HS Winter Weather

Interest Area Changes to Environment

Mittens Toboggan Gloves Ear Muffs Jacket Animal Tracks File Folder Games Pertaining to Winter Weather Igloos Ice (to water table) Winter Animals Felt Paper Plates Glitter Thermometer Shredded Paper Globe Weather Chart

Teaching Concepts for Large Group

1.  What is winter? 2.  What months are in winter? 3.  How do animals prepare for winter? 4.  How should we dress for winter? Why? 5.  What makes snow? 6.  What is the difference in frost and in snow? 7.  What are some snow safety tips? 8.  What do animals do in winter? Hibernate 9.  How do polar animals stay warm? From their blubber.

Teaching Concepts for Small Group

1.  Freeze small toy dinosaurs (or other toys) into Ice cubes and then let your children use a small mallet to break them out. 2.  Write numbers on mittens, have your children hang the mittens on a clothesline in numerical order, reverse numerical order, by 2s, etc. 3.  Cut out several different mitten colors from felt and features on them so that there are exactly two mates. Let your children match them on a felt board. 4.  File folder games mentioned above. 5.  Paper plate snowman 6.  Make snowflakes out of Q Tips. 7.  Patterns using snowflakes, animals tracks, mittens, etc..

Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL

1.  Winter Iceskating Transform your room into an imaginary frozen pond or skating rink. Give the children two pieces of wax paper that they are to stand on. Have the wax paper pre-cut ahead of time. Remind the children that the paper is slippery and the magical skates will work better if they glide, keeping their feet firmly planted on the wax paper. Play some waltzing music and have the children ‘feel’ the music and skate around. 2.  The Winter Pokey Tune: The 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 winter pokey, (shiver) And you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about! You put your left mitten in You put your right boot in You put your left boot in You put your long scarf in You put your warm cap in You put your snowsuit in 3.  Pass the Ice Like Hot Potato but using an ice cube instead

Teaching Concepts for Fingerplays

1.  Five Little Snowmen Tune: Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate 5 little snowmen sitting on the ground, (pat hands on floor) The first one said, “Oh my, aren’t we round.” (make circle with arms) The second one said, “There are snowflakes in the air.” (wiggle fingers above head) The third one said, “But we don’t care.” (shrug shoulders) The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run. (pat hands quickly on the floor) The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun.” (smile) “Whew” went the wind (blow) and out came the sun (make circle with arms over head) And the five little snowman knew their fun was done.(pretend you’re melting) 2.  Snowball I made myself a snow ball as perfect as could be. I thought I’d keep it as a pet and let it sleep with me. I made it some pajamas and a pillow for its head. Then, last night it ran away. But first — it wet the bed. 3. Jack Frost The temperature is freezing! It’s less than thirty-two. Cause look who’s on my window, It’s Jack Frost, that’s who! 4.  Ten Little Snowmen (tune to:  Monkeys Jumping on the Bed) 10 little snowmen riding on a sled, One fell off and bumped his head, Frosty called the doctor and the doctor said, No more snowmen riding on that sled! You can make this a count down song if you like. 9 little snowmen riding on a sled… 5.  Jack Frost The temperature is freezing! It’s less than thirty-two. Cause look who’s on my window, It’s Jack Frost, that’s who! 6. Mittens for Snow Time Mittens, mittens for the snow time, when the world is white. Mittens for my two hands, (hold up hands) Mittens left and right (show left & right) Mittens with a thumb place (show thumb) Mittens warm and snug Mittens make me feel like a bug inside a rug (hug self)

Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences

1.  Pin the carrot on the snowman. 2.  Snowball fight. No snow? Use old rolled up socks or newspaper. 3.  Pretend to be snowflakes.

CLASS Concepts

Allow children predict and experiment what will melt ice the fastest, just rock salt, just water, or both. Prepare three pie pans of ice, one for the rock salt, one for the water, and one for the salt water mixture. Make a chart for the children’s predictions and for the outcomes of their experiment.  Ask them how they think what they learned from the experiment could be useful in their lives? You may have to offer hints by asking them to think about icy roads, or water puddles that might freeze in the parking lot.  The next day, place a frozen block of ice containing a plastic toy in the sensory table or plastic tub. Supply containers of rock salt and water and encourage children to apply previous knowledge to melt the ice cube. Remember to supervise and ask lots of open ended questions! Ask children to describe the difference between liquid and solid objects. Engage children in graphing the daily weather.  Assist children in reading the outside thermometer and recording observations in a weather journal.

Teaching Concepts for Distance Learning

1. Indoor Blizzard

Make 10 homemade crunched paper balls. Get laundry baskets, boxes, or pillows. Put all the balls in the middle of the play area. Place laundry baskets, boxes, or pillows around the room creating a circle of targets. Place them far enough away to make tossing to them a challenge, but close enough to hit. Ask child if he/she knows what a blizzard is.... what does it look like, what does it feel like? Tell them they are going to make a blizzard by tossing the balls to all the targets. After tossing at one target, pick up another ball and toss at a new target. Continue tossing at different targets until all 10 balls have been tossed. Challenge the child to do the task quickly then to slow down and focus more on hitting the target. Challenge him/her to toss overhand and underhand.

2. Winter Wilderness Walk

Go for a winter wilderness walk. As you walk, take deep breaths.

3. Winter Rock Party

Turn on the music and dance until you feel your heart beating really fast.

4. Moving Like the Weather

Plan to go for a walk around your home, back and forth across the yard or park, or through your neighborhood. Play indoors by marching, dancing, or running in place instead of walking. Talk about different types of weather. Create a fun motion to go along with each type of weather. For example: Sunny day: turn your body in a big circle and move slowly up and down. Windy day: reach your arms up high and wave them slowly up and down. Tornado: turn quickly in circles. Blizzard: sway back and forth from side to side.