The Mitten

The Mitten, by Jan Brett.

We like to do this activity as a warm up before "The Mitten" activity.

Children always want to shake the parachute and make it "windy" in the classroom.  We make a snowstorm with the parachute and our "sponge" balls. 

Here is the rhyme:

I see the sunshine!  (raise the parachute high like the sun, don't let the balls fall!)

I see the snow!  (bring the parachute to the ground, like the snow falls)

I see the wind begin to blow! (make the sponge balls fly off the parachute!)

Sponge balls are made with sponges that I bought at Loopy's.  Sponges are approximately 3 X 5 inches.  Cut the sponge lengthwise into 3 strips.  Tie 3 strips tightly together in the center with yarn.  It makes a nice safe ball! 

The Mitten story:

Read the story first, showing the children the pictures in the book.  We then use the parachute to help tell the story.  The children are each assigned an animal. (Tape an animal to the front of each child, or tape an animal to the floor where the child is standing) As we tell the story, each child crawls under the mitten (parachute) as his animal is mentioned. Soon all the children are under the parachute except the mouse.  When the mouse crawls under, and the bear sneezes, and all the children run out!  

The Snowy Day

We read "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats to the preschool children today.  When we came to the part where Peter put the snowball in his pocket in order to save it, most of the children laughed. They knew it would never work!  They knew it would melt! I asked the children if they would like to put some snow in their pocket.  Nobody took me up on that, except my para!  She volunteered to go get some snow and put it in her pocket!  The children gave her a funny look.  She had previously put a sandwich-size Ziploc bag in her pocket, and slipped the snowball into the bag.  The children were able to feel her pocket and notice how cold it felt!  We agreed to look at it again after snack-time.  The para later removed the bag, but allowed a little of the snow to make a small water spot on the pocket area.  The children had big eyes when she showed them the wet pocket area!

We took some snow in the classroom.  It didn't take too long for it to turn icy, and then to water.

We sang: ( tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman.
Once there was a snowman, tall, tall, tall!
   (children stand tall, reaching to the sky!)
The sun came out, it melted, melted, melted.
The sun came out it melted, small, small, small!
   (children gradually melt, turning into a puddle on the ground!)

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

The Mittens on my Hands (tune: Wheels on the Bus)
The mittens on my hands keep me warm, keep me warm, keep me warm!
The mittens on my hands keep me warm. All winter long!
   (add: coat on my body, hat on my head,  boots on my feet, scarf on my neck)

I'm a Little Snowman (tune: I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little snowman, short and fat
Here is my broom, here is my hat.
When it's cold and icy, I will stay
But when it's hot, I'll melt away!
Down, down, down, down.  Oops!  I'm a puddle!

My Snowman  (tune: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
My snowman is...
On top of my head, On top of my head, On top of my head,
My snowman is  on top of my head,where does my snowman go next?
   Give each child a small snowman to hold.  The children can position the snowman on the correct body part as they sing the song.

Sing-A-Long Snowman Song  (tune: Happy Birthday)
Give each child a simple drawing of a snowman; just the three circles drawn on the paper.  Children then use crayons to finish the picture as they sing through the song.
Here's a big nose for you!  Here's a big nose for you!
Here's a big nose Mr. Snowman!  Here's a big nose for you!
   Continue with: two eyes for you!, big smile for you!, buttons for you!, a broomstick for you!

Number Song

The tune for this song is a lot like "A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track". The animals that correlate with each number are taken from the book entitled, "Color, Shape and Number Fun" by High Reach.  We concentrated on one number each week.  We would repeat the verses from the previous weeks every time we introduced a new number.

1, 1, It's so much fun!

Take a look and see!

There is just one elephant

Having fun like me!

2, 2, It's so much fun!

Take a look and see!

There are just two bears

Having fun like me!

3, 3, It's so much fun!

Take a look and see!

There are just three tigers

Having fun like me!

4-pigs, 5 dogs, 6 foxes,

7 raccoons, 8 monkeys,

9 mice, 10 fish