S is for Snowman/Snowflake - Writing, Phonics & Math Learning Fun

To review the letter Ss I found some wonderful learning resources & activities online that I just have to share with you all! I am always looking for fun and easy ways to make learning fun and these activities were able to provide just that!

Alphabet & Phonics Fun:

I always like to review letter recognition and beginning sounds with my girls when we work on a theme. My oldest knows all her letters but she still has fun reviewing and helping her little sister. My youngest knows her letters very well but some of the lowercase letters still confuse her - so I like to reinforce those as much as possible.

Whenever I review a letter I also introduce it's sound. This is an essential pre-reading skill.

I found some wonderful resources from PreKinders.com that I turned into quick games to help review both Lettter Ss Recognition and it's Sound (Phonics). I laminated each page for durability and used felt snowflake stickers as fun and easy game markers.

PreKinders.com really has a wonderful website of fun resources & activity ideas. I highly recommend it for young learners.



1.  The first game we played was the Snowman Letter Search.  The girls had to sinad all the upper case and lower case letter Ss and put a snowflake marker on each one.

Click here for Snowman Letter Search - you will have to scroll through for the letter Ss

2. Then we worked on the Letter S sound. The girls had to identify all the pictures with S as their beginning sound and mark it with a snowflake. This was great review of various sounds as I had them identify the other picture sounds that weren't S as well.

Click here for Snowman Letter Sounds - you will have to scroll through for the letter Ss

Pattern Block Fun: Snowman & Snowflake Templates for pattern blocks (also from PreKinders.com)

*If you do not have your own pattern blocks here is a free printable template to make some from MathWire.com - Click here for Pattern Blocks Template *

I have a set made by Learning Resources that I bought from Ace Educational, a local teacher store, and used when I was teaching 1st grade but they can also easily be found on Amazon. Click here for Amazon listings of Pattern Blocks
The girls really had fun working with the pattern blocks. I love using these math manipulatives because they reinforce recognition of basic geometric shapes and of course shape matching but they also help with spatial relations and can even be used as art tools to create fun mosaics!

We worked on creating the snowflake and snowman patterns from the free templates that I printed via PreKinders.com and laminated for durbalility.

Click here for Snowflake Pattern Block Template

Click here for Large Snowman Pattern Block Template

Writing Practice - One of my absolute fave sites for Free Traceable Alphabet Worksheets  is Kids Learning Station. Their Alphabet Templates are really good for practicing correct letter formation! Their site also has printables for numbers, shapes, colors, fine motor skills practice and phonics. I definitely recommend checking it out - they really have some great learning resources.

Click here for Letter Ss - free printable template

Let me know if you use any of these or find any other great things to share on the sites I mentioned!

Enjoy,

Bern

Book:

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

S is for Snowman Activity: Puffy Paint Snowmen

Book :

Just a Snowman by Mercer Meyer


Activity: Puffy paint Snowman

This is a really easy & fun activity for lil hands! Highly recommended!

Materials:
- shaving cream
-liquid glue
-construction paper
-1 brown pipe cleaner
-2 googly eyes
-sequins, stickers or other such items you may have on hand


Prep:
To make the puffy paint mixture simply mix equal parts shaving cream with liquid glue - I use equal parts bc it sticks really well & my girls love the decorating aspect of this craft! The girls loved mixing this up! Messy but fun! Have napkins/towels/washcloths/wipes handy, lol!

Step 1: Use the Puffy paint to make your snowman - I let the girls dig in with their fingers and fingerpaint the snowman! They did really well and enjoyed doing it this way. You could use craft sticks or paintbrushes too.

Step 2: Add eyes, pipe cleaner arms (I do reinforce this with glue to ensure they stick1) a nose, mouth and decorate as you wish! I let the girls just go with this and use whatever I put out which included sequins and stickers in assorted sizes and shapes.

Step 3: Behold your Puffy Paint Snowman!

Have you worked with puffy paint before? What do you think?

If you haven't & decide to give a try be sure to come back & let me know what you think! 

My girls really loved this craft! :)

Bern

S is for Cottonball "Snowman"

Activity: Cotton Ball Snowmen

Materials:
-blue construction paper (background)
-cotton balls
-glue
-2 small googly eyes
-4 buttons (1 for nose & 3 for accessories)
-1 brown pipe cleaner (hands)
- 1 red pipe cleaner (mouth)
-black hat cut-out (we used construction paper)
- red scarf (we used foam)
-white crayon, paint or snowflake stickers

Prep - Before you begin making your snowman cut out 1 red scarf, and 1 black hat. Cut a small piece of red pipe cleaner for mouth. Cut brown pipe cleaner in half and then each piece in half again. I piece will be the arm and the other piece will be twisted and tied around the tip to create a branch/twig look for the hands. I find it easier to have these things ready when working with younger children so they just move right through the activity.

Step 1: Use glue to make 3 circles for the snowman's body on blue construction paper - I pre-made the snowman's body in pencil and the girls just went over it with their glue.

Step 2: cover the snowman's body completely with cotton balls

Step 3: glue hat on snowman's head

Step 4: add button for nose

Step 5: add 3 buttons on body

Step 6: glue pipe cleaner arms on either side of the middle circle

Step 7: add googly eyes, and mouth



Step 8: glue scarf onto snowman's neck

Step 8:  (optional) draw falling snow with white crayon or paint or attach stickers

Behold your adorable Cottonball Snowman!

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Books We Read:

The Biggest, Best Snowman by Margery Cuyler

There was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

Bern

S is for Cotton Swab "Snowflakes" Craft

Activity: Cotton Swab Snowflakes

Materials:
-cotton swabs
-glue
-small circle of white paper
-ribbon, yarn or pipe cleaners (any work - use what you have on hand)

Step 1: Apply glue to paper circle generously (make sure it's covered)



Step 2: arrange cotton swabs to liking to create snowflake design


Step 3: let dry (or it will fall apart)

Step 4: apply ribbon, pip cleaners or yarn to back so you can hang the snowflakes like ornaments

Behold your adorable Cotton Swab Snowflakes!

Perfect for a wintery display!


Book:

Snow by P.D. Eastman (Dr. Seuss book)

Bern

S is for Snowman - Cotton Ball & Marshmallow Fun

Today's Reading List included:

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

and Snowballs by Lois Ehlert

Today's activities included lots of cotton balls & tons of fun!

Activity 1: Snowball S

This activity helped the lil divas review the correct way to write the letter S.

Materials:
- construction paper
- markers
- glue bottle
- cotton balls


Step 1. Trace over S with finger.




Step 2. Trace letter S with marker.





Step 3. Trace over the letter S with glue and cover it with cotton balls to make a "Snowball" S

 

***********************

 Snack Idea: Marshmallow Snowmen

Ingredients:
- jumbo marshmallows
- chocolate chips (and other assorted small candies of choice if you like)
- Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies (or something like it)
- Fruit Roll Ups Simple Fruit - cut into long rectangular strips (this will be scarf)
-Toothpicks

Prep: Melt some chocolate.  Cut a few marshamallows in half and dip them in the melted chocolate. Let harden for awhile in the refrigerator. This will be the top of the snowmans hat.

Step 1:
Give each child 3 jumbo marshmallows, 2 toothpicks, some chocolate chips or assorted small candies, 1 Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookie, the chocolate covered marshallow and a piece of the fruit roll up.




Step 2:
Insert toothpick into 1 marshmallow




Step 3:
Attach second marshmallow to top of the toothpick




Step 4:
Attach 2nd toothpick to middle marshmallow



Step 5:
Attach top marshmallow to toothpick - now you have the body!




Step 5:
Place fruit roll up around neck as scarf




Step 6:
Attach chocolate chips or small candies to decorate face & buttons of snowman - notice the evidence of her eating the decorations! lol!


Step 7:
Place cookie with shocolate side up on top of the head and add chocolate covered marshmallow on top - this is the hat!



Step 9:
Behold your snowman, then...... ENJOY - Yummy!

Isn't it cute? The girls loved eating it too!

Do you have any cute and quick kid friendly winter themed snacks to share?

 Bern

S is for Snowflake - Stencil Art Fun

We read Hello, Snow! by Hope Vestergaard

Next, the Lil Divas worked on writing the letter Ss.

We used First School's Letter Ss Alphabet Tracer for quick writing practice

Then we enjoyed snowflake stencil painting!

*I used the Litttle Dover Activity Book Fun With Snowflake Stencils ($1.50 on Amazon) for this activity but you could easily create your own stencils by cutting out a design on cardstock and laminating*

Supplies:

-         blue consturction paper

-         white paint

-         cotton balls or small sponges

-         snowflake stencils (see above)

Activity:

I poured white paint onto a paper plate for easy reach. We used cotton balls to create a snowy effect because I couldn't locate our small paint sponges & it worked really well! The girls liked painting with something different!

Step 1: Pick a stencil & lightly dab with white paint

Step 2: Carefully lift the stencil - be careful not to smudge your design!

Step 3 : Behold your snowflake

Step 4: Repeat the above steps as desired!

Here were our final creations!

Enjoy,

Bern