⚪️Snowball Pick and Match Literacy Center for Kindergarten - Hands-On Winter Phonics Fun
❄️When Snow Days Turn into School Days: A Winter Literacy Win
I’ll never forget the morning my daughter asked, “Can we do the snowball game again?” It wasn’t even snowing outside—but that didn’t matter. She loved the thrill of cracking open plastic snowballs to discover surprise words and pictures inside.
As a homeschool mom and early childhood educator, I’m always searching for ways to make learning feel like play. That’s exactly how Snowball Pick & Match was born—a winter literacy center that blends phonics with just enough magic to keep kids engaged, smiling, and learning.
Build phonics, fluency, and decoding skills—all through a snowball game kids beg to play.
❄️How the Snowball Literacy Center Works
This hands-on literacy activity is great for PreK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade, offering fun and flexible ways to build phonics, fluency, and decoding skills.
Kids open plastic snowballs to find a hidden word strip inside, then use pompom “snowballs” to cover the correct match on the mat—making phonics practice feel like play. For beginning sounds, they match pictures to the correct letter. For word and sentence strips, they read the text and cover the matching picture. It’s a simple setup that keeps little hands busy and minds engaged.
Whether you’re introducing letter sounds or practicing sentence fluency, Snowball Pick & Match adapts easily to your learners. It’s perfect for small groups, morning tubs, or literacy centers all winter long.
What’s Included:
✅ 26 Alphabet Letter Strips – Upper & Lowercase Beginning Sound Matching
✅ 26 CVC Word Strips with Picture Matching Mats
✅ 26 CVC Sentence Strips with Picture Matching Mats
✅ 26 CVCe Word Strips with Picture Matching Mats
✅ 26 CVCe Sentence Strips with Picture Matching Mats
✅ 26 Blends & Digraph Word Strips with Picture Matching Mats
✨ Just print, cut, and place the strips into plastic snowballs for a center that’s easy to grab and go.
✨ Swap out levels to fit your learners or rotate throughout the winter season.
❄️Inside the Snowball Literacy Center
🔤Alphabet Beginning Sound Match
Match each uppercase and lowercase letter to a picture with the same beginning sound. Great for early learners just mastering letter sounds! I like to use these in morning tubs with pompoms for a quiet, focused start to the day.
🐱CVC Word & Picture Match
Kids sound out the word on the strip and place it on the matching picture. It’s perfect for decoding practice and helps build word-picture connections. We use these in small groups and they always request extra rounds!
📖 CVC Sentence & Picture Match
Short CVC sentences meet real comprehension with picture matches. These support fluency and give kids confidence in reading full thoughts. I use these during guided reading time for a fluency boost.
🎩CVCe Word & Picture Match
A fun way to tackle silent 'e'! Kids stretch and match the magic e words to images. I rotate these in mid-year as kids move from CVC to CVCe decoding.
📘CVCe Sentence & Picture Match
Now we’re blending sentence structure with more complex words. These help my daughter read with confidence and recognize long vowel patterns in context.
🌨️ Blends & Digraphs Match
These strips introduce common blends and digraphs with word-picture connections. Great for advanced kinders or 1st graders working on more complex phonics.
📸 A Peek at Our Setup
Here’s how I set up Snowball Pick & Match in our space—simple, organized, and inviting for little learners! I fill white plastic “snowball” eggs with word strips and place them in a basket. The matching mats are laid out on the table nearby, ready for kids to open, read, and match each strip to the correct letter or picture. I also set out white pompoms as pretend snowballs so kids can cover their answers on the mats as they go—adding a fun, hands-on touch to phonics practice.
This setup works beautifully for small groups, morning tubs, or even early finishers—and it’s easy to rotate in new skill levels by swapping the strips.
🎥 See Snowball Pick & Match in Action!
Want to see how this winter literacy center works? Watch this quick video to see how the snowball fun unfolds!
How to Use These Centers
Here’s how I use Snowball Pick & Match in real life.
Morning tubs are the perfect time to rotate in a few plastic snowballs for letter or word matching. I set out different levels based on what we’re reviewing that week. During small groups, I use these to target specific phonics needs—CVC for one group, digraphs for another.
For early finishers, this is a favorite. It’s easy to grab and self-check, especially when paired with picture mats. And at home? My kids love hiding the strips inside snowballs or even socks for a cozy learning twist.
💬 Teacher Quotes
“My students were obsessed with this activity. It was like opening a surprise each time!”
— Mrs. L, 1st Grade Teacher
“I used this for my literacy rotations and loved the differentiation built in. So easy to prep too!”
— Ms. B, Kindergarten Teacher
“Perfect for winter! My kids thought it was a game and didn’t realize how much they were learning.”
— Homeschool Mom of 2
❄️ Ready to Try Snowball Pick & Match?
Turn phonics practice into a winter wonderland of learning!
Grab the full set here: 👉 Snowball Pick & Match
❄️Want More Winter Learning Fun?
Grab the Winter Math & Literacy Bundle with 12 hands-on centers for K–1! From snowball CVC words to polar bear measuring, these playful activities make winter skill-building fun.
