Tot School Tuesday: Snow Days! (Part 1)

One of the advantages (and I supposed disadvantages) to homeschooling is that it can go on regardless of the weather.  Rain, snow, sleet, and hail... school must go on!  But, we do try to have some fun on crazy weather days.  We do not see snow too often here in Arkansas, but when we do the kids are VERY excited.  So, we like to take a break from "business as usual" and do some special activities.  (I have to admit, sometimes we have a "snow day" just because Mommy declares so!)  I keep a bin of "snow day, school day" activities on our shelves, that includes some of the following:

 

SNOW SENSORY BIN:

Sensory bins are a great activity, especially on "snow days" when children have so much energy!  It is wonderful to be able to turn that energy into some creative, learning play.  This sensory bin includes:
Psyllium Husk (for the snow)
Beads (that I cut off of broken play necklaces - to be hail, snow balls, etc.)
Cinnamon Sticks
Bells
White Cups
Winter Stickers
Pipe Cleaner Snowflakes
Vocabulary Words
 

PRINTABLES:

I have found a great selection of printables at:

Itsy Bitsy Learners

1+1+1=1

You can also find printables and lots of ideas at Education.com.

 

I try to print off and laminate different tot packs and printables as I have time so we always have an assortment on hand.  I like to laminate them so we can use them again and again.  Sometimes I can use the same printables for different activities.  "M" used to use the snowman letters to learn her alphabet.  This year I could put some of the snowman letters together so she could practice sounding out words.
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Sometimes I make up my own printables and activities to match a skill we have been working on.  I printed out a picture of a snowman (that was missing buttons).  For "M", I had her add together two numbers to place the appropriate number of buttons.  "Boo" just placed as many buttons as the number I gave her.

 

SONGS AND RHYMES:

 Our favorite rhyme is "Snowy Snowman".  The girls just love melting to the ground!  I like to use the "Penguin Family" to teach signing the numbers 1-5 and family relationships (brother, sister, mother, father).

 

"Snowy Snowman"

(Author Unknown)

I am a snowman made of snow (stand still)

I stand quite still at ten below.

With a big long carrot for a nose (point to nose)

And worn out shoes to make my toes (point to toes)

I have two apples for my eyes (point to eyes)

And a woolen coat about this size (measure with hands)

I have a scarf that's warm and red (grab neck)

And a fanny hat upon my head (tap hands on head)

The sun is coming out... Oh dear! (look worried)

The sun is melting me I fear (slowly sink to floor)

Oh my, I was so nice and round,

Now I'm just a puddle on the ground! (sit or lay on floor)

 

"Penguin Family"

(Author Unknown)

One royal penguin feeling very blue (hold up one finger)
Called for his brother then there were two (hold up two fingers)
Two royal penguins swimming in the sea (swimming motion)
Called for their sister then there were three (hold up three fingers)
Three royal penguins waddle on the shore (waddle)
Call for their mother, then there were four (hold up four fingers)
Four royal penguins learning how to dive (Make diving motion)
Call for their father, then there were five (hold up five fingers)

 

BOOKS:

 I collect some books from around the house that are winter/snowman/penguin related.  Some of these are cute baby/picture books geared towards our youngest, and others are more scientific.  We love reading books with puppets!

 



Tot School Tuesday: Leap Day and Everything Green Sensory Bin

LEAP DAY

We had lots of fun celebrating Leap Day with some Froggie activities.  We recited some poems and rhymes I had found on the internet about frogs, and read a couple of frog books.  Two of our favorite frog-themed books are "Down by the Cool of the Pool" by Tony Mitton and "The Icky Sticky Frog" by Dawn Bentley.  Thanks to my mom, we have an extensive collection of puppets that we like to read our books with, including (of course!) a frog :o)

We also made some frog puppets of our own using green paper bags and some construction paper cut out to look like eyes, a tongue, and legs.

We practiced leaping, hopping, and jumping...

And when we had used up all of our energy (or rather when Mommy had used up all of hers!), we settled down and tried to get some plastic frogs that I had found in the closet to leap into the "pond".

We finished by coloring a leap year printable.

MARCH SENSORY BIN: EVERYTHING GREEN

Each month I try to put together a new sensory bin for the school room.  These are great for creative play and independent learning.  For March, I decided to create a sensory bin out of whatever small green items I could find around the house.  I used green split peas as the base for the bin and added things like a small ball, pom poms, plastic animals and bugs, feathers, beads, dice, and pipe cleaners.  I took pictures of several of the items in the sensory bin and made an i-spy sheet for the girls.  I am always eager to see what the girls with do with the items in their box, and they never fail to impress me.  "M" made up a game where she would roll the dice and add that many beads to a green pipe cleaner. 

For lots of Sensory Bin ideas and inspiration, check out Counting Coconuts.