winter Archives - JDaniel4s Mom

Winter Shadow Matching Activity

February 28, 2024 By Deirdre

When the days get dark earlier, the shadows seem to appear earlier too. Your children will have to explore these winter shadow matching activity cards. The cards can be placed out face up a few at a time. Children can see if they can find the words that match the cards.

Do you have to use the winter shadow-matching activity cards this way? No, the above idea is just a suggestion. The cards can be used any way you want to use them.

Ways You Could Explore the Cards

Choose a group of eight shadows and matching words. Then turn them face out. Two at a time turn cards. If they match, you get to keep them. If they don’t match, you have to turn them over again.
The shadow card can be shown to children and they can describe the object they think it is. You don’t have to use the word cards.
The children can be shown the word cards. They can draw their shadow cards that illustrate the words or words on the cards.

Getting the Winter Shadow Matching Activity

The Winter Shadow Matching Activity is a PDF. Once you have downloaded, the set you will need to open it with a PDF reader like Acrobat Reader.

First, you will need to download the set.

Winter Shadow Matching Activity Download

Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.

Third, you must go to your download file and open the page. A message may come up asking if you want the file to open right after downloading it. You won’t have to hunt for it in your download file if you are.

Books Based on Shadows and Light

Building background before starting an activity is always a good idea. These are wonderful books that have a light and shadow theme. Some of the books are non-fiction and others are fiction.

The links below are affiliate links.

Dinos After Dark features cutouts that you can shine on the wall with a flashlight.

Hand Shadow Fun is a great resource for learning how to create fun shadow images with your hands.

Phil and his shadow have fallen out. His shadow wants fun and adventure. Phil wants boring and predictable. This book looks at how they learn to work together.

More Fun Activities to Explore

Decorating an Umbrella Based on an Algorithm

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Algorithm Page

How to Make a Bobblehead Snowman

December 20, 2021 By Deirdre

Bobblehead Day is on the January 2022 STEAM activity. Let’s walk through how to make a bobblehead before the end of the year so you will be ready for it. Below you will find the simple directions you need to make a bobblehead snowman. They can be applied to creating a number of bobbleheads.

Once you have learned how to make a bobblehead, you will want to make another one. There may even be two or even three of them in your future.

Why Not Read a Snowman Book

Before creating your bobblehead snowman, you may want to read a book about snowmen. Below you will find a collection of snowman books I love.

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Getting Ready to Put Your Bobblehead Together

Supplies Needed

Two Pipecleaners Per Snowman
Two White Paper Cups
Orange and Black Pom-Poms
White and Black Construction Paper
Glue Stick and Glue in a Bottle
Scissors
Black Foam Sheet

How to Make a Bobblehead Snowman

First, you will need to twist the two pipe cleaners together. Then wrap them around the glue stick to create a coil.

Second, poke a hole into the top of one of the white paper cups. Next, stick one end of the pipe cleaner coil through the hole. Then bend it flat against the top of the cup.

Third, the end of the pipe cleaner will need to be glued in place with liquid glue.

Fourth, the second cup will need to be decorated to the snowman’s face. You can use a pom-pom to make the nose. Construction paper or foam can be used to make the eyes and mouth of the snowman.

Fifth, the snowman can have hair if you decide he needs it. We poked small pieces of pipe cleaner through the snowman’s face up. Smaller pieces of pipe cleaner were wrapped around them.

Finally, the cup with the pipe cleaner sticking out of it will need to be decorated. We just added pom-pom buttons to ours. However, you can decorate it any way you like.

Hint: The decorations on the bottom cup need to be low down on the cup. If they are too high up, they will interfere with the bobblehead’s rock and bounce.

Exploring the Bobblehead

After you have decorated the cups, place the face cup on top of the body cup. Then press the top cup down. Finally, release the cup and watch it bounce up and side to side.

More STEM Activities to Try

Editable Telling Time from Sunrise to Sunset STEM Worksheets

Telling Time from Sunrise to Sunset STEM Activity

STEM Activity- Creating the Olympic Flame in a Bottle

Creating an Olympic Flame in a Bottle

Snowflake Craft- Snowflake Pizza

January 24, 2021 By Deirdre

This snowflake craft is supposed to look like a pizza. Your children will need to add the same ingredients or shapes to each of the slices. It is totally okay if those slices are not symmetrical. The snowflakes craft will look great whether the slices are symmetrical or not.

Snowflake Craft Supplies

You will need to follow to create the snowflake craft.

Sheets of Blue Construction Paper
Shapes Cut out of White and Blue Construction Paper or Sheets of White and Blue Paper Your Children Can Cut into Shapes
White Paper Plates Cut into Six Equal Pieces or Uncut Paper Plates
Scissors
Glue

Getting the Craft Ready

There are two different ways you can have your children put the craft together.

Option One- You Get Everything Ready

The paper plate pieces and constructions paper shapes can be cut and ready for your children to use. Each child will need six plate sections and several different shapes cut out of paper. If you want the shapes that are the same size and shape, you will need to fold a piece of paper into six sections before cutting the shape out.

Option Two- Children Get Materials Ready

The other option is for your children to cut the plates in the six equal pieces. Then they can cut out shapes out of the blue and white papers. If they are going to have the same shapes on each pizza slice, they are going to need six of each shape. They can get six shapes that are the same size and shape by folding a piece of paper into six sections before cutting them out.

Putting the Craft Together

The first step is to glue the six plate sections onto a piece of blue paper. The sections need to be arranged like pizza slices in a circle.

Next, they can start gluing shapes onto each slice. You can decide if you want them to include the same shapes on each slice or they can glue whatever shapes they want on each slice.

Finally, if you want them to have the same shapes on each slice, you could give them six pieces of the same shape and have them glue each of them on the slice. Then you could pass out another shape for them to glue. Older children will probably be able to handle being given a set of shapes to use for this craft rather than getting one shape at a time.

Hint: The white shapes are going to add dimension to the craft. The blue shapes will look like shape cutouts on the plate.