After the Holidays, when we spent the long days together, after opening all the gifts, we could feel that magic has gone from our lives.

Here in the Forest Tale room, life doesn’t stop either. In our daily activities we keep that in mind that the children who come to us not only enjoy themselves, but we also support their development in all aspects, in a fun, supportive environment. In January we are focusing on sensory perception games and tactile-kinesthetic perception. We are here to show you some ideas, suggest some games to make your days more colourful, more fun, even for those days, when the weather won’t let you play outside for longer periods.

PLAYING OUTDOOR

In a snowy weather

• If children have become masters in building a snowman, throwing snowballs and sledging, you can play the snow tracker game. Find animal footprints, shoe prints, imagine who they belong to, tell a fairy tale about them.
• Even in cold weather, after playing with sand all summer long, you should not say goodbye to the sandy bucket, shovels, even shapes that have been resting for months – They can be safely taken out into the snow, children are happy to collect snow and make snow castles with them.
• Dig some holes in the snow and try to throw snowballs into it from different distances and angles.
• Try to make art from snow! Paint the snow with food colouring, or water-based paint. You can see how colours are mixing, and explore how it changes after the snow starts to melt.  You can draw into the snow anytime with small sticks.

PLAYING INDOORS

If the weather does not let you play with the snow, you can make snow at home as well. We suggest that with smaller children try salt-flour playdough instead.

• Artificial snow: For three portions of baking soda, add a portion of hair conditioner or shaving foam.
• Salt-flour playdough: 3 cups flour (plain wheat flour), 1 cup of fine-grained table salt, bit more than a half cup of water.
• Frosty weather: Put water in a small bowl on the balcony or windowsill and let it freeze overnight. The next morning look what has happened with the water, and what happens to it after you bring it into the warm apartment. You could put small plastic toys in the water and watch them pop out of the ice block.
• Feel free to colour the water with food colouring and water-based paint. When the weather is milder, the liquid will freeze overnight in the freezer as well.
• 18th of January is World Snowmen’s Day and whether there is snow outside or not, we can do a variety of activities on snowman topics. Gluing: We can stick a thicker sheet in the shape of a snowman and children can use cotton ball or crepe paper to make a snowman. Older children can also help with the preparation of the materials (tearing cotton wool, shaping crepe paper into balls)
• Painting with “Puffy Ink”: We paint on coloured cardboard as our snowman will be white. You can paint with a brush and put the mass into a tube or foam bag. After mixing, the creation can start! Puffy-paint: 1 cup of flour (about 100 g), 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, food colouring and water.

POEMS

Winter is the perfect time for your family to spend intimate time together. Children enjoy listening to poems, rhymes in the warm room, with a mug of hot cocoa. They love hearing new poems, but they also love the security of repetition. So don’t be afraid to introduce new poems and rhymes into your everyday life.

January

January sparkles.
January’s bold.
January huffs and puffs.
January’s cold.

A Chubby Little Snowman

A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a rabbit
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny,
Looking for his lunch,
ATE the snowman’s carrot nose…
Nibble, nibble, CRUNCH!

Little Snowman
(to the tune of „I’m a Little Teapot”)

I’m a little snowman round and fat,
Here are my mittens,
Here is my hat.
Add a little scarf and a carrot nose.
You stand so tall when the cold wind blows.

Snowflakes
(to the tune of „twinkle, twinkle little star”)

Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down,
On the trees and on the ground.
I will build a man of snow,
Tall black hat and eyes of coal,
If the sun comes out today,
I will watch you melt away!

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