Brr It's Cold - Part 1

This month has me so excited because I love winter.  We are touching on the arctic (people and animals), and the usual wintry things.

Sensorial

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/SnowSnowmen.htm has a ton of snowflake and snowmen activities.  I saw this on http://mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/ and knew it would be perfect. 

I presented this activity as a 3-part lesson and then did an extension having Mister and Ladybug find something in the room that was a sphere, cube, and cylinder.

Biggest to smallest snowflakes

Math



A refresher for counting since we took the month of December off.

Mister and Ladybug did their first dot-to-dot at preschool and enjoyed it, so I included it on our shelf.  The mat is from Lakeshore Learning (sorry no link).

Practical Life

What do we wear in the winter?  http://www.makingfriends.com/f_Friends.htm has paper dolls for all the seasons and holidays.  Mister and Ladybug have been dressing these people for a few days.

Art

How to Draw a Snowman.  Mister and Ladybug loved this activity.  It was the first time they have had to follow directions like these and I probably assisted more than I should have.



Where Does It Belong Now?

Yesterday I posted about a purple and red color match and how well the Wee One did, so I took it a step further.

I taped down paint chips on a baking sheet and put a basket of magnetic letters for matching colors.  The letters are c, m, a, t, and s.  I chose those letters (except for s) because it is one of the ways letters can be grouped  to introduce.  While I don't expect her to pick up on the letters, I want her to become familiar with their shape.

 My original idea was to have her match paint chips to paint chips, but sometimes plans change when a certain Ladybug decides to practice writing her letters.



Where Does It Belong?

A few months ago I started color boxes and activities, but the Wee One didn't take to it like I thought.  I put colors on the back burner and focused on things she did like.  I admit I was a little disappointed because Mister and Ladybug loved learning about colors and I was excited to do all coloring, painting, and color exploration I had done with them.  However, while reading a book I was surprised to find that she knew her colors, so I took the opportunity to do a color matching activity.

I taped a red rectangle and a purple construction paper rectangle to the floor and on half-way across the room I put a bucket of red and purple objects for sorting.  I purposely filled it with more objects than I thought she would do just in case this was a home run.



Placing the bucket across the room satisfied her need for carrying and grouping objects in other locations.

Before we started we walked over to the colors and I said, "This is red" and we touched the red.  We repeated with purple.  I showed her the bucket and told her to pick something and take it to the rectangles.   She correctly matched many of items, but insisted that I come with her each time.  After 10 minutes she was distracted by a squirrel and didn't return to our game, but I consider it a success. 

Squirrel distraction

Now, the quetion is do I do some of those activities that I had planned, or do I move onto something new?

Wordless Wednesday - My Nursling

January Sensory Bin - Brrr, It's Cold!

I like to joke that we live in the tundra when people ask me what the weather is like where we live.  It's cold, so cold that sometimes the snow sounds cold.  I can only imagine what it would be like to actually live in the tundra...actually I don't want to imagine.

Since we are in the coldest month of year, it's only fitting to have an Arctic Sensory Bin. 

What's Inside:

• Clear beads - pony and decorative
• Arctic Toob
• Pom-poms - white and blue
• 4 Snowmen - S-N-O-W
• Cotton balls
• Snowflake bucket - Target $ bin
• Mini bells
• Spoons
• Tongs

I love when the sun shines in the bin sparkles like ice and how many of the animals are camouflaged.

Edit :  Ladybug suggested we add silver sparkly pipecleaners for icicles. 

Do You Fun Do?

This was the Second Annual Fun Do New Year's Eve Party and it was a huge success.  Everyone had a blast eating fun do (fondue) and sushi, having special kid drinks (champagne for mom and dad), and a dance party.  Ladybug told me as she was going to bed that, "She just felt like her body wanted to play." 

Fun Do Recipe - Courtesy of our local grocery store (The Mister pulled an "audible" when this recipe was suggested by the cheese lady)

8 oz. Prima Donna Fino cheese (grated)
8 oz. sour cream]
8 oz. cream cheese
3 tablespoons brandy

Preheat oven to 350 and combine all the ingredients.  Bake for 30 minutes and serve with apple slices, vegetables (I liked the yellow pepper and my husband like the mushrooms), bread, and ham or other cooked meats.

Ladybug loved the ham and bread.

Mister loved it all!

Completing the Look

No New Year's Eve party would be complete without party hats!  We used the Martha Stewart Party Hats and if you have ever done a M.S. project you will know it's not kid approved.  To speed up time we used a hot glue gun and a paper punch. 

I am good with visual step-by-step instructions and M.S. doesn't offer visual instructions, so if you are like me here they are.

You need two nine-inch circles (child size) and overlap one third of the way.

At 7 o'clock and 5 o'clock (per M.S.) punch or slit two holes and insert 12" ribbon.  To make the hat you wrap in a circle until you have your desired shape. 

Our finished NYE party hats!  Mister put so much glue and glitter that my husband had to hold up his hat.  Once again the Wee One was interested in glitter only.