jspecialdays

Share your ideas too. E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystormie.com

SPECIAL DAY:

Winter Picnic and/or the "Snowy Day"

From Stormie:

I've lived in Florida for several years now, but when I lived up north, I always wanted to have a special day at preschool for celebrating "snow" by spending the morning (or at least part of the mornong) outside in it with the very-well bundled children in my classroom. Although I hope to post ideas here as often as I can, my very favorite ideas for setting up this especially fun day have been reserved for my "WINTER" booklet (see the "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" section of my website).

Hot Chocolate: After coming in from outdoors, the children can make their own hot chocolate for snack:
Give each child a cup and spoon, then let them measure the following ingredients into their cups: 1 Tablespoon of instant cocoa, 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons of dry powdered milk. Help them to cautiously add 3/4 cup of hot water and then stir. (Mini-marshmallows add to the fun.)

Do you do special things outside in the snow with your group of children?

From Annabelle Hunt, Teacher with Spectrum Early Childhood Program:

Snowball Day: We wrote parents a note asking them to bundle up their preschoolers so we could play outside. (I had kept track of the weather and it was 35 degrees that day.) We had so much fun throwing snowballs. The kids also learned what makes good packing snow, that snowballs are round, etc.

Here's a couple great snacks and a song for your "Snowy Day," from my good friend, Debbie Reynolds:

Snowman Soup: Put milk and chocolate syrup in a crockpot (this warms slowly and can be observed without too much chance of burning) and stir until dissolved. When "hot," put in snowman cups and squirt whipped cream on top to make a peak. Add a candy cane for a stirrer.

Snowman Cookies: Frost sugar cookies with white frosting, add raisins for eyes, half of an orange cheese puff for nose, chocolate chips for mouth, licorice whips for scarf, maybe colored marshmallows for a hat?

Out We Go
(Tune: Are You Sleeping)
Winter weather, winter weather,
Cold and ice, snow is nice.
Put your coat and boots on.
Put your hat and scarf on.
Out we go, Out we go!!

Here is an awesome "Snowy Day" schedule from Jan Stelly, Clermont, Florida:
Every year, since we live in Florida, I love to have a “Snow Day.” We really play it up and tell the kids to dress in, or bring all, their winter clothes (caps, hats, scarves, mittens). I turn the AC down real low. I invite parents to attend and I set up 4-5 stations: “Mock Ice Skating” (on paper plates), Snow Painting (finger painting with white paint, glitter, and rock salt for texture), Snow Table Play (shaving cream with a variety of manipulatives i.e. cars, letters, play dough toys, etc), Snowflakes (gluing white-painted popsicle sticks in cross-crossing directions then sprinkled with glitter), and my favorite: Snowball Fight: I get the school snow cone machine and provide the kids buckets and buckets of shaven ice that they can mold, play with and throw! They love it! And it's a big hit with parents too.
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Reminder from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards." Click here to check them out.

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