❄️ Winter Learning in Early Years Through Care, Creativity and Exploration ❄️

❄️ Winter Learning in Early Years Through Care, Creativity and Exploration ❄️

This week, our winter theme continued to provide a familiar and engaging context for learning across the setting. Through a variety of planned experiences, children explored seasonal changes while developing key skills through play, discussion and hands-on exploration ❄️✨ And they showed wonderful co-operation and collaboration through the many activities.

Winter clothing and keeping warm

We began by talking about winter clothing, focusing on coats, hats and scarves and why we wear them in colder weather. To extend this learning, children decorated their own paper scarves using markers 🧣. This creative experience supported hand–eye coordination and fine motor development, while also allowing children to express their ideas and preferences.

The same scarves were later revisited for a mathematical challenge. Children created simple repeating patterns using alternating coloured stickle bricks, carefully placing each piece in sequence. This helped develop early mathematical understanding, including pattern recognition, sequencing and attention to detail.

Focusing on healthy practices

Health and self-care were woven naturally into the daily routine throughout the week. After lunch, children took part in our oral health programme, practising toothbrushing using the dry brushing technique 🪥. Through conversation and demonstration, we talked about how to use toothbrushes correctly and why brushing our teeth is important, supporting children’s understanding of healthy habits.

Mid-week, we introduced a handwashing station, complete with plenty of soap, bubbles and water 🫧🧼. Children practised washing their hands thoroughly, reinforcing good hygiene routines in a fun, practical and memorable way — with a few wet sleeves along the way 😄.

Emotional literacy with winter themed cards

Emotional development was also supported through winter-themed activities. Using seasonal cut-outs, children explored different emotions, learning to recognise and name how characters might be feeling 🙂😟😡. These discussions helped develop emotional literacy, empathy and self-awareness.

Baby sensory activities exploring winter

Our youngest children enjoyed sensory exploration through winter-themed trays featuring Arctic animals and shaving foam 🐧🐻‍❄️. This experience encouraged curiosity, early language development and exploration of different textures.

They also created wintery pictures using chalk and paint 🎨, experimenting with mark-making and colour while strengthening fine motor control.

Creative cold activities

The older children explored winter creatively in different ways, decorating snowy trees and painting ice blocks outdoors 🌲❄️. These experiences encouraged experimentation, imagination and discussion, while also introducing early scientific concepts such as temperature, change and materials.

Problem-solving and teamwork came into focus as children worked together to rescue Arctic animals frozen in ice 🧊🐧. This activity prompted thoughtful discussion, cooperation and persistence as children explored ways to free the animals safely.

Caring for our environment

Towards the end of the week, our learning shifted to animals during wintertime. Children made simple bird feeders using lard and a variety of seeds 🐦🌰, learning how colder weather affects animals and how we can help care for the natural world around us.

This winter learning in early years helped children to continue to build skills and understanding across all areas of learning, engaging with the season in ways that were purposeful, playful and developmentally meaningful ❄️💙