Are you missing the sunny, warm days of summer? Try to think outside the
box of typical winter fun. Enjoy some favorite activities while
appreciating the beauty of the winter season. Here are some ways to bask in
the glow of the cold weather

Infants:
Water Table Ice Cubes
– This is a touch and feel discovery experience for infants. Put water into
ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Empty the frozen ice cubes into a
water table or small container of water. Allow the infants to watch and
feel these cubes melt. Make sure that the infants wear smocks. This
activity can be done indoors or outside. The ice cubes can be colored with
food coloring so when they melt the water will change colors. These colored
cubes can be used for painting by older children.

Toddlers:
Cookie Cutter Icicles
- It’s too cold to swim or run through a sprinkler. The winter, however,
can provide many great opportunities for learning about water’s more solid
state – ice. Fill up different kinds and sizes of containers. Freeze leaves
and sticks in the water. Make cookie cutter shaped icicles to hang outside
on trees. These icicle activities help children discover and understand the
processes of freezing and melting in a fun way.

Preschoolers:
Cold Weather Picnic
– Why save picnics for warmer weather? Winter can be a great time to take
lunch outside. Instead of birds chirping and bugs biting, enjoy the
peaceful sound of quite while observing the icicles or catching snow on
your tongue. Try packing a thermos of warm soup or hot chocolate with a
grilled cheese sandwich and then spread a tarp with a blanket on top. Ants
are guaranteed not to crash the party.

All children enjoy walking in a winter wonderland. It’s magical, even short
walks are great fun. Have them pretend they are big animals making tracks
through the snow. Let them play follow the leader, or draw pictures in the
snow with sticks. Go to the playground in all seasons. Children love
swinging and sliding no matter what the weather outside. In fact, being the
first to go down a snow covered slide is super fun. Snow can make your
regular playground seem a little different and children may enjoy
rediscovering it anew during the winter. Having snowball fights, breaking
icicles off of play equipment, or jumping off swings into piles of snow,
are new and different ways to use the playground.

LET THE FORCES OF LIGHT BRING ILLUMINATION TO MANKIND.

LET THE SPIRIT OF PEACE BE SPREAD ABROAD. LET MEN OF

GOODWILL EVERYWHERE MEET IN A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION.

MAY FORGIVENESS ON THE PART OF ALL MANKIND BE THE

KEYNOTE OF THIS TIME.

LET POWER ATTEND THE EFFORT OF THE GREAT ONES.

SO LET IT BE, AND HELP US TO DO OUR PART.

(THE GREAT INVOCATION FROM THE UN, ALICE A. BAILEY)