J is for Jack Frost

We are still waiting for the first frost in our area. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get very cold and we don’t get much snow. So, it was fun to bring a little Jack Frost indoors for preschool today.

• Read “Here Comes Jack Frost” by Kazuno Kohar … I fell in love with Kohar’s Halloween book, “Ghosts in the House” and was thrilled to find this one. The story and illustrations are simple, beautiful, and fun.

• Jack Frosty Art … I decided it would be fun to make pictures similar to those in the book.
  1. Draw a simple fall tree outline (bare branches) on contact paper. Cut out.
  2. Remove the paper backing and stick the tree to a piece of white cardstock.
  3. Give the kids a cup of watered-down blue paint. We used Crayola Washable Kid's Paint with glitter! I thought the glitter would help the picture look more wintery It worked perfectly. 
  4. Have the kids paint their entire page blue. You could show them how to paint a gradient (darker on top, lighter on the bottom). Let dry.
  5. Give the kids an old toothbrush and a small cup of white paint.
  6. Show them how dip their toothbrush in the paint and splatter paint white snow onto their blue painting.

  7. Remove the contact paper tree. You should have a beautiful, white wintery tree underneath!

     NOTE: the paper pulled up with the contact paper in spots. Other areas pulled away very easily. Not sure what I would do differently.

  8. OPTIONAL: Shake a little bit of clear glitter onto the wet, white paint to have a frosty effect. Looks so cool!

• Wax Paper Ice Skates … time to get up and move!
  1. You’ll need two pieces of wax paper, each larger than your kid’s feet.
  2. Shoes and socks off!
  3. Step on the wax paper and slide around on the carpet, just like you’re ice skating.

• Jack Frost Finger Painting … always a hit and so easy to clean up.
  1. When Jack Frost visits, he leaves snow and frost everywhere. Unfortunately, we don’t get much snow or frost where we live, but this activity is still fun indoors.
  2. Squirt a large pile of shaving cream (snow!) on the table.
  3. Have the kids spread it around and explore!
  4. Show them how to spread it out and use their fingers to draw pictures (and practice writing letter J!)
  5. Cleans up easily with a wet rag (and smells so nice!)

 

• Marshmallow snowball fight … just like the boy and Jack Frost in the book.
  1. I get that “Best Mom of the Day” award when we do this
  2. Pull out a bag of large marshmallows.
  3. Have an indoor marshmallow snowball fight. Trust me, it’s fun.

 

• Jack Frost Snacks
1. Make Snow Cones in November!!
   • We happen to have this snow-cone maker (highly recommended for summer treats … and Jack Frost preschool days)
   • Let the kids help shave the ice and catch it at the bottom.
   • Maybe not the best idea to have cold snow cones on a chilly day. My 4-year-old wrapped herself up in a blanket on the couch after finishing hers. Brrr!
2. ‘Frost’ your snack!
   • Cream cheese on bagels
   • Peanut butter on graham crackers
   • Frosting on cupcakes (we had a family birthday today, so that’s what we did!)
3. I also LOVED this wintery Jack Frost lunch idea from Bent On Better Lunches … wish I had thought of it
• Peanut butter & jelly sandwich cut with a snowflake cookie cutter
• Vanilla yogurt
• Powdered mini donuts
• Strawberries (not so wintery, but they sounded really good!)

Jelly Bean Day

 

• Read “The Jelly Bean Fun Book” by Karen Capucilli
• Read “The Giant Jellybean Jar” by Marcie Aboff
• Jelly Bean Jar
1. Wash hands!
2. Let the kids use a small scoop to fill a small jar with jelly beans.
3. Pour the jelly beans into a sorter (veggie platter from the dollar store)
4. Sort the jelly beans by color.

  

• Jelly Bean Flowers (& a game!) … these jelly bean flowers are cute enough by themselves. I also thought we could play a game with them!
  1. Print the flower template from Martha Stewart here onto springtime scrapbook paper.
  2. Cut out.
  3. Fill up a cupcake liner with jelly beans and place in the center.
  4. You can write your name on a petal and leave it at that for a cute place setting decoration or…
  5. TO PLAY:
     • Write 1-6 on each petal.
     • Count out 1-6 jelly beans for each petal (count out 1 jelly bean on the 1 petal … 5 jelly beans on the 5 petal …)
     • Roll a dice.
     • Whatever number you roll, remove those jelly beans from the matching petal and place back in the center cup.
     • Continue until all the petals are empty.
     • OPTIONAL: if you roll the same number again, fill the petal back up with the right number jelly beans
• Jelly Bean Relay
  1. Place a small bowl of jelly beans at one end of the room.
  2. Place an empty bowl at the other end of the room.
  3. Have the kids hold a spoon and place one jelly bean in the spoon.
  4. Carefully walk to the empty bowl and put the jelly bean in the bowl.

• Jelly Bean Bracelet … a great idea from My Kids Make.
  1. Thread a needle with elastic string (I found it at Joann) or regular thread.
  2. Pick out the jelly bean colors you want to use.
  3. Sew your jelly beans onto your thread and tie!
  4. Cute, colorful and tasty!

• Jelly Bean Carrots
  1. Fill a clear bag with orange jelly beans
  2. Add a small bit of green tissue and tie at the top with a green pipe cleaner!

Nursery Rhyme ABCs

I absolutely LOVE this!

 

Education.com has free nursery rhyme worksheets to download. What I think it so great is that they have matched up a nursery rhyme with each letter of the alphabet. As you read through, you and your preschooler can identify the letter you’re working on. I love that the font is clear and simple, they show both the upper and lower-case letter examples on the page and they’re cute!

   

1. Click here to download and print each worksheet.
2. Slip each one into a clear plastic page protector (keep them altogether in a binder or 3-prong folder)
3. Use a dry erase marker to circle, underline or trace the letters.
4. Count the letters and write the number at the bottom.
5. Erase and repeat later.
6. Love it! Learning letters and nursery rhymes at the same time!

Jack Be Nimble

• Learn the nursery rhyme:

Jack Be Nimble

Jack Be Quick

Jack jump over the candlestick!

• Jump over the candlestick!
  1. Set a small tea light or other candle (unlit, of course) on the floor.
  2. As you say the rhyme, let the kids be Jack jumping over the candlestick. My 2-year-old liked doing this over and over and over!

Snack Idea: Edible candlesticks … place a stick pretzel into a banana slice

Jack & the Beanstalk

   

• Read several versions of "Jack & the Beanstalk"
• Retell the story on the wall (use clipart or props)
  1. To start, let the kids add Jack's house to the bottom of the wall (clipart, a simple drawing, or a toy house you have)
  2. Add a cow (toy or clipart)
  3. Toss a couple of dry beans on the ground in front of the house
  4. Make a beanstalk (green strips of paper with leaves) that extends all the way up to the ceiling.
  5. Stand on a chair and add the giant's castle in the clouds (paper or cotton balls) way up by the ceiling.
  6. Use toys or clipart for Jack, his mom, the old man and the giant (kids are great, because you could use a GI Joe for Jack or a favorite doll for Jack’s mom and they will love it).
• Plant MAGIC BEANS
  1. This is just for fun
  2. Have the kids plant a magic bean (a Jolly Rancher, peppermint, M&M or other small candy) in a small cup of dirt.
  3. Sprinkle magic growing powder (glitter) on top.
  4. The next morning, the kids will discover that a lollipop or candy cane or other larger candy has grown!

snack idea: cracker jacks or jelly beans

Jump!

• Play with a jump rope.
• Play with a jack-in-the-box if you have one. Count how many turns of the handle it takes to make Jack jump!
• Jumping Jack Coloring
  1. Print out and color the jack-in-the-box coloring page below.
  2. Finish by writing a letter J inside the star.
  3. If the kids are full of energy, put the crayons at one end of the room and have them JUMP to get one crayon, then JUMP back to color with it. Repeat for each color

• Be a Jack-in-the-Box
  1. Let the kids get into a large cardboard box with a lid.
  2. Pretend to turn the handle.
  3. Sing the tune to "Pop Goes the Weasel" (click the link for music) and let the kids “POP” out!
• Count down from 10 to 1, then jump as high as you can.
• Have Jumping Races
  • in a pillowcase
  • 3-legged race
  • jump backwards
  • one foot
  • big & little jumps
  • loud jumps & quiet/tip-toe jumps

Jungle

• Go on a Jungle Safari
  1. Make toilet paper tube binoculars (tape 2 together). There’s also a fun tutorial here for fancier TP binoculars.
  2. Print several jungle animal pictures (try Microsoft Clipart) or hide several stuffed animals around the room or in the backyard.
  3. Find them with your binoculars!
  4. Extra fun = play jungle music & wear safari clothes.
• Make an Indoor Jungle
  1. You will need 2 clear plastic cups.
  2. Fill one cup with soil & plant clippings, spray with a water bottle.
  3. Attach the other cup upside-down on top and set in the sun.
  4. As moisture condensates on the sides, explain that this is like rain for the plants.

Snack Idea: animal crackers

Jingle Bells

• Glue J page ... draw a large letter J, trace with glue, and glue on mini jingle bells.
• Make Jingle Sticks!
  1. Glue 1-2 jingle bells to the top of a popsicle stick.
  2. Let dry and use to sing songs (like "Jingle Bells").
  3. TIP: I like to use hot glue because it holds really well and dries fast.
• Jingle Bell Bracelets
  1. String jingle bells onto a piece of elastic large enough to use as a bracelet or anklet.
  2. Let the kids dance with their jingle bell bling!

Junk (recycle)

• Read a simple book about recycling. Check your library for great ideas!

• Make a Recycling Center at home!
  1. Find 3-4 empty boxes.
  2. Let the kids help write or trace letters to spell cans, paper & plastic.
  3. Glue a picture of each item to the front of the box (or use the pictures below, just click on them for the link).
  4. All week, save items that the kids can sort into the correct recycle boxes.
  5. Make sure the kids help you set the boxes out for the recycle man, or take them to the recycle center. Matt had a lot of fun with this & caught me trying to throw away things that he could recycle!

   

• Take a trip to the recycle center and watch what they do.
• Save pop cans & take them to the store for a refund
• Bring a garbage bag to a favorite park and pick up any litter.
• Make a Backyard Composter … Click the link for instructions! Instead of throwing away your food scraps, teach the kids how to recycle them into rich soil! I haven’t actually tried this, but it sounds like fun and would make great compost soil for our garden in the summer.

snack idea: yogurt (wash and recycle the cup!)