Fill your home with the warm smell of cinnamon with these easy dough ornaments. With the help of an adult, use cookie cutters or a butter knife to create fun shapes! Click the button below for instructions.
Winter ice can be fun if you’re wearing skates. But if you’re wearing sneakers it’s not as fun. So let’s melt it! What melts ice faster, hot or cold water? Does salt melt it even faster? Make a hypothesis (or educated guess) then test it with this chilly experiment! Click the button below for instructions.
Learn a little more about winter holidays with this fun matching game. Click the button below to play!
The most iconic symbol of the season, the snowflake is a beloved feature of winter! Enjoy a lovely snowfall while staying warm indoors with these festive crafts. Click the buttons below for instructions.
Join a family in the Alaska winter as they encounter an unlikely guest at their Hanukkah celebration. Hanukkah in Alaska is written by Barbara Brown and illustrated by Stacey Schuett, and read by Molly Ephraim. Click the button below to read along!
During Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights, clay lamps called diyas are lit to represent inner light. Make a colorful paper garland or wreath for this bright holiday by clicking the button below.
Do not be afraid to improvise materials if you do not have the exact thing!
Cinnamon Ornaments - Flour, salt, cinnamon, bowl, spoon, cookie cutters OR butter knife, wax paper OR parchment paper
OPTIONAL: Paints
Ice Melting Experiment - muffin tin OR small bowls, hot and cold water, salt, and other materials to melt ice.
Snowflakes- Paper, scissors, tape, stapler
Paper Diya Lamp Garland - Paper, scissors, coloring supplies, cardboard OR yarn/string, tape OR stapler
Learn more about this Hindu festival with National Geographic Kids by clicking the button below!
Learn more about the winter solstice with National Geographic Kids by clicking the button below.
Winter holiday have their own unique gift giving traditions. Learn more about holiday gifting below! What is your favorite gift to give?
Exchanging gifts during Hanukkah is a relatively new practice. It grew out of the Eastern European practice of giving small monetary gifts to religious teachers in 17th and 18th century. By the 19th century, gifts were given to children and family members.
The last day of Kwanzaa focuses on gift-giving to honor others. Gifts are often homemade, and are not a central part of Kwanzaa celebrations.
Before the middle of the 1800s, gifts were not generally given on Christmas, but on New Year’s Eve. The American traditions such as Christmas trees and even Santa Claus have come about through a mixture of legends and customs from around the world.
