The Best Winter Activities for Your Preschool Classroom

enDecember 12, 2022

Elevating Early Childhood

What was the main topic of the podcast episode?

Summarise the key points discussed in the episode?

Were there any notable quotes or insights from the speakers?

Which popular books were mentioned in this episode?

Were there any points particularly controversial or thought-provoking discussed in the episode?

Were any current events or trending topics addressed in the episode?

What was the main topic of the podcast episode?

Summarise the key points discussed in the episode?

Were there any notable quotes or insights from the speakers?

Which popular books were mentioned in this episode?

Were there any points particularly controversial or thought-provoking discussed in the episode?

Were any current events or trending topics addressed in the episode?

About this Episode

Does this sound familiar to you?

While everyone else is out singing carols and decking the halls, you are barely keeping your head above water, because you're trying to do all that plus prep all of your lessons and activities for the first week back after winter break.

Just thinking about this makes me shudder. The struggle is real, am I right?

But, no need to panic, because today, I’ll be helping you get a jumpstart on your planning for the new year!

In this episode, I’ll be sharing with you aaaaaall my favorite preschool winter activities plus everything you need to start the new year on the right foot.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

Here’s how to prep for the new year (00:00

The best read-alouds for winter (02:00)

Circle time games are a must (05:22)

Make your centers memorable (06:08)

Crazy fun counting games! (09:13)

Time to get dramatic (10:12)

Do your students need fine motor practice? (11:13)

Winter science activities (14:49)

These small group activities will make learning fun! (15:41)

Pattern blocks are perfect! (16:45)

It's game on with geoboards! (18:18)

Additional Resources:

- Got a burning question for Vanessa? Get your answer on the Elevating Early Childhood podcast here.

- Visit our website to find tons of pre-K teaching resources here.

- Get my book “Teach Smarter: Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers”.

- Learn more about my exclusive mentorship program, “Teaching Trailblazers”.

- Get your Winter Bundle here.

- Discover my Winter Book List here.

- Discover my Winter Song List here.

- Discover more winter activities here.

Elevating Early Childhood is an early education podcast dedicated to helping Pre-K, Preschool, and Kindergarten teachers teach better, save time, and live more.

If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Onward & Upward!

Disclaimer:

Pre-K Pages is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. The word “affiliate” means that we may earn a small commission if/when you click on or make purchases via these links at no additional cost to you.

As a policy, the Company will only affiliate with products, services, consultants or experts that we believe will provide value to our customers and followers.

You recognize that it remains your personal responsibility to investigate whether any affiliate offers are right for you and will benefit you. You will not rely on any recommendation, reference, or information provided by the Company but will instead conduct your own investigation and will rely upon your investigation to decide whether to purchase the affiliate product or service.

Recent Episodes from Elevating Early Childhood

Preschool Circle Time Makeover

Check out my latest circle time area makeover, 2023 edition! Have you ever wondered what you should have in your circle time area? Or maybe you're wondering what's really necessary, and what's not. In this episode of Elevating Early Childhood I'll be unveiling my new circle time board for 2023-2024. You'll learn the must-haves, as well as the "don't bothers" so you can set yourself, and your students up for success all year long.

Elevating Early Childhood

enSeptember 10, 2023

Preschool Writing Center Do's and Don'ts for the Beginning of the Year

Welcome to another episode of "Elevating Early Childhood!" In this episode, we unravel the secrets to creating a successful preschool writing center from Day 1. 🍎✏️ 🔍 What You'll Learn: Why planning and setup are essential before the school year starts. The importance of organization: center signs, 'I Can' cards, and labels. Which supplies are a MUST at the beginning and why. Demonstrating and instilling proper procedures and routines. Pro tips on combining art and writing centers effectively. 🎨 Common pitfalls to avoid for a seamless experience. Plus, special insight for those working in smaller classroom spaces! 🖍️ Remember, nurturing young writers is a beautiful journey filled with discovery, creativity, and a little bit of messiness! Embrace the process and watch your little learners thrive. If you found this video helpful, don't forget to subscribe for more content on elevating early childhood education.

Elevating Early Childhood

enAugust 24, 2023

Preschool Circle Time Area Set-Up

Today we're diving deep into setting up the perfect Circle Time Area for your little learners. Discover how to create a space that inspires, educates, and brings everyone together!

Elevating Early Childhood

enAugust 16, 2023

circle time

circle time activities

preschool circle time

circle time for preschoolers and toddlers

elevating early childhood

Must-Have Sensory Table Tools

Does setting up your centers stress you out? Are you looking for ways to make your sensory table center more fun and engaging for your students? In this episode of Elevating Early Childhood we'll be looking at the best sensory bin tools to enhance sensory play and fine motor skills. We'll also discuss sensory bin fillers and there's even a free printable included to make setting up, planning for, and managing your sensory table a breeze!

Elevating Early Childhood

enAugust 08, 2023

Dramatic Play Center Tour

Do you have questions about setting up the dramatic play center in your classroom? Are you looking for ways to make your dramatic play center more engaging and deepen the play and learning? Or maybe you just LOVE peeking into other teacher’s classrooms. If any of these describe you, then you’re in the right place. This episode of elevating early childhood is part of a series I’m doing called Learning Center Tours where I draw back the curtains on each center, so stick around until the very end so you won’t miss a thing!

Elevating Early Childhood

enAugust 01, 2023

preschool

preschool centers

preschool classroom

preschool dramatic play center

dramatic play

Preschool Power-Up: Setting Up Your Block Center for Success

In this impactful episode of Elevating Early Childhood with Vanessa Levin, we dive into the heart of the early childhood classroom with a focus on blocks – the cornerstone of creativity and cognitive development. Discover the intricacies of setting up your block center for unparalleled success in this center tour. Answering burning questions from my e-mail inbox, I'll will guide you through the crucial components of an effective block center set-up. Join me for this in-depth tour, showcasing real-life examples and the best tips and tricks to avoid catastrophe, before it strikes! I'll provide detailed insights on what to put on the shelves in your block center for the first day(s) of school, and expert troubleshooting tips to set yourself and your kids up for success in the block center. Tune in and empower your teaching journey with my comprehensive guide to creating a thriving block center. This episode is an absolute must for any educator looking to refine their approach and set up their block center for success. Let's leverage the power of blocks and shape our future one block at a time!

Elevating Early Childhood

enJuly 26, 2023

back to school

preschool teacher

preschool centers

preschool block center

elevating early childhood

Mastering Meet the Teacher Night

Teachers, do you want the upcoming school year to be your best year ever? What if I told you that you can start laying the foundation for a successful school year BEFORE your kids ever walk through your classroom door? Yes, you heard me right! You can get a jump start on things during the summer that are going to ease your "schoolmares." In this episode of EEC I’ll be sharing my secret weapon to combat your schoolmares head-on, right now, before the first day of school.

Elevating Early Childhood

enJuly 18, 2023

elevating early childhood

Feeling Overwhelmed by All the "Non-Teaching" Things?

Teachers, are you overwhelmed by all the “non-teaching” responsibilities you have at school? I’m talking about the things not related to when the students are in the classroom, like labeling the tubs in your centers, communicating with parents, planning events like meet the teacher etc. I could go on because the list is endless, but you know what I’m talking about. All these things can add up quickly and lead to feeling completely overwhelmed. In this episode I'll be sharing ways to make all the "non-teaching" related tasks you have just a little bit easier and less overwhelming.

Elevating Early Childhood

enJuly 11, 2023

Do You Feel Like a Failure as a Teacher?

Teachers, have you ever felt like a failure? Of course you have, and so have I! Every teacher out there feels like a failure some, or even all of the time. And that feeling of failure, it can really drag you down if you let it, am I right? That’s exactly why #teacher quittok exists. But before you throw in the towel and turn in your resignation, I encourage you to watch/listen to this episode until the very end because I’m going to share my #1 method to help you STOP feeling like a failure, and start experiencing that sweet success you deserve.

Elevating Early Childhood

enJuly 04, 2023

preschool

pre-k

preschool teacher

elevating early childhood

Pre-K Edition: What to Teach and When to Teach it?

Listen, it's no secret that teaching preschoolers isn't easy peasy. It's full of ups and downs with lots of bumps along the way, which leaves you exhausted from trying to find a balance between work and life. You just wish somebody would tell you what to teach and when to teach it, so you can find time to do the endless mounds of laundry or cook the occasional meal for your family. If any of this sounds familiar to you, I want you to know that you're not alone. In this episode of Elevating Early Childhood I'm sharing my top 3 tips for knowing what to teach and when to teach it in your pre-K classroom.

Elevating Early Childhood

enJune 27, 2023

Ask this episode Anything

What was the main topic of the podcast episode?

Summarise the key points discussed in the episode?

Were there any notable quotes or insights from the speakers?

Which popular books were mentioned in this episode?

Were there any points particularly controversial or thought-provoking discussed in the episode?

Were any current events or trending topics addressed in the episode?