Melt away your winter blues with these 10 engaging winter lesson plans for your ELA classroom! Whether you want to set a cozy mood for reading and writing or keep your students sharp with fun seasonal activities, there’s something here for every teaching style. You’ll find a variety of lessons, including a winter-themed podcast, creative writing projects, short stories, close reading resources, puzzles, and more.
These activities are perfect for filling time between longer units, offering seasonal enrichment for fast finishers, or adding festive flair to your winter curriculum. Imagine your classroom warmed by the glow of a projected fire as your students listen to a gripping tale about mythical snow creatures, or picture your students competing in a winter reading challenge that turns the season’s chill into a fun literary adventure.
Ready to spark some winter magic in your classroom? Read on for ideas, suggestions, and links to resources that will inspire your teaching and keep your students engaged all season long.
#1: The Art of Hygge
If you’re looking for a fresh and engaging winter ELA activity that combines reading comprehension, writing, and digital media, check out this Hygge Reading and Writing Project to give your students the gift of cozy contentment. Hygge, in essence, is the Danish art of being cozy. Don’t we all need a little more of that this winter?
In this done-for-you lesson, students learn about the concept of hygge with an original reading comprehension passage and questions. Then they choose a project on hygge from a choice board of six options. This is a great standalone lesson on hygge, but can also be used as an introduction to independent reading or a social-emotional learning activity. It makes a great substitute plan, too. Want to learn more about how you can create hygge in your classroom? Click here.
#2: Add a Winter Short Story
Choose a short story or collection of short stories to read with your class, or have them select a favorite to read in groups. This short story resource can be used for reading comprehension for any short story, so you don’t have to create multiple projects for different winter-themed stories.
A good choice with a short story is Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”. It is the story of a man and a dog who face treacherous, frozen conditions in the Yukon. While an older man has warned him of the dangers of extreme cold, the man’s pride prompts him to disregard the warning.
#3: Listen to a Winter Podcast
If you haven’t utilized podcasts in your classroom yet, you’re missing out on a fun, low-prep way to engage students. One great option is the Mythical Monsters podcast episode covering The Abominable Snowman—it’s an ideal resource for secondary students that’s both informative and entertaining. You can easily fit it in before holiday break, use it as a sub plan, or turn it into a more in-depth lesson by pairing it with a close-reading activity like this one on real monsters, including the Yeti. To ensure student accountability, provide podcast notes for students to complete as they listen. And for an extra cozy touch, project a crackling fireplace on your smart board to set the mood—it’s the perfect way to transport students into the wintry world of cryptids and legends.
#4: Try Holidays Around the World Close Reading
One great way to engage your students during the winter months is by teaching them about the diverse holidays celebrated in December and beyond. Exploring different traditions helps foster cultural awareness and empathy while keeping students engaged with meaningful content. By incorporating informational texts and critical-thinking discussions, you can create an inclusive and festive classroom atmosphere where students can learn about celebrations like Diwali, Hanukkah, and Chinese New Year.
If you’re looking for a ready-to-go option, my Holidays Around the World Close Reading Activities resource is perfect for this lesson. It includes a high-interest informational passage, comprehension questions aligned with CCSS, vocabulary practice, and a creative writing project where students design their own unique holiday celebration. This resource is print-and-go, making it ideal for busy teachers who want a rich and engaging lesson that reinforces reading and writing skills while celebrating global diversity.
#5: Dive into Hockey Close Reading
If you’ve got any sports fans in your ELA classroom, try reading about hockey heroes like Wayne Gretzky, Alexander Overchkin, Sidney Crosby, Goride Howe, and Mario Lemieux. You can take some time to learn about the sport if it isn’t familiar to your students. Combine with a close reading activity like this bundle – it’s flexible and includes an original reading passage with four comprehension activities.
#6: Start a Winter Reading Challenge
Create a fun reading challenge for your students with a winter theme. Your students can do this as an independent reading assignment during the winter, or you can incorporate it as part of lit circles or free read in class. Give students a list of ideas such as selecting a book with a snowy setting, or takes place in the winter. Perhaps the title needs to contain winter-themed words like snow, frost, ice, chill, or frozen. Make a bingo card where students have the whole winter season to complete it – this can be done as part of their reading points, or as an extra credit option. It’s also a great fallback option for early finishers.
#7: Incorporate Word Puzzles
Combine seasonal charm with educational value using winter word puzzles. Puzzles are great to have on hand because you can use them for fast finishers, morning work, or to simply build classroom community. It’s easy to utilize in sub plans, or just as a handy grab-and-go activity. You can nab this activity pack that includes a mix of winter crossword, winter word search, and word scramble activities that also strengthen their vocabulary and problem-solving skills.
#8: Laugh with Mad Libs
Reinforce grammar skills with mad libs. These are really great for those chilly months of January and February – when the joy of holiday break has ended and you’re still in the snowy, cold season. Not only does this make winter grammar practice enjoyable, but it also strengthens their understanding of sentence structure and parts of speech in a low-pressure setting. This resource includes five unique worksheets that come as a full-sheet and half-sheet, making it versatile for various classroom needs. Use these as a quick review, a bell ringer, grammar practice, or a seasonal activity for those fast finishers.
#9: Roll a Winter Story
Roll-a-story activities are creative and engaging ways to involve students in writing. The format introduces an element of surprise, keeping the writing process fresh and exciting. With the roll of a die, students determine their main story elements – characters, settings, and plot twists. Once the stories are complete, you can use them as displays for your winter bulletin board. Students can even add creative borders or illustrations to their work. There’s a great option here that works beautifully in both print and digital formats.
#10: Create a Winter Banner
Add seasonal charm to your classroom with a winter banner. Whether you’re searching for winter bulletin board ideas, winter decorations, or a fun and interactive activity to kick off the new year, banners have you covered. Celebrate the season with a creative project that transforms your classroom into a winter wonderland – with art that doubles as a collaborative class project. I love refreshing my space with festive décor, and banners like this one make it so easy and builds class community as well.
Those long winter months can be both magical and challenging—with shorter days, colder weather, and restless students who may need an extra spark to stay engaged. I hope this list of winter lesson plans and activities brings some warmth and creativity to your ELA classroom! Whether you’re having students cozy up with a winter reading challenge, analyze classic short stories like To Build a Fire, or laugh their way through winter-themed Mad Libs, there are so many ways to make the season memorable and productive for your students.
Have you tried any of these activities before? Which one is your favorite? Or maybe you have your own go-to winter lessons that you’d add to this list! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share your feedback in the comments below. And if you like the ideas you’ve seen here, you can follow my Teachers Pay Teachers shop Samantha in Secondary for more ELA resources designed to make every season special. Let’s keep our students inspired and learning, even when the weather outside is frosty.
Happy teaching!
