Exploring Winter Wonders: An Adventure with Snowflakes and Snow!
Welcome Back! Winter is here, and our Blossoms have been diving into the wonders of the season! We’ve been learning all about the characteristics of winter, snow, and snowflakes, and we even conducted an exciting experiment with freezing and melting snow. It’s been a fun-filled, educational first week back!
Discovering Winter’s Magic
To start, we introduced the children to the key characteristics of winter. We talked about how the air feels colder, the days are shorter, and, of course, snow! The kids were eager to share their experiences with snow, and we had some wonderful discussions about how snowflakes are formed, why snow falls from the sky, and what happens when it gets really cold outside.
Snowflakes
We also took a closer look at snowflakes! Did you know that every snowflake is unique? We learned that no two snowflakes are exactly alike, and each one is made up of a speck of dust and tiny ice crystals that form in a special pattern. The children loved how the snowflakes looked under a magnifying glass and enjoyed matching them with one of our science work trays. Older students practiced their sewing skills by creating beautiful snowflakes.
Freezing and Melting Snow
The highlight of our week was definitely our snow experiment! We brought in some snow from outside, and the children were able to touch, feel, and examine it up close. Then, we placed the snow in different containers to see what would happen when it was exposed to warmth. We watched as the snow slowly began to melt and turn into water. The kids observed the changes carefully, and we talked about the process of freezing and melting. They were excited to see the snow “disappear” and discussed how snow can melt when the temperature rises. We also put some of the snow into a cold place to see how it would freeze again, allowing the children to witness the transformation of water back into snow. This hands-on experience helped them understand the concept of temperature and the cycle of freezing and melting in a very real and fun way.
A Peek at our Work Trays
Throughout the week, we incorporated winter themes into our activities. From creating snow covered evergreen tree crafts to singing songs about snowflakes, the children had a blast while learning about the winter season. We even added some winter-related work trays throughout the classroom, such as measuring weight with items you would use to build a snowman and “writing the room” by finding winter themed words and copy writing.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will continue our exploration of winter by focusing on what the animals around us do during the winter months, as well as take a closer look at a book titled The Mitten by Jan Brett.
We have also been counting the days of the school year since the very first day – we are currently 85 days smarter! On the 100th Day of School we will celebrate with a pizza party, as well as have your children dress up like they are 100 YEARS OLD! It’s one of our favorite days of the school year!
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, January 20th – NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Thursday, January 30th – Grandparent’s Day – Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48A8A92DA6F94-45787189-buckeye#/
Monday, February 3rd – 100th Day of School Celebration (*subject to change if we have a snow day*) Dress up like you are 100 years old!