Winter Facts for Kids
- Winter is one of the four seasons.
- The four seasons include Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.
- Winter begins on the Winter Solstice.
- In the Northern Hemisphere (live above the equator) this happens in December around the 21st.
- In you live in the Southern Hemisphere (live below the equator) this happens in June.
- The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year. Not the shortest hours, but the shortest hours of daylight.
- Why is it cold in the Winter?
- The Earth orbits around the Sun. It takes 365 days for the Earth to make its trip around the sun.
- While the Earth is orbiting the Sun it is tilted on its axis.
- During the Winter the Earth is tilted away from the sun.
- Because the Earth is titled away from the Sun, The rays from the sun to have to travel further through the atmosphere before it reaches the Earth’s surface. Since it takes longer, the hours of daylight are shorter and the temperature is colder.
- Did you know that the Earth is actually closest to the sun between January 3 and January 5th? Well it is, it just doesn’t feel warm because the Earth is tilted away from the Sun.
- Some animals including bears and chipmunks hibernate in the winter.
- Hibernate means to stay inside in a state of rest.
- There are many holidays celebrated in the Winter. Some include Christmas, New Year’s, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and Groundhog Day.
- During the Winter it usually snows.
- Did you know that Chionophobia is the fear of snow. Click here to read more facts about snow.