Snow man Fun

"Frosty, the snowman is a jolly happy soul".... is the song on my lips these days. What with the cold weather finally setting in, just minus the snow. Many people dread the harsh winters we experience but for me its a joyful and a happy time. Drinking hot, steaming cups of mocha, eating loads of  Christmas cake , wearing warm cozy mittens  and snuggling in the blanket with a good book surely makes me a jolly happy soul. 

And it is this cold weather that inspired me to write a post on all things snow and snowman.Since I consider books as the most important teaching tool, I am first going to share the latest Eric Carle book I have fallen in love with.

  The story is set during Christmas time and revolves around a farmer and his five animals. Only there is no snow, till the night before Christmas. So what does the farmer do when snow finally falls? Find out in this beautifully illustrated book that will surely win over young hearts.

My favorite snowman craft that I love to do with kids every year also incorporates a little bit of literacy. I let them cut circles with white paper and prompt them to write each letter of their name on a circle. 

Its fun to see little kids comparing the length of their snowmen.

And what is Christmas without gifts. Turn a simple chocolate into an adorable snowman and see  bright smiles adorning your little angels faces.

"Snowman, snowman, where's your nose?", is a group game that will have your kids asking for more. Let children sit in a circle and ask one child to be the snowman. Give a small carrot to another child and ask him/her to hide it behind his/her back. All the other children also pretend to do the same and they say a chant: Snowman, Snowman, Where's Your Nose? Somebody took it from your home.

Upstairs, Downstairs, by the phone...Wake up Snowman, Find your Nose.Encourage the child in the center to guess which child he/she thinks has the snowman's nose. The 'snowman' gets up to three guesses. Keep playing till everyone gets a turn.

And finally if you want to do up your surroundings with some snowman decor, check out my door decoration.

I will leave you with my favorite song for this season...

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all my followers!

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas

There are so many interesting books for Christmas that it is hard to pick one favorite. But i have fallen in love with Pete the Cat. He has been a regular visitor in our class this year and the kids adore him. So when i got my hands on the book "Pete the Cat Saves Christmas", i couldn't wait to read it in class.

The book is written in simple language and has bright illustrations. 

 

 

The author also makes Pete sing a fun song just like he does in all his stories. I love this idea because the whole class gets involved during the read aloud and it catches the attention of non listeners.

Click on the link:  Pete Saves Christmas Story.mp3 to hear the story and the song.

I had to do a craft and writing activity along with it. I got the idea from a blog called Inspired by Kindergarten.

The children wrote what is their favorite thing about Christmas.

I also found a great activity from 'First grade hip hip hooray'. I love activities which allow children to put on their thinking caps. It was amazing to see children reflect on the story. My kiddos did a great job considering they are all just beginning to write.

My kids thoroughly enjoyed the book and the activities.There are many more fun activities based on this book and this book is worth adding to your collection of Christmas books.