Top 5 Pinterest Winter Finds

Puffy Paint Snowflake Painting
by Frugal Family Fun Blog
Great For: Art

Shredded Snowman

by Babycenter

Great For: Sensory, Art

Borax Crystal Snowflakes

by Delia Creates

Great For: Science

Build A Snowman Sensory Tub

by Our Cup of Tea

Great For: Sensory, Fine Motor

Number Snowman

by Kindergarten Hoppenings

Great For: Numbers

You can see more learning activities I have found and pinned or repinned here: http://pinterest.com/valplowman/learning-ideas/

Egg Carton Snowman

I had extra egg cartons (cardboard) from the grocery store and I was convinced that something fun could be done with them. I had an idea, but when Val posted the Puffy Paint snowman ( http://learningdevelopmentactivities.blogspot.com/2012/01/puffy-paint-snowman.html ), I knew that my idea just got a new twist!

Prep: Cut cardboard egg carton compartments out. They will stand up on their own, and they don't need to be pretty. :)
Make puffy paint (equal parts glue and shaving cream). I used 1/4 cup of each and it was WAY too much for 3 snowmen. Maybe try 1/8 cup (2 T) of each to start. I felt like I wasted a whole bunch of glue.
Gather supplies: paintbrushes, cut out carrot nose (construction paper), buttons, beads, wiggly eyes (or cut out of paper), small squares or circles for the mouth, ribbon for scarf, glitter. The decorations are optional, so go wild with what you have on hand. Oh, and you'll need toilet paper.

Directions:
I put down a coffee filter for them to paint on so it didn't get on the table. It's easy to clean up, so that part is not necessary.
Stuff one carton w/ toilet paper for stability. Paint with puffy paint.
Stuff 2nd carton with toilet paper (this allows for stacking like a snowman is built). Either paint in hand or while on the 1st carton.
Stuff 3rd carton (head). Paint. Decorate!! Allow to dry before moving. Should take about 12-24 hours to dry, depending on the amount of paint used.

Puffy Paint Snowman

My daughter made this in preschool and has been ever in love with it since.

This is made from puffy paint, which is simply equal parts shaving cream and white glue. You mix the two together and then paint with it, or glob it to make a nice snowman. 

She also used pieces of construction paper to create the eyes, noses, mouth, hat, and arms. Lay flat to dry. Once it is dry, you can touch it and feel is puffiness! Now she just wants it to have feet so it can walk around like Frosty :)

Winter Books 2012

Time for some great winter books! These really are all must-haves in our home.

The Big Snow by Berta Hader and Elmer Hader

Caldecott winner of 1949. This is my four year old's favorite winter book right now. She is my major animal lover and this book is right up her lane as a story about the animals preparing for winter.




Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner

This is a great story for sparking the imagination of children. What do snowmen do at night? Why do their shapes change over time? It must be that they are out playing with their friends.




The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

This is a total classic. It is a wordless picture book, which is great on so many levels. My two year old loves this for telling herself the story.




Here Comes Darrell by Leda Schubert

This has been a favorite of my six year old son's for several years. It is about Darrell and the various service he does for his neighbors. It isn't all about winter, but part of it is and it is definitely worth taking note of. Anyone who loves equipment like plows and tractors will love this book.


A Polar Bear Journey by Debbie S. Miller

This is another favorite of my animal-loving four year old. This book is factual and offers lots of information on polar bears told in a way that is interesting to children.

Blast from the Past: Snowman Projects

I was going to post these a while ago, but I never got them off my camera. Then things got warm and I was too busy enjoying 60 degree weather to talk about snowmen. Then the weather turned and I have over two feet of snow on the ground again, and I know many of you are sitting in snow, too, so let's acknowledge it and maybe enjoy some last snow projects for the year.

This first one is the Cotton Ball Snowman I posted about last year. This year, I used scrap fabric for the scarves, which I thought was fun. Above is Kaitlyn's (age three) and below is McKenna's (age one). For McKenna, I pointed to tell her where to put the cotton balls. Kaitlyn did something new and fun. After making her bottom "ball," she decided to pull the cotton balls apart to make her snowman.

Next is the Snowman Shape Picture. I did this with Kaitlyn's playgroup and every single mom asked, "Did he/she really do this alone?" Yes they did! And here are the three my kids did. Top is McKenna's (age one--it lost an eye between being done and getting a photo), bottom left is Brayden's (age five), and bottom right is Kaitlyn's (age three). Brayden and Kaitlyn both have a "house" that Brayden cut out and made for them.

I love how crooked McKenna's is. That is a picture I will keep forever I think.

Snowman Pancakes

My Mother-In-Law asked me the other day if I have a certain way I refer to my husband in my blogging...like the Pioneer Woman calls her husband the Marlboro Man....lots of women have a "name" for their husbands....mine is "my husband." But I think I might name him Pancake Man. He is the king of creative pancakes.

This simple pancake creation was created by him. The poor Pancake Man can't make "just pancakes" anymore--they have to be "some fun shape."

This one is quite simple. You pour three circles--make sure they connect. And of course, make sure they are different sizes like a snowman. Flip the snowman over when it is ready. Now, for the mouth, you take a miniature marshmallow and stretch it out for the smile. Place it on while side two is cooking. It will melt. Place chocolate chips on when you are done. Viola! A nice, large pancake!

Thanks Pancake Man.

Surviving Winter: Once There Was a Snowman

Making a snowman is a great winter activity. It gets you outside and can really be a great workout. Last weekend, we spent two hours making this beauty--which is indeed over 6 feet tall. 

The process is simple--so long as you have snow that will stick to itself. You just start a little snowball and start rolling it. You can actually make a snowman with a small amount of snow (inch-wise) if you have the square footage to do it. Or acreage. After we were done, the kids were tired and my arms hurt.Great winter fun!

 You also might enjoy licking your giant snowball. That can be fun, too :)