Then we checked it two days later….
We have been discussing the snowflakes in our class and how each one is unique. As it is very difficult to see a snowflake close up I suggested we "grow" one! This is a fun experiment with beautiful results. First we made the snowflake using pipecleaners. This required a bit of help. Then it was attached to a string and a pencil. Then we dangled the snowflake in a container. Next we prepared the solution. Together we mixed 6 tablespoons of borax with 2 cups of boiling water. Everyone was very excited to count out their 6 tablespoons! We mixed the borax and water until it dissolved. Having the borax dissolve was an interesting concept for everyone. Then ever so carefully, we poured the solution into the container with the snowflake. Then we checked it two days later…. Voila!! A beautiful snowflake! Each snowflake looked a little different with the crystals varying in size. We used magnifing glasses to examine each snowflake closer. Everyone was very curious to see what was in the solution. With the water now cold they were eager to see if any borax was left. This is what we found in the bottom of the containers… little "crystals" or "snow"! Everyone was almost as excited to find this as they were to see the finished snowflakes.
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Well, it seems we've done a lot with colorful snow!! So of course we had to move outside to see if we could color the snow there too. Luckily the day we chose to go outside was sunny and warm. The snow was perfect for making snowmen. Then I gave everyone squirter bottles. I found bottles at the dollar store and filled them with warm water (so the water does not freeze in the squirter) and food coloring. It was very exciting! Lots of squeals!! Of course there were rules for using the squirter bottles, the biggest being, you can only squirt the snow! Thankfully, everyone was so happy seeing the pretty colors on the snow that this was not a problem. Our colorful snowman!
While painting snow there was some discussion about what it would be like if the snow fell in different colors and how wonderful a snowman might look. There was someone who said maybe if the rainbow fell from the sky we could have a colorful snowman. I love that thought....rainbows falling from the sky. To make colorful snowmen I used wallpaper samples and paint chips to cut out the circles. Making snowmen is a great way to practice sequencing...what goes first, second, third... A rainbow snowman!
![]() We use snow a lot in our room during the winter. There is something exciting about playing with snow inside, it's as if it's forbidden. So it is very strange to use it as a canvas to paint on but the finished product is beautiful! I use watered down paint because it's easier to spread and it soaks into the snow making it easier to mix the colors. The colors are so vibrant against the white snow. For some, it's about trying all the colors. And then mixing them all together! When all is said and done, it makes for a beautiful work of art.
Preschool is filled with all kinds of fine motor activities but I have been trying to put out at least one specific activity that is unusual and works those little muscles. This one turned into a lot of fun. I started with a colander, pipe cleaners and feathers. The idea was to poke the feathers and pipe cleaners into the hole in the colander. But as often happens, the idea took on a mind of its own. As everyone was busy poking things in the holes, I was busy thinking about what else we could use. I remembered these sticks I had and they were the perfect addition to our sculpture. And then I thought of the foam pieces with holes in them. (I often use them for patterns and counting and we put them on pipe cleaners.) They were perfect to add to the sticks! We even got some patterns!! Ta da!!! We talked about what this looked like….a spooky forest, a silly hat (but not a very warm one I was told!!), a jungle…. Everyone was cooperative, engaged and excited. Something so simple, yet so much fun!
![]() A lot of this weeks activities stemmed from this poem. Of course, we spent time reading the poem which teaches many skills; reading from left to right, letter recognition (I often hear, "oh that letter is in my name!"), rhyming. We also acted out this poem with the class. I pretended to make snowmen out of the children and then the sun shone down on them and one by one they all melted. It made for lots of giggles!! Below are a few more activities that we did involving snowmen. Each child made a snowman using the corresponding number of letters in their name. We discussed who had the most letters, the least and who had the same amount. Snowmen painted with marshmellows. Snowmen made with shredded paper. All week we have had snow in our sensory bin. It has been lots of fun to play with. After some discussion about what snow feels like; hard or soft, warm or cold, wet or dry, it was fun to play with this shredded paper as pretend snow. I poured it onto the carpet and we tried to squish it together to make the snowman but everyone agreed that gluing it onto the paper was much easier. But playing with the shredded paper was so much fun I think I will be putting it into the sensory bin to see what else we can do with it. After some discussion about how snowmen melt we decided to try and melt our own. Since we did not have the power of the sun to melt the snowman we used a blowdryer to mimic the sun. What fun!!! We used the thermometer to see how cold the snow was and then put it next to the blowdryer to see how hot it would get. The thermometer was interesting to use and I will definitely be looking for other activities to use it again. ![]() And of course we made a melted snowman! A very fun week!! |
Miss DawnI teach preschool in my home to 3 and 4 year olds. It's a wonderful adventure filled with lots of laughter and learning. Archives
January 2017
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