Let It Snow...
We’re deep into winter now, and that means lots of snow heading our way! I actually LOVE the snow and there are so many fun and cool activities you can do with snow to help kids engage and learn! For some, you don’t even have to go outside! Here are some of our speech-language pathologists’ favorite snow activities…
Do this activity on a floor you don’t mind getting wet/can easily wipe up! Collect a bowl full of snow and bring it inside! Get cookie sheets to be your creative surface. Then you can talk about what the snow feels like and how it melts, make miniature snowmen/animals, and “scoop” and “dump” the snow with cups or small shovels. Don’t forget about pretend play! Get some figurines or dolls and act out what they might do in the snow or get your toy kitchen items and have a snow restaurant!
This is a great opportunity to talk about concepts like the “cold” and “wet” snow and the “small, medium, large” or “big, bigger, biggest” snowball. What body parts does your snowman need? What clothing items? Before going outside plan how you are going to make the snowman and what you will need (sequencing skills, and executive functioning skills). At the end, come inside and recap what you did to target sequencing and past tense -ed and irregular (rolled, patted, packed, smashed, put, gathered).
Take turns drawing letters in the snow (big or small!). Then see if your child can make the speech sound that goes with it for early literacy skills (phonemic awareness). Or draw a few big ones around your yard, name a letter or make a speech sound, and see if your kiddo can run to the correct letter!
This easy (4 ingredients we all usually have at home and mix it all together) and yummy treat is a great way to describe flavors, follow directions (pour the milk into the cup), work on action words (mix, pour, eat), and sequencing (first, second, next, then, last). All ages like this activity! Add kool-aid, chocolate milk or sprinkles to jazz it up! Check out the recipe!
For older kiddos, there are all sorts of interesting science experiments you can do at home with snow. Did you know that every snowflake has six sides? This website has 24 awesome ideas for winter science experiments. You can work on writing, predicting, sequencing, planning, and following directions (among many others depending on the experiment!). Enjoy
If you don’t want to go out, explore some snow-themed books. These are also great ways to teach kids about what to expect when they go outside.
I love “The Jacket I Wear in the Snow” to talk about the “winter clothes” category. The book gradually puts on and then takes off each item. What do you and your kids wear in the snow? It’s also great for working on body parts (“Where do you put a hat/scarf/pants?”) and fun describing words (stiff, itchy, wooly, hot, bunchy, wrinkled).
“Snowmen at Night” is another favorite for older and younger kids alike. Predict what the Snowmen might do at night. If you were a snowman, what would you do at night? There are also lots of great action words to target in this book (throwing, sledding, sliding, gather, skating, falling). Then go outside and make your own snowman! What does your snowman do at night?
By Neitzel, Shirley
By Buehner, Caralyn