Snowflakes and Snowpeople.....

Happily, we returned to SNOW that was buildable and so fun.  The children were very sure of themselves as they rolled the biggest snowballs ever, then, with the help of grownups, put together some climbing structures or smiling snow people. With the relatively temperate weather, we spent a lot of time outdoors.  

I just love the industriousness of these children. So sure of themselves, and ready to lend a hand to someone who is rolling more than 30 pounds of snow....there was also some inventiveness as they found out that snow stuck to logs-instant snow column!

 

As we were playing out in the snow, we began a study of snowflakes. We learned that snow begins as a speck in the clouds! Snowflakes are created by crystals, and the loose parts play that we have added to the classroom include opportunities to piece together shapes.  The speck of dust creates a hexagon crystals....which, as it travels through the clouds, becomes a complicated crystal design with 6 points.  

We are looking closely at snow crystals with the help of the book The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder by Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson, Ph.D.  It's also fun to look at photographs of snow crystals in the book Snow Crystals by Bently and Humphries.  

Before break, we had baking soda in our sensory table to dust the buildings with. This week, we added color and vinegar to create "chemical reactions" and mix colors, create fizzing sounds, and experiment with science tools. 

We made slime, with clear glue, water, saline  solution, and a little bit of baking soda. A non-newtonian fluid!

We begin every day with some large motor play, and when it's cold we are in the gym! Lately we have brought our "snowballs" to play catch, pretend they are eggs to hatch, or just run around with. 

It's important to start your day right!

This week, I asked a "would you rather" question.  Would you rather be a snowflake or a raindrop, and why?  

Snowflakes were most popular. We practiced creating tally marks, listening to each other's ideas without judgement,  and counting out and adding numbers. 

And, finally, here's a picture of me (Michele) as a dinosaur. I had to stand very still for this portrait to be completed, but it was worth it.  

Until Next Time,

Michele