Free Printable Winter Gross Motor Cube for Brain Breaks

Do the words “indoor recess” strike fear in your gut? While visions of screaming, overthrown desks and bean bags hurling across the classroom might be a bit dramatic, there is nothing quite like a bunch of energetic kids stuck indoors for days at a time when cold weather hits and the thermometer won’t rise above zero (ah winter days). Take a brain break with this free printable winter gross motor cube. Kids will love the silly activities and you can easily tie it to other winter themed preschool activities.

this winter themed gross motor brain break cube is sure to be a hit with the kids! a quick activity to get the kids moving during the cold winter months. #brainbreaks #wintertheme #grossmotor

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool

Kindergarten

Supply List
Coordinating Activities

Materials for the Winter Gross Motor Brain Break Cube

Paper
Differentiated Instruction Cube
Laminating Materials (optional)
Paper Cutter

image of an i spy 'flip' game board with a winter theme and playing cards featuring winter images.

make snowflake art using a plastic fork and white paint.

No worries and no need to plan an indoor obstacle course! We’ve got a great way to keep the kids busy.

Winter Gross Motor Dice for Brain Break Activities for Kids is a ready-made indoor activity for kids when we just can’t send them out. It’s easy to prep (print/cut/go), and will get ALL those wiggles out in a safe (no running or jumping) way that works in the smallest of spaces. These gross motor activities are perfect for your winter theme, too!

Materials Needed for the Winter Gross Motor Dice

To prep: Choose from the color or black & white winter gross motor dice. If you do not have a Differentiated Instruction Cube, you can use the DIY cube that is included, but I highly recommend getting the cubes because they can be used in so many ways to customize learning activities for preschoolers.

the sides of the winter gross motor dice cut out to be placed in a foam dice.

Check out more playful learning activities with the Differentiated Instruction Cubes here.

After printing, cut the brain break for kids cards and place one in each photo slot on the cube.

To use the Preschoolers Winter Gross Motor Dice:

Let the kids take turns rolling the cube. After each roll, the whole group will act out the winter activities for kids depicted.

The adorable pictures include:

Shovel the snow
Slip on the ice
Waddle like a penguin
Fall like a snowflake
Melt like a snowman
Roll like a snowball

If you want to save on ink or can’t print in color, there is a set of black and white dice included. Why not work on fine motor skills, too, by having the kids color the pictures after recess!

If you don’t have a cube, you can still implement the winter activity for preschoolers. Just place the cards in a pile upside down and take turns choosing a card.

Other Ideas for Indoor Recess

Art projects keep little hands and minds occupied
Implement winter sensory activities, like playing with cotton balls in the sensory bin or getting out the winter slime
Crank up the music!
Play an active dance video or a stretching/yoga video for kids to follow along
Give free reign of the dramatic play area, or other play areas within the classroom
Play a class game, like “Heads Up-Seven Up,” or “Four Corners.”