Miss Marge's January Activities

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A New year/winter

Add large calendar of January days to your bulletin board. Start your month off by marking off the days. Mention this is a new beginning. Add another display near it where you will put the students baby pictures, as explained in the next activity.

The ME board.

Begin this board in January, stressing a New Year beginning, and the beginning of each student.  In your December newsletter ask the parents to send a baby photo of their child. Suggest that they go through the family albums with child, letting the child chose his/her baby picture that they will want to take to school.Ask the parent to tell them of a story about them (something they did special) so the child can share it with the class.  (Be sure all names are on the backs of the photos so that the parents will get them back.)  On the first day of school in January have each child show their picture and share the story about themselves. Place the photo on the board, leaving room for the family picture for the next month.  
**No child should feel left out! If there is a case where any student, for some reason, cannot bring a baby photo change this activity into a hunt for babies. Instead of students bringing pictures from home, have them find baby pictures in magazines and choose one they like. Let them show that picture and make up a little story about the picture they chose.

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PUPPET FUN

Have your school puppet teach the student a new chant/rhyme.
January, January, month of snow
Put on our boots and out we go
Walking in Snow up to our knees
Without our boots our (ears) would freeze
One of the student will catch the error. Puppet says, “Oh, that’s not right? Well how about this?" Repeat it, adding another part of the body in (  ). Puppet acts as if he doesn't know what the students are talking about and continues to teach them the chant adding different parts of the body such as elbow, neck, etc. Students will have fun correcting the puppet. In the end (after a bit of laughter) your puppet says it correctly.
January, January, month of snow.
Put on your boots and off we go.
Walking in snow up to our knees
Without our boots our FEET would freeze. 
Of course after the first time, the students will say the chant correctly. This is good memorization, stretching their ability to remember and should be repeated on other days so add it to your songs during music time. 

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Craft sticks snow flakes.

Another kind of Snowflake to decorate your room.
Each student will need three craft sticks. Have them glue 2 craft sticks together in the middle to form an "X".
Glue the third craft stick horizontally at the center of the first two to complete the shape of a 6-sided snowflake. White glue will take at least an hour to dry. If you prefer a quicker drying time, use a hot glue gun instead, but make sure to do so with adult supervision.
Student paints the 'star' with white tempera paint and when dry spreads white glue over it. Sprinkle white paper confetti over the glue covered star. Can decorate with cake decorating sprinkles.  (Do not use tinsel which may get into eyes and cause eye injury.)

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Action Song.

DANCING SNOWFLAKES (Sing to 'Tiny Bubbles'.)
(Teach the students the words to the song before attempting to do the actions.)
Verse 1:
Many snowflakes, in the air,
Floating here and floating there.
Then each snowflake settles down,
Landing gently on the the snow-white ground.
(Directions) 
Lines 1 & 2: children float around room, arms out.
Lines 3 & 4: FLoat slowly to the ground - sit down. 

Verse 2: 
The children build a snowman white.
He stands so proudly through the night.
The sun  comes out, and melts him down.
See the ice pond forming on the ground.
(Directions)
Lines 1 & 2: Slowly stand up, arms outstretched like a snowman.
Lines 3 & 4: Slowly sink to the floor and lay flat.

Verse 3:
Laughing skaters, dressed so nice,
Making figures on the ice
Wish I were a skater too.
I'd take your arm and skate away with you.
(Directions)
Lines 1 & 2: Stand and make skating motions around the room.
Lines 3 & 4: Find a partner and pretend to skate around the room .. or back to where you want them to be when ending the song. 

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Making Paper Snowflakes.

What better way to practice useing of scissors than cutting out snow flakes. Every student I every had enjoyed this activity, so much that I had to keep the supplies for making handy in the free art center.  My room was full of snowflakes in January.  
You will need white easy to cut paper, scissors, and pencils.
Per student a 6 ½ inch paper circle.
(For older students give them a cardboard pattern and let them make their own circles on easy to cut paper.)
Instructions:
1>        Fold circle in half. Fold that half to make a triangle.
2>        If the student is handy with scissors, fold one more time into a smaller triangle.
3>        Keep folded, have student snip off a small piece off the top. Draw 3 or 4 notches on each edge and on the bottom, careful not to make them too close or the paper will fall apart.
4>  Cut out notches. Carefully open up the paper to reveal a unique snowflake.
**Lesson to teach here -- that each snowflake is unique, not like any other .. just as each child is special and different from any other child.

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WINTER FRIENDS

Once there was a Cardinal

Flying on a dark and stormy night,

She flew here and there, lost in flight,

She was looking for a sheltered spot

Where she could safely light.

The wind was blowing wildly,

And she needed to find a tree,

Or some other place to be,

But snow fell all around her,

And it was hard for her to see.

At last she came upon a house

With lights shining bright as day.

She heard a pleasant voice say,

"Cardinal, my friend, come down

Before the wind blows you away."

A snowman stood on the ground.

Two sticks stuck from his side,

Like arms that opened wide.

"Perch yourself upon my arm.

Rest on me," the snowman replied.

Cardinal landed with a sigh,

“You just saved my life," she said.

Without you here I'd be dead.

Well now, Glad I could be of help.

Hello. You can call me Fred.

You are welcome to join me, friend.

Feel free to rest upon my arm.

I will keep you safe from harm.

At least for a month or two,

Until the sun becomes too warm."

Cardinal stayed with Snowman Fred.

The bird and Fred was quite a pair

And together they would share

A song, a joke, or a dream or two.

She knew she was safe right there.

But when spring came to the yard,

And sun beat down hot and clear.

Poor Fred began to disappear.

It was time for the friends to part.

Cardinal tried not to shed a tear.

She built a nest on a tree near by,

And sang songs of good cheer

For all the folks around to hear,

While she waited for the winter snows

When Fred would once again appear.

                     ~~~

Author: M. C. Arvanitis: this story is free to copy off and use in your classroom but is copyrited to M. C. Arvanitis. So it can not be shared elsewhere in print or electrontically.

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SUGGESTED BOOK FOR JANUARY

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller.

Squirrel knows that New Year's Day is a great day for making resolutions If only she can think of a resolution of her very own.
You can purchase this book at Amazon.com. http://amzn.com/0807575917 

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Color page for January. The space on the left side is where a snowman should be. Encourage student to draw his/her individual snow person there.

Thank you for visiting Ms. Marge's Cyber Preschool. We hope you can use our January curriculum. If you do, please leave a message and let us know how it works for your students. Coming soon -- Our Favorite <3 february.="" month="" span="">