WINTER
Catch a snowflake:
If you live in a snowy area this is a great and education idea.
On a snowy day give each child a peice of black construction paper. Have them hold it out to catch the snowflakes! The white against the black is very brilliant. If you have a magnifying glass use it to look at the flakes more closely.
1. How Snowflakes form--Water droplets freeze into tiny ice crystals.
2. The ice crystals stick together to make snowflakes
3. Soon the flakes are too heavy to stay in the cloud. They fall to the ground.
4. Each snowflake has six points. (unless they break on the way down) count them with the kids!
�
Winter Snow Chart(math skill)
Make a small chart so you can fill in a square for each day it snows.
Keep track of each day that it snows. You can either document this over a few months or a few weeks. the kids get a kick out of being little meterologists!
Snow awareness
Talk to the kids about winter, snow sleet, blizzards etc...
Ask them what kinds of things can you do in your area during the winter season, that other places in the country cannot. Here in Minnesota we sled, ice skate, mush and make snowmen. but in Arizona you may go swimming, hiking etc... show the kids a map and try to explain the difference about winter nationwide.
"Snow" treats
After a snowfall go out and find some "CLEAN" snow and pour over some fruit juice to make snowtreats.
If you do not have snow, shave or crush some ice and pour juice over that and talk about snow.�
Boot mix-up
Bring in all the boots (hopefully dried off) put them into a pile in the middle of the floor.
Tell the kids that when you blow the whistle they are to go to the boots and find their boots and put them on as fast as they can.
You can the add their gloves to the pile...hats...scarves etc.
It gets rather chaotic and loud but they have a blast matching and dressing fast!!! A great activity to use some of that energy during a frigid day when they cannot get out!
Birdfeeder. Have students to Make a Pinecone Bird Feeder. As a follow-up to making feeders, hang them outside a preschool room window and keep track of the birds that visit.
You will need the following.
Pinecones
Peanut butter
Shortening
Cornmeal
Birdseed
Fishing line, string or yarn
Wrap and tie string to top of pinecone. Mix peanut butter, shortening, (such as bacon fat or
melted suet), and cornmeal. Then, spread the mixture onto a large pinecone. Hang your bird feeder
in a spot where you can watch the birds eat. Note: If you use smooth instead of chunky peanut butter (see below), you may want to mix in a little bird seed for added interest and enjoyment.
Did you know? Birds have trouble digesting peanut butter! It can also get stuck in their beaks.
This is why bird experts recommend the addition of shortening and cornmeal when preparing
homemade birdfeeders of this type.
Wintery Sun Catcher
This craft came from theideabox.com
styrofoam meat tray
string
marbles
leaves, sticks, metalic confetti, etc...
Half fill tray with water. Lay string in tray with about 4 inches in
the water and about 6 inches out of the water. Add tid bits of miscellanious
like pretty leaves or berries, marbles, yarn, whatever! Lay the tray outdoors
on a cold winter night so that water freezes. Remove the frozen contents
of the tray the next morning and hang outside in front of a window or from
a tree. So pretty when the light catches it! And don't forget those fun
science lessons: The water expanded as it froze. At what temperature will
it begin to melt? How many days in a row does YOUR sun catcher hang without
melting? That many days below freezing!)
Note: if your climate isn't cold enough to freeze at night, you can
put tray into the freezer.
Copyright � 1998,
House of Hugs Inc. All rights reserved.
Direct comments or
suggestions regarding this web site to: Stephanie
This site is designed
and maintained by Hughouse Creations.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/8004/
