Between winter break, midterm exams, and the changing of semesters, this time of year brings plenty of schedule changes and awkward gaps to fill. One way to survive the chaos is to have a bunch of fun, easy-to-use activities ready to go. With this bundle of winter-themed games and activities, you’ll have everything you need to keep middle and high school students focused and having fun. From brain-teasing logic puzzles to interesting reading passages about how different cultures celebrate the season, these activities are designed to challenge and entertain older students during the winter months.
What’s included in the bundle?
Winter Haiku Poems
An easy way to let your students express their creativity and explore poetry in a very low-stress format. The page provides a definition of what makes a haiku and has space for students to create three different poems.
Winter Origami
Your students will love the opportunity to turn pieces of paper into adorable winter animals and other seasonal shapes with these simple tutorials. Origami is a great brain break to help your class unwind without hopping on their phones or getting too loud.
Winter Crossword
Seasonal clues make this a great puzzle for this time of year. Perfect for when some students have completed their work while others are still finishing up, as an extra-credit opportunity, or when you end up with ten minutes left at the end of a lesson.
Winter Rebus Challenge
Rebuses are word puzzles that uses pictures, symbols, letters, or words arranged in a clever way to represent a phrase, word, or saying. These puzzles all have something to do with winter, winter holidays, or the cold.
Winter Logic Problems
Give your students all of these simple seasonally-themed logic problems at once or just put one a week out as a fun challenge for your students. Either way, they’ll love trying to solve these puzzles and you’ll enjoy watching them use their problem-solving skills to come up with the correct answers.
Winter Debate Topics
Are snow days better than summer vacation? What’s worse: icy or slushy sidewalks? Toss one of these questions out to your class during the last five minutes before the bell to have a spirited whole-class discussion that will get every student talking or, use our debate graphic organizers to plan a more structured discussion. Either way, your students will have a blast discussing these seasonal topics with each other. Do your students love debating? We’ve got you covered!
Surviving Winter Around the World Reading Passage/Questions
Your students will be engaged and intrigued by this reading passage that teaches them about the ingenious ways different cultures have come up with to make it through the long, dark days of winter. The accompanying questions make this a perfect activity for a quick reading comprehension assessment or as as an emergency sub plan.
Winter Trivia Questions
Bring some seasonal fun to the classroom! These winter-themed trivia questions challenge students with a mix of festive and frosty topics. Use them to spark friendly competition, encourage teamwork, or as quick brain breaks during the busy winter season. You can even send them home for students to share with family or friends over breaks.
Hot Chocolate Showdown: International Edition
Students will make and taste-test hot chocolate recipes from around the world. Recipes from Mexico, France, and Ghana, will have your students exploring unique flavors and traditions from around the world. After sampling each recipe, they’ll rate their favorites and reflect on why one stands out. This activity is perfect for sparking discussions about cultural diversity, food, and personal preferences—all while enjoying a cozy treat.
That’s a Wrap! My Year in Review
This reflective activity invites students to first, think about their favorite moments, achievements, and challenges from the past year. Next, students get the chance to set meaningful goals for the year ahead.
From sharing favorite books and songs to identifying personal growth and aspirations, this activity encourages thoughtful self-reflection and a positive mindset for the future. Perfect for wrapping up the semester or kicking off a fresh start.
Get your free winter activities bundle
Fill out the form on this page and start enjoying these activities with your students today!
Connie Alvarez is a writer for the In Group Press news site for over three years now.
My areas of expertise include politics, health, business, and finance. My hobbies include hiking and reading.