The Mitten and The Mitten Tree Activities

Posted by Nicole Carney on Dec 14, 2013 in Christmas Activities, Gift Ideas, Handprint / Footprint Crafts, Literacy Activities, Picture Book Activities, Salt Dough Crafts, Winter Activities, Winter Picture Book Activities | 16 comments

I wanted the boys to make some handprint mitten ornaments to give as personalized gifts to their grandparents. The Mitten Tree, by Candace Christiansen, and The Mitten, by Jan Brett were the perfect books to accompany our project!

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School

Posted by Nicole Carney on Dec 8, 2013 in Christmas Activities, Gingerbread Man Activities, Literacy Activities, Picture Book Activities, Winter Activities, Winter Picture Book Activities | 0 comments

One of M’s favourite stories is The Gingerbread Man, so it’s no surprise that he really enjoyed the book The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School, by Laura Murray as well.

Eric Carle Dream Snow Art

Posted by Nicole Carney on Dec 5, 2013 in Christmas Activities, Literacy Activities, Painting, Picture Book Activities, Winter Activities, Winter Picture Book Activities | 0 comments

Across Alberta we’ve had to contend with mountainous snow drifts, skirling winds, and frigid temperatures dipping below -20°C; the last thing I’m dreaming of right now is snow! Nevertheless, after reading Eric Carle’s beautifully illustrated book, Dream Snow, I couldn’t help but be inspired for an art project for the boys.

The Gingerbread Man: Felt Board Characters

Posted by Nicole Carney on Dec 2, 2013 in Christmas Activities, Fun with Felt, Gingerbread Man Activities, Literacy Activities, Picture Book Activities, Winter Activities, Winter Picture Book Activities | 0 comments

Ever since I introduced M to the story of The Gingerbread Man last winter, he has listened to it over and over on his iPad, retold the story in his own words, and recited it by memory to his little brother B. This year, I decided to create some felt board characters for M and B to retell and act out the story of The Gingerbread Man with. The felt characters turned out to be a real hit!

Lois Ehlert Snowballs: Creating Eccentric Snowmen

Posted by Nicole Carney on Nov 28, 2013 in Literacy Activities, Picture Book Activities, Winter Activities, Winter Picture Book Activities | 0 comments

Lois Ehlert, Snowballs

We are big fans of Lois Ehlert in our house, and her book Snowballs is definitely one of our favourites! Ehlert puts a creative twist on snowman building, by getting rid of the usual carrots and coal and replacing them with a plethora of innovative options.