BLAST Early Learning
A family of young rabbits explores a meadow at night to play in the winter’s first snow.
As snowflakes slowly come down one by one, people in the city ignore them. Only a boy and his dog think that the snowfall will amount to anything.
Sledding FingerplayClimb, climb, climb, up the hill of snow.
(Let fingers walk up your arm or bent leg.)
Jump on our sleds. Down we go. Whee!
(Let fingers slide down your arm or leg.)
Dance Like Snowflakes
(tune of Frere Jacques)
Dance like snowflakes (2x)
In the air (2x)
Whirling, twirling snowflakes (2x)
Here and there (2x)
melt: v. When ice or snow changes to water.
Example: “...big flakes softly falling, melting fast.”
(taken from First Snow by Bernette Ford)
- Frosty Winter Scene - Color a scene with crayons - press hard - then paint with white paint. The paint won’t stick to the crayons. Sprinkle with clear glitter while the paint is still wet.
- Keep some snowflakes. You can have a record of your caught snowflakes if you freeze a piece of glass, and a can of aerosol (not pump) hairspray before the next snowfall. (Both may be stored in the freezer until you need them.) When you are ready to collect the snowflakes, spray the chilled hairspray on the chilled glass and go outside and let some snowflakes settle on the glass. When you have enough flakes, bring the glass indoors and allow it to thaw for about 15 minutes. Now you have a permanent record of your snowflakes!
- Make a glacier. Fill a bowl with snow, and bring it inside to partially thaw, and then add more snow on top. Keep doing this all winter long. You will then have all the layers of ice and snow like a glacier!
- Make Sparkle Snow Paint
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salt
Mix these ingredients together and put into a squeeze bottle. Squeeze doughy paint out onto black construction paper. You can make anything snowy, like snowflakes, snowmen, and snow-covered mountains. Let the paint dry thoroughly and it will sparkle. You may also paint it when it’s dry. It makes a great 3-dimentional effect for snow.
A mouse tries many new things when he and his father go out and play in the snow
Sally, a black Labrador retriever, becomes lost in the woods while on a winter vacation.
by Ezra Jack Keats
A Caldecott Medal winner that conveys the silent wonder of a city snowfall and a young boy’s solitary delight in it.
Provides dozens of ideas for winter activities in such categories as Fun and Games, Winter Critters, and Winter Holidays and Festivals.