1-2-3 Come Do Some Snowman Activities With Me

No matter what grade I taught, my students LOVED making glyphs. They are a quick, easy and fun way to practice listening and following directions.

With that in mind I designed a snowman glyph.  Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board, and provide an interesting way to get to know your kiddos too.

To practice data collection & analysis, as well as process of elimination, have students try and figure out who made some of the snowman glyphs. I've also included 3 graphing extensions to practice another math standard. 

Another super-fun snowman activity, is Silas, the 3D Cylinder Shaped Snowman.

I've found that if I toss a bit of craftiness into our lesson, I not only grab my students' attention, but they learn and retain those concepts better. 

The cylinder shape was a bit of a toughie for some of my kiddos, so this really helped solidify the concept.

Silas does double duty, as his facial features practice and review 2D shapes, which can be drawn on, or cut and glued.

Finally, my kiddos needed more place value practice. To put a bit of zippidy-doo-dah in reinforcing this math standard, I designed  Petey, a super-fun place value snowman.

Simply print the worksheet filled with an assortment of place value blocks. (There's 2 on a page).

Students decide which pieces they want to use to decorate their PV snowman with, then color, cut and glue them to the pattern.

Afterwards, they figure out the value of their snowman, then fill out the "My Place Value Snowman" worksheet.

I've included a blank template as well, if you think this is too much information for younger kiddos.

Children can fill out the black and white version, with whatever information is appropriate for their level. 

I've included one in color, so that teachers can quickly and easily make a sample to share.

Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board or hallway display. 

For more wintry place value practice, I designed a snowman, whole-group assessment game, which can also be used as an independent center activity.

I’ve included both a full page snowman, as well as a two-on-a-page pattern.  Students can draw in their own snowman face, or color my pattern.

To turn these into dry erase “boards”, cut squares out of glossy photo paper.  Each student needs 4 to glue on top of the squares on their place value snowman.   My students keep their snowman in their math journals, as we play the game once or twice a week. 

Students, don’t really seem to get tired of it, and the place value “light bulbs” go on rather quickly in their heads.   Despite the fact that many of my kiddos can't count past 100, they still can wrap their brains around place value, when shown visually, by playing this game.

Print; laminate and trim the number cards (0-9) and toss them in a mitten or winter cap.  Choose 3 students to pick a card.  This will become the 3-digit number that students write in the number squares of the snowman’s hat, using a dry erase marker.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a "Rip & Tear" snowman craft. Ripping and tearing paper is a super-fun way for kiddos to strengthen those finger and hand muscles. 

The packet includes a pattern for a mosaic snowman, as well as a whole, torn paper one. 

My kiddos do one the first week of January, then the other at the end of the month. 

Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board or hallway display, which we keep up through February. 

In the photograph, you can see Silas, the 3D cylinder shaped snowman, hanging with our rip and tear snowmen.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Even tho' it's a chilly 33 degrees outside, the sun is shining, so I think I'll take my poodle pup Chloe for a walk.  Wishing you an energizing day.

"The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results." - Anthony Roberts