Crafts:
Paper snowflakes:
Items needed--computer printer paper, scissors, hole puncher
Hold the computer printer paper horizontally and fold in half, turn it so it is horizontal again and fold in half again. Turn horizontal again, and fold the top corner down to meet the bottom. You will then have something that looks like a triangle and a long rectangle. Cut from the top side of the triangle down to the bottom without entering the rectangle. You will end up with a cone shape. (If you are having trouble you may email [email protected] and I can send you the worksheet I used for directions.) Make different cuts to make different designs just be careful not to cut all the way through or across. When finished cutting unfold. Tape them to the windows!
Make a winter streamer.
Items needed:
String, Paper snowflakes
Cut out several paper snowflakes and string them together to make a winter streamer to decorate your room!
3-D Snowman
Items needed:
Blue construction paper, white paint, sponge, glitter, button eyes, pompoms, popcorn, pipecleaners, blackbeans
Sponge paint a snowman shape. Cut mittens from folded construction paper and glue. Use construction paper scraps or buttons, cloth, beans, beads, popcorn, etc. to create a face, hat, and buttons.
Paper Bag Penguins:
Items needed:
lunch bag, crayons or markers, scissors, glue. Color and cut out penguine head and body. Glue the body to the lunch bag under the flap. Glue the head to the lunch bag flap. Put your hand into the bag to move the head of the penguin.
Sock snowman
Using a white tube sock, turn inside out. Stuff the very bottom 1/2 with beans and the rest with stuffing. Tie the top and fold the sock over. Then divide the snowman into three balls with two strings. Add a baby sock for a hat and add buttons, ribbons, etc to decorate.
Math:
Graphing: Graph favorite winter activities.
Brain storm with your child about some fun winter activities (ice skating, snow angels, making snowmen, sledding, snow ball fights, etc). Make a graph including these activities, leave some space for additional activities. Ask family/friends what their favorite winter activity is, graph it! Be sure to share the results.
Science:
Freeze water!
Put water in different containers (plastic, glass, metal). Check often, note which one freezes fastest. Discuss why that is.
Salt and Sand:
Make ice cubes, fill 2 medium sized bowls with ice cubes. Have child sprinkle sand on one set of ice cubes and salt on the other. What effect does the salt have? What effect does the sand have?
Examine Ice!
Ask the children if they think their is air in ice. Using a magnifying glass examine ice cubes, notice the air pockets inside them.
Sensory Activities:
Shaving cream! On a tray, or in the sink/tub, spray out some shaving cream (the real cream stuff, not gel). You can buy this really inexpensively. Let the children play in the shaving cream snow. Easy cleanup!
Ice! My children love to play in ice. I put it in a bowl, or just dump the contents of the ice maker into the sink. They'll play for a long while, until they lose feeling in their fingers!
Packing peanut snow! (for those of you not afraid of a mess!) Get a big bag of packing peanuts, dump them out and let them at it!
Poetry:
A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny
And what do you suppose
That hungry little bunny
Looking for his lunch
Ate that little snowman�s nose
Nibble, nibble, crunch
Songs:
"Dance Like Snowflakes" (Tune of: Are You Sleeping?)
Dance like snowflakes, Dance like snowflakes
In the air, in the air
Whirling, twirling snowflakes
Whirling, twirling snowflakes
Here and there, Here and there
"Frost" (Tune of: The Farmer in the Dell)
The frost is on the roof (make roof with hands)
The frost is on the ground (point to floor)
The frost is on the window (Make a window with hands)
The frost is all around (make large circles with hands)
"Snowflakes Falling Down" (Tune of: Row Row Row Your Boat)
Snowflakes falling down
Falling on the ground
Great, big white flakes
That do not make a sound
"Five Little Snowflakes"
Five little snowflakes
Dancing here and there
Then one little snowflake blew away in the air!
Four little snowflakes
Dancing here and there
Then one little snowflake blew away in the air!
Continue to zero.
"The Snowkey Pokey" (Tune of: Hokey Pokey)
You put your right mitten in,
You take your right mitten out
You put your right mitten in
and you shake it all about
You do the snowkey pokey
and you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about! *clap clap*
Other verse possibilities:
boots, hats, scarf, "snow"self
"I'm a Little Snowman" (Tune of: I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little snowman
short and fat
here are my buttons, here is my hat.
When the sun comes out, I cannot play
I just slowly melt away!