Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Restful? Productive? I decided this was the weekend to bring order to my spare bedroom. I call it a bedroom, but it’s actually part office, part craft room, and a very large part junk room. The room seems to take on a life of its own (especially during the holiday season), so it feels great to have this project behind me. Wintry weather tends to force me into doing tasks that I choose not to do when the weather is good!
How does wintry weather affect your kiddos? I’m sure they get the winter wiggles! I’d love to hear your remedies for those! (I get them too!) I also wonder what effect you think winter has on learning. For example, do you think youngsters tend to be more (or less) focused during winter months? Does wintertime bring specific teaching or behavior challenges for you? Please share your tips and solutions for wintertime teaching.
Your curious pal,
Diane
Well – we try to get outside if we can. Even if that means taking a walk around the grounds and looking for different things or walking in a different manner – ie like a mouse, moose or penguin or polar bear. I think the kids can be more focused – unless snow is expected and then everything is out the window literally, they are giggly , wiggly and just plain antsy when snow is expected. We do have an indoor playground but I really get tired of that. Try to change it up by making an obstacle course or playing different games like red light green light or father duck what time is it, or duck duck goose which they love anyway. Its a great time to get the parachute out and put styrafoam blocks or beanie babies or other crazy things and make them go up in the air. We also walk around inside the building in different ways too and try to spy things that are diffent or things that start with our letter of the week or try to find as many numbers as we can.
Wow, Angie! These are great ideas! Thanks so much for sharing. I had to laugh at your description of student behavior when snow is expected. We are expecting snow here today and we are a bit giggly, wiggly, and antsy too! 🙂
Its been to cold here in Michigan to go out so I have been doing lots of indoor fun. Snowball fights using coffee filters, plenty of music and dancing going on.
Today I took out the rhythm sticks and I told the kids a story about me going for a walk with my dog. At first I am just strolling, (the kids pound their sticks on the floor slowly, then I stop (the kids stop)because I heard a sound, I keep going faster because I do not know what the sound is and the kids pound harder on the floor. I start and stop several times. Then at the end I finally turn around and see a puppy, a kitty or some other harmless animal. The kids love it and it sure burns off energy pounding on those sticks and its makes for great listening and following direction practice.
Every so often, we get an arctic blast here in South Texas. We will be hit tonight, and the rest of the week will be cold — if you consider a high of 47 and a low of 31 cold. 😉
I’m from Mid-Missouri. I grew up learning to figure skate outdoors. This weather isn’t exactly cold to me. Down here, though, people think it’s freezing. Parents bundle their children up like you wouldn’t believe. Coaches won’t take the students outside for P.E., and the students are forced to sit in the gym and watch movies. 🙁
I try to get my students moving in the room. We “lettercise” to Dr. Jean. We do as many movement-involved songs as we can. Taking the students outdoors when the “cold” weather hits is frowned upon.
Thank you, Angie, for sharing your ideas. I hope that others will share their ideas too.
I work at a daycare center and we have had many days of inside play. It really starts to get to the kiddos and to the teachers. I try to keep a lot of different games in mind to change our activities a little bit.
Here are some different versions of duck duck goose:
-Fishy,Fishy Shark (goes good with a ocean unit)
-Santa Santa Reindeer
I find just changing the words get my kiddos excited to play a game they have played many times before.
I have also changed Hokey Pokey to include different themes
-Reindeer Pokey, Fishy Pokey, Color Pokey
I have kids pretend they are airplanes and call them randomly to land. They really enjoy the anticipation of when I might call them.
Any other suggestions? I need some more movement activities to help very active 4 and 5 yrs old from just running around and screaming. Thanks!
Like Ruth, our South Texas weather would be heaven to others, but we still have some degree-restrictive days. As long as it is not raining or wet outside, I bundle up my preschoolers and have at least 10 minutes of exercise/running/relays.
If we are forced back into the classroom, we “skate” in socks on the carpet, play “keep away” with jumbo balloons, and dancercise. The “Bunny Hop” is a big favorite as well.
We do some science experiments like painting to music with water and epsom salts (evaporation) or observing ice cubes (melting). Of course this usually references back to Frosty the Snowman so we do some pretend melting as well. Good linking!
Stack up the chairs during centers and put on some instrumental music. Those little bodies will be one continuous movement while completing their center activities.
We go outside until the temp hits -15 degrees below zero! That includes wind chill. I had recess duty today and it was a “mild” 7 above with wind chill to -4. It was a beautiful recess because the sun was shining and it really didn’t feel all that cold. Now tomorrow is another story. Tomorrow morning we could have wind chills to -35 below. So it’s inside recess with lincoln logs, puzzles, games and drawing paper just to name a few.
And YES…when a winter storm is brewing…behavior really changes! I think we are in for a huge storm this week! Ha!
Here in Oregon, I like to bundle up my preschoolers and get outdoors as much as possible unless it’s really pouring down rain. I just remind the parents that we will be going out to take advantage of the fresh air and get some exercise, so the children bring warm jackets with hoods. If the play yard is too wet, we may take a fast walk around the building, trying to spot as many wintry things as we can or white things, etc. If it’s just too wet or cold to go out, we put on some marching music, choose an instrument and a flag leader and march around the school in a parade. Or, we play something lively like “Twist & Shout” and play “Freeze!”. Or we may choose some beautiful, classical music, (the Nutcracker Ballet is perfect) and dance and twirl like snowflakes. We stapled cardboard strips to the back of commercial snowflake decorations for handles, added some colorful, wintry ribbons to the bottom and the children hold two of these as they dance. It sounds and looks beautiful and we’re all moving and getting some much needed exercise.