Create winter drawings to decorate the walls during the cold months. Practice fine motor skills and following directions with the fun ideas for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade mentioned below!
How to Add Winter Drawings to Your Lessons
Winter drawings are a fun way for kids to get creative while diving into the cozy season! Directed drawings, in particular, make the process easy and exciting because they give students step-by-step guidance while letting them add their personal touches. Seeing their confidence grow as they create something special alone is incredible!
Below, we’ll cover how to guide kids through drawing snowmen, penguins, snow globes, and snowflakes. These wintery drawings can be used in the classroom, from seasonal art displays to interactive activities and even storytelling projects. They’re sure to bring some winter magic into the classroom!
Top Winter Directed Drawing Ideas
As you consider your winter drawing options, consider these ideas and how you can use them with students in the classroom.
A Cozy Snowman Drawing
A snowman drawing is a classic winter character! To personalize it, add features like a scarf, hat, buttons, and snowflakes. Show kids pictures of snowmen to spark creativity!
Extension Activity: Create a “Build Your Snowman” station by letting kids cut out their drawing and paste it onto a larger snowy scene. They can add other snowpeople, winter animals, or snow-covered trees around it. This is also an excellent activity for snowman how-to writing! Invite kids to write the steps for building a snowman with their winter drawing.
Penguin Drawing
Show kids how to draw a penguin standing on an iceberg, maybe with a fun detail like a winter hat or scarf. Before completing the activity, read Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester to inspire the kids.
Tip: Teach a penguin unit, discuss penguin habitats, and earn about why they live in cold places. This can be a quick introduction to Arctic and Antarctic animals and climates.
Snow Globe Drawing
This snow globe drawing lets kids create their mini winter scene inside a globe, sparking creativity and imagination. Before starting, brainstorm ideas for their scene. Invite them to draw their home, their favorite park, a place they want to go, or somewhere they visited recently inside their globe.
Extension Activity: After drawing, have kids write a short story about what’s happening inside their snow globe. They can describe who or what lives there, adding a bit of creative winter writing to the art!
Snowflake Drawing
Show kids how to create intricate snowflake designs, emphasizing symmetry and creativity. Discuss the qualities of snowflakes and how no two are ever the same! Find a snowflake drawing in the January Directed Drawing Mats!
Extension Activity: Cut out paper snowflakes inspired by their drawn designs. Fold a piece of paper and snip shapes along the edges to create a real, unique snowflake to hang on display. Go further and teach kids about snowflakes: how they form and where they come from.
More Extension Ideas for Each Drawing Activity
If you want to extend the activity beyond the art portion, here are some ideas for filling time and adding more learning to the day.
- Writing Connection – Have students write a short story or sentence about their artwork (e.g., “My Snowman’s Winter Day,” “When it snows, I like to…”, or “Penguin Facts”).
- Color Exploration – Teach about cool colors and shades commonly seen in winter scenes. Let kids color their art and talk about the options they choose. Discuss similarities and differences once the kids are finished and the art is displayed.
- Winter Vocabulary – Introduce winter-themed words that can be incorporated into art (e.g., cozy, frosty, arctic). Use terms to teach kids about penguins and how each snowflake is different.
Tips for Displaying Winter Art
Once winter drawings are complete, there are many ways to display them. Get creative with your displays and try some of these ideas.
- Seasonal Bulletin Board Ideas – Create a winter-themed gallery in the classroom or hallway. Put up fun snowflakes, snowmen, penguins, or snowglobes to keep everyone smiling through the winter.
- Interactive Winter Wonderland – Turn a classroom corner into a winter display area, letting kids place their work in “snowy” scenes. A library corner or the classroom door is an excellent spot for this!
- At-Home Display Ideas – Encourage parents to set up a dedicated space for winter artwork to celebrate the season. Laminate their artwork so parents can keep it for years to come.
Resources for Winter Teaching
FREE Snow Globe Drawing Directions
Try a Snowglobe Directed Drawing in your classroom with this FREE step-by-step resource! Use the activity to wind down during those crazy days before the holiday break or as a fun way to ease back into the classroom afterward. They make a fantastic bulletin board display.
Click the image below to grab a copy.
Directed Drawing Mats Bundle
Try the Directed Drawing Mats by Proud to be Primary. There are 50 directed drawing mats to get you through the school year. You’ll find holiday-themed mats as well as monthly-themes! They’re perfect for morning workstations, early finishers, or for kids to complete as a class.
More Winter Ideas for the Classroom
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