During winter season, the days can be dull with frosty mornings, dark skies, and bitter winter wind. When all is cold and dreary outside, reading beautiful poems can warm the heart.

I like reading poetry to my children this time of year to cheer our spirits with imaginative literature.

I have done this in various ways. Sometimes we read these poems while sipping hot cocoa after a romp in the bright snow. Or we may enjoy listening to them fireside on a snowy evening.

We have also used them as copywork during the language skills part of our school day. Reading one poem a week in Morning Time is another great choice!

Whatever your favorite winter past time, I encourage you to try reading these fun winter poems to your own children! You may be surprised by how much fun you have!

(You can print a copy of these winter poems for kids by clicking on the link below. )

Short Winter Poems for Kids

The First Sleigh Ride by Evaleen Stein

O happy time of fleecy rime
And falling flakes, and O,
The glad surprise in baby eyes
That never saw the snow!
Down shining ways the flying sleighs
Go jingling by, and see!
Beside the gate the horses wait
And neigh for you and me!

There’s Snow on the Fields by Christina Rosetti

There’s snow on the fields,
And cold in the cottage,
While I sit in the chimney nook
Supping hot pottage.

My clothes are soft and warm,
Fold upon fold,
But I’m so sorry for the poor
Out in the cold.

A Winter Night by Sara Teasdale

My window pane is starred with frost,
The wind is bitter cold tonight,
The moon is cruel and the wind
Is like a two-edged sword to smite.

God pity all the homeless ones,
The beggars pacing to and fro.
God pity all the poor tonight
Who walk the lamp-lit streets of snow.

Winter Twilight by Anne Porter

On a clear winter’s evening
The crescent moon

And the round squirrels’ nest
In the bare oak

Are equal planets.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rosetti

In the bleak midwinter,
Frosty wind made moan.
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone.

Snow had fallen
Snow on snow on snow.
In the bleak midwinter,
Long, long ago.

Well-Known Winter Poems for Kids

Winter-Time by Robert Louis Stevenson

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding cake.

Tiny Little Snowflakes by Lucy Larcom

Tiny little snowflakes,
In the air so high,
Are you little angels,
Floating in the sky?
Robed so white and spotless,
Flying like a dove,
Are you little creatures,
From the world above?

Whirling on the sidewalk,
Dancing in the street,
Kissing all the faces
Of the children sweet,
Loading all the housetops,
Powdering all the trees,
Cunning little snowflakes,
Little busy bees!

Approach of Winter by William Carlos Williams

The half-stripped trees
struck by a wind together,
bending all,
the leaves flutter drily
and refuse to let go
or driven like hail
stream bitterly out to one side
and fall
where the salvias, hard carmine,
like no leaf that ever was…
edge the bare garden.

The Snow-Bird by Frank Dempster Sherman

When all the ground with snow is white,
The merry snow-bird comes,
And hops about with great delight
To find the scattered crumbs.

How glad he seems to get to eat
A piece of cake or bread!
He wears no shoes upon his feet,
Nor hat upon his head.

But happiest is he, I know,
Because no cage with bars
Keeps him from walking on the snow
And printing it with stars.

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The Snow Storm by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,
Arrives the snow, and, driving o’er the fields,
Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air
Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,
And veils the farm-house at the garden’s end.
The sled and traveller stopped, the courier’s feet
Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit
Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed
In a tumultuous privacy of storm.

Come see the north wind’s masonry.
Out of an unseen quarry evermore
Furnished with tile, the fierce artificer
Curves his white bastions with projected roof
Round every windward stake, or tree, or door.
Speeding, the myriad-handed, his wild work
So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he
For number or proportion. Mockingly,
On coop or kennel he hangs Parian wreaths;

A swan-like form invests the hidden thorn;
Fills up the farmer’s lane from wall to wall,
Maugre the farmer’s sighs; and, at the gate,
A tapering turret overtops the work.
And when his hours are numbered, and the world
Is all his own, retiring, as he were not,
Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art
To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone,
Built in an age, the mad wind’s night-work,
The frolic architecture of the snow.

The Snow by Emily Dickinson

It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood.
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.

It makes an even face
Of mountain, and of plain,
Unbroken forehead from the East
Unto the East again.

It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces –
It deals celestial vail,

To stump, and stack and stem,
A summer’s empty room,
Acres of joints, where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.

It ruffles wrists of posts
As ankles of a queen,
Then stills it’s artisans – like ghosts,
Denying they have been.

Woods In Winter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When winter winds are piercing chill,
And through the hawthorn blows the gale,
With solemn feet I tread the hill,
That overbrows the lonely vale.

O’er the bare upland, and away
Through the long reach of desert woods,
The embracing sunbeams chastely play,
And gladden these deep solitudes.

Where, twisted round the barren oak,
The summer vine in beauty clung,
And summer winds the stillness broke,
The crystal icicle is hung.

Where, from their frozen urns, mute springs
Pour out the river’s gradual tide,
Shrilly the skater’s iron rings,
And voices fill the woodland side.

Alas! how changed from the fair scene,
When birds sang out their mellow lay,
And winds were soft, and woods were green,
And the song ceased not with the day!

But still wild music is abroad,
Pale, desert woods! within your crowd;
And gathering winds, in hoarse accord,
Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud.

Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear
Has grown familiar with your song;
I hear it in the opening year,
I listen, and it cheers me long.

As the first dust of snow falls and the sounds of the winter fill the air, this is a great time to read poetry. I hope these lovely winter poems inspire your young readers with all the beauty of the winter season!

You can print a copy of these heart-warming winter poems for kids by clicking on the link below.

You may also enjoy these similar posts.

Winter-Themed Copywork
Life Skills To Teach in Winter
Christmas and Winter Coloring Pages

Have you hit a slump in your homeschool? What do you do when you lack the motivation to follow through with your daily routine?

This usually happens to me half way through the year, when winter is not quite over and spring has not yet arrived. At this point in our homeschool year, we have been homeschooling straight through without stopping since Christmas break. The end is in sight, but we still have a way to go.

The good news is that you can avoid homeschool burnout! In my homeschooling journey over the past 14 years, I have learned a few strategies that have helped me stay the course and beat the homeschool mom blues.

Video: 10 Simple Ideas to Help You Avoid Homeschool Burnout

#1 Be Creative

Explore nontypical ways to learn through art, music, nature, movement, etc. Do something fun.

Occasionally, we get out paints and brushes and imitate the pieces from our picture study. Dance to music with your preschoolers. Play card or strategy board games with your older kids. Work out to your favorite exercise routine together. Try playing music during your school day.

*This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

#2 Switch It Up

Do you get into a rut of doing school a certain way this time of year? Do you spend most of your homeschool day at home doing bookwork? Try switching it up!

Go out more often to discover the local attractions and fun things to do in your area.

The opposite also applies. If you are out a lot, maybe you would enjoy staying home more and doing quiet work or being creative or productive.

Although there is no perfect curriculum, sometimes it can be a good thing to branch out and try something new. By nature, I am not a unit studies person. It’s too much work for my practical personality. But now and then when things tend to get monotonous, I have tried a unit study to bring a little flare and excitement to our day.

#3 Connect With Other Homeschoolers

Sometimes what we need more than anything else is simply encouragement. Spending time with other homeschoolers can help you avoid the trap of isolation.

Invest in the kind of relationships that make you walk away revitalized in your calling, not discouraged.

Are you involved in local homeschool groups? Have play dates with friends from your co-op. Meet up at a nearby cafe or your local library. Take advantage of the freedom you have to go out with other friends during the school day.

#4 Follow Seasoned Homeschoolers

Listen to other homeschoolers with years of experience. This will help you avoid doing things the hard way.

Feed your mind by reading homeschool books. When you get some free time, don’t waste it on social media. Instead, peruse your favorite blogs or listen to podcasts on homeschooling. Here are some of my favorites.

Podcasts:

5 Homeschool Podcasts You Need to Download

Websites:

Read Aloud Revival

Generation Cedar

The Unlikely Homeschool

Good Book Recommendations:

Sale

Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence

• Erickson, Jamie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 208 Pages – 04/02/2019 (Publication Date) – Moody Publishers (Publisher)

$10.86

Buy on Amazon

Sale

For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School

• Macaulay, Susan Schaeffer (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 208 Pages – 06/28/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

$10.28

Buy on Amazon

#5 Serving

Serving others is a great way to add variety to your homeschool while also teaching compassion for others. Finding time to invest in the care of other people gets us out of our own little world. When kids meet the needs of others, it can give them a fresh perspective on life, reminding them to be thankful.

What volunteer work is available in your area? Think of ways that you can serve your family members, church, neighbors, and community.

Start conversations with the elderly neighbors around you. Find out if they need help with house or lawn work. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.

#6 Try Some Life Skills Learning

Put the books aside. Be a more flexible homeschool mom and think outside the box. Life skills are important learning lessons too!

Think about what kinds of skills you want your kids to be competent at before they leave the house. Try some new recipes in the kitchen. Get out real money and play store, practicing giving change. Begin plans for your summer garden.

Behind in housework? Have a life skills day by organizing closets, washing and mending clothes, and deep cleaning.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

50 Life Skills That Should Be Taught At Home

Useful Life Skills Suitable to Teach in Winter

Useful Life Skills Suitable to Teach in Spring

#7 Field Trips

Do more field trips, especially with friends! Field trips teach kids through experiential learning. This is great especially if you have a kid who is a hands-on learner.

On field trips, kids can explore real places, rather than only reading about them in books. They can use their five senses to observe everything around them. It’s fun to watch how products are made or how a business is run.

Visit local science and art museums, historical sites, the state capitol, theatrical performances, and community events. Get ideas by asking your homeschool friends about some of the favorite field trips they have enjoyed.

#8 Do Less

Take a good look at your schedule. Are you doing too much? Sometimes the real cause of homeschool mom burnout is physical exhaustion. Because we are constantly running, we can lose inspiration for doing the things we love.

Maybe this is a good time for you to pause and limit your activity. Allow space in your day for empty moments. The more free time I have without any pressure or obligations, the more energized I become.

Or maybe you need to take a complete break from your school work. Taking a homeschool break for an extended period of time may bring life back to your whole family and help you to make it over the long haul.

Don’t be afraid to do less. Having more margin in your day is a great thing. It will make you a much better mom.

#9 Try Interest-led Learning

If your homeschool curriculum has lost its pizzazz, try following your child’s interest. Ask them what they want to learn. What are your kids’ favorite subjects? What is something they are curious about? Listen to them. What are they asking or talking about most?

Think about it. When do you learn the most? When you have something on your mind that you are curious to know or master and you start searching for more information on that subject, THAT is a moment when you are learning the most.

#10 Remember why you started homeschooling in the first place.

I think its a good idea to remember why you started homeschooling in the first place.

Here’s a practice I do every now and then when I get weary of our homeschool routine. I mentally review the reasons that we chose to homeschool. Relationships. Discipleship. More free time. Then I imagine losing those freedoms.

Some homeschool days are pretty rough, but I can’t imagine NOT having the wonderful lifestyle that homeschooling has afforded us. Doing this gives me fresh perspective.

Being a homeschooling mom is not easy, but remembering why you chose to homeschool in the first place might energize you. It will remind you that it is WORTH it!

Share your Ideas for Helping Homeschool Burnout

I hope these simple Ideas have infused new life into your homeschool! Whether you are a seasoned mom or new homeschooler, what changes have you made in your family to reverse homeschool mom burnout? Share with others by commenting below!

Pin it! 10 Simple Ideas to Help You Avoid Homeschool Burnout

If you have been a homeschool mom for any amount of time, you know exactly how this moment feels. Your baby needs a diaper change, the toddler is dumping bins of toys, your Kindergartener is waiting to read to you, and your 2nd grader is in tears over math. And it’s only 9:00 a.m! It’s like an intense game of “whack a mole”, where you are trying to solve one problem…only to run into three or four more just when you think you are getting ahead! So how do you keep homeschooling when all your kids need you at the same time?

Video: Homeschooling When All Your Kids Need You At The Same Time

How do you homeschool multiple kids? You work with one child at a time, starting with the greatest needs first. Begin with the youngest child. Encourage older kids to do independent work until you can give them your full attention. Although you may feel in this moment like you are failing to meet everyone’s needs, taking care of them individually is exactly what you are doing!

Have the Right Perspective

When you have a moment when everyone needs you, you should realize that this is normal. That doesn’t mean that this is always how it is, but there will be times like this.

The first time this happens to a new homeschool mom, I think the tendency is for them to doubt themselves and wonder how other homeschool moms are pulling this off. What’s the best way to manage all these distractions and needs? There must be some magical system or tool.

I assure you, there’s not.

When you see homeschool moms who appear relaxed and seemingly un-miffed, while you are struggling to stay above water, it’s not that they have found something you haven’t. It is probably that they have come to accept the overwhelming moments as part of the package.

Here’s what you need to understand about homeschooling. Although YOU may feel overwhelmed and like you are failing to meet everyone’s needs, taking care of them individually is EXACTLY what you are doing! You see, in a classroom, it is very likely that there would be no line of kids waiting their turn for one-on-one help. In a class of 20 or so students, everyone gets lumped in with the group. The kid who needs help has to figure it out. The one who understands it and needs more of a challenge has to sit through the lesson anyway.

The reason you have a line of kids needing you is because you are giving them a unique, individualized education and THAT is a good thing!

Understand the Ebb and Flow of Homeschooling

The longer you homeschool, you gain a better perspective. You know that there are days when you only get to the basics, and other days where you cover twice as much. In one individual day, it may seem like you didn’t do much, but at the end of the year, you will be surprised by all the progress your kids have made.

Some days in fall or spring, we tend to ditch the textbooks and opt for a nature hike. Other times we plow through our textbooks. We cover a ton of academic work in January through March during the shorter winter days when we are all stuck inside.

We have made our homeschool fit around our lifestyle. Because of this, it looks differently at different times of the year and in different stages of life. In the end, however, it all evens out. When kids love to learn, they are always growing, every making progress.

Pin it! Homeschooling When All Your Kids Need You At The Same Time

Moms With All Littles

If you are a mom with all littles, I am going to tell you something that I wish someone would have told me when I was in that stage.

It gets easier.

When your kids are all small, there’s not a whole lot that they can do on their own. This is a season of investing and it is hard work. They really do all need you most of the time. Building a foundation is always the hardest part with the least seen rewards.

BUT as your oldest grows and becomes more independent, this slowly changes. Over time, your number of independent kids will start to outnumber your dependent kids. That’s when you begin to feel the difference.

Here are some suggestions if you have all littles.

• Use the baby/toddler’s nap time to do the subjects in which your older kids need the most help from you. We did math in the afternoon for several years because it was when the baby was napping and I could count on fewer interruptions.
• Have your budding reader read to you while you nurse the baby.
• Wear the baby or toddler.
• Have a quiet time during the day where you can get a break to recharge. Little children are exhausting!

You may also enjoy reading How to Homeschool With a Baby and Best Tips for Homeschooling With Toddlers in the House.

Work With One Child At A Time

It can be tempting to multi-task and try to put out all the fires at once, but in my opinion, you can be more effective when you take one child at a time and give them your full attention. You can choose to solve the quickest “fix” or start with the youngest first. I have done both.

Start With The Quickest “Fix”

Sometimes it makes the most sense to solve the quickest “fix” first. There may be something urgent that can be solved quickly so that you can get to everyone else.

Start with the Youngest First

Since the youngest children are the ones who have the greatest need, begin with them. This may mean stopping and nursing the baby. It may be stopping and playing with the toddler for a few minutes until they are engaged in an activity. Or, it may be having an older child read a book to a toddler. It’s ok to have your older kids help! This is a nice break from their work and can be a big help to mom, not to mention that it builds a closer bond between siblings!

Older Kids

If you have older kids, encourage them to first try and see if they can solve the problem on their own. This doesn’t mean you aren’t hands on or giving them the one-on-one attention they need. It means you are motivating them to become independent learners. You are also helping them to be problem solvers which is a valuable life skill!

If they are unable to move ahead without help, have them do other available independent work from their checklist until you are free to give them your full attention. This might be a reading assignment, copywork, narration, or an online class.

Teach them to Wait

Teach your kids to wait patiently until you are available to give them your full attention. This probably seems so obvious, but I think that it’s important to say that teaching them to wait is not necessarily a lesson they learn in a day or a week or for some of them…a childhood! It’s a lesson that is learned by repeated encounters.

As kids mature, sometimes it takes a while for them to understand that the world does not revolve around them. This is an opportunity for them to put others ahead of themselves, to defer to the needs of others. It’s also a chance for them to learn delayed gratification. In the adult world, these are valuable character traits to have, so begin teaching them now.

Relax: Time is on your side!

One of the reasons we decided to homeschool is because of all the time we get to spend with our kids. Because you are homeschooling, you don’t need to fit your lessons into a certain window of time. You have ALL day! You have plenty of time to get to whatever it is that is pressing. You can take a few minutes in the afternoon or evening or weekend if you need it.

Not only do you have all day, you have their whole childhood! Let your homeschool become a lifestyle of learning together. The longer I homeschool, the more I am convinced that it is less about all of the lessons and textbooks, and more about a lifestyle of learning and growing together.

Enjoy your kids. Look them in the eyes and really listen to them. You have their whole childhood to be attentive to them!

To read more encouragement like this, check out the blog posts below!

How Do You Homeschool With ALL Littles?

Personal Wellness and Homeschooling

Homeschool Mom, You Are Doing a Great Work!

How to Homeschool With Read Struggles and Challenges

Looking for ideas and inspiration to teach writing in the New Year? Try my Winter Themed Copywork (FREE Printable)! This is the copywork my kids will be doing in the next few weeks of winter and I am excited to share this product with you!

No Time Now? Pin for Later! Winter Themed Copywork

When I first started homeschooling and I heard about the idea of copywork, I had my doubts. After my years teaching in the classroom, copywork seemed too simple to be effective. And what about all those cutting-edge writing methods I had learned to teach my school students? Surely copywork was outdated and impractical! What was it about copywork that so many other homeschool moms I knew were touting its praises?

I have been using the habit of copywork for thirteen years now with each of my kids and will say without a doubt, it is an excellent habit to help teach writing! You really have to try the habit of daily copywork over a period of time to see its effectiveness. Copywork is not the only curriculum I use to teach my kids to write, but it is my core method.

To see samples of the copywork I use with our kids and to read more about how we do copywork in our home, you may enjoy reading these posts.

Helpful Habits for Writing Well #2: Copying the Best Pieces from Great Authors

Simple Step-By-Step Guide to Homeschool Writing

Fall Themed Copywork
Spring Themed Copywork

Video: How We Do Copywork | Everything You Need to Know

Does Copywork Really Work?

The main difference that I see between copywork and other writing methods is this. In copywork, the student first observes an excellent piece, slowly and carefully, copying with exact detail, and makes a conclusion afterward. The writing begins after the observation. Children can only express what they possess!

In many popular writing methods, kids in early elementary school are encouraged to begin writing but they have very little to no exposure to quality pieces of writing or time to reflect on them.

When used along with the habit of narration, children observe first and write later.

What Is Copywork?

Copywork is simply the habit of hand copying selections of text from great authors. Think about it. How do we learn to do anything? We observe someone who is doing it! Copywork challenges kids to copy the written work of excellent communicators.

What should a child copy?

A child should copy the best pieces from great authors! What quality books are you reading aloud to your kids? These are a great place to start! Copy passages of Scripture, Aesop’s Fables, poems, short stories or fairy tales, non-fiction books on topics that interest them, notable sections from each chapter of the fiction book they are reading.

You can download a list of copywork we use based off of the Ambleside Online book suggestions here.

How much should a child copy?

A good rule of thumb is to have a child copy one sentence a day for first grade, two for second, and so on. If they want to do more, sure! But this metric is a reasonable developmental goal for most kids. 

How do you teach copywork?

Encourage kids to copy the text just as it is written. Capitalize the first letter of every sentence or every line in a poem. Write quotation marks, semi-colons, colons, and apostrophe’s just as observed in the line. Have them write the title appropriately making sure to capitalize the first letters in each word of the title. 

When they finish, review the copywork with them. Have them correct spelling and punctuation errors. Ask them to spell key words. Refine their handwriting skills as needed. Ask them the meaning of any unknown words. 

Is Typing Copywork the Same as Handwriting It Out?

Typing is a great extension to copywork, but not a good substitution to physically handwriting the text. I like to think of this as the difference between riding in a car and walking. When you ride in a car somewhere, you observe a few notable landmarks. But when you walk, you see and remember in much greater detail. This is what happens when you write things out by hand. It slows the brain down and you observe details closely.

“Writing is a distinctly human skill, and like speaking, it reflects thinking. If we utilize technology to make the process too effortless, we may lose not only the discipline and the basic ability to put words on paper, but the quality of thinking that writing well requires.”

Andrew Pudewa

What skills are covered in copywork?

• Handwriting
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Vocabulary
• Good sentence structure
• Writing style and form

What Is Included in the Winter Themed Copywork Printable?

This PDF has 2 pages of help/FAQ about copywork and 5 pages of copywork samples for kids which amounts to approximately 7 weeks of work if a child practices copywork daily.

In this collection, you will find winter-themed copywork selections taken from quality literature: passages of the Bible, poems from Christina Rosetti, Sara Teasdale,  Robert Louis Stevenson, and Robert Frost. There are also quotes from the picture books and chapter books listed below if you would like to add them into your read-aloud time.

Picture Books

Stranger in the Woods by Samms and Stoick

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Burton

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Chapter Books

The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

House At Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

How Do I Download the Winter Themed Copywork (FREE Printable)?

1. Subscribe in the box above by entering your email.
2. Check your email inbox to confirm your subscription.
3. You will get a success message with the PDF link. Click on the link and print. Enjoy! Please remember, these are for personal use only!