When the chill of winter arrives in Saskatchewan, we might prefer to stay inside where it’s warm and cozy.  However, winter activities provide many excellent language learning opportunities! Take some time to bundle up, brave the cold (well…maybe not when the windchill is dipping to -45!), and explore the magic of winter.  Read on for some practical ideas to build language into your winter exploration!

Getting Dressed

Focus on vocabulary for winter clothing and describe how to put on each item:

• Put your toque on your head.
• Wrap your scarf around your neck.
• Put your coat on over your ski pants.
• Pull your boots on your feet and your mittens on your hands.

Winter Walk

Walk and talk about everything you see, hear, and feel.

• See the snow glistening in the sunlight.
• Listen to the snow crunching beneath your feet.
• Can you hear the trees creaking in the wind?
• Feel the cold air as it blows across your face.

Building a Snowman

List the steps to build a snowman.  Focus on vocabulary for each part of the snowman’s body.  Try to add describing words, such as a colour or size for each item.

• Roll three snowballs that are small, medium, and large.
• Stack the snowballs on top of each other.
• Add the snowman’s black hat, fuzzy scarf, pointy nose, and short or long twigs for arms

Sledding

This is a great opportunity to focus on action words.

• Climb up the hill
• Slide down the hill
• Carry or pull your sled
• Hold on tight!

Time to Warm Up!

When it’s time to go back inside, make a cup of hot cocoa and cuddle under a blanket to talk about all the fun things you did together outside – or – read some winter-themed books together.  Here’s a few favourites that you can pick up from your local library or bookstore:

• Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
• The Mitten by Jan Brett
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
• Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
• Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman
• There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

Written by Nicole Sax, Registered Speech-Language Pathologist with Wildflowers.