Winter Fun Kit - Snow Daze

If the holidays are overwhelming with toys, emotions, schedules ... try something new :) 

To take the stress away, especially when things are upside-down due to COVID, gift an “experience” to be enjoyed in the after-holiday blah time. January can be such a let-down, and with socializing restrictions in place, at-home activities are the way to go!

There are so many subscriptions and kits out there that look super interesting but just a little different from what I was picturing ... so I made my own. And, you can too! 

I ordered a few craft items from my favorite craft supplier, to make some painted craft stick snowflakes, which will be fun to paint and assemble, and not require too much help from already-stressed adults :) On my list was also some felt, buttons, pompoms, and wiggly eyes to make a tabletop put-together, take-apart snowman decorating kit for hours of fun. 

Playing indoor games together will put some smiles on your kiddos’ faces AND get them some much needed non-screen time :) Oriental Trading had a snowball bowling game and a snowman building spinner game that fit the bill, but it would be easy to put one together yourself for very little cost. :) A few giant white pompoms and some upside-down paper cups and voila! 

A recipe for a snowman treat to make, with ingredients included, will fill out the “make it” selections - so simple with wafers, frosting and candy eyes! I am including some fruit roll ups to cut up for scarves ⛄️ 

Of course, I included a few Snow-themed books, aged appropriately for the recipients of my particular box. Adding to book collections is one of my favorite things! 

Everyone LOVES to get mail, so I will give a certificate at the holidays and mail the box after the New Year! 

Someone will be having fun! ⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️

We Are Scientists: Ice Cube Treasures

We are scientists! My friends and I are excited about science - most kiddos are! Here's some science for a cold winter day ... all you need are some ice trays (or there small containers), water, and small colorful items for a little science fun!

First, fill the ice cube trays about 1/3 full and freeze. Then, lay in some tiny treasures ... little toys, natural items, or colorful pompous! Fill the rest of the tray with water and freeze (if the items float, just freeze part full and then do a third layer of plain water to freeze).

When they are frozen, pop an ice cube out per child and encourage them to think up ideas about how to get the “treasure” out. They may want to try breaking the ice cubes or chipping at them with some kind of tool. Have them predict some outcomes and plan a method ... that’s what scientists do!

Show them how to use a dropper or a small spoon to drip little drips of water over and over on the ice ... it will start to indent a little.

Dripping cold water might work s-l-o-w-l-y, but they will see a divot develop where they are dripping water. Eventually, you can guide them to drip warm water with an eye dropper, and see the magic work even better!

Start a chat about the connections between ice and water - and how heat and cold affect each. See what your kiddos observe - tell them they are, indeed, scientists!

My friends got great satisfaction out of this task and stuck with it longer than I thought they would :) Some even asked for more cubes to try again :)

Have fun!

Learning with Lois Ehlert

When you start to plan some garden activities, make sure that you gather up Lois Ehlert books to help your little ones understand what the garden is for! The illustrations and vivid colors are so attractive, and the messages are clear.

Start with "Planting a Rainbow" to illustrate the planning and planting process. Colors are the highlight here, as the flowers in the flower garden all represent the colors of the rainbow. The process of growing from seeds and bulbs is also shown.

"Growing Vegetable Soup" is a great book to show the growth of vegetables from start to finish. Little ones are not always sure where their food is coming from, and may need the visuals to make connections between what they eat and how it come to be. Combine this with a trip to a local farm or farmer's market to get your child's brain thinking outside the supermarket.

"Eating the Alphabet" is another great book for seeing what different foods people eat, including some your child may not be familiar with. It relates each food to alphabet letters, both upper and lower-case, for authentic learning. When children can see and experience things that they read, it becomes more real and stays with them longer. Learning the alphabet this way will give them reference points - visuals - to connect to.


Lois Ehlert is the author of so many great learning books - "Color Zoo" teaches shapes and animal names, as well as giving children a view into how pictures can be broken down into shapes, for easier drawing :) Die-cut pages and surprise flipsides give every reader something to look forward to, as the pages turn.

In the fall, "Leaf Man" and "Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf" are wonderful tools for learning all about the changing of the leaves and the process that deciduous trees go through each cycle. The author' s creative use of natural materials to make pictures in "Leaf Man" will have you and your child seeing leaves in a whole new way! Try to make your own leaf creations when you're done :)

"Snowballs" is a crowd favorite for wintertime - something for every season! The use of natural, found items in her pictures is one of her style choices that delight young readers, as they find things on the page that are familiar.

Lois collaborated with other authors as well, illustrating the "Chicka Chicka" books, among others, so it's easy to see why her style is so familiar and attractive to little ones - and everyone!

Have fun reading!

We Are Scientists: Ice and Snow!

In the winter months up north, we can sometimes see a lot of ice and snow! When it keeps us from going outside to play, we bring it inside - to play and experiment!

There are so many ways to explore:

Bring in a big bin of snow to play with! Put on some mittens and make some mini snow people, using buttons and small sticks for decoration. Your kiddos will have great ideas for what to add for even more fun! Observe how the snow changes over time and talk about the volume of the snow - it fills a container but then, when it turns into water, does it take up as much space?





Try some ice dissolving - get some ice chunks and have small cups of salt and spray bottles of warm water available - and see what your little ones decide to do with them. Sprinkling or spraying may produce cracks and fissures - drop a tiny bit of food coloring in to see it spread out through the ice cracks!




Float an "ice cap" in some cold water! Take a container and freeze some water into an ice shape and set it to float. Notice how big it is and check the container for a good visual. Have some small polar animal figures available to float and balance, and observe over time ... as it shrinks! The kiddos will have some fun keeping their animals afloat and will make some great observations :)




See what other ideas your little ones come up with - exploring, asking questions, and trying out experiments will give them practice with the scientific process!

Give them pencils, paper, and crayons to record what they see - scientists aways keep notes!

Have fun!

Process vs. product: It's OK!

Children learn about the world around them by running their hands through water, dirt, and sand ... not to do anything in particular with them, but just to experience them using their sense of touch. They are great little scientists! Your children instinctively use their five senses to explore things in the natural world ... their food, toys, people, even bubbles and snow.

With toddlers and preschoolers, we are used to this exploration with science topics and encourage them to get hands on experiences to add to their knowledge of the world around them.

We should use this same approach when beginning to use art materials with our children. Letting your little ones experience the PROCESS of using art materials, instead of looking for a perfect PRODUCT at the end of the line, helps them discover so much about each medium they try.

Open ended exploration of dough can inspire all sorts of creativity, especially when everyday objects are available to add in to the play. Children can be inspired by the simplest of things and take the play to new levels.

Using pudding, doughs, shaving cream, or paints to mess around with gives your child a chance to experience the medium with no great expectations of the outcome, so that they can be free to explore on their own terms and - often - come up with new ways to use the materials.

Watercolors and Q-tips were a hit in our group a few days ago and today - play dough and buttons!

Give them a chance to use their own creativity and be inspired by their interest level and the fun they are having :)

Have fun!

Snow day!!

It is snowing here today - the kind of snow we don't get too often :) If your little ones have had enough of the cold, but not quite enough of the snow ..... OR, if they (or you) aren't up for getting out there ... BRING IT IN!!

Take a big container and fill it with snow, then find a place where it would be great to dig in and play with it. An old shower curtain liner or a vinyl table cloth would make a nice floor mat, or just put it on the countertop and know that it will be easy cleanup - it's just water!!

   Then, play! We got out some little cups and containers and dug around in it ... if your little ones' fingers get cold, put the mittens on inside :) Build a tiny snowman and decorate it with anything you can find in the kitchen - check ours out!

For a science and math connection, fill up a measuring cup with some fresh snow and wait it out - check back every half hour to see what happens.

Make some predictions and take some measurements - you will be able to see how much the snow shrinks and what the water amount is for the snow you collected.

Grab an erasable marker to make some marks showing the progression :)


There are so many literacy connections for Snow - look for books like "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats on YouTube if you don't have any titles in your snow-bound home! Enjoy!!

(This post is inspired by a picture I saw from my friend Mary Ann, but I just loved it and wanted to share the idea :)

Snowy Days!

Snow and January go together here in the Northeast U.S. - and the kids love to get out and play in it, making snowmen, snow angels, snow forts, etc. 

If it's too cold, then it's time for some inside snow play! Grab a basin of clean snow from outside to play in and make sure to get the mittens on … let your little ones mold the snow into mini versions of the snowmen they wish they were making outside! Be quick - it won't last long :) 

When you're done with the cold stuff, make a paper snowman! First, cut three different sized circles from cardboard (a discarded cereal box works great!) and then let your children use them as stencils to trace around and cut circles from white construction paper. This is great for some small-motor exercise, as well as sizing lessons (small, medium, large). 

Make a snow scene, with your snowman as the centerpiece and use cotton swabs dipped in white paint to create your own storm! (I had some snowmen cutouts available, so we took a shortcut!) Decorate your snowman with markers, scraps of fabric, buttons, whatever you want …

Have fun with it, and stay warm!

Books to Love: "Snow Family" by Daniel Kirk

Each year, when the weather turns chilly, I can't wait to pull out "Snow Family" by Daniel Kirk and revisit it with whatever age children I am working with! I have found it to be a book that spans the early childhood age groups and begs to be read again and again!

Daniel Kirk's engaging illustrations pull the readers in and delight children with all the little details - they love to search the pictures for missing hats and carrot noses of the little snow children! As the story unfolds, the readers discover that the snow children are on their own, bringing up discussion themes about family, home, and safety ... such as whether Jacob, the boy in the story, should have left the safety of his home to follow the snow children!

When Jacob and the snow friends come upon a sleeping bear, it's a scary situation until he is rescued by his parents. The drama drives home the points of paying attention to safety rules and listening to the grown-ups. Finally, the story ends sweetly - all the children I have read this book to have delighted in the resolution.

Plan on previewing the pictures to generate interest, checking out all the details in each illustration. Notice the poetry of the story, complete with rhymes and repeating lines, and invite your readers to join in when they hear a familiar line. Leave lots of time for discussion of the various themes - so many great directions to take!

Tie it all up with a snowman craft - have on hand a variety of colored paper to cut for carrot noses and black boots, along with some mittens and scarves cut from leftover wrapping paper scraps! Children can trace different sized circles, cut them out and put it all together! Make sure YOUR snow family has all their gear! (Or not!)

Have fun!

Holiday Snowglobes!

I saw these adorable snowglobes hanging up in school the other day outside my friend Kelly's room, and they were so cute I had to try them out!

So easy ... have your children make pictures of something to do with the holiday - mine shows a Christmas tree, complete with gifts! Then, have them color it all in with crayons or colored pencils to resemble the color of water - light to medium blue - or try some silver snowflakes in the "air"! When the picture is complete, find something round to trace around it and cut out a perfect circle. Use a scrap of black construction paper to make your stand and glue it all on contrasting paper. The result is so cute!

Use it for a festive decoration or as a writing prompt to encourage a story about the holiday ahead! Wishing and hoping are part of the seasonal fun - maybe your little ones will draw their wishes inside the globe :)

Have fun!