Beating the winter blues in the classroom

Winter seems to last forever – I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Those long days where you can’t get outside seem to stretch on forever, and after all of February’s fun holidays waiting on spring warmth and sunshine can be a little brutal. Over the years I’ve come up with fun ways to shake things up and help those days pass a little more quickly. Here are some of my favorite ways to beat the winter blues with preschoolers.

• Throw the schedule out the window – for one day. Just forget about what needs to be done and give everyone a chill day. Pull out the favorite toys that your students can’t get enough of, snuggle up in the reading corner for special one on one time or small groups, watch a movie, build a fort. It’s basically a lazy snow day, but at school.
• Start an in-depth project. Find that one thing that the children have been really interested in and dig in deep. Are they super into drawing? Maybe they love music time or have been really watching the birds outside the window. Is there something that they can’t stop talking about or that they always want to play? Use this to your advantage!
• Plan theme days and really go all in with them. Encourage students to dress up according to the theme, plan snacks and activities that go with the theme, listen to music related to the theme and decorate the classroom to support the theme.
• Give your students what they need. Pay attention to what the current struggle is – is the lack of outdoor time causing problems? Is not getting enough natural light changing moods? Are they just tired of seeing the same four walls every day? You can manage all of these challenges. Bundle up and go outside, even if it’s difficult, or plan a whole day for movement. Incorporate more lighting in the classroom and explore with flashlights and light tables. Rearrange the furniture in the classroom to give the whole space a different feel. You’ve got this!

These are definitely not all of the ways to shake things up and beat the winter blues, but they are the ones that I regularly turn to and that have absolutely worked for me!