Snowflakes, Winter Fun, and Finding Our Rhythm Again

Winter break was such a fun and special time at Little Squirrels Child Care! We loved having the big kids join us for activities and adventures, but now that the holidays are behind us, it feels good to settle back into our regular routine. With the start of the new year, we’ve jumped into our winter theme, exploring all things snow and ice, and the children have been having a blast!

Circle Time Fun

Our circle time has been a great way to ease back into our rhythm. We joined together to read, Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter and The Snow Thief. We’re focusing on re-reading the same books throughout the week. Research shows that revisiting books multiple times helps children develop their literacy skills, so we’re excited to see how this approach supports their learning.

We’ve also added some new songs to our circle time lineup, including

“10 Little Snowflakes” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wr1uk95p2Zc

“5 Snowflakes Falling Down.”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QgWf8qwVZ6w

These have been a big hit with the kids, who love singing and counting along. Our circle time props have been replaced with snowmen and snowflakes.

To tie in with our winter theme, we swapped out the gingerbread men for alphabet snowmen, where everyone can practice recognizing and adding their letters. We will begin adding in a few extra letters each week and see if we can get through all of them again!

Winter Sensory Fun

The sensory bin has taken on a wintery look with blue and white rice, snowflakes, and plenty of scoops and cups for practicing scooping and pouring. Keeping the materials in the bin has been a bit of a challenge—tiny rice grains and tiny toddlers seem to have a mind of their own! But with a little patience (and a lot of vacuuming), the kids are improving their fine motor skills and having fun at the same time.

Last week, we also made winter-themed playdough together as a group activity. The children loved helping mix and knead it, and we’ve added snowy items like snowflake cutters to the playdough tray for extra imaginative play.

Winter Process Art

This week, we’re starting a special winter process art project that we’ll add to throughout the next week. We’ll begin by painting snowy backgrounds using cool-toned paint and salt for a frosty effect. Later, the children will add layers like snowflakes, and cool color sequins, for a bit of sparkle. It’s going to be a wonderful project, and we can’t wait to see how each child’s unique creativity shines through as the artwork evolves!

Looking Ahead

While last week’s freezing temperatures kept us inside, we’re hopeful that the warmer days ahead will allow us to play in the real snow again soon. The children are eagerly awaiting some snowball-making and snowy adventures!

Getting back to our normal routine has been such a joy, and we’re excited for the rest of winter to unfold. There’s so much more to explore, and we can’t wait to see what discoveries and fun the coming weeks will bring.

Warmly,

Ms Sarah

May the world be filled with beautiful, peaceful little children.

Book Wishlist

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Supplies Wishlist

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