As the cold weather sets in, young children love to hear stories, act out finger plays and sing songs while snuggling close to the fire. Here is our collection of some classic favorites and newer gems for you and your children to cherish.

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The Feast of Saint Nicholas

Nicholas, I beg of you,

Drop something into my shoe,

Something sweet or sweeter.

Thank you, Saint and Peter!

Put your long red mantle on,

St. Nicholas, good and holy man,

Drive your sleigh from Amsterdam

And find us quickly if you can.

~~~~~

The Little Doves

from Carols, Hymns and Songs

High on the top of an old pine tree

Broods a mother-dove with her young ones three.

Warm over them is her soft, downy breast,

And they sing so sweetly in their nest.

“Coo,” say the little ones, “Coo,” says she,

All in their nest on the old pine-tree.

Soundly they sleep through the moonshiny night,

Each young one covered and tucked in tight;

Morn wakes them up with the first blush of light,

And they sing to each other with all their might.

“Coo,” say the little ones, “Coo,” says she,

All in their nest on the old pine-tree.

When in the nest they are all left alone,

While their mother far for their dinner has flown,

Quiet and gentle they all remain,

Till their mother they see come home again.

Then “Coo,” say the little ones, “Coo,” says she,

All in their nest on the old pine-tree.

When, they are fed by their tender mother,

One never will push nor crowd another:

Each opens widely his own little bill,

And he patiently waits, and gets his fill.

Then “Coo,” say the little ones, “Coo,” says she,

All in their nest on the old pine-tree.

~~~~~

Here is a nice verse to share with the children:

Outside there is a Pine Tree

Standing straight and tall.

It needs no decorations

Nature’s done it all.

Pinecones on its branches

With icicles glistening bright

Snow upon its needles

And birds at rest from flight

I see it from my window

And take the time to say

Thank you for your beauty, tree,

On this winter day.

~~~~~

Icicle Fingerplay

I’m a frozen icicle hanging in the sun.

(pretend to hang over while standing)

First I start to melt, then I start to run.

(drop body lower like melting)

Drip, drip, drip, drip.

(go lower and lower)

Melting can be fun!!

(sink or fall to the floor)

~~~~~

King Winter

Whistling and shouting with blustering glee,

North Wind comes rushing over housetop and tree,

Loud is his voice, a rough fellow he,

He’s a true friend, King Winter.

Winter, you’re boisterous but surely you know

We love the gifts you so freely bestow,

Ice for our skates, for coasting, the snow,

Thanks for your gifts, King Winter.

~~~~~

The snowfields are white in the moonlight

The winds of the winter are chill,

But under the sheltering roof-tree

The fire shines ruddy and still.

You sit by the fire little children

Your cheeks they are ruddy and warm;

But out in the cold of the winter

Is many a shivering form.

~~~~~

See the pretty snowflakes

Falling from the sky;

On the walls and housetops

Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,

On the branches bare;

Now how fast they gather,

Filling all the air.

~~~~~

Little Jack Frost went up the hill

Watching the stars and the moon so still,

Watching the stars and the moon so bright,

And laughing aloud with all his might.

Little Jack Frost ran down the hill,

Late in the night when the winds were still,

Late in the fall when the leaves fell down,

Red and yellow and faded brown.

Little Jack Frost walked through the trees,

“Ah”, sighed the flowers, “we freeze, we freeze”

“Ah”, sighed the grasses, “we die, we die”

Said little Jack Frost, “Good bye, Good bye.”

Little Jack Frost tripped round and round,

Spreading white snow on the frozen ground,

Nipping the breezes, icing the streams,

Chilling the warmth of the sun’s bright beams.

But when Dame Nature brought back the spring,

Brought back the birds to chirp and sing,

Melted the snow and warmed the sky,

Little Jack Frost went pouting by.

The flowers opened their eyes of blue,

Green buds peeped out and grasses grew;

It was so warm and scorched him so,

Little Jack Frost was glad to go.

~~~~~

All the earth is wrapped in snow,

Over the hills the cold winds blow,

Through the valleys down below

Whirls the blast.

All the mountain brooks are still,

Not a ripple from the hill,

For each tiny moving rill

Is frozen fast.

~~~~

Two Little Snowflakes

Way up high in the winter sky,

Two little snowflakes caught my eye.

Down to the ground they fell without a sound.

And before very long,

It was snowing all around.

~~~~~

A Shining Star

On the very first Christmas night,

(Put hands together; lay head on hands as if sleeping.)

A wondrous star shone big and bright.

(Hold hands above head; move fingers like stars shining.)

It marked the spot where the baby lay,

(Pretend to rock baby.)

So kings and shepherds could come to pray.

(Fold hands and kneel.)

~~~~~

The north wind doth blow

And we shall have snow,

And what will poor robin do then?

Poor thing!

He’ll sit in a barn,

And to keep himself warm,

Will hide his head under his wing.

Poor thing!

~~~~~

Old Father Christmas

Old Father Christmas is passing by,

His cheeks are ruddy, he’s bright of eye;

His beard is white with the snows of time.

His brow is hoary with frost and rime.

It’s little he cares for the frost and the cold,

For old Father Christmas he never grows old.

~~~~~

December Finger Play

(use fingers on your hands for each “bunny”)

One, two little bunnies

Sitting on the ground.

Three, four little bunnies

Looking all around.

Five, six little bunnies

Standing in a row

Seven, eight little bunnies

Waiting for the snow.

Nine, ten little bunnies

All ready to go.

~~~~~

St. Lucia Verse

Night Goes with silent steps

Round house and cottage.

Over earth that sun forgot

Dark shadows linger.

Then on our threshold stands

White clad, in candlelight

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia

~~~~~

The Frog’s Goodbye

Goodbye, little children, I’m going away,

In my snug little home all winter to stay.

I seldom get up, once I’m tucked in my bed,

And as it grows colder I cover my head.

I sleep very quietly all winter through,

And really enjoy it; there’s nothing to do,

The flies are all gone, so there’s nothing to eat,

And I take this time to enjoy a good sleep.

My bed is a nice little hole in the ground,

Where snug as a bug in the winter I’m found.

You might think long fasting would make me grow thin,

But no! I stay plump as when I go in.

And now, little children, good-bye, one and all,

Some warm day next spring I shall give you a call;

I’m quite sure to know when to get out of bed,

When I feel the warm sun shining down on my head.

~~~~~

Winter Fingerplay

Winter is cold

(hug yourself and shiver)

There is snow in the sky

(flutter fingers above your head)

The squirrel gathers nuts

(pretend to gather nuts)

And the wild geese fly

(flap arms)

The fluffy red fox

(cup hands over head to form ears)

Has his fur to keep warm

(stroke arms as if stroking fur)

The bear’s in her cave

(form a cave shape with your arms)

Sleeping all through the storm

(fold hands under cheek and pretend to sleep)

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Eileen is a work-at-home mother to four daughters. She runs Little Acorn Playgarden out of her Brookfield, Connecticut home and writes and publishes monthly seasonal guides for parents and caregivers of children at Little Acorn Learning. She has many ideas and activities for parents on her blog at Eileen’s Place. In addition to her regular monthly seasonal guides she has now partnered with Marianne Frost, a Waldorf kindergarten teacher of 20 years, to offer the Little Acorn Afterschool guides which extends Little Acorn ‘Learning’ into the afternoons and weekends.