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It's a brand new year -- a time when
many of us entertain thoughts of new goals, new ideas, or new experiences.
Bring some "newness" into your classroom by incorporating the arts into
your activities and lessons. We have provided some ideas and suggestions
to help you get started. Instill in your children the love of music,
drama, art, movement, literature, and more as you welcome in 2006!
Education World's Early Childhood Education Newsletter, January 9, 2006
 ACTIVITY
IDEAS
WINTER DANCE
Have an outdoor dance festival centered around a tree. Play music and
help children move to it as they wave scarves or streamers. Encourage
children to let the music determine their movements -- they can go slowly
when the music slows down or rapidly as the tempo picks up.
MOVE TO THE WORD
Ask children to tell you what activities or actions they think of when
they hear the word "winter." List their words on a chart. Write each
motion or movement word such as slip, slide, or skate on a card. Invite
different children to choose one of the word cards, and then ask the group
to demonstrate each word's movement with their bodies.
 SPECIAL
VISITOR
Invite an artist to visit your classroom. The artist can be anyone who
has a special talent whether it is painting, making jewelry, creating
pottery, weaving, cooking, or dancing. Start by surveying parents' hobbies
and talents, or locate a special visitor(s) in your wider community. When
you have arranged a visit, encourage your artist to include a hands-on
activity to use with the children; that activity should consider your
students' characteristics and attention spans. Follow the special time by
having children draw pictures to show their thanks, or have them record
their voices to create a special Thank You tape or CD.
 WINTER WEAR
Read to children The Jacket I Wear in the Snow (Harper Trophy), by
Shirley Neitzel. Extend your reading by talking about the kinds of
clothing worn in winter weather. Then fill your Dramatic Play area with
winter clothing for children and dolls. Display pictures of people and
dolls in winter apparel. Finally, invite children to find pictures of
winter clothing in magazines. Use those pictures to create a class mural.
WINTER WHITES
Obtain copies of Norman Rockwell's works. (Your school or local
library is sure to have books by or about Rockwell.) Share with children
his winter-themed paintings and have them take turns describing what the
paintings show and what the artist may have been thinking as he painted.
Provide children with a variety of white art supplies such as white
tempera and finger paint, white chalk, white glue, and scraps of white
paper and encourage them to create their own winter pictures.
WHAT WOULD THEY SAY?
Read to children The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Puffin Books), and
The First Snowfall by Anne and Harlow Rockwell (Aladdin Books). Talk about
the characters in each book. Invite children to imagine what the
characters might say to each other if they met. Then let children use toy
phones to create conversations between the The Snowy Day's little boy and
The First Snowfall's little girl.
ON
THE WEB
Check out the following Web sites for more background and activities.
Music Coloring Pages
Introduce your children to all the musical instruments with these
great coloring pages.
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/coloring-pages/music/index.htm
 Preschool
Art Lessons: Color
Children can mix and experiment with color in all sorts of painting
activities submitted by teachers.
http://www.kinderart.com/littles/litles.html#artcolor
Dramatic Play Activities
Try some of these imaginative ideas for your dramatic play area.
http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/dramaticactivities.html
Musical Shakers
Let your children make these colorful music shakers!
http://www.kinderart.com/littles/little26.shtml
"The Tortoise and the Hare" Fable Crafts
Introduce fables to your students. Begin with the story of "The
Tortoise and the Hare" and related craft activities.
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/fable/turtlehare.htm
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