Make learning s or es fun and engaging with this plural nouns activity. This snowman activity is perfect for kindergarten and first grade students. Simply print the s or es worksheets and you have cute winter activities on singular and plural nouns.
Plural Nouns Activity
Teaching plural endings like -s and -es can be tricky for kids, but turning it into a game makes it so much easier—and way more fun! This snowman-themed -s and -es words activity is a great way to help kids master these grammar rules while sneaking in some writing practice too.
Last week, I tried this activity with my small group of kindergartners and grade 1 students – they loved it! One of them proudly declared, “I know this snowman’s rule!” It’s the kind of moment that reminds me why I love teaching. Let me show you how you can use this activity to make learning about plural words fun and interactive for your students.
Looking for more practice? Grab this pencil s or es worksheet with answers, free contraction worksheets, or thousands of fun language arts worksheets!
s or es
Teaching plurals can seem overwhelming, but breaking it into bite-sized steps makes it easier.
When to Add -s
We add -s to most words to make them plural. For example:
- cat → cats
- book → books
When to Add -es
We use -es when the word ends in certain letters: -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z. For example:
- bus → buses
- box → boxes
Having a chart or visual cue really helps kids see the patterns. For example, write “-s” and “-es” endings in different colors to help them remember the rules.
Activities on singular and plural nouns
How to Use This Activity Step by Step
Step 1: Prep the Printable
Download and print the snowman-themed sheets. You’ll get:
- Two sheets with words for sorting (-s and -es endings).
- Two blank sheets where you can add your own words or let the kids create their own.
Each snowman has a space to sort snowballs and write the plural form of the word. Laminate the sheets if you want to reuse them with dry-erase markers.
Step 2: Explain the Rules
Start by reviewing the rules for when to add -s and -es. Write examples on the board and say them aloud together. I like to ask the kids to “catch the tricky words” that need -es—they feel like detectives solving a puzzle!
Step 3: Introduce the Activity
Hand out the sheets and snowballs with words. Explain that the snowmen are organizing their snowballs by the rules:
- Snowman 1 gets all the words that take -s.
- Snowman 2 gets all the words that need -es.
Step 4: Model Sorting
Take one snowball and read the word (e.g., “box”). Ask the group, “Does this end in one of our tricky letters? What should we add to make it plural?” Then place it under the correct snowman.
Step 5: Let Them Try
Now, it’s their turn! Have them cut out the snowballs and sort them into the correct piles. After sorting, ask them to write the plural forms on the snowballs using the correct ending.
Step 6: Check Their Work
Once everyone’s finished, go over the answers together. This is a great time to clear up any confusion and celebrate their successes.
Extension Activities
Want to keep the learning going? Here are some ideas to extend the activity:
s or es worksheets
Use the blank sheets to have kids come up with their own singular words. Encourage them to pick tricky ones like “brush” or “fox” to challenge their classmates!
This -s and -es words activity is perfect for helping kids master plural rules in a fun, hands-on way. It’s engaging, builds confidence, and sneaks in some grammar practice without feeling like “work.”
If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how your little learners enjoy it.
Don’t forget to grab your free printable and let those snowmen sort their snowballs!
Winter Printables
- Huge packs iwth a variety of skills: Snowman Worksheet, free winter worksheets for preschoolers, flashcards with winter vocabulary for kids
- Check out even more ideas in this Winter Theme
- Penguin Activities for Penguin Awareness Day on January 20th
- Simple Winter Coloring Pages, free January coloring pages
- Winter Worksheets for Preschoolers
- Don’t miss these fantastic Winter Read Alouds, fun Winter Picture Books, or these Winter Books for Preschoolers
- Roll and Dab Winter Activity Sheets or these winter printables to learn color words with bingo markers
- Winter Worksheets for Kindergarten and Preschoolers
- Arctic Animals Worksheets -huge pack with math and literacy skills for toddler, pre-k, kindergarten, and first graders
- Winter Birds Worksheet for working on letters, counting, addition, and more! (huge pack!)
- Penguin Life Cycle WOrksheet Pages
- Sequencing How to Build a Snowman Worksheets, free hot chocolate sequencing activity
- winter lego challenge printable
Plural Nouns Printable
Before you grab your free pack you agree to the following:
- This set is for personal and classroom use only.
- This printable set may not be sold, hosted, reproduced, or stored on any other website or electronic retrieval system.
- Graphics Purchased and used with permission from
- All material provided on this blog is copyright protected.
