The Snowman

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman,
Once there was a snowman tall, tall, tall. (reach to the ceiling)
Then the sun it melted, melted, melted,
Then the sun it melted small, small, small. (pretend to melt.)

 

I had a little snowman

He had a carrot nose.

Along came a bunny,

And what do you suppose?

 That hungry little bunny,

Looking for his lunch,

 Ate that snowman's nose. . .

      NIBBLE, NIBBLE, CRUNCH!!

Five Little Snowmen

Five little snowmen standing in a row, 
Each had a hat and a bright red bow !
Out came the sun and it shone all day,
And one little snowman melted away!

The children are given 5 snowmen and a red crayon.  

They color all the bows red.

I then give them a variety of colors, and ask them to color the hats on the snowmen each a different color.  I write their name on the center of the sun, and keep all their pieces in separate zipper sandwich bags.

To play the game, the children lay their 5 snowmen in a row.  They lay their sun next to the snowmen.

We recite the rhyme together, holding the sun above the snowmen on the 3rd line, and turn one snowman over when we get to the end of the rhyme.  We repeat the rhyme again saying "4 little snowmen standing in a row..." until all the snowmen are melted.  We learn about the number zero at the end of the rhyme.

Send the rhyme home with the children.

Write each child's name on their sun.

4 Little snowmen standing in a row...

2 little snowmen standing in a row...

3 Little snowmen standing in a row...

1 little snowman standing in a row...

No little snowmen standing in a row...

We keep their rhymes for a couple of weeks, reviewing it each week.  Finally they get to take them home to play with their families.  I also send home a copy of the rhyme (just in case they forget part of it!)

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Polar B Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle

Show the children how to make a hand puppet of a polar bear from a styrofoam cup.  Have the children cut out a circle approximately 2 inches in diameter to use as the head.  Glue on wiggly eyes, a black pom-pom nose, and draw on the mouth with a black marker. Glue quarter-size circles behind the head for the ears.  Holding the cup upside down, the children can glue the  head to the cup, and add arms (already cut),wrapping the long strip around the body.




Let's sing the song, using the puppets!
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, turn around, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, touch the ground.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, show your shoe, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, that will do!
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, go upstairs,  Polar Bear, Polar Bear, say your prayers,
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, turn off the light, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, sya "Good Night"!


Continue with facts about polar bears:

• mothers usually have 2 cubs at a time
• are the size of a rat, when born, and weigh only a pound
• a polar bear's fur is not white, each hair is a clear hollow tube
• their fur is oily and water repellent
•  wide front paws have webbed toes
• can swim up to 100 miles at a stretch
• primarily eat seals

 Other Classroom activities:

• We measure in the classroom how big a polar bear is: 10 feet tall, and can weigh up to 1400 pounds.
• (How many children would we have to put together to get to 1400 pounds?)
• We also sponge paint a polar bear, by painting inside the outline of a polar bear pattern.
• We conclude our class by playing "What's That Sound", where the children listen to a recording of various sounds, and find them on their "Bingo" type board.