Snowmen at Night Activities for Special Education
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Some read alouds just work, year after year. Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner is one of them. It’s funny, it’s predictable enough for students to anticipate what comes next, and it opens the door to a whole week of reading, vocabulary, sequencing and writing. Here are five Snowmen at Night activities that are adapted for students in special education, plus a simple plan for teaching them across one week in December or January.
What is Snowmen at Night about?
A child builds a snowman, then finds him crooked and droopy the next morning. What happened? The book imagines what snowmen do while everyone is asleep: they gather in the park, go sledding and skating, have races and snowball fights, and sip cold cocoa before sneaking back to their yards before sunrise. Mark Buehner’s illustrations even hide little pictures in the snow for students to find.
For special education classrooms, it’s a great pick because:
- The story follows a clear beginning, middle and end, which makes sequencing easier to teach.
- The winter activities in the book (sledding, skating, snowball fights) are familiar and easy to show with real pictures.
- The “what do snowmen do at night?” question gives every student something to say, whether they answer with words, a picture or an AAC device.
- It pairs naturally with a snowman craft, which keeps hands busy and builds fine motor skills.
5 Snowmen at Night activities for special education
1. A whole group read aloud with story visuals
Start the week by reading the book whole group and stopping to talk about the title, the setting, the characters and what happened. Holding up a visual for each story element as you read helps students follow along and gives nonspeaking students a way to answer questions by pointing. Afterward, fill out a story map together so students can see the whole story on one page. Keep the visuals out, because you’ll use them all week.
2. Vocabulary cards and clip cards
Snowmen at Night has rich vocabulary, with words like gather, crooked, anxious and fright. Teach each word with a picture and a simple definition, then practice with matching cards and clip cards. Clip cards double as fine motor practice and make an easy independent center once students know the routine.
3. Sequencing the story
Because the book moves from night to morning, it’s perfect for first, then, next and finally. Students put picture cards in order to retell the story: the snowman is built, he comes to life, the snowmen play all night, and he’s back in the yard looking tired by morning. Students who are ready can add a word or sentence under each picture. If you have students at different levels, give some of them two or three pictures to order and others all four.
4. “If I were a snowman” craft and writing
After reading, ask students what they would do if they were a snowman at night. Students build a simple paper plate or paper snowman, then complete the sentence “If I were a snowman, I would ___” with a picture choice such as go ice skating, go sledding or have a snowball fight. A sentence builder with real picture visuals means every student can write a complete sentence, even students who aren’t writing independently yet. Hang them on a bulletin board for an easy winter display.
5. A leveled comprehension quiz
End the week by checking what students remember. A leveled quiz lets everyone answer the same questions in the way that works for them:
- Level 1: picture answer choices to circle or point to
- Level 2: written answers with picture support
- Level 3: blank responses for students who are ready to write on their own
The quiz also gives you quick data for IEP goals around answering wh- questions, recalling details and retelling.
A simple week with Snowmen at Night
Here’s one way to spread these activities across a week so there’s very little to prep each day:
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday | Read the book whole group with story visuals and fill out the story map together. |
| Tuesday | Reread and introduce the vocabulary words with picture cards. |
| Wednesday | Practice vocabulary with clip cards and matching, then start the snowman craft. |
| Thursday | Finish the craft and sentence, then sequence the story. |
| Friday | Review the story and give the leveled comprehension quiz. |
Each day they bring a little more understanding to the story, and the repetition builds confidence.
Tips for students who need more support
- Bring in real objects. A scarf, a mitten and a mug for cocoa make the story concrete and give students something to hold during the read aloud.
- Use a choice board. Let students answer “What would you do at night?” by choosing from three pictures.
- Pre-cut craft pieces for students who are still building scissor skills, so the focus stays on the story and the sentence.
- Keep the book in your classroom library after the week ends. Students love rereading a story they know well.
Get everything ready to go
Everything above is included in the Snowmen at Night Book Companion: a teacher planning guide with a suggested schedule, whole group visuals, a story map, vocabulary cards, clip cards and matching cards, the craft with real picture visuals, sequencing, and leveled comprehension quizzes. Every activity is differentiated, so you can use it with your whole class.
Planning more than one winter read aloud? The Winter Book Companions Bundle includes Snowmen at Night, How to Catch a Snowman, The Biggest Snowman Ever and Tracks in the Snow, which is a full month of read alouds for less than buying them separately.
Do I need the book?
Yes. Book companions go alongside the book and don’t include any of its text. You can find Snowmen at Night at most school and public libraries, and it’s easy to find in paperback. You can also find Snowmen at Night on Amazon.
More winter read aloud ideas
Teaching all of the winter books? See our How to Catch a Snowman activities, Tracks in the Snow activities and The Biggest Snowman Ever activities. You can also see how one of our SSE Bloggers uses winter book companions in her junior high life skills class, browse every month’s books on the Book Companions page, or add a few winter crafts for special education.
