This week in the Blue Room we wrapped up our exciting theme of winter with some extra-special activities.

We began the week by making wintry placemats with snowflake stamps.  At the science center, we melted an ice block with salt, using pipettes to add water to help the melting along.

We read some of our favorite winter books and played with fluffly snow-like shaving cream.  We colored with the cool colors of blue and purple on snowman and snowflake paper, adding glittery snowflake stickers.  We had polar bears on an ice floe to play with, and even a little penguin zoo!

We played games and ran on the meadow, and everyone participated in the movement fun in Music class!  We listened to some classical music, and the different pieces dictated whether our scarves would move slowly or quickly as we waved them in the air.

The highlight of our week was when Teacher Kate built an indoor ice-skating rink.! The children took turns being the staff at the skating rink, while the customers lined up with their tickets in hand.  "Skating" with our hats and mittens on was so much fun that we hardly wanted to stop for lunch.  At the art center we made colorful ice skates, even adding laces and shiny silver blades.

We ended the week with the book The Luckiest Snowball, in which Larry the snowball stays in a little boy's freezer for a year so that he can come out just long enough to see what spring, summer and fall look like.  Each child took home a removable little Larry the snowball on their winter placemat, so that he can see what their rooms look like at home!

Next week we will begin preparing for Night School by learning about nocturnal animals.  There are so many wonderful animals that are awake while we are sleeping.  So make sure to get batteries for your little flashlights, as Night School is only two weeks away!