HOw to teach a California Winter........

[daycare]

Ok, I don't want to get hit with a snowball from all of you in the freezing cold, but I live in CA where the weather has been average 70s the last few weeks.

This month we always talk about winter. It does not snow where we live, but usually at this time it is very cold, high 30's or so. Sometimes we can get things to freeze outside. It is also usually raining and no sun.

Well this year we have a drought and the sun has been out for days on end. I started my lesson yesterday and it was a huge fail. The kids all think it's summer or spring, because the SUN is out and it's warm. Our favorite game, the winter Olympics was a bust. It's just too warm.

I am not too big into pinterest, but I looked at winter activities to do and of course most of them required very cold weather and snow.

Does anyone have any ideas on some winter activities?? Maybe Sugar, you live in FL right?

ANYONE

[kathiemarie]

I'm right there with you. I live close to the beach so I'm thinking we might go and build sandmen, but to be honest I wouldn't stress to much. Just teach what you have planned or scrap it and save the "winter" theme for when/if we get winter.

[daycare]

I'm right there with you. I live close to the beach so I'm thinking we might go and build sandmen, but to be honest I wouldn't stress to much. Just teach what you have planned or scrap it and save the "winter" theme for when/if we get winter.

yesterday we ended up filing bowls two bowls with water. one with ice water and the other with nice warm water. I had them stand in it barefoot and then asked which one they would want to go swimming in.

whats funny is that we sing a song that says we don't wear boots, shorts or scarves.....we don't go to the beach. Well 3 out of my 12 kids, including myself were at the beach this past weekend....

[mountainside13]

Ok, I don't want to get hit with a snowball from all of you in the freezing cold, but I live in CA where the weather has been average 70s the last few weeks.

This month we always talk about winter. It does not snow where we live, but usually at this time it is very cold, high 30's or so. Sometimes we can get things to freeze outside. It is also usually raining and no sun.

Well this year we have a drought and the sun has been out for days on end. I started my lesson yesterday and it was a huge fail. The kids all think it's summer or spring, because the SUN is out and it's warm. Our favorite game, the winter Olympics was a bust. It's just too warm.

I am not too big into pinterest, but I looked at winter activities to do and of course most of them required very cold weather and snow.

Does anyone have any ideas on some winter activities?? Maybe Sugar, you live in FL right?

ANYONE

Wish there was a little snowman throwing a snowball icon. LOL! It's warmer here today -10. Yesterday it was -39. I'm waiting for it to be at least 32.

How cold is your freezer? Last summer we put an egg in the freezer as an experiment to see how long it would take to freeze. The kids liked it. Other than that no big ideas. We always have activities to do in the cold.

[MarinaVanessa]

I talk to the children about what a "normal" winter is and then we discuss how we southern californians don't have typical winters. We discuss the differences etc.

Then we still do winter activities like draw a winter scene with crayons on light blue paper then paint over it with an Epsom salt solution to give it a sheen.

They also like to make snow paintings with a mixed shaving cream and glue solution mixed to be fluffy. Scoop the "paint" (fluff) with the paintbrush and make something like a snowman then sprinkle white, clear or silver glitter on top. It dries fluffy.

[itlw8]

I think you need to teach what children have around them. If winter for you means more rain teach about the rainy season. But talk about the snow too. If you go up in the mountains you might see snow it feels kinda like this.. and make some shaved ice. look on a map and show where it is very cold and snowy but I think most of it needs to be local.

[sharlan]

I am making "snow" in my Ninja. I'm also freezing some water beads to play in the sensory bins.

I have even less "winter" than you do.

[Cat Herder]

We used to learn about hibernation and the effects of winter on our reptiles.

Making toad and bat houses was a blast!!!

We made birdseed ornaments for birds that have to live outside in the cold. Kids will think they are magic while watching them from inside.

In general how winter effects your region is every bit as interesting (if not more so) than a region covered in frozen water, slush and mud...

It would be cool to swap winter daycare photos/coloring sheets of other childcare groups for circle times.. (ala pen pal style)

I'd love to see what birds are on your lawn right now....

[Laurel]

I talk to the children about what a "normal" winter is and then we discuss how we southern californians don't have typical winters. We discuss the differences etc.

Then we still do winter activities like draw a winter scene with crayons on light blue paper then paint over it with an Epsom salt solution to give it a sheen.

They also like to make snow paintings with a mixed shaving cream and glue solution mixed to be fluffy. Scoop the "paint" (fluff) with the paintbrush and make something like a snowman then sprinkle white, clear or silver glitter on top. It dries fluffy.

We do the same in S. Florida.

The first year I moved here I worked in a second grade classroom. They had a display that said "What I would like to do if it snowed in Florida." Then they each drew a picture.

Some ideas: a paper wad 'snowball' fight, mittens, gloves, hats in dress up box (today is was cold for here..50's with a bad cold wind) so we actually used the mittens from the dress up box on our walk. :: 'Snow' angel on the carpet/wood floor, a 'drama' about a snow storm. A drama here was originated by a 4 year old I had when she declared it was a 'hurricane' and everybody scrambled under the climber and acted it out. Very cute and fun! The littles were eating it up. She'd pull them under the climber acting like they were going to fly away yelling "I'll save you!" Could do the same for a blizzard.

To demonstrate cold and warm weather: let them put a glove/mitten on one hand and nothing on the other and then give them an ice cube to hold in each hand. I like your having them step in warm and cold water!

Laurel

[Sugar Magnolia]

:: daycare! Yes us too here in Florida. Winter here means less mosquitos, you MIGHT have to wear a light jacket and the rain stops coming every single day. We.discuss this mysterious winter-snow-cold thing, but it is hard to do when you are wearing shorts.

[My3cents]

snowball!!! Have not even read your whole post......averaging 70 consider yourself hit at least three times by me~

[My3cents]

you can buy fake snow in a can
paint with colored frozen ice cubes
someone mentioned the puffy paint, glue and shaving cream
cut out snowflakes
winter sports, skiing, skating, ice skating, ice fishing, sledding
winter animals

[daycare]

We used to learn about hibernation and the effects of winter on our reptiles.

Making toad and bat houses was a blast!!!

We made birdseed ornaments for birds that have to live outside in the cold. Kids will think they are magic while watching them from inside.

In general how winter effects your region is every bit as interesting (if not more so) than a region covered in frozen water, slush and mud...

It would be cool to swap winter daycare photos/coloring sheets of other childcare groups for circle times.. (ala pen pal style)

I'd love to see what birds are on your lawn right now....

I love this idea...how did you make the feeders?

[Sugar Magnolia]

We just had a conversation about.how apples don't grow down here because its too hot. And how oranges don't grow in Wisconsin (one boy just came back from vacation there) because its too cold. And how lakes and rivers freeze up there, but our Gulf of Mexico never freezes. And how there are alligators here and moose up north. And how birds migrate south in the winter. (so do snowbirds:. Totally agree with Laurel!! Emphasize the differences!

[MarinaVanessa]

We do the same in S. Florida.

The first year I moved here I worked in a second grade classroom. They had a display that said "What I would like to do if it snowed in Florida." Then they each drew a picture.

Some ideas: a paper wad 'snowball' fight, mittens, gloves, hats in dress up box (today is was cold for here..50's with a bad cold wind) so we actually used the mittens from the dress up box on our walk. :: 'Snow' angel on the carpet/wood floor, a 'drama' about a snow storm. A drama here was originated by a 4 year old I had when she declared it was a 'hurricane' and everybody scrambled under the climber and acted it out. Very cute and fun! The littles were eating it up. She'd pull them under the climber acting like they were going to fly away yelling "I'll save you!" Could do the same for a blizzard.

To demonstrate cold and warm weather: let them put a glove/mitten on one hand and nothing on the other and then give them an ice cube to hold in each hand. I like your having them step in warm and cold water!

Laurel

So stealing some of these ideas!