3-Day: Animals in Winter
This week, 3-Day continued our study of winter. We talked about weather and temperature and we learned about animals in winter and arctic animals. We looked closely at owls and penguins and polar bears.
Our winter wonderland was still the highlight of the room; with white puffy snow, twinkling lights and a slippery ice skating rink, it was bustling with activity.
Our art projects this week included painting our seasonal tree, similar to the one we did in autumn, but this tree was surrounded by white, puffy paint snow and sparkly glitter. Most of your children chose to paint the tree itself, trunk and all, but that’s the magic of 3-Day! We give your children instruction, but the goal is to let them be creative, to do what they want as an artist and not worry about doing it “right”.
We read Owl Moon and made our own snow owls, which are on display in our classroom. They are really adorable, perched on their crinkly brown paper branches. You will also notice that there are many polar bears covering our hallway bulletin board. We used a new stencil method and the children did a wonderful job painting. Even using a stencil, each one is unique!
Our discovery table was set up like the arctic with real icebergs and water as well as whales, penguins and polar bears. It was a very popular. On Friday, we changed it up with some warm water and water blocks, but the children were missing the icebergs and asked me to retrieve them from the freezer. So, of course, I did!!
3-Day read lots and lots of stories about winter and winter animal this week including: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Stranger in the Woods; Animals in Winter; Snow Bear’s Surprise and more! We also read winter poems and rhymes and danced to a snowflake song.
Steve did music this week with the whole school. We always love that time all together, so, we are going to start alternating each week between a private classroom lesson and the whole group. Puddlestompers also came to visit to teach us all about animal homes. She even brought in a real beehive. Your children were so careful and well-behaved; she let each of them touch it.
Next week, we will celebrate LOVE and Valentine’s Day throughout the week. We are excited to have you join us on Friday for Creative Movement and a classroom Valentine celebration. We have a very special surprise for you!
A few folks have inquired about valentines in 3-Day. This is an exchange that is typically done in 5-day and Pre-K classrooms, where children make mailboxes and distribute valentines to friends. If your child would like to make valentines for their friends at school, please make sure that they make one for all 16 students. We also ask that parents or caregivers distribute the cards in the children’s blue baskets outside our classroom.
Also, since the children have been learning about animals in winter, you may want to take advantage of the owl program being offered at Broadmoor this weekend.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen and Caroline
