 Spring is vaguely on the horizon, but until then, one must brave the elements or stay indoors. If at all possible, try to let children play outside at least thirty minutes per day. Remember, colds come from being stuck inside, not from the weather outside. Do make sure and bundle up complete with hat, as much of our body heat is lost through our head when playing outdoors.
When indoors, what better way to spend a snowy, brisk day than curled up with a book. Older children enjoy reading to younger children. Pair kids up with a picture storybook along with a puppet or stuffed animal and let the modeling begin!
Great activities can accompany almost any book. Create a life-sized character by rolling out some bulletin board paper. Let children outline their bodies. Add some descriptive qualities of a favorite character, or create a new character by combining some qualities of a few. This is a great activity to practice teamwork while encouraging creativity. Create a list of interview questions for a particular character and practice role playing the interview process.
An ordinary beach ball can create a fun way to answer questions about a book. On each section of color, write a generic question that could accompany any book such as, “Tell me your opinion of the book, tell about a character and setting, or rate the book and explain.” The questions can be adapted to meet the academic level of any age. Toss the ball around and answer the question your right hand lands on. The beach ball can bring fun indoors—have fun reading this winter!
Tavi has a BA in Psychology, MA in Teaching and teaches fourth grade at Mount Olive Elementary School in King and is a regular contributor to Yadkin Valley Living Magazine. |
