These winter block play ideas will transform your block center into a wintery, Arctic world, and spark the kids’ imaginations.
Sometimes you just need to change up your Block Center for something new and different. Here are some ideas for simple items to add seasonal interest to the Blocks Center.
Polar Animals (Arctic Animals)
Use a collection of plastic polar animals toys for kids to play with in the block center. They can use these with the blocks along with the other block play manipulatives listed below. These can be purchased from toy stores or educational catalogs.
White Pom-Pons
Add white pom-pons for snowballs in a basket or bin for children to decorate their polar worlds. In the photo, I used cotton balls because it’s what I could find at the time, but craft pom-pons will be more durable. These can be purchased from craft and hobby stores.
Clear Cups
Clear cups are inexpensive and fun to add to the block center. I told my class these are like ice blocks. Kids can use these to decorate their winter block creations and they can sit the animals on top or inside the cups.
White Felt
Sheets of white felt can be purchased inexpensively at craft stores. The white felt is perfect for a blanket of snow on the ground in their arctic world creations.
Styrofoam Blocks
Note: A reader noted that styrofoam blocks are a choking hazard. Supervision of your child(ren) is expected when doing any activities on this site. As an alternative, you could wrap wooden blocks in white paper.
These styrofoam blocks are the big hit in our block center! I saved these from a package I got in the mail at Christmas time. Kids can pretend they are blocks of ice. Of course, they do break a little, but they’ll last long enough for the kids to enjoy them (and they were free)!
Do you have any Winter Block Play ideas to share? Please tell us what you use in the comments below!
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Karen, this is great! So creative and clear in how the activity can be done. I will provide it to my students in Child Development.
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your talents!
Carmela Bosko
Giant bubble wrap and foil sheets or aluminum baking pans are also fun to add to the winter block area – the children pretend they are ice.
Such great ideas!! I never would have thought of these myself. I really like the idea of the foam pieces, and they are free. Telling the kids that the clear cups are the ice blocks is so clever!! – Just great!!!!
Great ideas.Love the cups and the cotton wool.
Just a word of warning though. The polystyrene foam is a choking hazard. Also a problem if it is ingested because it can not be seen on X-rays.
I suggest you use an alternative.
Teachers could wrap their wooden blocks with white paper as an alternative.
It’s great idea..thnx a lot Ms.Karen
This is fabulous. So simple, yet so much fun! I’m going to implement this a.s.a.p.!
I think it’s a very good idea and l’m so going to start doing that at my pre school. Thanks Kaaren.
Thank you for the wonderful ideas. I’m sure my little ones will have fun, and will enjoy the learning time
Thanks for sharing this creative idea to bring more interest to the block area!!
Great idea ! I have the wooden blocks already and will use it soon . Thanks !
Great ideas. I am new to PreK education. I have been teaching for over 30 years and your ideas are really easy and fun. Thank you!
Great ideas. I am an early childhood teacher. We are always using a polystyrene foam in the class. Kids like to hit the Golf Tees in the polystyrene foam for construction. In future we will be careful. your ideas are really easy, creative and fun. Thank you!
What fun! Thanks for many great ideas.
What a beautiful idea you just gave me!!!!!
I love this activity! We did the same but used a large plastic mirror for the base to create a frozen lake illusion – the kids loved it!
Just wanted to share our arctic play. We tied it in with the train table since several of the children are still remembering Polar Express. I used the clear plastic cups covered with cotton balls for ice mountains and the igloo is made with a clear cup and a “tunnel” from a cardboard paper towel tube. The bottom is felt sheets as well as the blue water. The large white snowballs are pom poms. I would love to share a photo but couldn’t find a place to do so.
Thanks for sharing, Bo! I love the idea. Thanks for emailing the picture. I’ve added your pic here.
I had so many extra wood blocks that I decided to let the students pick out 1 block to paint white. After drying I put them in blocks to use as icebergs. Kids are having great fun with it!
Great idea, Tammy!
I like to use mirrors with cotton batting with my penguins and polar animals. It looks like ice. sometimes I use tinsel or foil too. I put little snowflakes mixed in if I put in sensory but you could add it like the poms poms as loose parts.
Thanks for sharing your creativity!
A teacher I know took a flat piece of styrofoam board and cut a jagged hole out to look like an ice fishing hole. Then she added laminated cut out fish with paper clips on their noses and a fishing pole with a magnet end… whalla Place over water table and have kiddos go ice fishing!
I gathered a variety of larger boxes from various people at school. I placed them in the kitchen area along with a tri-fold board. The students used them to build igloos and mazes. Tons of fun and lots of creativity and negotiating.