Snow Cream on a Snowy Day!

Just finished making snow cream with the kiddos.  They had a blast.  Seems like they enjoy foods even more when they make it all on their own.  Who doesn't love snow and a little cream?  My kids were thrilled to see me go outside, scoop up some clean snow and tell them to put on their aprons.  We were going to make snow cream for a snack. 

All you need per serving is about 4 cups of snow.
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar (o, let them live a little)
1/2 milk.  I used 2% milk.
Let the kiddos Mix it all up and then let them eat it...

Mmmmmmm!!!!

Teaching Heart Treats for Winter Teaching...

Hello Teaching Heart Readers! Hope this finds you all well and happy in 2011!

Below are links to many pages on Teaching Heart…  At each page you will find free printables, ideas, lessons, links and more for the given topics.

100th Day Ideas:
http://www.teachingheart.net/hundreddays.html









MLK Ideas:
http://www.teachingheart.net/happymlkbooks.html






Valentine's Day:
http://www.teachingheart.net/valentinesdaypage.html
Updates and will update through Jan., so keep checking!

Be sure to see the new Vday Packet!!!
TEACHING HEART PRODUCTS:
http://teachingheart.net/primaryteachertimesaver.html
90% of the teachers who purchase one product come back to purchaseanother product. 1000's of happy teachers using Teaching Heart CDROM's.



Make lesson planning easy! Plus NOW instant downloadable mini units!

Check them out with this direct link to our instant downloads! http://teachingheart.cerizmo.com/  

Check out our new Vday Packet for 2011!!!



Snowy Day:
http://www.teachingheart.net/snowyday.html
  
Mittens:
http://www.teachingheart.net/mitten.html



Pres. Day
http://www.teachingheart.net/presidents.html\



Clifford:
http://www.teachingheart.net/cliffordunit.html Will he see his shadow?
http://www.teachingheart.net/groundhogdaysite.html  






Teaching Heart Mom Bloghttp://teachingheartmom.blogspot.com/ Follow this blog to find out what is new daily by following the blog.


Winter Warm Up to the Rescue http://www.teachingheart.net/winterprintables01.html - You can be ready for a few days of winter learning fun!

Are you a Facebook Fan???  Check that out!!!

Thanks and have a great day!

The Mitten... WOW!

I found some awesome Mitten Resources on other blogs that I MUST share...

I will need to update this Mitten Page and add these fun ideas...

 

Here is a blackline from our CD. You could make a class book and title it, My Mitten Was So Big. Give each student a mitten shape page with the sentence, My mitten was so big that a ____________ fit inside it. Then the student fills in the blank and illustrates their sentence. Click here for more Mitten Ideas!!!

 

What the Teacher Wants shares some great ideas too...

Click here for the Mitten Idea!

 

Not sure if the download is working yet, but the idea is cute!

This blog (Swamp Frog First Graders) is pretty awesome...  I think you will agree.  Lots of sharing going on here.  There are many Mitten ideas too with great printables...

Check out Animals in The Mitten Probability Activities ! 

Then check out Counting On Mittens

Lastly, check out Mitten and Hat Number Sentence Sort

Be sure to check out Teaching Heart's Winter Warm Up Packet for some Mitten Themed Printables as well. 

I have a copy of this story;The Missing Mitten Mystery (Picture Puffin Books) coming to me soon.  I saw this activity from Our Random Acts of Reading!!!

Hope a few of these ideas will warm up those fingers for winter learning!!!

Winter Teaching Links!!!

Here are quick links to our Winter pages filled with so many resources for the winter months ahead.  I hope you will find a few ideas to use in your classroom or with your own children.

Index to so many winter treats:http://www.teachingheart.net/xmas.html

Snowman Soup and other DIY treats:http://www.teachingheart.net/snowmansoup.html

Ideas and Lessons for Christmas:http://www.teachingheart.net/christmasteacherresources.html

I love me some Gingerbread Teaching:http://www.teachingheart.net/gingerbreadman.html

Snowman melt my heart and make teaching fun!http://www.teachingheart.net/snowmentheme.html

Don't forget the reindeer ideas:http://www.teachingheart.net/reindeerunit.html

Mmmm... Candy Caneshttp://www.teachingheart.net/candycane.html

Books I love for Winter Teaching With Great ideas to match!!!

The Snowy Dayhttp://www.teachingheart.net/snowyday.html
Polar Expresshttp://www.teachingheart.net/polar.html
The Mittenhttp://www.teachingheart.net/mitten.html
The Cold Ladyhttp://www.teachingheart.net/oldlady.html

Printables for instant download!!!
It's Cold Outside Packet http://www.teachingheart.net/winterprintables01.html
Gingerbread and Snowman Packethttp://www.teachingheart.net/snowmangingerkit.html

On the blog:
Posts Tagged Christmas:
http://teachingheartmom.blogspot.com/search/label/christmas
Post Tagged Winter:
http://teachingheartmom.blogspot.com/search/label/winter

Thanks for checking out all the links.  Have a wonderful time teaching over the winter months!!!

Colleenwww.teachingheart.net

B2S Party -Free Winter Printable #4

You don't need your mitten yet... but unfortunately you will in a few months.  Here is something to use when the mittens come out.  It comes from our awesome Winter Warm Up Packet!

Mitten Match Center – Grades Prek, K, 1, 2, 3 -


CLICK TO Print PDF FOR FREE

Mitten Match Center: Student must match the number mitten (sum) to a mitten with the math problem on it. You may print, laminate, and cut the pieces below. Have the student place the matching mittens in a pocket chart next to each other.

You can change the mittens to any skill below by clicking on the white squares and typing in the skill you wish (colors, shapes, multiplication, subtraction…)

The printable above is awesome and so are the other printables found in this packet.  The one below is also part of it!

Don't delay, click here and order this packet today!!!!

The Snowy Day

Activities to use with The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats.

Before Reading the Story:
Ask your students if they have walked and played in the snow. Invite students to share their experiences.

Then have students make a "Snowy Day" graph with you. Write on a sheet of construction paper, "Have you ever played in the snow?" Write yes on one side of the paper and no on the other side. Let each child glue a cotton ball on the side of his choice.

When Peter walked through the snow, he left footprints. Provide a snow scene with a variety of footprints in it. Use patterns of different animal prints. Then make patterns of the animals that would of made the prints. Have your students match the print to the animal.

For a sequencing activity, provide picture cards of snowmen being built. Have the students sequence!

SCIENCE ACTIVITY : Before Peter had to go into the house to warm up, he packed a handful of snow into a snowball. By the time he had bathed and dressed, the snowball had melted. Click here to find patterns of things that do and do not melt. Let each student cut out the pictures and sort them on construction paper by things that melt and things that do not melt!

In the story, Peter makes a little snowball and places it into his pocket. To his surprise, after some time in his warm house, the snowball is no longer there. Have students tell what they think happened to the snowball.

Do a class experiment by having students make snowballs, place them in sandwich bags (closed tightly), and predict what will happen. For an extra challenge, have them predict how long they think it will take for their snowball to melt. Place some snowballs closer to a heat source. Ask students to predict what will happen to those snowballs. Make a few of the snowballs very big. Have students predict how long it will take for the larger snowballs to melt. Record the data on a graph.

Visit Teaching Heart for more Snowy Day Activities...
http://www.teachingheart.net/snowyday.html

Recipe for a Snowy Picnic...

Make up a pot of hot chocolate... pour it in a few Starbucks coffee cups to keep it warm. Bring along some whip cream for extra smiles. Bundle up your kiddos. Call a friend to join you. Go sledding or just play at the park (it's another world in the snow)! When the fun is about over, share some warm yummy for the tummy and enjoy a snowy picnic.

MMMmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!

The kids will be so tired after they are done that you will have time to blog!

Click here for a recipe for homemade hot chocolate!!!

Looking for a quiet activity to complete after a day of sledding? Have your kiddos color this and this.

Cut out the pictures.

Have the kiddos write about their adventure.

Let's Talk Snowmen

Let's start with some snow... Add a carrot for the nose and a magic hat! Here are a few ideas for fun with your snowman!

Snowman Song: (Tune: I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little snowman,

round and fat.

Here are my mittens,

Here is my hat.
When the sun comes out I melt away.

See you next year On a snowy day. ~ Author Unknown

Free Printables

***Sorting Gingerbread & Snow Friends – The student cuts out various pictures of snowmen and then sorts them on a sorting sheet (k-2). The student answers question independently (1-2) about their sorting sheet. This comes from Teaching Heart's Snowman packet. Click here to learn more...

Color Hedgie Makes a Hedgehog Snowman or Snowman - Family or Snowman - Traditional

Create Snowman, Snowman Book with the free printables and ideas from Teaching Heart

Play the Roll A Snowman Game from http://www.littlegiraffes.com/winter.html

Need some board games for the winter months? Teaching Heart's Board Game CDROM comes with many themes that can be used with any skill you would like your child to work on... Just print and you are set. Click here to learn more.

Here is a picture of part of a reproducible book from pur CDROM. You may try to make your own or click here to learn about the CDROM.
Each page in the book has a snowman in it. The student choses a color to write in the blank and then colors that part of the snowman.
I like your _______ hat.
I like your ________ scarf.
I like your ________ nose.
I like your _______ eyes.
and so on...

Read There was a Cold Lady and use the ideas found here to match the book!!!

Recipes and Crafts

Snowman on stick http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/snowman-on-a-stick-699309/

Try Deforsty the Snowman from Family Fun!

Taste of Home has a recipe for Cauliflower Snowman

DLTK has some great craft ideas!

Color, cut, and glue to make this easy snowman craft!

Paper Plate Snowman Patterns

Look at this COTTONBALL SKITTLE SNOWMAN

Early Start on Winter Reading

I have two great books to share. The first was sent to me by the author Deborah Lee Rose and the second I received as a reviewer for Amazon.com. It was refreshing to be sent two books I could write positive reviews for and suggest to my readers with the confidence they would love the books.



You can’t help but smile when reading, The Twelve Days of Winter by Deborah Lee Rose. The illustrations are adorable and if you have a student in elementary school or if you are or were a teacher yourself you may find yourself laughing as you read along.

The story starts out with the words, “On the first day of winter, my teacher gave to me…a bird feeder in a snowy tree.” The illustrations compliment the text and tell a side story of their own. You see a teacher dealing with getting her class ready to go outside. As an educator myself, I relate to the teacher in the story trying her best to help the little ones get on coats and gloves. Outside they help to fill the bird feeder and you see the kids making snow angels, throwing snowballs, and more winter fun happenings. That description just describes the first four pages! The rest of the pages add more counting fun in the classroom. As the winter days go on and the teacher continues giving… the chaos in the classroom gets greater. The teacher is obviously flustered by the end of the story and ready for winter break and also very deserving of the break.

My three year old and seven year old enjoyed this story very much. It was fun counting the objects in the story with them. My three year old loved pointing out what was going on in each picture. The text was simple enough for a second grader to read independently.

This lovely story would be the perfect gift for a kindergarten through third grade teacher to share with her class. Also, I suggest you wrap it up and tie a bow around it and give it to your favorite teacher as a Holiday treat! You may wish to tie a tag on it that says, “I am sure you have had your share of The Twelve Days of Winter like the teacher in this story! Thanks for being a fun teacher. Have a well deserved winter break.”




I found myself smiling when I first read through The Nutty Nutcracker Christmas. It is such a creative story that any six through ten year old boy can make a text to self connection to. The original Nutcracker is generally a girl’s story. Yet, this Nutcracker is written with the main character being a boy who loves to play video games.

Fritz is the video game loving boy in the story who finds himself in VERY BIG TROUBLE before you even turn to page two of the story. Fritz, like all brothers broke one of his sister’s toys and his handheld video system is taken away from him. However, Fritz continues to be naughty and secretly find his game system and begins playing… Fritz plays and plays until he masters the game by beating the Mouse King!!! You can imagine Fritz excitement from his achievement… but magically, The Mouse King himself appears alive out of the game challenging Fritz. Fritz of course is scared and shocked when he sees this larger than life Mouse with a sword. Luckily and even more Magically, a Nutcracker appears and thus begins and adventure that any six to ten year old would love to read.

What a wonderful story with great illustrations. I would recommend this to the six through ten year old age group. This book is perfect alone, but even made better with the CD included with this story. The first track is a twelve minute read-along of the story. The read-along is read very creatively and with nice sound affects and music. My only complaint is that the CD read-along does not contain turn the page signals. Following the read-along is five Christmas songs you probably won’t hear anywhere else but on this CD. They are each creative and some are even humorous. The titles are: Christmas Eve at Our House, I’m a Natural, Let’s Ruin Christmas, Welcome to Christmas Wood, and Don’t Say Impossible.

This book is definitely a must have for your Children’s Christmas Book collection. It is a very unique story that will capture the heart of your child over the holidays!!!

The Weather is Frightful

Yes, winter has really decided to show up this week and Mommy is running out of things to do with no school...

My six year old, already built a spaceship out of Tinker Toys...

My daugher starts to get antsy and wants to play something... so out comes High Ho Cherry O! After about three games of that we move on to tent building.. My son destroyed the playroom and built a tent for him and his sister to roll around in...

It looks like a snow globe outside and of course the kiddos want to go out... mean mommy says it is too cold. Still, I bring three buckets inside for them to play in.

Lastly, we did a puzzle for two hours and I don't even like to do puzzles... This one is hard and my son keeps count of how many pieces I get and how many he gets and let's just say... I AIN'T WINNING!!!Mommy opens the frig and sees a wine cooler... opens it up an drinks it... figure these snow days are hard work...

Book Time - Mitten Ideas & MLK Too...

It is cold and snowy in the Pittsburgh area... Here are some things to keep the kids busy on MLK break!

The Mitten :
A Ukrainian Folk tale by Jan Brett (Illustrator)
School Binding / Hardcover

Warm Mittens
I wiggle my left hand,
I wiggle my right,
Inside of my mittens,
So warm and so tight.
I wiggle my pinkie.
I wiggle my thumb,
So when I make snowballs,
my hands don't get numb.

Print out this mitten story for your child. Have them color the pages.
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/The%20%20mitten%20%20in%20%20the%20%20snow.pdf



My Mitten Easy to read book.



More Mitten Ideas on Preschool Level


Students must color the mittens as they read the text. Free From http://www.teachingheart.net/


Jan Brett has masks you can prin from the mitten
http://www.janbrett.com/mitten_masks_main.htm



More Mitten Ideas From Teaching Heart:
http://www.teachingheart.net/mitten.html


Mitten Ideas from a Mommy Blogger
http://joyridewithmiral.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-reading-theme-challenge-mitten.html



Print and cutout. Have your kidds match the mittens:
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/actpag180.html







Ideas for : A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr (Adler, David A. Picture Book Biography.)by David A. Adler, Robert Casilla (Illustrator)


Get the book in paper back / Get the hard cover





Happy Birthday, Dr. King
to the tune of "Yankee Doodle"

Dr. King was a man
Who had a special dream.


He dreamed of a world filled with love
And peace and harmony.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King, Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday, Dr. King.


We honor you today.

1.) Ask the class why they think MLK's was important to people of our country?


2.) Make friendship collages from old magazines. The children can cutout things such as smiles, hands, people together, friends, hearts, and other helpful or friendly looking pictures. To make this even more special; have each student pick a friend in the class to get their picture taken with. They can place the developed picture in the collage. Have each child glue his/her pictures to a heart of their choice. You may wish to display the hearts in your hallway as a reminder to spread love through friendship!

3.) Discuss with the class MLK's famous quote; "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Ask you students to share their dreams for their families, friends, themselves, and the world. Brainstorm some of the dreams onto chart paper as a group. Next click here to print a dream pattern for your students. Now have each child write an I have a dream sentence on the lines provided. After they have completed their sentence allow them to illustrate it in the space provided. Finally glue the finished product to a paper plate and have each student decorate the outside of the plate.

4.) Click here to print out a sheet needed for this activity. Discuss with your students how everyone is different. You may start out by pointing out a difference between yourself and a few other students. "I have blond hair and Sally had red hair. I am a girl and Russell is a boy." Then discuss how differences make us special and what it would be like if everyone in the world was the same. Next hand out the sheet and instruct the students to draw a picture of themself and a friend. Then have them write about one difference and one thing that is similar between them and their friend.

Bring the Snow Inside:

My friend Amy gave me this idea years ago and we use it every year. When it snows and the kids want to play in the snow and you don't... bring the snow inside for loads of fun. This is a picture from last year.

FROM AMY:
I don't know about you but I wasn't as excited about the snow as my kids were this morning. My children were convinced that it is time to sled ride and build snowmen. I tried to tell them that there isn't enough snow. They weren't convinced... .until we stood outside waiting for buses and then they realized they couldn't go very far on a sled when they hit a patch of grass (bad scene). The only snowmen they could build was very small. So my suggestion to them and you is scrap some off of a smooth surface (our trampoline) and bring it in! I put my neat sheet down in the laundry room and let them have at it! I used a large bowl for each child and I dug out some kid's kitchen toys. The kids were in their glory as they scooped snow cones and cakes. It gave me some time to get some work done. Enjoy! Amy