Description
Winter Math and Literacy Centers for Kindergarten – Hands-On Winter Activities for January Centers and Small Groups
Make winter learning fun with these Winter Math and Literacy Centers! This resource includes 40 kindergarten centers that keep students engaged in January while practicing essential skills like alphabet, phonics, sight words, numbers, counting, addition, subtraction, shapes, pattern blocks, and more. Perfect for winter math centers, winter literacy centers, morning tubs, small groups, and early finishers, these activities are designed to save you prep time while still giving students meaningful, hands-on practice.
What Makes These Winter Math and Literacy Centers Special?
These winter-themed activities feature kid-favorite visuals like snowmen, winter animals, snowflakes, and cozy winter scenes that help students stay motivated during the colder months. Activities include full-color and black-and-white options, and selected centers include recording worksheets for accountability and easy skill checks.
Kindergarten Skills Covered
Literacy
- Letter recognition (uppercase/lowercase) and letter formation
- Syllables and phonemic awareness practice
- Beginning, middle (short vowel), and ending sounds
- CVC word families
- Beginning digraphs and beginning blends
- High-frequency sight words (Pre-Primer and Primer)
Math
- Counting and ten frames (1–20)
- Comparing numbers using ten frames
- Place value to 20 (tens and ones)
- Making 10
- Addition to 20 and subtraction from 10
- 2D shapes, pattern blocks, and building designs
- Measurement with polar animals task cards
Fine Motor
- Clothespin clipping, spinning, tracing, building with cubes
- Play dough mats for hand strength and shape building
How to Use in the Classroom
These winter centers are ideal for:
- Literacy centers and math rotations
- Morning tubs / soft start
- Small groups
- Early finishers
- Seasonal skill review
- Sub plans
Print, laminate for durability, and add simple manipulatives like dice, spinners, cubes, counters, or clothespins. Use the recording sheets on selected activities for accountability and quick check-ins.
Why Teachers Love It
- Hands-on and engaging, even during the long winter stretch
- Color and black-and-white options for flexible printing
- Selected recording sheets included for easy assessment
- Low-prep setup with consistent center formats
- Works for independent practice or partner games
What’s Included
Winter Math Centers
- Numbers 1–10: Spin, Build, and Cover a Ten Frame
- Numbers 11–20: Spin, Build, and Cover a Ten Frame
- Numbers 1–10: Spin and Cover a Ten Frame (Partner Game)
- Numbers 11–20: Spin and Cover a Ten Frame (Partner Game)
- Roll and Race to Fill a Ten Frame (Small Group Games) – Spin and race to fill a winter-themed ten frame.
- Spin and Race to 10 – Move forward/backward on a number line to reach 10.
- Number Comparison Clip Cards – Compare ten frames and clip the correct symbol (recording sheet included).
- Tens and Ones Spin and Cover – Build numbers to 11 to 20 and cover the matching answers.
- Tens and Ones Spin and Cover (Place Value Blocks) – Spin a number and cover the matching tens and ones blocks.
- Tens and Ones Race to Cover (Partner Game) – Players take turn to spin a number and race to cover their tens and ones blocks.
- Making 10 Shake and Spill – Spill counters and make 10 (recording sheet included).
- Making 10 (Partner Game) – Spin a number and find what makes 10.
- Addition to 12 Roll and Cover (Color and BW) – Roll a pair of dice and cover the sum.
- Winter Village Addition Towers – Build addition towers with linking cubes (recording sheet included).
- Subtraction from 10 Spin and Cover – Spin a number, subtract, and cover the matching answer.
- Subtraction from 10 (Partner Game) – Spin a number, subtract, and race to cover.
- Race to the Bottom (Partner Game) – Move up and down the number line to reach the bottom first.
- Winter Subtraction Roll and Solve – Roll a number and solve the subtraction fact in the matching column.
- 2D Shapes: Spin and Cover – Spin and cover the matching 2d snowman shape.
- 2D Shapes: Spin and Race to Cover – Spin and race to match snowflake shapes (color and BW options).
- Snowmen Pattern Block Mats Spin and Fill – Spin a pattern block and fit the shapes to fill the snowmen.
- Race to Fill the Snowman (Pattern Block Partner Game)
- Pattern Block Snowflakes – Build snowflakes with pattern blocks and count the shapes (6 designs included).
- Polar Animal Measurement Task Cards – Measure and record (worksheet included).
- Snowman Play Dough Shapes – Build common 2D shapes with play dough.
Alphabet + Phonemic Awareness Winter Centers
- Alphabet Flip and Trace – Students flip a letter and trace the matching letter on the mat (uppercase and lowercase options included).
- Alphabet Spin and Cover – Students spin and cover the matching uppercase or lowercase letter.
- Clap the Syllables Clip Cards – Students clap and clip the number of syllables (recording sheet included).
- Syllable Towers: Clap and Build – Students clap syllables and build tower to match.
Winter Phonics Centers
- Beginning Sounds Clip Cards – Clip the beginning sound.
- Beginning Sounds: Spin and Race to Cover (Partner Game) – Spin and race to cover.
- Middle Sounds Clip Cards (Short Vowels) – Clip the pictures with the matching short vowel sound (worksheet included).
- Middle Sounds: Spin and Race to Cover (Partner Game) – Spin, cover, and race to cover.
- Ending Sounds Word Building Task Cards – Build words by adding the ending sound (recording sheet included).
- CVC Word Families Roll and Write – Roll and write a CVC word.
- Beginning Digraphs Roll, Read, and Cover Game Boards – Roll, read, and cover matching pictures with beginning digraphs.
- Beginning Digraphs Roll, Read, and Race to the End (Partner Game) – Take turns reading words with digraphs to reach the end first.
- Beginning Blends Search and Cover – Use the color code to cover pictures with the matching blend.
- Beginning Blends Roll, Spell, and Cover (Partner Game) – Roll, build the word, and cover the matching picture.
Sight Word Centers
- Pre-Primer Sight Words Spin and Graph – Spin, read, and cover the matching sight word (BW version includes tracing).
- Primer Sight Words Roll and Build Games – Roll, read, and build the sight word.
Winter Fine Motor Skills
- Winter Play Dough Mats – Build winter objects (snowman, snowflake, cocoa mug, and more)
Keep your winter centers simple, fun, and meaningful. These Winter Math and Literacy Centers give your kinders the hands-on practice they need in phonics and math, with activities that work all season long for rotations, morning tubs, and small groups. Just print, laminate for durability, add a few basic manipulatives, and you’re ready for stress-free winter learning that still hits the skills that matter.
