Snowball Targets! SNOOOOOW FUN!

We don't get snow in Southern California, and so if we want to have the experience of throwing snowballs, we have to make it ourself. We were a little concerned with letting the children go all out with an unbridled snowball fight, so with a bit of prep, we created the most exciting dramatic play thus far - SNOWBALL TARGET PRACTICE!

With the help of some coworkers, we strung several lines of string from the school wall to our patio overhang. I then hung targets from the strings. I varied the heights and the depths of the string for added challenge. We draped a sheet at the back to catch the flying snowballs and prevent them from smashing into the Art and Language table. A flat wall would work, too, but I was pretty sure that my director would not have appreciated the thump, thump, thump of careening "snowballs" hitting her office window!

To create a defined space, we laid tires along the edge of the space. We put chairs behind the chairs to create a viewing and waiting area. Of course, we provided winter wear such as scarves, mittens and fluffy hats to get into the winter mood!

We provided a large crate filled with "snowballs" (see below) and allowed 2 children at a time to stand on the bales of hay and launch their snowballs at the targets. We allowed each set to empty the crate. The children all cheered for each other when someone hit a target and all of the children helped in the cleanup each time the crate was emptied.

The enthusiasm for this activity was so high and all of the children (and many of the parents!) wanted a turn. I even saw a few teachers practicing their aim with the targets. We did have one teacher stationed at the center to keep everyone in a "festive" mood and to regulate the queue.

The snowballs are Ziplock bags filled with packing peanuts. I used strong clear packing tape to seal each bag into the shape of a ball. The targets are simply laminated construction paper. We had a snowman die-cut, so I added the snowmen for extra appeal and told the children that the goal was to hit the snowman.

This is by far one of the most exciting events we have set up on the yard (there are many exciting things that arise on the yard, but this one was intentional). It was a hit with the children, parents and teachers! The snowballs could also be used for a controlled snowball toss, or even a {monitored} snowball fight.

And so, WINTER has officially arrived in SoCal! Yippee!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Outdoor Nativity - Dramatic Play

In the spirit of the season, we joyfully hauled out all of the nativity-style clothes we could muster for the children to explore in our new Nativity dramatic play area. We supplied wings for the angels, sheer fabric, gowns for Mary and cloaks for Joseph, headbands for the shepherds, fancy hats and gifts for the wise men, blankets, stuffed animals, and of course, Jesus and the manger (a doll and cradle). We had two bales of hay to define the area. Sounds great, but in fact, it looked...well....pathetic. 

Truly, it looked like two bales of hay and a crate of clothes. 

So, what to do for our sad looking corner? Bring on the butcher paper and erect a stable!!! For the final touch, we just added a HUGE glittery star that hangs from the ceiling! Cue the Christmas music, and HARK, we have an inviting dramatic play that is fit for the season!

Christmas Sensory Bin

I have been envying several very cute and well-put together mini-sensory bins across the blogosphere lately, so I finally decided to make one of my own. I went to the 99 Cent Store and stocked up on a few Christmas items - plastic candy canes, a batch of erasers, mini ornaments, bells, glittery snowflakes, Christmas themed kaleidoscopes, and more. I also threw in some pompoms and set all the goodies on top of rice. Several of the children investigated each item in the bin. Two little girls lined up all of the items on the edge of the table. When I asked what they were doing, they replied, "setting up the presents!"

This Christmas bin is what I would call a "small world" or mini-sensory bin. For some PHENOMENAL large-scale bins, visit Tom at Sand and Water Tables. He takes sensory bins to entirely new level of engaging!!!!