There’s something magical about snow — the quiet, the sparkle, the surprises hiding just beneath the surface. Who’s Hiding in the Snow? by Katharine McEwen brings that wintry wonder to life in an interactive, lift-the-flap format that’s perfect for curious readers of all ages.
As part of our Little Bookworms series, we’re diving into this snowy adventure with fun, hands-on activities tailored to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children — plus a sensory bin idea the whole family can explore together!
Book Spotlight: Who’s Hiding in the Snow?
This beautifully illustrated book invites little readers to guess who’s hiding behind flaps in snowy scenes. With animals camouflaged in winter habitats and gentle, rhyming text, it’s an engaging introduction to seasonal changes, animal adaptations, and early prediction skills.
Try these ideas with your children!
Infants and Toddlers: At this age, it’s all about engaging the senses and building early language skills:
- Peek-a-Boo Flap Play: Use the book to play peek-a-boo with animals. Pause before lifting the flap and say, “Who’s hiding?” to build anticipation.
- Animal Sounds: Make the animal sounds together (“The owl says hoo-hoo!”) to support early speech and sound awareness.
- Touch and Feel: Bring in real textures (a piece of faux fur for a fox, a feather for a snowy owl) for your child to touch while reading.
Try This at Home: Create a “snowy” sensory bag with hair gel and glitter inside a sealed bag. Let your little one squish it while listening to the story!
Preschool: Preschoolers love to move, explore, and imagine:
- Snowy Animal Hide-and-Seek: Hide small animal toys in cotton balls or shredded paper “snow” and let kids dig to find them, just like the book!
- Winter Habitat Matching Game: Use pictures of animals from the story and have kids match them to their winter homes (burrow, cave, tree).
- Story Retelling: After reading, ask them to tell the story back to you or act it out using puppets or stuffed animals.
Bonus Activity: Make snowy animal masks out of paper plates and play “Who am I hiding in the snow?”
School-age: Older kids can dive deeper into science, storytelling, and literacy connections:
- Animal Research Station: Pick an animal from the book and look up how it survives in winter. Create a mini “Winter Animal Fact Sheet.”
- Write Your Own Flap Book: Encourage kids to write and illustrate their own version: Who’s Hiding in the Forest? or Who’s Hiding in the Garden?
- Rhyme Time: Challenge them to come up with their own winter-themed rhymes or riddles about animals.
Creative Extension: Build snowy animal habitats with blocks or recycled materials and narrate a day in the life of your animal!
For ALL children: Nothing sparks curiosity like a hands-on sensory experience! Here’s a snowy sensory bin inspired by the book that works for any age:
❄️ DIY Snowy Sensory Bin
What You Need:
- Cotton balls, shredded paper, or fake snow
- Animal figurines (foxes, owls, deer, etc.)
- Scoops, small cups, tongs
- Optional: blue gems, snowflake confetti, white pom-poms
How to Play:
- Hide the animals under the “snow”
- Ask questions like: “Can you find someone with feathers?” or “Who’s hiding near the pinecone?”
- Use the tongs for fine motor skill practice (especially great for preschool and up)
- For toddlers, keep it simple with just hands-on exploring
Literacy Tip: Place laminated animal name cards in the bin. As kids find each animal, match the card or try sounding out the name together!