Winter Theme for Preschool

Winter Theme for Preschool

? The Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

Winter is a theme that offers activities with snow, ice and more for your preschool classroom! This theme includes all kinds of weather!

Unfortunately, sometimes it is just too cold to actually go outside and play in it. What do we do? You guessed it: Bring the snow and ice inside!

Thank you to Amanda from Creatively Crafting for creating some of the clipart for this packet!

Using the Standards Conversion Chart

1. Type in each of your program's equivalent standards next to my standard.

2. Save to your computer. 3. Refer to this chart each time you use a theme from Preschool Cubby

Using the Weekly Planning Form In the weekly planning form, ALL of the boxes are editable! Simply print as they are OR move activities to the days you want them or replace activities with your own! You'll find my standards listed under each activity. This is where you will enter YOUR program's standards (that you added to the Conversion Chart) 1. Refer to the conversion chart you completed and look up my Standard Letter/Number. 2. Replace that letter and number with YOUR program's equivalent that you typed into

the Conversion Chart. 3. Print!

The Weekly AND Daily Planning forms are both 100% editable so you can move the activities to the days you want to do them or even replace them with your own activities! (If you do that-be sure to change them on the daily planning forms as well AND replace the standards in that box with the correct standards for the activity you have replaced mine with!) NOTE: The blue areas will NOT print blue, don't worry! Those areas are the "editable areas". They will print with a white background when you print!

Winter Theme WEEKLY PLANNER

CIRCLE

ART

MATH/MANIPULATIVES

SCIENCE

MUSIC & MOVEMENT GROSS MOTOR STORY TIME

MON

Standards

Puppet Show: What's That Falling From the Sky? 1,7,36,37,44,45

Snow Painting

Winter Mitten

Make Frost

1,13,14,22,27,28,3 Match (have out all 13,14,23,27-29,

1,35

week) 1, 6, 38-40, 44 42,43

What I Do In Winter Snowman Bean

Part 1

Bag Button Toss

3,7,11,12,33,34,44,45 6,9,12,23

Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak 1, 6, 38-40, 44

TUES

Standards

A Chubby Little Colored Ice Cube

Warm Soup

Snowman & More Painting

13,16,17,23, 31,35

3,7,40,41,44,45 1,13,14,22,27,28,31,35

What I Do In Winter Winter Clothes

Part 2

Relay

3,7,11,12,33,34,44,45 6,9,10,12,17,23

Frozen Noses by Jan Carr 1, 6, 38-40, 44

WEDS

Standards

Mittens or Gloves Winter Shaving Cream

Graph

Storm

2,13-15,21,27, 29,42 1,13,14,22,27,28,31,35

Winter Estimation Station Activity Mat 13,21-26,35

Window Fog

I'm A Little

13,14,23,27,28,42,43 Snowperson song

3,7,34,40,41,44,45

Indoor Skating 6,9,10,12,23

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs 1, 6, 38-40, 44

THURS

Standards

Winter is Melting! Snow White

13-15,21,27,

Playdough

29,42

3,23,26,35

Winter Estimation Station Activity Mat contd 13,21-26,35

I'm Melting!!!

Freeze!

3,7,11,12,33,34,44, 1,3,5,6,11,12,22,

45

26,34,35,37

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro 1, 6, 38-40, 44

FRI Button, Button

3,7,20,37,42,45

Standards

Build a Snowman 3, 23,24, 27, 29, 36

Button Sorting

Tricky Heat

3,6,9,13,14,21-25,27 13,14,23,27,28,

36,37,45

42,43

Musical Mitten Match 1, 6, 10, 34,35,38-40, 44

Wintertime by Ann Schweninger 1, 6, 38-40, 44

B.lock Center: Ice Cube Races Provide ice cubes and let your children build ramps with blocks. How can they make the ice cube slide down the ramps faster? Slower? 3,6,7,12,13,19,22,23,28,30,36

SUGGESTED CHANGES TO INTEREST CENTERS FOR THE WEEK

Dramatic Play: Brrr...Get Dressed For the Cold

Add winter clothing ( boots, Easel: Glitter Snow Painting

heavy coats, gloves, mittens (etc) Encourage the children to get dressed to go

outside. Great practice for putting on boots and coats and mittens and gloves. Add glitter to your paint this week for some

Try asking if they can get dressed before the timer goes off (use an egg timer set wonderful snowy and stormy art!

for 5 minutes) and encourage their friends in the Drama Center to help them!

3,4,6,10,13-17,19,30,32,36, 40

3,4,8,13,14,22,24,30,31,36,45

Sand/Water Table: Colored Winter Wonderland Materials Needed: Colored Ice Cubes, mittens, bowls, tongs In advance, freeze water in ice cube trays, mixing a drop or 2 of food coloring in each compartment to make different colors. VARIATION: Try freezing the water in different shaped cups or bowls. 3,7,11,13,14,17,28,36

? Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

Writing: Coffee Filter Snowflakes Need: round coffee filters; scissors. Show the children how to fold the filter in half and then half again. Show them how to cut little snips out and then have them practice fringing the bottoms. (These will NOT be elaborate! It is about the process of using the scissors and developing those muscles for future writing not the end result) I do NOT recommend making a model to show them! As adults, we tend to get pretty detailed with all the little cuts we make. This will only frustrate preschoolers.

MONDAY Winter Theme

You'll Need:

Circle

Puppet, ice cubes, metal cheese grater, white paper confetti, puppet show script from this packet; chart paper, marker; Large bucket of snow, white paint (OR flour, salt, water) paintbrushes, plastic spoons, blue or black construction paper; Winter Mitten Match file folder game from this packet; tin can with lid removed or clear, glass jar; rock salt, crushed ice; chart paper, marker; large paper, tape, markers, bean bags; Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak

Puppet Show: What's That Falling From the Sky? You'll need: Puppet, ice cubes, metal cheese grater, white paper confetti, puppet show script from this packet; chart paper, marker Introduce the puppet to the children. "Hi everyone! I'd like you to meet my friend___!" Give the children time to introduce themselves or just say "Hi" to each child with your puppet! Discuss snow with them using the puppet. There is a suggested script in this packet but feel free to make it your own using your own words and ideas! When done with the puppet show, if the children still have attention to sit, ask them what they like to do in the snow and write down their answers on a chart! (Play, make snowmen, snowball fights, etc.) If they are too fidgety, have some follow up discussions later in the day and chart their answers. 1,7,36,37,44,45

Art

Snow Painting You'll need: Large bucket of snow, white paint (OR flour, salt, water) paintbrushes, plastic spoons, blue or

black construction paper. Place a small amount of white paint in a cup.

Children add a couple of teaspoons of snow and mix with their paint brush.

Encourage them to paint a snowstorm with their newly made snow!

EXTENSION: Add a small amount of glitter to the paint for a sparkly effect! OR, if you don't have snow in your area, make

your own snow paint with the children Mix 1 cup of flour with 1/2 cup of salt. Mix in 3/4 cup of water and paint away!

1,13,14,22,27,28,31,35

Math/Manipulative Winter Mitten Match Use the Winter Mitten Match file folder game from this packet 1, 6, 38-40, 44

Science

Make Frost You'll need a tin can with lid removed or clear, glass jar; rock salt, crushed ice. Have children put 2 cups of crushed ice in the can or jar. THE ADULT adds 1/2 cup of rock salt and mixes. Let sit for about 30 minutes (cover so that the children cannot touch the rock salt). In about 1/2 hour, you should see condensation on the outside. If you leave it even longer, you will begin to see frost! Observe and let children make predictions as well as draw on paper (or in journals) the changes they see. 13,14,23,27-29,42,43

Music & Movement What I Do In Winter Part 1 Needed: chart paper, marker This is more of a chant than a song. Have the children list things they might do in winter (such as shoveling, drink hot cocoa, etc.). Have the children print their name on the chart paper and then you list what they say. Encourage them to act out what they say! Keep this chart for tomorrow's music/movement activity. 3,7,11,12,33,34,38,43,44,45

Gross Motor

Snowman Bean-Bag Button Toss Needed: large paper, tape, markers, bean bags Make a very large snowman out of paper and tape it to the floor. Draw a face on your snowman. Draw 3 buttons on the snowman's chest. Provide the children with a bin of bean bags and have them toss the bean bags to try and cover the buttons! 6,9,12,23

Story Time Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak 1, 6, 38-40, 44

? Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

TUESDAY Winter

Theme You'll Need:

Circle

Art

Ice cube trays, water, food coloring, craft sticks, aluminum foil; 2 cans of low sodium vegetable broth; 2 carrots, fresh green beans, potatoes, red peppers, pepper, thyme, oregano; vegetable peeler, plastic knives (for children to use) and a sharp knife for you to use; crock pot; Winter clothes (coats, boots, mittens); Frozen Noses by Jan Carr

A Chubby Little Snowman & More: Fingerplays A Chubby Little Snowman: A chubby little snowman Had a carrot nose (point at nose) Along came a rabbit (Make 2 fingers hop like a rabbit) And what do you suppose? (Put arms out and shrug shoulders) That hungry little rabbit (2 fingers hopping) Looking for his lunch (Put hand above eyes as though searching for something) At that little snowman's nose (pretend to grab your nose) Nibble, Nibble, CRUNCH! January's Cold: January's a cold month- Shiver, shiver, shiver!(wrap arms around self and shake) Button up (pretend to button your coat) Cover your ears (pretend to put on your hat) Quiver, quiver, quiver 3,7,40,41,44,45

Colored Ice Cube Painting You'll need ice cube trays, water, food coloring, craft sticks, aluminum foil In advance: Fill ice cube trays with water. Place a drop or 2 of food coloring in each compartment. Cover tray with aluminum foil. Gently press a craft stick through the aluminum foil into the middle of each compartment. Freeze overnight. Remove from ice cube trays. Let children paint on white paper with these. They will color the paper as they melt (we had to let ours sit out for a few minutes before the children could use them to allow the cubes to begin to melt first). 1,13,14,22,27,28,31,35

Math/Manipulative Warm Soup You'll need 2 cans of low sodium vegetable broth; 2 carrots, fresh green beans, potatoes, red peppers, pepper, thyme, oregano; vegetable peeler, plastic knives (for children to use) and a sharp knife for you to use; crock pot. This activity is best done in small groups (1 teacher, 2 children). Help each child peel some of a carrot and/or potato; cut green beans and pepper with plastic knife and put in a pan. You should cut the carrots with the sharp knife. Boil in broth for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Then place in crockpot. Have children help sprinkle a few sprinkles of the spices in the soup. Put crockpot out of reach of children, on high. Enjoy at snack time! VARIATION: Precook the above vegetables at home and bring into school. Have children help place them into the crockpot. You can use canned vegetables as well, but fresh is better if possible! 13,16,17,23, 31,35

Science

Music & Movement What I Do In Winter Part 2 Use the chant from yesterday and the list and fill in the blanks with what the children listed yesterday. Encourage them to act out each idea while saying it! It's snowing, it's snowing, I'm _____________ this morning. 3,7,11,12,33,34,38,43,44,45

Gross Motor Story Time

Winter Clothes Relay Needed: Winter clothes (coats, boots, mittens) Put the children's coats in a pile. Put their boots or shoes in another pile. Have the children go in teams to each pile to help find and put on their boots/shoes and coat! Teamwork, gross motor and self-help skills all in one! 6,9,10,12,17,23

Frozen Noses by Jan Carr 1, 6, 38-40, 44

? Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

WEDNESDAY Winter

Theme You'll Need:

Circle

A pair of gloves, a pair of mittens, graphing chart (described below) and a marker; shaving cream (NON menthol scented--trust me!), white school glue; paint; paintbrushes; Winter Estimation Station activity mat from this packet; I'm A Little Snow Person song poster in this packet; wax paper, carpeted area; The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Mittens or Gloves Graph You'll need: a pair of gloves, mittens, graphing chart (described below) and a marker. Make a chart with two columns. Label the first column "Gloves" and add a picture of gloves. Label the second column "Mittens" with a picture of mittens. Show the children the mittens and pass them around. Then pass around the gloves. Ask the children to describe the similarities and the differences. Ask them if they wear mittens or gloves? Have the children write their name* under the correct picture on the graph. Count how many wear mittens. How many children wear gloves? Do more children wear gloves or mittens? Post the chart for the children and families to see. *Encourage your children to print their names as best they can, even if they can only print the first letter of their first name. Practice, practice, practice! You could also have their names pre-printed on pieces of paper and have them identify their name tag and then tape it to the graph. 2,13-15,21,27, 29,42

Art

Winter Shaving Cream Storm

Materials needed: shaving cream (NON menthol scented--trust me! Menthol scent will knock

you all down when filling the room!); white school glue; paint; paintbrushes

Spray shaving cream into a cup. Mix in a few drops of paint to make a medium tinted color.

Pour in an equal amount of white school glue.

Mix and now paint! This dries hard. It's like your own puffy paint! 1,13,14,22,27,28,31,35

Math/Manipulative Winter Estimation Station Use the Winter Estimation Station activity mat from this packet 13,21-26,35

Science

Window Fog You'll need: Windows on a cold day! Wash the outside front glass door. Let the children "breathe" on the glass to see the fog and then draw pictures on it! Explain why this happens: the outside air is cold and the air in their mouths is warm and that makes fog! Clean the door and let a few more children make fog! (For germ reasons! only allow a few children at a time do this.) It's very fun to draw in the fog as well! 13,14,23,27,28,42,43

Music & Movement I'm A Little Snow Person Use the song poster in this packet for this song. VARIATION: Place a hat, buttons and pour some water on the floor before the children get to circle for a great effect! (or add multiples of these items as props for the children to use when acting out the song!) 3,7,34,40,41,44,45

Gross Motor

Indoor Skating Needed: wax paper, carpeted area This is fun for those days you are stuck inside! Place 2 squares of wax paper on a carpeted area. The children stand on the wax paper and can skate on the carpet! 6,9,10,12,23

Story Time The Snowman by Raymond Briggs 1, 6, 38-40, 44

? Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

THURSDAY Winter Theme

You'll Need:

Chart paper; a marker; a bowl of snow (or an ice cube); Snow White Playdough recipe in this packet; Winter Estimation Station activity mat from this packet; There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

Circle Art

Winter is Melting! You'll need chart paper; a marker; a bowl of snow (or an ice cube). In advance, write these three questions on the chart paper: At the top write in large letters: WHAT IS SNOW (OR ICE) MADE OF? 2/3 of the way down, draw a thick line across the paper and under the line write in large letters WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THIS SNOW (OR ICE)? Near the bottom of the page, draw another thick line and under it write "WHAT HAPPENED?" Talk to the children about the snow or ice, how it is made. Ask if they know what it is made of? List their answers on the chart paper under the first question. Then ask what they think will happen to the snow (or ice cube) if you just sit the bowl on the science table and not touch it all morning? Record those answers as well. At the end of the morning, gather as a large group and look at the snow (ice). Ask, "What happened?" Record what happened next to or under the last question. Leave the chart paper for the children to observe during the day. EXTENSION: After it is completely melted, ask the children how they think it can be made into ice? Record answers and try some of them! (put it outside, leave it in a dark room, put it in the freezer). Record the results the next day! You may want a new chart paper for this one as well! 13-15,21,27, 29,42

Snow White Playdough Use the playdough recipe in this packet to make playdough. 3,23,26,35

Math/Manipulative Winter Estimation Station Use the Winter Estimation Station activity mat from this packet 13,21-26,35

Science

Music & Movement I'm Melting! Talk the children through the snow and melting cycle. Tell them to act out what you are saying: Once upon a time, it was very cold (have them shiver, rub their arms, etc. as though they are cold.) It became very windy out (may wind noises). Then, the snow started falling lightly from the sky (pretend to be falling snowflakes). Continue with ideas such as: the snow fell faster...we made snowballs, we made a snowman, it got warmer...and warmer...out snowman started melting, etc. 3,7,11,12,33,34,44,45

Gross Motor

FREEZE! Play music and have the children dance to the beat. Stop the music and yell "FREEZE"! They need to stay very still in the position they are in! Put the music back on and yell "MELT--KEEP DANCING!". Continue as there is interest. VARIATION: Rather than dance, have the children come up with one thing they like to do in the snow, such as build a snow man. Have them all pretend to build a snowman until you say "FREEZE", then change what they should do, such as pretending to be sledding down a hill! 1,3,5,6,11,12,22,26,34,35,37

Story Time There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro 1, 6, 38-40, 44

? Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

FRIDAY Winter

Theme You'll Need:

Circle

Bowls or cups, a button, towel; white Playdough, small pebbles, small sticks/twigs, pieces of fabric, buttons, sequins, precut orange triangles, black paper hats; ice cube trays; various colors and shapes of buttons; premade number cards with the numbers you would like to work on with your group; 3 large bowls, water, towel; pairs of mittens or mitten match pieces from the file folder game in this packet;

Button, Button You'll need bowls or cups, a button, towel. Place the bowls in a row in front of you with the openings on the floor. Tell the children you will place a button under one bowl & they will guess which one. Have them cover their eyes ( This can be difficult for children hey may peek! So cover the bowls with a towel so they can't see while you hide the button!bowls. Uncover the bowls & tell the children to open their eyes and look. Give each child a turn to guess where it is until the button is found. Play again as long as there is interest. At first, the children will all call out a guess at once. Remind them that they are all taking turns and they will all have their own turn to guess. (i.e. Right now it's Billy's turn. Only Billy is going to guess.) This is one way for them to practice self-regulation! Make this game available for children to use throughout the week. VARIATION: Use colored bowls or cups so the children can name the color "It's under the blue cup) or print letters or numbers on the bottoms of the bowls or cups for them to call on "It's under the A cup or the 4 cup. 3,7,20,37,42,45

Art

Build a Snowman

Needed: white Playdough, small pebbles, small sticks/twigs, pieces of fabric, buttons, sequins, precut orange

triangles, black paper hats

Use the playdough you made with the children or store bought white playdough. Provide the items listed in a

sorting tray or in bowls. The children use the dough to make snowmen and the items to embellish them (i.e.

pebbles for eyes, twigs for arms, etc. If you allow these to air dry, the children can take them home in a few days.

3, 23,24, 27, 29, 36

Math/Manipulative Button Sorting You'll need ice cube trays; various colors and shapes of buttons; premade number cards with the numbers you would like to work on with your group. Have a child flip over one number card. He then places that many buttons in the first ice cube compartment. Continue until all 12 compartments are filled. Be sure to simply let the children sort the buttons by attributes on their own into the ice cube trays. VARIATION: Instead of ice cube trays, provide muffin tins. Cut out paper circles to fit in each compartment and list a number on each circle. Use buttons or use other items to sort such as vehicles, Bristle Blocks, Legos, etc. 3,6,9,13,14,21-25,27,36,37,45

Science

Tricky Heat! You'll need 3 large bowls, water, towel Place water in the three bowls- the first with hot-ish water, the second with warm and the third with cold water. Put one hand in the hot water and one in the cold at the same time. Now quickly put both hands into the warm water. Amazingly, your cold hand will feel hot and the hot hand will feel cold! Ask why they think this is (that their hands in cold water feels hot, etc.) (How this works: the temperature sensors in our hands measure the water temperature and compares it to the temperature of our hands: If the water is warmer than your hands, it feels warm, if it's colder than your hands, it feels cold.) 13,14,23,27,28,42,43

Music & Movement Musical Mitten Match! Needed: pairs of mittens or mitten match pieces from the file folder game in this packet. Place one of each pair of mittens on a chair. Give each child one of the matching mittens. Play music. When the music stops, they find the chair that has their matching mitten! 1, 6, 10, 34,35,38-40, 44

Gross Motor

Story Time Wintertime by Ann Schweninger 1, 6, 38-40, 44 ? Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

What's That Falling From The Sky?

Choose a favorite puppet to use. Introduce the puppet to the children.

"Hi everyone! I'd like you to meet my friend___!"

Give the children time to introduce themselves or just say "Hi" to each child with your puppet!

Discuss snow with them using the puppet.

When they are discussing their snow experiences, write down their responses on a chart paper.

You can then compare what children think about snow and what they like to do in it!

Follow up with snow activities to explore the cold!

There is a suggested script on the next page, but feel free to make it your own using your own words and ideas!)

? The Preschool Cubby preschool-plan-

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