Slow Down, Gym Shoe!: Tot School Learns About Snow!

Welcome to another addition of Tot School! This week was one of our favorite weeks. It snowed heavily, and we learned plenty about snow and ice! (In fact, our snow week is going to continue into next week, with some penguins thrown in!)

Check this out!

We learned about the properties of ice and water. The first thing we did was make some frozen letters. I have a bunch of alphabet-shaped cookie cutters I found at Goodwill not long ago. I picked out the letters that spell Pufferfish's real name, put them in a metal baking tray, and filled the tray with water. I also looped a pipe cleaner through each cookie cutter. We left the tray outside to freeze. Every time we went outside, I reminded Pufferfish to look at the tray and see what was going on with the water. She was excited to see that it had turned into ice! After a day or so, when the letters were frozen solid, we ran the tray under hot water to loosen the frozen letters from the cookie cutters. I then hung the letters on a bush outside, so Pufferfish can see her name, spelled out in ice letters, whenever we leave the house!

The first letter "A" broke off of it's string, though, so we used it for another experiment. I gave the A to Pufferfish, in a bowl of warm water, and let her play with it, She was amused to see that it got smaller and smaller, until it completely disappeared! She learned that ice melts in warm water!

Our next experiment was to get a bowl of snow from outside. I let Pufferfish play with the snow a little, and asked her what she thought would happen if we put the snow in the hot microwave. Pufferfish hypothesized that it would turn into ice, the way the water we put outside had!

Of course she was surprised when I took the bowl out of the microwave, and she saw that it had turned into water! She learned that heat melts snow, and that when snow melts it turns into water!

For our next experiment, I got some small toys and trinkets, put them in storage boxes, added water, and left them outside to freeze. When they were frozen, I gave Pufferfish a spoon, a cup of salt, and a cup of hot water. She had to chisel away at the ice to get to the prizes!

After school, Little Bear and Rafael got in on this experiment, too!

For some physical activity, we put paper plates on the floor, and "ice skated" around!

For art, Pufferfish made a snowman...

... and a snowflake!

For an afterschool snack one day, we made snowman pancakes! (You take regular pancakes, cover them with powdered sugar, and use chocolate chips to make the eyes, mouth, buttons, etc.)

Outside of our snow theme, we spent some time practicing identifying letters on this giant chalkboard that Diana found at Goodwill! I would write a bunch of letters on the chalkboard, and Pufferfish would erase the letters I told her to. Later, I gave her a cup of water and a paint brush, and she had fun "painting" the chalkboard!

Pufferfish also learned how to make the number "two" with her fingers, so when someone asks how old she is, she can show them, "Two!" (In this picture she sort of looks like she's flashing a gang sign, though, doesn't she?)

Besides teaching Pufferfish at home, I supervise Little Bear and Rafael with their homework. I am strict with homework... I am a meanie! I got these dividers (Actually they are unfolded cardboard boxes) to put up between them while they do homework, to cut down on them making fun of each other about what each other is doing or how quickly they work. (If we get a bigger table in the playroom, I'll probably completely separate them at homework time, because Rafael has a terrible time trying to concentrate during homework and Little Bear distracts him to no end! It can take him up to an hour to do one math worksheet!) They have to do homework right after their snacks. I have a basket of homework materials, that includes counting stones, magnetic letters, pencils, file folder games, etc. The kids have to do their homework, and Little Bear also has to practice her spelling and theme words. (I try to find creative ways for her to practice her spelling. She can spell the words out with magnet letters, write them on the white erase board, write them on the chalkboard, write them with gel pens, etc.) Whoever gets done first can either sit down and read a book, or do some file folder games. They think I am totally mean, but... for one thing, it kills about an hour of afterschool time and keeps them from bouncing around and screaming like banshee. For another thing, it shows them that homework is important! Even Pufferfish gets in on the act for homework. I give her "baby homework" such as circling certain letters on a piece of paper, or doing a file folder game, or sorting shapes.