For children, snow is a source of joy and wonder. By the time we grow up, the idea of snow has lost its sparkle for many of us. What if you could create a magical "snow day" indoors any time of year, no shoveling or bundling up required?
Our intuitive first grade teacher, Mrs. Falkenberg, created a wonderful, multi-sensory snow experience for her students last Friday. She called the memorable event "Snowman Day."
Every part of this day, from the science lesson to the books they read, was centered around carefully crafted snow activities. The students had so much fun, they probably didn't even realize they were learning new concepts or developing fine motor skills!
Read on for the details on how to create your own special "Snowman Day."
As part of Snowman Day, the class read several snowman books, and then worked on creating their own snowman adventure stories with graphics and text in the computer lab.
One of the books Mrs. Falkenberg read to the class was Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner, which is a story about the fun adventures snowmen have at night while everyone is sleeping.
Other snowy stories they read were Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright, All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle, and The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll.
For this activity, the kids went to the gym and divided into pairs. They took turns wrapping each other in toilet paper. Mrs. Falkenberg is such a good sport that even she ended up wrapped in toilet paper!
They also played a game called "Snowman Slam," where students took turns attempting to knock over a tower of snowman cups with a "snowball."
The class painted snowman using a mixture of glue and shaving cream. They embellished and decorated their creations using buttons, sequins, jewels, pipe cleaners, and other craft supplies.
If you'd like to make your own shaving cream puffy paint, you can find the instructions here.
The students did a second crafty science project using some "snow" made from baking soda and hair conditioner. They were able to sculpt their own little 3D snowmen using this mixture, which they decorated and embellished very artistically.
Want to make your own snow clay at home? Instructions can be found here.
Another activity the kids did on Snowman Day was a sensory science experiment.
First, the students made "snowballs" using a baking soda and water mixture.
Next they added vinegar to the mixture.
What do you think happened? Try this experiment at home to find out! Anything involving a little bit of mess-making and a chemical reaction is destined to be a big hit among first graders.
This sweet day was made complete with a sweet snack: snowman cupcakes and a cup of hot cocoa.
Our first grade class had so much fun on Snowman Day! We hope this post inspires you to have a cozy snow celebration of your own.
Have you been thinking about making a choice for your child's education? For more information about our school or to schedule a tour to meet more dedicated and passionate teachers like Mrs. Falkenberg, please contact us today.