Let’s make a snowman!

SNOWFLAKE SONG

I love this song!!! You can play it while teaching about winter, snowflakes, snowman…

      

WINTER SENSORY BINS

This is the second year I include seasons-themed sensory bins in my lessons, and I’m really happy about the way they work in the classroom. My kids have fun playing with them while developing their language and fine motor skills. Also, I´ve been reading about the importance of providing kids with sensory stimuli, so I plan a sensory play lesson for every season (autumn, winter, spring and summer) with my 3-year-olds.

This time I prepared two winter-themed bins. The first one was filled with cotton balls, cotton filling, different-sized porexpan balls, some white stones and a few animal figurines (penguins, polar bears and seals). I also put some clothespins in there in case they wanted to use them for moving the cotton balls around.

The second bin was filled with Epsom salt. You can see animals and some glittery strips in the picture here, but I took them out later as they were a bit of a distraction from the sensory experience I wanted it to be. Kids just loooved burying their hands in the “snow” and making “snow castles”. Epsom salt is a great material for this as it has a very pleasant touch and the colour is just like real snow. You can store it and use it again later, as long as you put several net pouches (the ones used for small gifts) with rice in it to absorb the humidity.

We have 25 kids in each class so you have to plan and organize this kind of activities really well. My kids played in each bin in groups of five for about 10 minutes. While 2 groups were playing, the rest were doing something else with another teacher.

To learn about the importance of sensory play you can read THIS. You can also read about my AUTUMN and SPRING sensory bins.

WINTER CRAFTS

Here are some cute and “doable” winter related crafts I found on Pinterest:

Footprint snowmen:

 

Winter tree collage:

 

Handprint snowmen craft:

 

Puzzle piece snowflake:

 

Plastic bottle penguins:

 

Snowflake making patterns:

GLUE SNOWMAN

I love this idea for a Christmas gift! Make a snowman out of glue, beads, paper, twigs…

http://www.crafts-for-all-seasons.com/snowman-glue-craft.html

COLOUR CLOTHES AND DRESS UP PAPER DOLLS

You can colour and cut out these clothes and paper dolls and use them to play games while teaching the complicated subject of clothing, winter/summer, the weather, etc.

MORE CHRISTMAS COLOURING/CRAFTS

Here are some more pictures you can have your kids colour for Christmas, or make a craft out of them (glue cotton to the stocking and paint it with finger paint; print out two copies of the Christmas tree and make a 3-dimentional tree as shown in the small picture in the corner, have kids paint and decorate it, etc.)

SNOWMAN WORKSHEET

I used this with my 5-year-olds last year.

First, colour the body parts and clothing at the bottom. Them punch them out or cut them out. Follow the line to cut the lower part of the paper as you won’t be needing it any more. Extend some glue over the snowman figure and cover it with some cotton. That way it’s all fluffy and resembles real snow.  Glue all the parts you cut out in their places and you’re done.

SNOWMAN SOCK CRAFT

What a cute and apparently simple craft! You’ll only need some socks.

http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/SockCraftsforKids.html#snowman

SNOWFLAKE CRAFT

This lovely craft is a also way of involving your students in decorating the classroom and helps everyone get in a christmasy and wintery mood. It works nicely with older kids.

You can work on it while listening to the beautiful Snowflake song.

http://www.kidspot.com.au/Christmas-Christmas-crafts-Paper-snowflakes+6251+117+article.htm