Here Comes the Snow!!!

Well friends, I'm sitting here in northern Indiana waiting for the Blizzard of 2014!  Yep! Forecasts are telling us to expect 12-14" (or more!) of new snow within the next 24 hours.  Dead serious.  They say up to 2" an hour! Looks like an extended break for me! Woo-Hoo!

Well, all this talk about snow reminded me of one the first "freebies" I found on a blog.  (The blog I found it on was CanDoKinders.blogspot.com....but I'm sad to report that the blog author quit blogging over a year ago. But no worries!  I have an active link for you to download this great freebie!)  I use it every year during my "winter/snow" theme week.  The kiddos LOVE. LOVE. LOVE it!  You can use it whole group, or at a center.  So anyways, I just had to share the link with you!

The idea behind it is simple, but fun!  

1. Grab a few bags of mini-marshmallows and put them in a bowl.  (If doing it with your whole class at once, I'd fill regular styrofoam bowls and have partners share the bowl. However, each kiddo still needs his/her own recording sheet.)

2. Provide a large spoon, or a mini-scooper (to each group, pair, or at the center).  I like to use those cheapie clear plastic scoops you find in powdered drink containers.  (Ummm... Yes.  I DO have quite a collection of those scoopers.  Why, you ask?  Well, if you haven't picked up on it yet... I have a sweet tea obsession and when I am a "desperato" I mix up a Countrytime beverage. #gottastop #drinkwater)

Sorry for the diversion!  Moving on....

3. To "play," students basically take turns scooping with the large spoon or mini-scooper.  {Oh! I almost forgot that one time I left my scoopers at home and just used mini Dixie cups!}  For example, Johnny takes a scoop of marshmallows and then COUNTS them.   He then records the number of marshmallows he scooped and counted in the first box on the recording sheet.   

4. Play continues with partners (or group members) taking turns with the above step, but writing in the next empty recording box.  

This activity is hands-on and great for practicing counting the "teen" numbers! (The little scoopers have a capacity of about 19 mini-mallows!)  And the bonus... if you so choose, you may let the kiddos eat the marshmallows when they fill their recording sheet. {Personally, I'm a bit of a germ-a-phob, so if I know I want to let the kiddos eat the marshmallows, I give them their own bowls of marshmallows.}  If you just like the hands-on nature of this activity you can also just tell the kiddos NO EATING... and let the marshmallows sit out for a while and they will get nice and hard.  (Hard marshmallows are a natural deterrent for most sneaky-snackers!)

Click on the image below to download this Scoop and Count freebie!

(You can also click on the following link to see Can Do Kinder's original post on this freebie!

http://candokinders.blogspot.com/2012/01/thank-you-and-something-fun-for-you.html)

Here's to hoping you all are able to enjoy an extra snow day this week too!   But, stay safe!!!  It's COLD out there!  

(Predicted -40 windchills for us in the next few days!)