Once upon a time, there was a country surrounded by hills, rivers and the countryside. In the west of this country, it was always hot while in the sea, it was always cool. One winter, the country experienced the coldest winter ever. The river froze and the hills were covered in snow. Despite the harsh cold, the children of the country still went outside to play. They slid down the hills on their sleds and threw snowballs at each other. After a long day of playing, they went back home to warm up by the fire with hot cocoa. The next morning, they woke up to find that the sun had melted all the snow. They ran outside to play in the sunshine, grateful for the warm winter day. And so, the children learned to appreciate the change of seasons and the beauty of nature in their country.

Reflections

• What do you think the children felt when they saw the hills covered in snow?
• Have you ever experienced a winter as cold as the one in this story?
• What did the children do to warm up after playing outside in the snow?
• Why do you think it was important for the children to appreciate the changing seasons?
• Can you think of other fun activities that the children might have done in the countryside during the winter?