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Winter Ice

One of our awesome days of Experience Preschool Curriculum lessons focusing on Sights and Sounds of winter was all about winter ice. Other topics we’ve covered this month are animal tracks in the snow and the sound of drums.

Winter Ice Activities: science, sensory, art preschool lessons Mother Goose Time Sights and Sounds of winter theme #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

Wonder About Winter Ice

Our conversation started out with “What do you need to make ice?”  With a mixed age group, there’s usually someone who knows the answer!

Outdoor sights and sounds of winter topic: ice activities. What do you need to make ice? Daily topic poster from Mother Goose Time #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger #SightsandSounds

December Days

Our December days have gone so fast! We really tired to keep up with circle time, covering our calendar, weather and daily topics. The Sights and Sounds of Winter theme is so rich and full for celebrating winter and the holidays. We’ve really enjoyed it!

December days calendar from Mother Goose Time #SightsandSounds #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime

Along with winter ice, we’ve learned about other outdoor sights and sounds of winter like, animal tracks, owls, bells, and winter birds.

Wonder about Outdoor Sights and Sounds teacher guide Mother Goose Time ice, animal tracks, owls, winter birds #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #preschoolcurriculum

Five Little Icicles

We began our circle time with the 5 Little Icicles Community Challenge. It’s basically a fingerplay counting activity, but I like that it involves a connection with others instead of an individual activity. As it says in the teacher guide, this activity builds relationship skills by engaging in an interactive game with a peer and helping each other accomplish a goal.

Community Challenge Five Little Icicles #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger #fingerplay #countingactivities #communitychallenge

It was really cute to see the younger ones pointing to each finger and counting. Something everyone could do or attempt!

Ice Fishing Science Experiment

We love doing science experiments! This one is called “ice fishing”.

ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

Everyone can observe but it’s more fun, if everyone can try it themselves.

ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

During the experiment, I focused on saying, first, then, and next. So simple, yet a necessary lesson that’s easy to include while speaking to children once we are aware!

First, we poured the water over the ice. Can we pull out a piece of ice with the string? Can we “catch” a piece of ice? No, we can not.

Next we tried laying the string in the water and then sprinkling salt on it.

ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

We waited patiently. What will happen? How can we catch some ice?

Preschool winter ice activities: ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

Then, we tried picking up the string and we caught some ice!

Ice cubes and yarn ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

It’s really cool, but why does it work? How does the salt help us pick up the ice with the string?

Preschool science experiment Ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

First D gives it a try and he catches some ice.

ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

Then A gets a turn. She picks up some ice with the string too.

ice fishing science experiment for preschoolers involving ice freezing and melting #SightsandSounds #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger

Want to know how it works? The salt sprinkled on the ice begins to melt the ice. Then it quickly freezes again, sticking to the string. We tried it over and over again. Super cool experiment!

Books About Winter and Ice

Two of the books we enjoyed about winter and ice are Winter is Here! and Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers.

Books about winter and ice - learning about winter ice

Dripping Icicles Art

We have done this activity before and it’s always a hit. I no longer have a large easel so we make do, and make do very well, I’d say. I just put a block under everyone’s tray so their work surface is slightly tilted. Then when they squeeze the thinned out paint through the pipettes, it drips nicely.

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

The littlest ones can be successful too, with some assistance.

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

Lots of dripping icicles!

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

Pipettes are wonderful for developing fine motor skills, eye hand coordination and hand and finger strength.

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

It’s fun to watch the paint drip even if it’s makes the windows run…

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

Here’s how we displayed our winter houses.

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

Dripping icicles

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

They look so festive for winter and the holidays.

Dripping icicles art activity for winter ice lessons. Painting with thinned paint and pipettes to make icicles. #MGTblogger #MotherGooseTime #SightsandSounds

Ice Sensory Bin

This may be the best $1.29 I’ve ever spent – on a bag of ice for the sensory bin! Seriously, the ice was slow to melt and we got a lot of use out of it.

Ice sensory bin for winter ice preschool theme. #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger #SightsandSounds #sensorybin

Experience Curriculum included this science and nature activity in the STEAM Stations suggestions for this week. The activity focuses on sound so it connects perfectly with the Sights and Sounds theme. Asking questions while the children play encourages them to think creatively and work to create sounds with the ice.

Science and Nature Ice sounds STEAM Station Ice sensory bin for winter ice preschool theme. #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger #SightsandSounds #sensorybin

We did some of that, but they explored the ice effectively on their own.

Science and Nature Ice sounds STEAM Station Ice sensory bin for winter ice preschool theme. #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger #SightsandSounds #sensorybin

Most of my sensory bins are simple, just adding a variety of tools and containers to the main filler. In this case, using baskets with openings allows water from the melted ice cubes to drain out.

Since ice is cold, we used spoons and tweezers to pick up the ice.

Science and Nature Ice sounds STEAM Station Ice sensory bin for winter ice preschool theme. #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger #SightsandSounds #sensorybin

Ice cube trays are always awesome in sensory bins but it’s cool that we can put ice cubes in actual ice cube trays!

Science and Nature Ice sounds STEAM Station Ice sensory bin for winter ice preschool theme. #MotherGooseTime #MGTblogger #SightsandSounds #sensorybin

What a fun filled day of discovering sounds of nature, investigating freezing and melting and using our senses to learn about winter ice. Also, try our Fizzy Ice Sensory & Science bin.

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I received curriculum from Experience Early Learning for honest and authentic stories resulting from my daily experiences using the curriculum. As a user of Experience Preschool for many years, I am pleased to share quality educational experiences. #sponsored #ExperienceEarlyLearning

Leslie Johnstone

Wednesday 26th of December 2018

Your pics of the science experiment turned out great!!! I used some baker's twine and didn't have such great results, definitely not like your yarn! We will have to try it again soon. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!