Lee's Summit R7 Parents As Teachers
January 2018
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Email: kerry.boehm@lsr7.net
Website: http://pat.lsr7.org/
Location: 905 Bluestem, Lee's Summit, MO, United States
Phone: 816-987-2480
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=294046784069024&ref=br_rs
Twitter: @lsr7pat
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Bring on the SNOW!
The outdoor temperature is bound to drop sooner or later and hopefully we will get some SNOW! Yes! SNOW! This is still a great time to get the kiddos outside to play. First, they get to work on dressing including hats, scarves, mittens, jackets, and boots. The activity of getting dressed helps your child with body awareness. Second, they build up their strength and get sensory input by walking and playing in the snow with their winter clothes on and playing in the heavy snow. Third, they work on new gross motor skills, balance and body awareness in a safe environment. So get dressed yourself and go join your little one for a romp in the snow!
OUTDOOR SNOW ACTIVITIES
Build a snowman! Start with a small ball of snow and roll it around to make it bigger. Help your child lift the giant snow balls to build the snowman.
Make snow angels. Lay on the ground with arms down by your sides and legs straight. Start moving your arms and legs toward your body and away over and over. Carefully stand up and look at your angel!
Draw in the snow using arms and legs. Practice letters, numbers, shapes, or even play a game of tic-tac-toe.
Shovel the sidewalks together if you have a small shovel or clean off the car, porch, etc.
Log roll races by lying on the ground with legs straight and arms reaching straight over your head and roll down hills or even on flat surfaces!
Sledding down a hill or pulling each other on a sled. Use a heavy cardboard box or OLD cookie sheet to sit on!
Build a snow fort. Using snow, build a fort using shovels, buckets, etc.
Snowball fight. Make a supply of snowballs (not too hard and packed), then have a playful snowball fight with entire family.
Play hopscotch, run or march around in the snow and create footprints in fresh snow. Have someone follow in your footsteps, trying not to fall out of them!
Make a big pile of snow (like a leaf pile!), run, and…JUMP!
INDOOR SNOW ACTIVITIES
In case we do not get a nice layer of snow or it is cold and rainy, here are some activities to do inside and pretend they are outside!
Build a snowman using boxes and draw a Snowman’s face and buttons on the box or build a snow fort using a sheet or blanket!.
Pretend to make snow angels on the floor. Lay on the ground with arms down by your sides and legs straight. Start moving your arms and legs toward your body and away over and over.
Log roll races by laying on the floor with legs straight and arms reaching straight over your head and roll across the room!
“Sledding” in the house using a laundry basket. Fill the laundry basket with toys or stuffed animals and have your child push it around or let your child sit in the laundry basket and you or an older child push your little one around the house.
Snowball fight with paper snowballs! Using newspaper, advertisements, old letter paper, crumple the paper into tight balls with their two hands and use them to have a snowball fight in the house. Making “snowballs” also works on building hand strength!
Indoor ice skating using shoe boxes or small cardboard boxes that your child’s foot can fit into. Step into the boxes and glide around on the tile, vinyl, or wooden floors.
If you are sick....
Ginormous Fun at the Gingerbread House!
What Can I Do Today?
Playdough is a great indoor activity. There are many benefits to playdough: your child uses their fingers and hands together, your child is experimenting with a material that is interesting to touch, and your child is sorting out and using their senses to figure out how things feel and smell. Playdough is also a good frustration reliever as children are able to pinch, pound, and roll with their hands. Click on the link below to learn about why we play with playdough and why we want to encourage our children to.
From Our Librarian
January (friendship and acceptance)
A Splendid Friend Indeed - Suzanne Bloom
Bubba and Trixie - Lisa Campbell Ernst
Rainbow Fish - Marcus Pfister
The Adventures of Beekle - Dan Santat
The Other Side - Jacqueline Woodson