Slush

Posted in Letters, Math, Outside, Reading, Shapes, Writing by teachingeveryday

The snow is melting! The snow is melting! Can you see my smile through the interwebs? It’s big. We went outside to play and celebrate. And we got out hoes. Yes. I’ve never tried it before, but sidewalk scrapers and hoes easily pushed around the slushy snow on our driveway. And if you have similar driveways/weather conditions…give it a try!

We made…

straight, curvy, and zig-zag lines and then walked on them
shapes
letters
numbers
words
and our favorite- “snow castles” or the if you want to be honest…piles of slush

3Mar2014

Snow Days

Posted in Stay-at-home mom life by teachingeveryday

I always thought I had the best of both worlds being a teacher. I was a working mom for 9 months of the year and a stay-at-home mom during the summer. And isn’t summer the best time to be with the kids? I also got some nice blocks of time off for Christmas and spring break. And I even had snow days. Those beautiful bonus days where nothing was planned, it was too cold to go anywhere, and I could spend the day playing with my kids and catching up on laundry. Oh, nothing is sweeter than a snow day.

Today school was canceled for a snow day, although I think it was really more for the below zero temperatures than the snow. Since no one goes to school at my house, it didn’t really affect us other than Big Sis asking me every 10 minutes to go outside and freeze her tuckus off (she used the words “play in the snow”). Yes, I spent my day playing with my kids and catching up on laundry…but I do that every day. I’m ready to go outside! Okay, we did go outside….and promptly went inside when I couldn’t feel my toes anymore.

I never thought I was missing much by not being a stay-at-home mom in the winter. Turns, out I was right. 🙂 February has been my least favorite month to be at home. Because I actually have to be AT HOME. Sure we go to indoor playplaces and things like that. However, I think screaming and running kids are really best in their natural habitat of wide grassy plains, not caged into an inflatable padded room.

I like the snow. I just don’t like the cold. I don’t like gray, cold, winter days. At least today was sunny. We sat on the living room floor in the sunshine and had a picnic and I pretended it was spring. I’m really ready for spring.

10Jan2014

Five Minute Snowflake Craft

Posted in Book Activity, Craft, Math by teachingeveryday

I am all about simple crafts. It only takes five minutes and you can use stuff that you already have around the house? Count me in. Bonus if you can do some teaching with the crafting. Oh, it also has to be easy enough for a two-year-old. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

This craft was inspired by the book Snow by Cynthia Rylant, but it would work well with any snow book. It doesn’t discriminate. It’s an all-inclusive craft. 🙂

Step 1: Assemble materials: Q-tips, glue, scissors, and aluminum foil (or wax paper)

Step 2: Teaching time! Look at pictures of snowflakes in the book and count the points. Talk about symmetry and notice how the “arms” are directly across from each other. If you want to google “how do snowflakes form” and do a mini-science lesson, go for it! This is a good place to start.

Step 3: Cut 3 Q-tips in half. More teaching! Use the word half and explain that it is two equal parts. Practice counting by twos.

Step 4: Fun part! Squeeze a puddle of glue about the size of a penny on aluminum foil (or wax paper…whichever you have).

Step 5: Arrange 6 Q-tip halves in glue puddle so they are symmetrical.