Winter Trudge

Bundle up your students and take them on a trudge through the snow to get a close up look at trees in winter. Have students lie under each tree and look up. 

Observe the trees, the sky through the branches, and search for animal homes noticing similarities and differences in evergreen and deciduous trees.  

Measure the snow depth under each tree and use snow shovels to dig for tree treasures (pine needles, cones, etc.) that can later be used  for exploration and manipulatives in the classroom.

Winter Songs
Snowey Pokey
You put your right mitten in, You take your right mitten out,
You put your right mitten in and you shake it all about.
You do the Snowey pokey and you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.
Note continue with additional verses:
You put your left mitten in
You put your scarf in
You put your right boot in
You put your left boot in
You put your hat in
You put your snowself in

Tickle Tree
This is my tickle tree,
As you can plainly see,
It will tickle you,
As it has tickled me.
So if you are not careful, this little tickle tree,
Will make you say Hee, Hee, Hee.

Frost
Sung to: "The farmer in the Dell"
The frost is on the roof  (point hands over head)
The frost is on the ground  (point to the floor)
The frost is on the window  (make a window with your hands)
The frost is all around  (make large circles with hands)

I'm a Little Pinecone
Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot"
I'm a little pinecone
brown and small
I live in a pine tree, oh so tall.
When the cold wind blows
I dance and hop -
down to the ground with a
PLOP, PLOP, PLOP!

Who is Made of Snow
Sung to: "Do your ears hang low?"
Who is made of snow
When the temperature is low?
Who stands outside
When The ground is cold and white?
Who starts to melt
When the warm sunshine is felt?
Who is made of snow

Winter Art Projects

Mitten Symmetry Art

Fold construction paper in half then reopen, have children paint  with pine cones on one half of the paper then fold the two halves together again and  have them press all over it.  Open it back up and you have a symmetrical pattern.  After it dries, fold it together again and cut out a mitten shape--you should end up with a pair  of matching mittens.  Staple a string between them and hang them for display.

Snowman Name Graph

Use blue paper, have children cut out small circles from white paper and write the letters of their name on each circle.  Assemble the circles, spelling their names and one with a face into snowmen let them draw details and hang together.  See whose name makes the tallest and shortest snowman.  Arrange them from shortest to tallest and create a class snowman book.

Snowmen Pie faces

Using pie plates filled with snow, a baby carrot, button eyes  and chocolate chip mouth make snowmen faces in each pie plate and place different  places--freezer, outside, in room. Check your snowmen often and chart changes.  Discuss results of each location.

Scarf Patterns

Cut a long construction paper in half and tape to make a long scarf, let children create fringe on edges with scissors and glue shapes in patterns along scarf.