It started with a song. A song about winter clothes. During the song, we pretended to get dressed. We put on our hats, coat, boots and mittens. And we were ready for a snowball fight! Everyone ripped up pieces of paper. This task is actually more difficult that it sounds. Ripping paper takes skill and practice for little hands. My group were eager for the challenge! After all the paper was ripped they scrunched them into little balls. Then we played a game of copy cat. I place snowballs on the board and everyone tries to copy by putting their snowballs in the same position. Then we had a snowball fiiiiiighhhhhtttttt! Because the snowballs were so cold we used tongs to pick them up. And then...we did it again!!! The tongs were so popular they even made an appearance in the kitchen!
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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.
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!
![]() 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.
The aim of this game was to try and get the "snowball" in the plate. The snowball was a styrofoam ball. I taped foil plates onto the table and we used toilet paper rolls to blow the ball into the plate. Another game we played is called Copy Cat. I used cotton balls (as snowballs, of course) and I positioned them on a board then the class had to copy my picture with their own "snowballs". In another version of this game I asked everyone to copy on their white board what I had made with the cotton balls.
Now what would a winter theme be without hot chocolate. First, everyone cut out the cup and then put glue on the top and sprinkled hot chocolate over it. And of course, we had to add marshmallows! Everyone got 4 to eat (because "We're 4!") and the rest were glued on top. Then they counted how many and wrote the number. Then...hot chocolate for snack!
We played some games in class with winter clothes; hats, mittens, scarves and coats. The first was a relay. One at a time, each child ran to the other end of the room and put one article of clothing on and ran back to the start and then it was someone else's turn. It was soooo much fun! The kids were laughing and cheering each other on! Another day, we used hats, mittens, and scarves to dress a "snowman" (a child). Everyone then had to close their eyes while I changed something on the snowman, an article of clothing. Then I asked one child ( I used the Miss Dawn vs the class game, so that everyone didn't shout out the answer) to tell me what was different about the snowman. This game was a great way to reinforce language skills..."Before the snowman was wearing... and now he is wearing...."
Messy crafts are not for everyone. I thought this craft would be lots of fun but was surprised that not everyone was interested in getting dirty.
I mixed shaving cream and white glue to make "snow". I was quickly told that it was "smelly snow". Everyone was encouraged to play and then on a sheet of paper they could make a snowman. ![]() I love it when the class is excited to start a craft. Today when everyone came in and saw the big tubs and paint on the table they were very curious. I told them the secret would be revealed at circle time. Needless to say everyone was anxious to get to the carpet. When they found out we would be painting snow, there were a few doubts but everyone soon got the hang of it! After painting for awhile I then brought out eye droppers to use to color the snow. I saw colourful volcanos, cookie batter, dirt, rainbows...It was a fun activity. ![]() Okay this picture shows how it started....I brought some snow in the classroom. A little boy said to me, "Miss Dawn, you shouldn't have done that because that snow is going to melt." I said "hmmm, now why would it melt in here and not outside?" Everyone said the snow would melt because it was warm in the classroom and colder outside. And that is how the discussion started. From there we had a great dissusion on how to make snow melt; heat, from our bodies and from the sun, warm wind!, warm water, even salt! These are the things I love about teaching. You can plan one thing and sometimes it turns into something even better. You see, I had planned for next week to do some "experiments" to see how to melt snow but this smart group was way ahead of me. We then started to notice that as the snow melted in our hands that "it changes colour"! Everyone was very excited by this. I explained that it was now kind of transparent or see through. As everyone, was trying to get their snow to "get see through" I encouraged them to try to use the new word...transparent. Later I heard one little boy say to another, "Say transparent, it's the real science word." Ha I love these guys!!! It was a great day! |
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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