This was one of the cutest ideas I ever heard about to make a winter day FUN! Peg Caines (Greensboro, NC) shared it with me several years ago. Peg did it with her children, but I think it'd also be fun for teens or adults. What a perfect way to encourage children to cooperate, collaborate, and problem solve!
Build a Snowman
Peg said she gave each group a snowman kit with a construction paper hat, nose, buttons, and mittens. There was also a crepe paper scarf, a roll of masking tape, and a roll of toilet paper. (It took them awhile to figure out what to do with the toilet paper.)
Snowman’s Mystery Word
Draw a snowman on the board. Think of a word or phrase and put blanks for each letter. Children guess letters (similar to Hangman). The teacher writes the letters on the appropriate spaces. If a letter that is not in the word/phrase the teacher erases part of the snowman and puts the letter in the “trash pile.” Can they decode the word before the snowman is erased?
Disappearing Snowman
Draw a snowman on the board. If children are noisy or are not following directions explain that you will erase part of the snowman. Erase one part of the snowman throughout the day as a reminder. It won't take long before all you have to do is pick up the eraser and they'll be quiet!!!
Melt a Snowman Science Experiment
This is such an easy science experiment, but your kids will get a kick out of it.
Give each child a clear cup with an ice cube in it. Ask them to draw a picture of what it looks like. Have them predict how many minutes it will take their ice cube to melt. Encourage them to draw what it looks like after five minute intervals. Whose ice cube melted the fastest? Whose lasted the longest?
