i am not a native midwesterner. i am from los angeles, which means that when it snows, i become deliriously excited. and that, of course, means that i am on the same page as my preschoolers.
our class enjoys the other exciting aspects of winter, too: searching for animal tracks in the snow, observing icicles, spotting squirrels and dreys in the now-bare trees. birds (including cardinals!) are more visible- and so are their nests. we have been spending time outdoors this year more than we ever have before, and i am very, very happy about this.
we have represented snow by using white paint and various painting tools:
on superfreezingcold days we bring snow indoors to play with (and we talk about the word frigid)
and of course, we have to taste it.
when the thermometer tells us it's 25 degrees or warmer, we go outside to slide!
and make angels, like peter in the snowy day
and get down into the snow for a full-body experience (this boy literally plants his face in the snow everytime. and rolls around. he digs right in. i love it)
but the most absorbing and intense thing we do with snow is: we move it. we pile it, lift it, shovel it, fill containers and carry them. i was not expecting this reaction- i thought snowmen and snowballs would hold more allure. but no. these children want to move this snow, and move the snow they shall. i bought six new child-sized snow shovels for outdoor time tomorrow. can't wait.
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