Naturally Educational » Winter
Beaded Wreath Ornament
We made this Christmas wreath beaded ornament using a modified daisy chain technique. My five year-old daughter is really into beading. Most seasons we create beaded ornaments to hang from the chandelier. This year, I thought she might be ready for the challenge of a simple bead-weaving technique. Since we are using pipe cleaners instead of wire or cord, it is even easier–no need to double-back through the beads. Materials: 36 green beads 6 red beads 2 green chenille stems 1 … Read entire article »
Filed under: 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, History and Culture, Winter
Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Valentine’s Day may be over but we’re still enjoying some of the treats we made. The biggest hit was these chocolate-covered pretzels my daughter made. They are so simple and the heat is so low to melt the chocolate that your preschooler or even toddler can do them with very little help. You can customize the sprinkles for other holidays, too. All you need is Baker’s Chocolate, Pretzels (twists or rods), and sprinkles. 1. Melt chocolate on … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Bodily-kinesthetic, Featured, Home Arts, Science, Smell, Taste, Winter
Our Valentines – Photo Lollipop Cards
We went back and forth a lot–there were so many cute ideas for Valentines my daughter could give to her classmates. I knew that my schedule was packed and I needed to keep it simple. We finally decided on making photo cards with organic lollipops that I think gave us a lot of impact for the short amount of time it takes to make them. My daughter was also able to practice writing the names of … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), All Ages, Featured, Interpersonal, Winter
National Bird-Feeding Month: Interview with Dr. Horn of the National Bird Feeding Society
Dr. Horn, Director of the National Bird-Feeding Society, answered my questions about getting young children involved with National Bird Feeding Month. Why is it important to feed backyard birds during the winter? Bird feeding is an important supplemental food source for birds. During winter storms birds may have greater difficulty meeting their energy demands, and food from bird feeders can assist birds in meeting their requirements. How can young children, 3-8 years’ old, get involved with feeding … Read entire article »
Hoo Do You Love?
My daughter loves birds, owls especially. And Valentine’s Day is a time for sharing the love so we were very inspired by these Valentine’s Day Owls from Molly at Mommy Coddle. Owls are a perfect animal for Valentine’s Day because while most owls have round facial discs, the barn owls (sometimes called “monkey-faced”) have heart-shaped facial discs. We modified the design two years ago to create this owl, which is mainly my cutting and my then-two-year-old-daughter’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1-2 (Toddler), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Art, Featured, Mathematics, Winter
Beaded Valentines Heart Ornaments
My kids love to bead and spend a lot of their independent art time just stringing beads on laces, chenille stems, ribbons, and more. So, for this project, we crafted beaded heart ornaments. Materials pony beads of various Valentine’s colors smaller, plastic, crystal beads of various Valentine’s colors chenille stem fishing wire or floral wire red or pink ribbon Directions: 1. Add pony beads to the chenille stem. You can create a pattern, like my daughter did, or just add them at random, like … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, History and Culture, Home Arts, Winter
Jesse Bear, Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear (And The UPS Store Giveaway)
“Wanna wear shorts! Don’t wanna wear jacket! Nooo hat!” Sounds familiar? Then you probably have a toddler! They’re adorable, funny, and very, very stubborn. We offer only weather and age-appropriate outfits, give them choice within those boundaries, and still, it is ten degrees below zero and your toddler wants to wear sandals! We created a paper doll project that helps young children understand and choose weather-appropriate clothing in every season. Materials templates (you could also use photographs) markers/crayons/pencils and stickers/glitter/etc. scissors laminate … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1-2 (Toddler), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), Featured, Giveaways, Weather, Winter
Chinese New Year Dragon
Happy New Year! What? I’m late for the New Year? Not if it is Chinese New Year we’re celebrating! If you’ve ever had the chance to enjoy a Chinese New Year celebration, you know how rich the tradition is! In anticipation of the start of the Year of the Rabbit on February 3, we made paper chain dragons: Materials construction paper googly eyes feathers tape glue Directions: 1. Cut paper into 1 inch wide strips. 2. Tape two ends of a strip together to form a loop. … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, History and Culture, Winter
Playful Penguins
At a recent trip to the local aquarium, my daughter was captivated by a waddle of African penguins. (A group of penguins on land is called a waddle, nesting in a group they are rookeries, in the water they are part of a raft. A large group of penguin chicks is a creche.) So, we borrowed a few penguin-themed books from the library and made these penguins out of cardboard toilet paper tubes and construction paper. Materials: cardboard … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Ecology, Featured, Winter
S is for Snow
We haven’t done a lot of alphabet work because I believe in letting the kids’ interest and the rhythms of the season drive the activities we do together. My oldest seemed to just pluck the alphabet from the air–a puzzle, a few refrigerator magnets, and an alphabet book or two and she just knew all of her A,B,C’s. Since my son has shown a strong interest in letters recently, and we’ve had a great time playing in … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), Featured, Literacy, Touch, Weather, Winter
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About the Author
Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.
While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.
Contact Candace via e-mail, read her full biography, or connect with her using the social media icons below.
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