SNOWMEN- TIPS FOR TOTS TUESDAY JAN 12th

At preschool in January I would base our themes around winter. We would cover snowmen, snowflakes, penguins and polar bears. If we were lucky we would get some snow in which we could bring in and put into the water table with snow animal figurines. The next three weeks I will cover the topics above. Today we will start with SNOWMEN

CIRCLE ACTIVITIES- SONGS, POEMS and FELT STORIES

FIVE LITTLE SNOWMEN (to the tune of five little monkeys)

Five little snowmen sledding on a sled, one fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called Frosty and Frosty said, "no more snowmen sledding on the sled."

(continue until you get down to one snowman, then sing...)

One little snowman sledding on the sled, he fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called Frosty and Frosty said, "Put some helmets on their heads."

I AM A LITTLE SNOWMAN

I am a little snowman
I am so fat and round
I started from a snowflake that fell upon the ground

I have two buttons for my eyes
a great big scarf of red
I have a carrot for my nose
a hat upon my head

Watch me as I     m  e  l   t     to the ground
I don't even make a sound

I'M A LITTLE SNOWMAN (to the tune of I'm a little Teapot)

I'm a little snowman short and fat

Here are my buttons (point to chest) and here is my hat (touch top of head)

When the beaming sun come out (hold hands over head to make a sun)

I can't stay (shake head no)

I just   s l o w l y   melt away (melt down to the ground)

SNOWFLAKES (to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down.
On to the trees and on the ground.
I will build a man of snow,
Tall black hat, and eyes of coal.
If the sun comes out today,
I will watch you melt away


SNOWMAN POEM

I made myself a snowman

Just as perfect as can be

I thought I'd keep it as a pet

And let it sleep with me

I gave it some pajamas

And a pillow for its head

Then last night it ran away

But first it wet the bed

SNOWMAN COUNTDOWN

5 Little Snowmen standing in a row

All dressed up and made of snow

Out came the sun and it shone all day

Then one little snowman melted away....

(continue until there are no more snowmen)

Here are the felt snowmen I use for my countdown

PUT TOGETHER A SNOWMAN AT CIRCLE

Use these felt pieces to put together a snowman. During circle if I have a small group I ask each child to come up individually and look for the piece I need (the black hat) or ask them what comes first and what is next. I then put the pieces out during free play at a small side table so the children can build the snowman on their own.

ART

Snowman sequencing printout

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/RC-2.pdf

Paper Plate Snowman

http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-plate-snowman.html

Paper Bag Snowman

http://www.pacon.com/projects/PartyBags1.htm

Terra Cotta Snowman

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/winter/clay-pot-snowman.asp

Cotton Ball Snowman

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/winter/cotton-ball-snowman.asp

SCIENCE

* Take a large rubbermaid container and make a small snowman to put inside. Now bring it inside the house or classroom and let the children discover what happens when snow meets warmth.

* Head outside with a black piece of construction paper, hold it flat and catch snowflakes to look at. The snowflakes show up so well on the black paper.

* Try googling SNOWFLAKES on your computer. Some beautiful pictures show up. I printed some off for my class one year and then gave them magnifying glasses to take a closer look at what a real snowflake looks like.

* Put out toothpicks and different shaped styrofoam balls so the children can make their own 3d snowflakes

* Freeze a block of ice with knick knacks in the middle and children can chip away with spoons and shovels at the ice to discover the hidden items.

SNOWMAN BOOKS I LOVE
(photos coutesy of Amazon.com)

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow - Lucille Colandro

Stranger in the Woods - Carl R. Sams and Jean Stoick

Snowballs - Lois Ehlert

Snow Crazy - Tracy Gallup

All You Need for a Snowman - Alice Schertle

MORE GREAT LEARNING RESOURCES
(the last two links are filled with more snowmen and winter songs and rhymes)

The Virtual Vine
Preschool Rainbow
Can Teach
Preschool Education

Turning boring old JUTE into something CUTE!!

So my new craft area is almost done. I'm just doing a few little projects to give it that extra special "ME" touch. This was one of them.

A jar for my pens, pencils, scissors etc. Made with a washed out soup can, twine, and embellishments. If your going to cover something like this don't kill yourself trying to glue every bit of twine on your jar. Instead put hot glue on the bottom where you start your twine and on the top where you end. I just made sure I wrapped the twine tightly around the can to keep it in place. I probably could've done it a bit better since I see some of the tin poking through in some spots but that is just me and my OCD.  I think this took me well..... about 15 minutes max to make. I love those quick and easy projects that are GREEN!

Here is how my jar turned out. I was going to leave it plain like this but I thought it needed some more cuteness and pizazz so I added a picture of my daughter from her cake smash using a magnetic clip.

Look below for some more fun things to do with twine

TWINE COVERED CANS TO STORE CRAFT STUFF

http://brownpaper--packages.blogspot.com/

TWINE WRAPPED TREE

http://www.thethriftycrafter.com/

MASON JAR AND TWINE VASES

http://vickiehowell.blogspot.com

JUTE TWINE ORNAMENTS

http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/

JUTE TWINE MONOGRAM

http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/

TWINE LAMPSHADE

Creative Little Daisy

For some reason my links arent working properly but here's what Im linking up to...

Shanty to Chic...I made it without my Hubby

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

BLOGGING AND LATTES...Those are a few of my favourite things!

Every morning my daughter and I share giggles at the kitchen table while eating our cheerios. She drinks her milk from her sippy cup and I drink my homemade non fat caramel latte in my uber cool mug. My husband knows how much I love my coffees each morning and the passion I have for my blog so he did a brilliant thing and made me this wonderful coffee mug with my blogs logo on it. I absolutely love it and it makes my lattes even more special.

MUFFIN TIN MAGNETIC TRAY- TIPS FOR TOTS TUESDAY JAN 5th

I hope you enjoy this this magnetic science activity. It's fun and easy to make and best of all your preschooler will LOVE it. When I was teaching, this was one of the children's favourite science activities. It got them exploring the whole classroom looking for magnetic items with their brightly coloured wands.

SUPPLIES

* Muffin tin

* 12 small tin jars with clear lids ( I found mine at Michaels)

(picture courtesy of rachelssupply.com)

* 12 items both magnetic and non magnetic some ideas are: staples, jewels, bells, paper clips, wooden stars, crayon pieces, dice, marbles, nails, lego, cork, mini clothes pegs, erasers.

* A strong magnetic wand like the ones pictured below (http://www.teachersource.com/)- I made one of these by gluing a strong magnet onto a wooden dowel.

TIPS:

* Be sure to explain to your child(ren) what magnetic means and why some items are magnetic and some are not. I do it in a very simple way that a child can understand without getting into all the scientific aspects of magnets....heck I don't even know that....science wasn't my think. Try something along the lines of " some things around us in our house or preschool are made of metal. Metal is hard and can be found on a stove or a fridge. When a magnet touches something metal it STICKS to it like this (demonstrate). If something is not metal it will NOT stick to a magnet. Children will quickly discover that when they move their magnet wand over the magnetic items in the jar they will quickly jump to the top of the lid.

* Give the child a magnet to look at first and then introduce an item that is magnetic and non magnetic. Once the child is done exploring the two items allow them to try out the muffin tin. They will also be surprised to find that the muffin tin itself is magnetic.

* I glued the lids onto my jars to prevent a choking hazard to curious little ones. I also velcroed my jars into the muffin tin so they can be removed  for closer discovery and sorted.

* Ask your child(ren) to guess what items they think are magnetic and which are not. Make a record on a chart.

* For the classroom- have each child bring someting magnetic and non magnetic from home to be explored.

* At home- get your child(ren) involved with making their own magnetic muffin tray using small items from around the house.

* As you all know, be mindful when allowing children to explore and play with small items that present a choking hazard. I find this is an activity that is best suited for children 3 years and up in a supervised environment.

THE BEST OF '09

So as most of you know, I'm fairly new to this whole blogging thing. My blog is only two months old. I have to say that blogging has changed my life. I know it sounds silly but I've learnt so much from the wonderful blogs I have come across and many of the great ideas and tutorials I have found just make me giddy. 2010 is going to be a VERY crafty year I can feel it. But before I move onto 2010 I must bid farwell to 2009. And what better way to do it than a recap of some of the best blogs, and craft tutorials I have blogged jogged across. Enjoy and Happy Crafty 2010!

The two very talented sisters over at Shanty 2 Chic create lots of amazing home decor especially these Vintage Dominos. Wouldn't these look awesome in a game room? Most of their vintage inspired  projects are created with Rust-oleum spray paint, and a sanding block. With lots of pictures and oodles of great projects Shanty 2 Chic is definitely one of my favourite blogs.

LARGE VINTAGE LOOKING DOMINOS

Another blog definitely worth checking out is Make it and Love it. When you get there be sure to scroll down to the left and find her project list. Ashley has a gazillion great projects and turorials that will keep those fingers busy.

MR. POTATO HEAD

PROJECT DISPLAY BOARD

LIGHT SWITCH COVER

I wish I knew about Design Dazzle when I was in the process of decorating my daughers nursery. If you're looking for the perfect designs to inspire you for your little ones domain then this is the Blog for you. Toni features pictures gallore of brilliant designs relating to room decor, children's parties, play spaces, and crafts. I spent two hours on this blog last night and I didn't even get through it all.  Here are some of my favourite posts.

HIP, FAB BABY NURSERY

ACHIEVING THE NURSERY OF YOUR DREAMS

PARIS THEME TIFFANY BLUE NURSERY

THE DIY ART ACCESSORY ORGANIZER

Valerie at The Crafters File Box

CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN HEADBOARD

designed by Shelly from fliptstudio

A FUN EARRING HOLDER

Stacie at the Creative Crate

 

ELEGANT MONOGRAM DESK ORGANIZER

Picture Tutorial at So Lovely Creations

SHAPED CRAYONS 
Oops I Craft My Pants

Not sure what to do with all those broken crayons sitting in the art bin? How about make shaped crayons using Ikea ice cube trays and crayon pieces. For complete instructions visit http://www.oopsicraftmypants.net/2009/12/shaped-crayons.html

HOMEMADE BLOCK TUTORIAL

Making the World Cuter

These are on my to do list for 2010. A set of handmade blocks for my little girl to play with. Check out Making the World Cuter for this tutorial and other simply wonderful projects.

HEARTS AND HANDPRINTS

Created @ Max and Ellie

I think this heart and handprint frame would be a wonderful gift for a grandparent or special family member at Valentines. If only my one year old would stay still so I could trace her hand.

ABC and 123 A LEARNING COOPERATIVE

I know I'm on hiatus from teaching preschool but I'm always on the look out for great preschool blogs. I came across this one the other day and boy oh boy am I ever glad I did. This blog is FILLED to the brim with activities and craft ideas for children. And better yet it's a cooperative blog to share and borrow ideas with others. What a valuable teaching tool.

MELTING BEADS

http://michelle-onecraftymama.blogspot.com/2009/11/melting-beadsits-oh-so-fun.html


From this....

To this...

HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS

Are you looking for a blog that features all things related to entertaining and parties?  Be prepared to spend a long time searching around on Hostess with the Mostess. She covers all parties including bridal showers, baby showers, holiday parties and special occasions. All the pictures on this blog so bright, lively and inspiring, making it one of my favs of 2009 and beyond.




When your done going through all 226 pages on the Hostess with the Mostess blog head on over to the
Tom Kat Studio, a place for all things pretty. Kim is one crafty mama who inspired me to create a cupcake themed birthday for my little girl.

Well there you have it, I could've kept going and going but this mama needs her sleep in order to keep up with my little one year old whirlwind in the morning. I hope I've featured some fun new blogs that you can add to your follow list for 2010. Also take a look at my blog roll for some of my favourite blogs that I didn't mention here. Once again Happy New Year, and Happy Craftin'

FREE PRINTABLE ROUTINE CARDS FOR KIDS

Getting back into routine after a long Christmas break may be tricky come Monday morning. How about these free printable routine cards from Living Locurto to make the transition a little easier?

So the morning routine is running smoothly but how about the after school madness? There's also a free printable to help tackle that obstacle. Amy hangs her after school routine chart right at the front door where her son hangs his backpack so when he comes in he knows exactly what to do. Click here for the free  printable routine chart.

While your visiting Amy's website be sure to check out the other printables pages where you can find more cute and fun printables that are completely FREE!!!!