Outside Play and Activities

When the weather permits children should play outside. This requires wearing warm clothing - jacket, scarf, gloves or mittens as well as boots and a cap.

Making snow people and/or a fort would be fun. Don't make the fort too high. You have to think of safety as you do these things.

Be sure to observe the bird feeders. Maybe you can assist filling feeders. You can use terms like cup, pint and quart.

It's fun the first thing in the morning to observe what animals have been leaving tracks in the snow. Check out an animal track book from the library. Find the tracks that squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, cats, dogs and maybe ever deer leave in your yard.

Bird books would be good to have handy when watching the birds at the feeder. Watch for cardinals, blue jays, chick-a-dees, downy woodpeckers, sparrows and many other birds. You will perhaps see and hear many interesting things about birds. Watch for the male cardinal with his beautiful red feathers and the female cardinal that is a pretty brown color. You will hear the chick-a-dee say his name; the cardinal will say “hurry up” and the blue jay will say a loud “jay.” You may even hear the crow say “caw-caw.” Watch the nuthatch go head first down the tree trunk.

It's good to leave some plants that have seeds growing in your yard. Birds enjoy those, too. When you see the many birds enjoying the sunflower seeds it will remind you to plant sunflowers next spring!

Watch for the Spring Seed Catalogs in the mail. Maybe you can help pick out the flower seeds to plant in the spring.

Notice how nature goes to sleep in the winter! The trees have shed their leaves. The plants have dried up and left seeds for the birds. The grass usually turns brown. Notice in the spring when the sun is warmer the grass becomes green again.

Inside Activities
You will enjoy using your crayons and paints. You can design your very own Christmas or Hanukkah cards. You can make pictures to include in your family holiday cards. You can also manuscript your name on cards and pictures you make.

You will want to write “thank-you's” for the gifts received at holiday time. Maybe you have a small table and chair for you to keep your paper, crayons and paints. You can sit there, too!

There will be plenty of opportunities to use your small muscles: help wrap gifts, tie and make bows, and using crayons and paints.

Using Your Manners
This is something you do every day. Practice saying, “please,” “thank you,' “excuse me” and “may I?”

Poetry
Winter is a good time to say, read and make up poetry. If you don't have poetry books at home, they are available at the library.

Try to say something nice to and about your family every day! You'll have a lot of friends if you say happy things to your playmates!

Happy Holiday and Happy, Healthy Winter!