Brrr, It's Cold!!!!!!

I love January in kindergarten! The kids come back from Christmas break ready to learn. We begin January by learning about winter and snowflakes. Our students usually don't see much snow. Of course, the past couple of years it has snowed some so they have seen it. This year, it has snowed waaaay too much in my opinion. Of course, the snow started after we had learned about it! We did get to have some fun and revisit what we had learned during the snow days.
We looked at the shapes we saw inside each flake. The kids had pattern blocks and matched them to the large flake projected on the board. We also talked about the characteristics of the flake.

After matching shapes, each child was given a baggie of shapes to make his or her own snowflake. We reviewed the characteristics and I turned them loose!

 After we designed a snowflake with blocks, we went back to our seats and did the same design using paper pattern blocks.

 Journal work

 What is a cloud? We learned about the water cycle and weather in general. We learned that a cloud is just a lot of tiny drops of water that has evaporated. We also learned that snow is not formed inside of clouds. Flakes form when drops of water fall from the clouds and attach to dust particles in the really cold air. It freezes so quickly that the 6 sides are identical!

 This is my ocean of little water drops.

 These little water drops have evaporated.

 Oh no, this cloud is getting full of little drops of water!

 Too full!!!!! Now it is raining!

 Of course they wanted to do it over and over and over.....

 Already giggling.

 Another cloud- breathing on a mirror. They thought this was so cool.

 Sweet girl!

 Making a picture with glue and shaving cream...

 This activity is done for 2 reasons: 1. How would we feel walking around in Antarctica or the icy Arctic? We know it's ice. The wax paper makes us slip and slide. We talk about how penguins and polar bears are able to get around in Antarctica and the Arctic without any problems. 2. Really, who doesn't like to ice skate?   in school????  They had a blast. I had to send wax paper home with them. Sorry parents and grandparents!!!

 Even Mrs. Charles participated. I told you it was fun!!

 Math and Science notebooks- the water cycle

 She decided to get fancy with her letters.

 We made a mural to show the water cycle.
water...

 clouds...

 rain drops...

 We are color mixing experts!!
sun...

 See what I mean?

 Sweet Mrs. Ables came in during her planning time so I could get a picture of this precious girl painting!

For some reason, I do not have a picture of the mural hanging in our window. I do this every year so there should be a picture from one of the previous years.