Arctic Animal Snow Dig Activity and Printable

Stuck inside and need a fun activity you can prep in minutes?

Then this arctic animal snow dig is perfect for you!

In just minutes you can use these free printables to make a fun arctic animal themed I Spy game. That’s right, while your kids are busy playing and learning you can take a break and drink your coffee or check your email. Boom!

Arctic Animal Snow Dig Activity

This arctic animal snow dig activity is super easy to set up. The best part about this activity is once you prep all the supplies (less than 10 minutes even with laminating) you can use it for years!

Supplies:

• tray or dish with sides (a foil pan would work to)
• Arctic Animal Snow Dig Printables
• White paper or card stock
• Scissors
• Laminating supplies, optional but will help it to last!
• Sea salt
• Paintbrush, small shovel, spoon, etc for “digging”

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLES HERE —–>> Arctic Animals Snow Dig Printables

 

Once you print the arctic animal snow dig printables you can have this activity set up within minutes. Feel free to print the set in black and white instead of color if you want to save ink. It won’t change the busy bag game one bit.

How to Make the Arctic Animal Snow Dig

1. Gather and purchase your supplies. There’s no need to get a fancy “tray” that coordinates with your printables. Unless you want to, of course! All you really need for this activity is something with a little bit of an edge to it that is large enough to put the printable on
2. Print the Arctic Animal Snow Dig Printables (link to download and print below)
3. Cut out the I Spy cards found in the free printable pack.
4. Laminate your printables so they will last longer. I have a cheap laminator I bought years ago that I used to laminate both Arctic Animal I Spy pages and the individual cards. If you don’t have one clear plastic packing tape or a plastic page protector will also work.
5. Place one of the Arctic Animal I Spy pages in the tray or dish and set the animal cards in a pile next to it face down.
6. Pour the sea salt over the I Spy page so that it is covered and you cannot see the animals pictures underneath.
7. Show your child how they can use the paintbrush (or shovel or spoon) to clear away the snow.
8. Ask them to turn over an arctic animal card and then use their brush to “dig” through the “snow” to find the matching animal on the page.
9. They can keep playing until they find all of the animals on the cards!

Learning with the Arctic Animal Snow Dig Printables

This snow dig activity is so much fun for kids! It’s a great way to keep them happy and busy during quiet time or on a day you are stuck inside.

But that’s not the only benefit!

This arctic animal snow dig activity is also full of learning opportunities!

This arctic animal snow dig activity helps kids work on their fine motor skills. Turning the cards and using a tool like a paintbrush are both great ways to get their finger and hand muscles working in different ways. Using the Arctic I Spy pages to find the correct animal on the animal cards also help kids develop their working memory. When they are searching for the correct animal they are also fine tuning their visual discrimination skills.

What seems like a simple and fun activity is actually help kids develop the foundation they need for reading and writing down the road! All while you are drinking your coffee or checking your email. It doesn’t get much better than this!

More Arctic Activities for Preschoolers

Love the arctic animal snow dig activity and printables and want even more fun ideas? Here you go!

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:

Arctic Animal Snow Dig // Coffee Cups & Crayons

Snowflake Busy Box  // Teach Me Mommy

Polar Bear Color Sorting Snowballs // Modern Preschool