Winter Fun
Designed to fit Core Competencies for Early Childhood teachers
Creating an atmosphere for Winter:
Hang snowflakes, birds and skates done by the children from the ceiling.
Regular hot chocolate with names on mugs.
Use washable tempra paints to create a window scene with snowmen using different shapes of sponges.
I’m a little Snowman (Sung to: I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little snowman, short and fat
Here are my buttons, here is my hat
When the sun comes out, I cannot play.
Slowly, I just melt away!
Fingerplay:
Once I had a snowball (make a circle with hands)
And it grew and grew and grew (make circle larger)
Then I made a snowman
To Smile at you and you and you! (point at the children)
Dramatic Play
Put out heavy blankets, warm jackets, hats, mittens and snowsuits for the dolls.
Utilize your outdoor equipment and toys inside such as trucks, bulldozers etc. to plow and haul away “snow.”
Special Activities
Indoor winter picnic – place blankets or towels on the floor. Add a big yellow sun on the wall and beach toys in the area and serve lunch as a snack.
Buy Roxys Hawaiian theme kit and decorate the day care with the Hawaiian items and have them do the projects in the kit.
Beach Party – Bring out the sand toys, the beach blankets, bubbles and even the wading pool for water and sand. Turn up the heat, put on your bathing suits and don’t forget the sun tan lotion. Have Roxys shapeups for a treat.
Popcorn Party – Spread blanket on the floor. Pop Roxys microwave popcorn or serve Roxys crackers for smaller ones. Darken room and put on a favorite video and pretend your at the movies.
Art Activities
Mittens – Pre-fold white construction paper, drop splotches of any color tempra paint onto one side of the paper. Fold together and smooth. Open and let drop. Trace a mitten and cut it out. Add yarn to keep mittens together.
Rice Snowman – Cut out circles and glue on blue construction paper. Spread glue all over the snowman and sprinkle with rice. Let dry.
Pasta Snowflake – Use small pieces of poster board or cardboard. Glue on different pasta shapes. Spray with white paint. Display together to create a winter wonderland feeling.
Hot Chocolate – Trace and cut out a cup pattern. Glue piece of brown construction paper near top of cup. Add marshmallows. Let children decorate cup as they wish.
Indoor Games
Using the children’s’ mittens, fold inside out and have the children form a circle – throw the mittens in the middle and let them find their own, unfold and put on. As each child finishes – reward them with a sticker.
