Winter Reading Books for Kids: Have A Winter Reading Challenge

I love coming up with some fun winter reading books for kids. When the twins were younger, we always had a winter reading challenge. They had so much fun with it and it became a game to them.

I loved it because the winter reading challenge made them interested in reading. Plus, they were learning as they were reading.

It was a win-win for everyone. We still do reading challenges now that they are older, the challenges just became a little more challenging.

If you’re looking for general books, you may like these fun 3rd-grade books for kids.

Winter Reading Books for Kids

Ready to take on the winter reading challenge? This free printable winter activity for kids will have them reading as they finish the challenge. Download the free printable below!

If you are wondering what winter reading books for kids to go along with the winter reading challenge, here are a few ideas.

Winter Books About Snowmen:

• The Snowman’s Song – A snowman wants to be able to sing Christmas carols. To get his singing voice, he has a little unexpected help from a cardinal and a little girl.
• How to Catch a Snowman – A snowman that has been built and entered into a contest runs away. Will the kids be able to catch him?
• The Biggest Snowman Ever – When the mayor announces a snowman contest, Clayton and Desmond try to make the biggest snowman ever.
• Freddie the Farting Snowman – Who knew that snowmen farted? This is a fun picture book about Freddie, the snowman who farts.

Books About Polar Bears:

• Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (Brown Bear and Friends) – Remember the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?.. Well, this is similar, just with polar bears!
• Polar Bear Island – Parker, the mayor of Polar Bear Island learns that inclusivity is fair in this playful and lighthearted story that will delight children.
• National Geographic Readers: Polar Bears – Kids will learn all about polar bears!
• A Polar Bear in the Snow – With this book kids will follow a magnificent polar bear through a fantastic world of snow and shockingly blue sea. 

Books with a Snowstorm:

• When the Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall – With young, rhyming verse and bright illustrations, this is a fun book that captures the joy and excitement of a big snowfall.
• Chicken Girl and the Big Snow – Elzie can’t wait until the snow gets here. She has all kinds of things planned when it does, but is shocked at how much snow they actually get!
• Snow Night – Young Michael goes to sleep dreaming of a snow day, only to awaken to bare roads and clear skies. Then, while he is at school, the snow starts piling up.

Books with Igloos in It:

• Curious George Builds an Igloo – Curious George is always up to something, this winter, he is building an igloo.

Books About Hibernation:

• Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! – It’s time for Big Bear to hibernate, so Old Man Winter keeps telling him: “Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep.” But Big Bear doesn’t hear very well. He thinks Old Man Winter has told him to drive a jeep, to sweep, and to leap.
• Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story – Follow a child and his grandma through a winter landscape to explore how the Earth goes to sleep for winter and spot the sleeping animals.
• Hibernation Station – Everybody at the station! It’s time for winter hibernation! This is a fun rhyming book for kids about how animals go into hibernation.

Books with Kids Playing in the Snow:

• Daniel Plays in the Snow: Bundle up with Daniel as he plays in the snow.
• Snow Play – Snow means crazy creatures to build, challenging games to play, and outrageous spaces to sculpt. Snow play shows kids how much fun snow can be!
• Let’s Play in the Snow: A Guess How Much I Love You Storybook – The Nutbrown Hares are playing I Spy as they hop through the snow. Kids will love following along to see what the Nutbrown Hares see!

Books About Friendship:

• The Magic of Friendship Snow – Jojo looks around and everyone seems to have friends but her.  She feels sad and lonely.  Then, Jojo meets Puddles, the snowman who is made with magic friendship snow.
• Share a Little Kindness – A children’s book about doing good in the world

Books About A Gingerbread Man:

• The Gingerbread Man – “Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” Follow the gingerbread man as he runs as fast as he can.
• The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School – When a class leaves for recess, their just-baked Gingerbread Man is left behind. But he’s a smart cookie and heads out to find them.
• The Gingerbread Girl – The lonely old woman and the lonely old man decide to bake a gingerbread girl this time, but when they open the oven, she runs off as her brother did.

Books About Penguins:

• Be Brave, Little Penguin – Little Penguin Pip-Pip would love to join in with all his friends swimming in the sea, but there’s just one problem . . . he’s scared of water. Can he be brave enough to join them?
• Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups – Poor Little Penguin has a major case of the hiccups. He tries everything to get rid of them but just can’t! Or does he?
• If You Were a Penguin – In this simple, rhyming picture book, the youngest readers will learn about penguins. 
• Peggy Gets a New Set of Feathers – A pensive penguin gets through a challenging transition with the help of her community.

These books are all so much fun. They will go great with the winter reading challenge so they make great winter reading books for kids!

Download the Winter Reading Challenge