Celebrating the Shortest Day: The Winter Solstice and Icy Fun!

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, winter brings its own kind of magic to our world. This year the first day of winter, also known as the winter solstice, falls on Saturday, December 21st. This week, we’ll share fun facts about the solstice, winter-themed activities for classrooms and families, and creative ways to celebrate the shortest day of the year!

FOR KIDS: WELCOME WINTER WITH PBS KIDS!
Cuddle up and get cozy with your favorite PBS Kids shows! Check out these full episodes of Nature Cat and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood about winter! Or chill out and play these winter-themed games with your friends and family!

FOR PARENTS: WINTER WONDERLAND FUN!
Turn your home into a winter wonderland with these cool crafts and activities! Use items around your house to make homemade snow globes or try painting with snow this week. Or brave the cold and race boats made of ice while exploring the weather in your backyard!

FOR EDUCATORS: SOLSTICE SCIENCE!
The winter solstice is the perfect time to talk space and weather science with your class! Watch this video to observe how daylight changes in summer and winter, or try this lesson about the December solstice. Younger students will love this experiment to see which melts ice faster– sugar or salt!

Skillsville

Join friends Cora, Dev, and Rae as they enter the world of Skillsville – a game where they transform into their avatars, ParCora, Devosaurus, and Racer Rae, and explore new skills through fun jobs that help the virtual city of Skillsville thrive. This new animated PBS KIDS series will encourage kids ages 4-8 to “power up” the skills they need for future success.

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