Category: Winter

Compare and Contrast: The Night Before Christmas

By Mariah Bruehl,

night-before

Merry Christmas To All, And To All A Good Book…

We have an abundance of Christmas books at our house. I love Christmas, I love books, perfect harmony! Of course, we have several versions of the classic Christmas poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. This poem, originally titled A Visit From St. Nicholas, has been told and retold thousands of times in just as many variations. It presents a perfect opportunity for a holiday literary exploration comparing and contrasting different versions. Choose three different Night Before Christmas Books, use the link above to the original poem, and our handy printable to investigate the similarities and differences. Your library should have a wonderful selection of Night Before Christmas books, with a variety of reading levels, any of them would be compatible with this activity. Here are a few suggestions to inspire your picks.

night-before-christmas

These books are notable because of their beautiful illustrations and because they stay true to the original poem.

  • The Night Before Christmas: Jan Brett is an outstanding illustrator, and her version of the book is stunning. The main and surrounding pictures engage the reader in the poem on many levels.
  • The Night Before Christmas Pop Up: Robert Sabuda is known for his amazing paper art in his pop up books, and this book is no exception. An older pop up book we own (shown in the picture above) is The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Michael Hague. You may be able to find this at your local library, my daughter loves pulling the tab to send Santa up the chimney! 
  • The Night Before Christmas: The Classic Edition: Illustrated by Charles Santore, this book is noteworthy because it has not changed the wording, and it also has a special fold out page.

If you are looking for something more unique, there are a plethora of books with distinctive twists on the original poem.

  • The Soldier’s Night Before Christmas: With thanks to those who protect us, the ending of this book seems perfect for our world today. “Happy Christmas, brave soldiers! May peace come to all!”
  • The Pirate’s Night Before Christmas: Those who know me know I love pirates. For the child in you, or your child, you just can’t go wrong with this swashbuckling book. 
  • The Knights Before Christmas: This book is new this year, and is simply adorable. Three knights, Brave Knight, Polite Knight, and of course Silent Knight, find their castle has an invader, Santa Clause!
  • The Cajun Night Before Christmas: This is a book from my childhood, gifted to me by dear family friends from Baton Rouge, telling the poem through a southern cultural lens. It is a part of The Night Before Christmas Series which includes versions such as a Teachers’, Racecar Driver’s, Alaskan, Hawaiian, Librarian’s, Nurse’s , Firefighter’s, Sailor’s, Irish, Cowboy, Gullah, and many more.

After investigating several books, try adding a digital spin to your exploration. I am a huge fan of the video creation site Animoto. You can sign up for a free trial on their website, and best of all, teachers can apply for a free subscription to Animoto Plus. I have used Animoto in the classroom, and my students loved creating projects with it. Animoto is so simple. You upload your pictures, add text, select music from their database, and the website does all the challenging work, producing it into a final video presentation. There is also an Animoto app available, which makes creating projects even easier since you can upload your pictures straight from your phone or tablet. Here is a sample Night Before Christmas video that I created.

I hope these activities add some fun holiday learning to your Christmas season. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Printables

Snowflake Math

By Mariah Bruehl,

Snowflake Math

Anytime learning can be rooted in the world around them children thrive.  This is true for mathematics-based explorations, just as it is for science and history.  Right now snow, lots and lots of snow, surrounds my children.

 

There are many activities that can be done with snowflakes that enhance children’s mathematical understandings.

Snowflake Math

First, if you can, observe snowflakes outside; watch them fall, catch them on a gloved hand, or on black paper, and observe them with a magnifying glass or a camera zoom.  With older children you can try a snowflake fossil technique.  If the weather is not cooperating with you look at snowflake books or pictures of snowflakes.  When observing the snowflakes ask your children questions such as, “How many sides does your snowflake have?”  “Do all of the snowflakes we see have the same number of sides?”  “It’s said that no two snowflakes are exactly alike, but can you find any that are similar?”

 

Next make paper snowflakes, there are many methods for making paper snowflakes, but one of the simplest methods starts with round paper coffee filters and a pair of scissors, appropriately sized for your child.  First have your child fold the filter in half.  Then count the “valleys” in the filter.  Our coffee filter halves had 12 valleys.  We knew we wanted to fold this piece into thirds so we divided 12 by 3, arriving at 4.  This told us we needed to have each section have 4 “valleys”.  Now fold the half-moon filter into 3rds, using these “valleys” as a guide.  Finally fold the filter one last time.  You have essentially folded the coffee filter into 12 pieces, but after cutting you will be left with a six-sided snowflake.

Snowflake Math

If you are folding snowflakes with older students now might be the time to take out a protractor.

Snowflake Math

Instead of counting the “valleys” in the filter and using a division problem to decide where to fold you could instead try to figure out the angles you will need to create.  Present questions such as, “If the paper snowflake is a circle and therefore 360 degrees, how many degrees will the angle be when we divide the circle into sixths?”  “Into twelfths?”

Snowflake Math

Now cut out your design making sure not to cut all the way through the folded edge.

Snowflake Math

Snowflakes also lend themselves to discussions of fractions.  When you observe snowflakes in their natural setting it is very rare to find some that is completely intact.  They have taken quite a ride to get to the ground and often have broken branches.  You can observe what fractions of the branches are broken.

Snowflake Math

Symmetry is another mathematical concept that can be reviewed when observing snowflakes.  Leaving aside the damage that can happen to a snowflake while it falls, snowflakes form in a symmetrical manner.  Each snowflake starts as a hexagonal prism and since each arm of the flake forms under the same weather conditions each branch will be identical.  After creating their paper snowflakes children can find the lines of symmetry by reviewing their folds, or using a straight edge, or pencil, to mark them.

 

Math really is all around us, especially in those little flakes currently falling outside my house!

Winter Nature Science: What’s Warmer?

By Mariah Bruehl,

Winter Nature Science

In the midst of winter, staying inside by the fire with a blanket certainly seems ideal. People bundle up in layers to brave the cold and blustery temperatures. Animals, however, don’t have furnaces or coats, so what do they use to build shelters to stay warm in the winter? Peak your child’s curiosity with this notion and take advantage of a nice winter day to venture outdoors and conduct a fun, winter, nature science experiment. It will be a great way to get moving and learning outside just when you are feeling a little cabin fever!

For this experiment you only need a few simple items you can find around your home:

  • Clear cups
  • Thermometer
  • Some habitat items (we’ve used dirt, leaves, grass, sticks, and rocks, but you can modify this based on what you have readily available)
  • This printable

First, fill cups with the habitat items you find around your home.

Next, use your thermometer to measure the temperature of the air, and record it on your printable.

Place the thermometer in each cup, measure the temperature, and write those temperatures on the printable.

Now it is time to analyze! Here are some follow up questions to ask your child:

  1. Which natural item kept the warmest temperature? Why do you think this is the warmest?
  2. Which natural item had the coldest temperature? Why do you think this is the coldest?
  3. If you were an animal building a shelter what type of natural items would you use in the winter to keep warm?
  4. Draw a picture of your animal shelter and label your building materials.
  5. What are some other materials we could include in this experiment?
  6. Aside from their homes, what adaptations do animals bodies have to stay warm?

Hopefully a little fresh air and a little curiosity can bring some much needed excitement to your chilly day!

Holiday Book List: A Little Bit More

By Mariah Bruehl,

Holiday Book list: A Little Bit MoreWhen I originally decided to write a blog post about multicultural holidays and their shared message of peace and giving, I imagined myself surrounded by stacks of books, poring over them and selecting my favorites to share with you. As it turns out, the hardest part about writing this has been finding books.

Many of the religious holiday books told about traditions, food, or the candles, or why people fast, but didn’t share the spirit of the holiday.

So what I hope you will find here are books that invite a sense of awe at the beauty of the season, remind us we have so much to be grateful for, and reveal that we all want peace on earth. I have included books from different cultures, although not always holiday themed. I encourage you to share your favorite holiday books about peace and giving in the comments below.

Holiday Booklist: A Little Bit More

Books with Theme of Giving, Generosity:

Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story, by Naomi Howland

Moishe’s Miracle: Hanukkah Story, by Laura Kraus Melmed, ill. by David Slonim

Both of these books are adapted from “The Magic Porridge Pot” by the Grimm Brothers. The first one is more appropriate for younger children, and the second one has eye-popping illustrations. These books could create an opportunity for a conversation about helping others and sharing what we have with those who need it.

Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier, illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter

This true story is about Beatrice and her family. Because of the gift of a goat, her family is able to sell the milk and raise enough money to send her to school. If you are looking for an opportunity to invite your children to give globally, this is a great story to show them how they can make a difference.

Holiday Booklist: A Little Bit More

Books with Theme of Giving Heartfelt Gifts:

Love Monster and the Perfect Present, by Rachel Bright

I would have never picked this book up, but thankfully, a librarian recommended it. I love it. While there is no snow and it is not multicultural, it is universal. It is present day and Love Monster is lured in by the shops promising the perfect gift. We are reminded how easy it is to be caught up in the advertising and commercialism of the holidays. Since the stores don’t except lint and buttons as payment, Love Monster goes home empty-handed and very sad. In the end, he makes a present, telling his true love, “You are sunshine and stars to me.” Who wouldn’t love to receive that gift?

The Best Christmas Ever, by Chih-Yuan Chen

The story opens with the father bear being out of work and the family not having enough money for food. The words do not tell the whole story, but you will see clues in the pictures as to what is happening. In the end, there are gifts for everyone—lost hat, missing button, repaired kite, polished glove. The children notice footprints in the pretend snow around the tree. They wonder why they are so small. On the last page, the littlest member of the family is sitting on a chair and the bottoms of his feet are white. What a beautiful message about giving and noticing what might put a smile on someone’s face. It doesn’t have to be shiny and new but a simple act of thoughtfulness.

The Perfect Gift, by J. Samia Mair

This story takes place at Ramadan and Eid. It is the most religious of the books in this selection. A little girl wonders what to get her mother for Eid. Walking through the snowy woods, she discovers a lone flower. Its simplicity is perfect for this time of year. Why not have a walk through the woods or park and see what “gifts” you find?

Holiday Booklist: A Little Bit More

Books with Theme of Peace and Nature:

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message, by Chief Jake Swamp, illustrated by Ervwin Printup, Jr.

OK, this is more appropriate for Thanksgiving, but with all of the excitement around presents, it is the perfect time to encourage discussions about the many wonders of the natural world to be grateful for.

Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, by Jeanette Winter

Mama Miti, by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, by Claire A. Nivola

These three books are about Wangari Maathai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. I am including all three titles because I think they are appropriate for different ages. I am partial to Mama Miti because Kadir Nelson’s illustrations are gorgeous. While these books are not about holidays, they are about peace for each person, for nature and for a country.

Night Tree by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ted Rand

This story is about a quiet family tradition of caring for nature. Every year on Christmas Eve the family drives to the edge of town where there is a copse of evergreens and decorate one with stringed popcorn, tangerines and apples for the wildlife. Year after year, they find the same tree to decorate so there is admiration for how the tree has grown over the year.   I love the oneness with nature and the quiet thrill of hoping to spot a deer or mouse nibbling on the treats. They also bring a blanket and sing carols, which probably spoils any chance of seeing a badger. Never mind.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

This is another book about peace with nature. I love the anticipation of seeing an owl in the woods. While this book is not a holiday book, I think this is the perfect time to get outside with our children. Nighttime is so magical and lights are such a focal point for the holidays. What better lights than the stars?

And of course, this list would not be complete without a reference to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, because we all need to be reminded that “Maybe Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Diwali, or Eid…) doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”

Capture the Year with a Time Capsule + Printables

By Mariah Bruehl,

Capture the Year with a Time Capsule

Moving into the new year is always a little bitter sweet. While we are excited about what the future holds, as parents, we are aware of how fast time flies and how quickly our children are growing.

A wonderful way to capture the year is to create time capsules. They are a fun way to celebrate the past and make plans for the future as a family.

We have made time capsules a family tradition each year. It is also fun to supply the materials for all of the children if you are bringing in the new year with friends. They are super simple and can often be put together with items you already have around the house.

Time Capsule Printables

Materials:

 

After tucking away the capsule everyone will enjoy looking back at their thoughts, interests, and goals as they move into each new year!

 

Wishing all of you a wonderful 2015…

 

Making a Winter Solstice Tree

By Mariah Bruehl,

­­Making a Winter Solstice Tree

Today Emma from 95 Acres of Sky is with us to share a lovely way to welcome in winter and celebrate the solstice…

This week we will mark the winter solstice (Dec 21/22), which marks the beginning of deep winter and tells us that the time has come to turn inwards and rest.  Just as the sun begins his rebirth, so to do we, renewing ourselves each winter to be born again into the world in the spring.

This is one of my favorite festivals, whether shared with friends or with my own family alone, it is a time to recognize the cycle of the seasons and the role they play in our lives.  This year I wanted to include in our celebrations the wild creatures that we share our land with. I was inspired by reading the lovely book, The Night Tree in which a family go into the woods to decorate a tree with treats for the animals that live there.

We are fortunate that we don’t have to go far to find a tree to decorate, but even if you live in a town, you could hang decorations at a nearby park, on a bush or set out a dish on your windowsill,  the birds and squirrels will certainly thank you for it.

 

Making a Winter Solstice Tree

 

The way in which you decorate your tree is entirely up to you, there are lots of lovely choices.  You can use purchased bird treats but I think the process of making the treats makes the offerings more personal and meaningful.  Here are a few simple-to-make snacks that will be welcomed by your wild friends:

  • Popcorn strings.  Use plain popcorn for this rather than one with a coating, we make ours in a pan from popcorn kernels, it’s very fun!  Using a thick darning needle and some wool or embroidery thread string the kernels into a long garland, string around your tree for a festive feel.  See a lovely version here.
  • Natural bird feeders, these can be made with all sorts of things, apple rings, carrots or even pine cones coated in peanut butter and bird seeds.  There is a lovely tutorial here.
  • Suet feeders are the perfect food for foraging birds, it’s important to remember the birds are omnivores so, like us, they need fat to keep them warm and well in the cold months.  Vegetarians can make their feeders out of coconut oil!  Here are some great links for bird treat recipes here.
  • As well as leaving treats out for our feathered friends, it is lovely to scatter a few on the ground for those without wings.  Pieces of carrot, nuts and berries will be a welcome addition to creatures heading into hibernation and, in my experience, nothing will bring the deer coming to call quite like pieces of pumpkin!

 

Making a Winter Solstice Tree

 

So this solstice get outside and enjoy the wonders of the year’s shortest day and share the blessings of your larder with your wild neighbors.  Happy Solstice and a Happy Yuletide!

 

Family Reflections Advent

By Mariah Bruehl,

Family Reflections Advent | Playful Learning

We have done a number of advent calendars over the years. It has become a family tradition that we look forward to every winter. Yet, in all honesty we  start out strong with an amazing list of 24 lovely activities that we are going to do each night and into the second week I start to lose my momentum… The busyness of the holiday season starts to kick in and I find myself wishing I had simplified things.

So this year, I decided to put together an advent that is exciting for the girls and one that I feel like I can successfully, with the least amount of stress complete—a family reflections advent.

 

Family Reflections Advent | Playful Learning

Each night of advent we will explore a different question or subject as a family. Yes, it as simple as that!  Doesn’t that sound wonderful—lighting a candle,making a cup of tea,  sitting together as a family, and discussing interesting, thought-provoking topics?

 

Family Reflections Advent | Playful Learning

It will also be fun to leave out blank cards so that we can write questions for each other as we move through the days…

 

Family Reflections Advent | Playful Learning

I am looking forward to learning new things about each member of our family and collecting new insights into our family as a whole this December!

You can too…

 

* A warm thank you goes out to Randi Edwards for her lovely graphic designs.

* Advent Calendar by Pi’lo.

 

Try One of Our Workshops…

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Picture Book Advent Calendar

By Mariah Bruehl,

Picture Book Advent Calendar

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share some lovely tips for sharing a picture book advent with your family this holiday season.

We have a family tradition: each day of advent the little ones get a picture book.  It is the only advent calendar we have in our home, so no little lolly delights or small toys, simply a new picture book to open.  I know that this is extravagant, but it is where we choose to spend our money.  I am such a huge believer and lover of children’s literature, that I budget this in every year. Instead of buying them all at once, I buy the books gradually throughout the year.

The books are wrapped and gathered on the mantle in our lounge room. Each night of December, once the littles are bathed and in their pajamas, we select a new book to unwrap and gather on the lounge to share. In the past, my book collection has included fiction, non-fiction, picture books, chapter books, as well as a few audio books.  The variety makes it even more exciting.

If you are like me and you store Christmas books away from January to November, you can wrap them up and add few newly acquired titles to create your own book themed advent calendar.  Picture Book Advent Calendar

There are so many delightful titles on the market!

Here is my most recent list of our favorite holiday books.

And for added inspiration, here are a few of our favorite authors:

Here a some other delightful ideas for advent:

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

By Mariah Bruehl,

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

I have been pondering the approaching Valentine’s Day season. This year I thought it would be fun to focus on simple, small acts that remind the people in our lives how much we love them.

When I came across this DIY on origami hearts, I know it would be an activity that we could share in as a family and that would lend itself nicely to this notion of leaving sweet little surprises for the ones we love in places where they will least suspect them.

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

Because of this simple tutorial, the girls picked up the steps quickly. We had a lovely time chatting and making a plethora of sweet, colorful origami hearts.

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

We found a jar to house our new abundance of hearts, so they are at the ready when someone could use a dose of love.

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

They have been popping up all over the house… In lunchboxes.

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

Tucked into beds.

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

And in favorite books!

Stay tuned for more ideas on small acts of love to share with the special people in your life this Valentine’s (and every) season…

Holiday Crafts with Kids: Winter Dioramas

By Mariah Bruehl,

We have Randi from Swoon with us today to share another fun project that families can enjoy together during the holiday season. We can’t wait to make some dioramas of our own!

There’s something magical about miniature scenes, isn’t there? A tiny world created from the imagination. I recently revived a long lost love of miniatures and dioramas by making some festive winter scenes with my kids. There are so many ideas for making these little displays out there from simple trees in jars, to elaborate paper creations. I love the versatility of a diorama project and the amount of creativity involved. The best part is that you can make a little scene with whatever you have on hand, even if that means paper, markers and a few (little) willing hands! All you really need to start is a box. Any size will do. This is less of a “how to” post and more of an inspiration to get creative with what you have and make something!

For our winter scene we gathered: a small box, glitter, glue, oven bake clay, and some moss and sticks from our yard. We also ended up adding some fake snow and a little deer friend from our animal collection.

To start I cut and glued some black felt to the inside of our box. Paper would also work great, whatever you have on hand!  I squeezed some dots of glue randomly over the back of our scene and then had the girls sprinkle glitter all over to make falling snow.We also lined our sticks with glue and sprinkled with more glitter “snow” to mimic the look of winter trees.

Next, we made some shapes with oven bake clay and baked them according to the instructions on the package. Once they were done baking and cooling, I added some black dots to our mushrooms with a toothpick and a bit of acrylic paint.

Then we starting setting up our scene by putting all of our elements together in the box. The only thing we actually glued down were our stick trees. The rest is moveable and can be arranged and played with as desired. We sprinkled fake snow (found at craft stores) and glitter over everything. Sugar or course salt would also work great as snow and probably look more realistic too!

If you’re looking for more inspiration, click on the links below to see other great examples of winter scenes and dioramas from around the web:

1. Easy winter scenes created in mason jars

2. A glittery Christmas tree diorama

3. Ski slope diorama

4. A simple scene in an unlikely container

5. A forest made using natural materials