December: Winter and Snow

Featured December Activities

Making Snowmen:

The children wanted decided that they wanted to make snowmen for inside the classroom, (since we still don't have snow outside the classroom!) To make sure we would have room, the children chose to bring home their superheroes and superhero homes. Then they each chose their materials and assembled them the way they liked best! It's always so amazing to see the creative journey each child takes! Click here to see our Snowman Gallery!

Cutting Snowflakes: fine motor, scissor skills, awareness of symmetry

It is tricky to cut through so many layers of folded paper! Luckily our friends were happy to power through and strengthen their hands once they saw the amazing snowflake designs they could create! Click here to see the gallery of all of our snow-cycle stories!

Picking up Snowballs; fine motor, creative play

Using pinching fingers, the children used the tongs to move small "snowballs" and little winter animals around to create a snowy scene!

Mindful Wintery Coloring; fine motor, self-regulation, light and color exploration

The children worked in groups, or individually to color snowy mandalas on the light table. They were very excited to find that the light shone right through some colors, but was stopped by other colors.

Getting outside!

Watching the world change!

There are a number of old pumpkins and gourds in the garden bins on the playground. We were so excited to see that some are rotting, and some are getting nibbled by the critters who share our playground. We wonder what will happen to them when it snows! We also wonder what will happen to the seeds if we leave them outside. Some friends are curious about what animals might be nibbling. Our guesses include: foxes, mice, squirrels, dogs, and birds.

Letter practice!

In addition to singing the abc's every day, and noticing the letters of our names, we also have been practicing writing letters in corn, and interacting with sensory letters. We have been practicing the letter "a" and all of our consonants! We will start on the other vowels (and short vowel sounds), when we return from break!

Mitten Letter Tracing: Fine motor, Letter recognition

The children picked out letters, often letters from their names or from the names of their friends, and carefully traced each one!

Name Snowpeople: Letter recognition, fine motor, letters in their name

First children painted a snowy background on dark blue paper. Next, they wrote out their whole names, one letter per "snowball." They then assembled their snowperson, putting the letters in the correct order. Finally, they added details like scarves and hats to keep their snowperson cozy!

Initial Sounds on Cozy Hats: Letter recognition, fine motor, isolating initial sounds

Children used clothes pins to choose which word started with the sound on the pompom of the hat!

Math practice!

Snowflake Count: numeral recognition, number concepts, fine motor

Using clothes pins, children have to count the correct number of snowflakes in each "slice" and clip the clothespin with the corresponding numeral to it!

Counting a flurry: numeral recognition, number concepts, ten-ness

Some children practiced different ways to make ten. Other students solved basic subtraction problems using snowflakes!

Featured New Songs and Finger Plays:

The Snowkey Pokey

You put your carrot nose in.

You put your carrot nose out.

You put your carrot nose in,

and you shake 'it all about.

You do the Snowkey Pokey

And you turn your self around.

Thats what it's all about.

You put your top hat in.

You put your top hat out.

You put your top hat in,

and you shake it all about.

You do the Snowkey Pokey

And you turn your self around.

Thats what it's all about.

(Repeat with buttons, stick arms, whole self)

Snowflakes

10 little snowflakes drifting past a pine,

one landed softly and then there were nine.

nine little snowflakes drifting past a gate,

one landed softly and then there were eight.

eight little snowflakes drifting past an eleven,

one landed softly and then there were seven.

Seven little snowflakes drifting past some sticks,

one landed softly and then there were six.

Six little snowflakes drifting past a bee hive,

one landed softly and then there were five.

Five little snowflakes drifting past a door,

one landed softly and then there were four.

Four little snowflakes drifting past a tree,

one landed softly and then there were three.

Three little snowflakes drifting past a shoe,

one landed softly and then there were two.

Two little snowflakes drifting, and having fun,

one landed softly and then there was one.

One little snowflake knows the rhyme is almost done,

she landed softly and now there are… none!

Featured books: