Winter Games Unplugged Coding for Pre-K Read Aloud STEM Max and Marla

Introduce your littlest learners to coding and Winter Games fun with this Winter Games Unplugged Coding lesson for Pre-K, inspired by Max and Marla by Alexandra Boiger.

In this screen-free coding activity, students use directional arrow cards, start/stop cards, and Winter Games movement cards to “program” a path and act it out with their bodies.

Perfect for preschool, Pre-K, and transitional kindergarten, this low-prep lesson builds body awareness, listening skills, perseverance, and early computational thinking—no devices required.

What Students Do

• Learn that “coding means giving directions” using picture-supported posters and start/stop/arrow cards.
• Help build a path on the floor: Start → arrows → Winter Games card → Stop, then follow the code as the “mover.”
• Act out Winter Games movements like snowboarding, luge, ski jump, skiing, figure skating, bobsled, curling, hockey, and torch holder (balance, jump, sweep, crouch, twirl, etc.).
• Practice trying again when the path is tricky, cheering classmates on, and adjusting their steps to match the directions.
• Use a tracing extension activity to follow movement lines on paper, building fine motor skills and visual tracking.

What’s Included

• Teacher instructions with suggested materials, setup, sample teacher language, and ideas for whole-group or small-group play.
• Clickable link to Canva lesson slides to introduce coding, start/stop, and arrows with visuals.
• “What Is Coding?” poster explaining that coding is giving directions, plus simple class rules for following the cards.
• Large Start, Stop, and directional arrow cards (color and blackline) for building paths on the floor.
• Winter Games action cards featuring snowboarding, luge, ski jump, skiing, figure skating, torch holder, bobsled, curling, and hockey, each with a simple movement prompt.
• Picture direction charts (start–follow–stop and write–look–trace) to support non-readers.
• Optional challenge letter and “Draw what you discovered” page so students can reflect and share their learning.

This Winter Games unplugged coding lesson gives you an easy, movement-rich way to introduce early coding concepts and Winter Games sports while keeping Pre-K learners active, engaged, and building confidence.

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