to the snowman.
Check back often for more craft ideas!
