Many parents and teachers don’t know what to do with their toddlers and preschoolers when winter arrives. It often leaves them wondering what kind of winter activities for kids there are that will keep their children warm and busy learning. Winter activities for toddlers don’t have to be outside! You can have just as much inside as outside with music and movement activities. 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children, by Abigail Flesch Connors, is full of fun music activities for kids of all ages that can easily be made to fit the winter season!
Many parents and teachers don’t know what to do with their toddlers and preschoolers when winter arrives. It often leaves them wondering what kind of winter activities for kids there are that will keep their children warm and busy learning. Winter activities for toddlers don’t have to be outside! You can have just as much inside as outside with music and movement activities. 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children, by Abigail Flesch Connors, is full of fun music activities for kids of all ages that can easily be made to fit the winter season!
Here are a few music and movement activities that can keep your little learners busy this winter:
Jingle Bells
Materials:
- Jingle bells
It seems that every time preschoolers see bells, no matter what the season, they start to sing “Jingle Bells!” So, I suggest that the children sing and jingle together!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh- Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Sometimes it’s fun (particularly during the holiday season) to arrange the children on the floor as if they’re really riding in a sleigh. They can jostle around as if it’s a bumpy ride.
Freeze Dance with Bells
Bells add an extra (loud) dimension to the freeze dance game. Ask the children to attach bells around their wrists. Then put on some fun dance music.
Everyone dances until you stop the music. When the music stops, the children “freeze” in place like statues. For added winter fun, tell the children to freeze like ice instead of statues. When you restart the music, everyone dances again. Continue for a few minutes.
The bells make the game noisier (which is always fun) and also make “freezing” more of a challenge, because their jingling will give them away if they continue moving!
New Year’s Eve Countdown (Cymbals)
This is a great activity for December 31st, of course, but it’s too much fun to do only once a year. Celebrate New Year’s whenever you want!
Ask the children to pretend it’s New Year’s Eve and they are waiting for midnight- when the New Year will begin. One child holds the cymbals. With the children, count down slowly from ten to one. Then everyone shouts, “Happy New Year!” and the child crashes the cymbals.
Play this game a few times to give several children a turn to crash the cymbals.
As a variation, the other children can hold bells or shakers and everyone can make some noise when the countdown is done!
Find more fun music ideas with 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children!
