Snowmen and Polar Animal Fun

SNOWMEN

 Another one of my family's January traditions is to spend a couple of days dedicated to all things snowman. The possibilities are endless, but here's a few ideas.

MAKE RICE KRISPY SNOWMEN

I have so many memories of making these year after year as a kid. Using a normal batch of Rice Krispies, mold the Krispies into different sized balls. You might need to wait until they have started to cool/harden enough that the balls will keep their form. If they are too warm they will start to ooze and slump. Stack the balls one on top of the other. Then use whatever you like to decorate them. I used pretzels for arms, chocolate chips for eyes and buttons, and some candy from a snowman decorating kit I had on hand for the nose and scarf.  

HAVE A VICTORIAN SNOW LUNCHEON

Victorian enthusiast Sarah Ban Breathnach shares this timeless idea for a Snow Luncheon: Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese, and Snowman Salad- a perfect refection after playing outdoors in the snow or on a cold, wintry day better spent indoors.  I personally took advantage of a rainy, overcast afternoon to serve this up to my husband and son. It made for a warm and tasty lunch while we listened to the pitter-patter of rain outside. 

Warm Tomato Soup

Grilled Cheese

(We like ours with thin slices of avocado, tomato and fresh jalapenos.)

Victorian Snowman Salad

Take halved pears (fresh or canned) and spread with cottage cheese. Then use raisins for eyes and buttons and a carrot shaving for a nose. They were surprisingly delicious.

MAKE SNOWMAN CRAFTS

I found this little felt snowman kit at Michael's craft store and put it together. 

      

We also put together a paper-plate snowman. Just turn the plate over and use colored construction paper to cut out a hat, nose, eyes and mouth.  My one-year old was a big help ;)  He liked to tear off each thing just after I glued it on. And in fact, this picture was taken only moments before he decided to destroy the whole thing all together. But hey, at least he was having fun!

EAT SNOWMAN SANDWICHES

There are several different ways you can do this so get creative. One cute idea I've seen is to spread white cream-cheese over a bagel half and then stick a small carrot stick in the center hole of the bagel, using raisins for eyes and a mouth. 

Or, you can do what I did. 

Make a sandwich - whatever kind you like. Ours was peanut butter, my sons favorite! Use a cookie cutter, bowl, or glass cup to cut a circle from it. Then, stick a mini carrot in the center and use raisins for eyes and mouth. Or let your kids decorate them any way they want. 

Notice the plates we ate our sandwiches on?? So cute right?

READ SNOWMAN BOOKS 

AND SING SNOWMAN SONGS

Some of our favorite snowman books include: 

The Snowman, by Ramond Briggs

Frosty the Snowman, by Steve Nelson

Snowmen at Night, by Caralyn Buehner
The Missing Mitten Mystery, Steven Kellog

BUILD A SNOWMAN

Of course, if you live where there is snow, it goes without saying that you should build a real snowman!  

HAVE SNOWMAN MOVIE TIME

My mom always believes that if you take time to play and get creative with your kids - doing a fun activity or craft, making a fun treat, etc. - then your kids will give you some time. She just means that kids need to be stimulated, they need to use their minds and creative capabilities, and they need undivided attention. When kids aren't allowed to stretch and use their minds or get that precious (cellphone and social media free) time alone with you, they start to act out. And my mom always says that a misbehaving or cranky child is a bored, hungry, or tired child (NOT a bad child.)

   If you provide this time and attention for your children, then you'll find that afterwards they'll be content to play and be on their own for a little bit so that you can get some stuff done for yourself.   In the short time I've been a mom, I've already started to really see the truth in this. 

After a fun day of snowman books, crafts and making a snowman lunch, your kids will love snuggling up to watch a snowman movie, giving you a minute to yourself. And because they haven't spent all morning in front of the TV, chances are they'll be even more engaged in the show :) 

 FROSTY the SNOWMAN   and  JACK FROST are two cute snowman movies I'd recommend. 

And maybe you'll want to serve up some wintry cookies to enjoy while they watch the movie. 

POLAR ANIMALS and ARCTIC FUN

POLAR ANIMAL REPORTS

Another fun January tradition we have is to spend a day or two learning about Polar Animals. Each year my siblings and I would choose one polar animal (polar bears, penguins, seals, arctic fox, etc.)  to do a "report" on. Its funny to think that back then we didn't have the internet, so we had to use our trusty Children Encyclopedias that sat on our family room bookcase to look up information. We would also check-out books at the library or use some fun books our mom had collected about such animals.  With help, we would then read and learn all about our particular animal and then write up a report about some cool facts we had learned. We would also learn how pollution and other harmful practices by humans have threatened the life and well-being of these animals, and noted things we can do to help change that!

 Next, on our 'Polar Animal' day we would take turns presenting our reports to each other, eager to also show any neat pictures we had found. It was such a fun and, of course, educational activity.

Even if you don't do "reports," its still fun to learn about some of these arctic critters with your kids. Penguins alone are so fascinating!   




Did you know:

There are 17 different kinds of penguins!

Rockhopper penguins got their name because they don't waddle like most penguins, they hop!

Male Adelie penguins give pebbles to their female mates as presents!

Emperor penguins are the largest kind and can grow to 4 feet tall- taller than some of your kids! :)

Emperor penguins sing, and no two have the same song!
Babies learn to recognize their mother's particular song. 

When a female lays an egg, the male will keep it warm in a little pouch above his feet. The mother knows to return with food just as the egg hatches so she can immediately feed her hungry baby. 



POLAR BEAR CUBCAKE PAWS

I loved making these each year as a child!  Just bake yellow or white cupcakes and frost them with white frosting and coconut shavings. Then use York Peppermint Patties and Junior Mints to create the paw print!   I can't decide if they look more like paw prints in the snow or like the bottom of a polar bear paw - the coconut kind of looks like fur :) Either way I think they are pretty cute! 


MAKE POLAR ANIMAL CRAFTS

These next ideas are from the blog I Heart Crafty Things. I just thought they were so cute and she even shows the tutorials of how to do them!  Check out her walrus and polar bear paper plate tutorials here !

Photo courtesy: I Heart Crafty Things

Photo courtesy: I Heart Crafty Things

PLAY WITH POLAR TOYS

Growing up we also had a polar animal play set. It came out only during January so we always looked forward to playing with it!  It had little penguins that "ate" fish, a seal that balanced a ball on its nose, and a polar bear. Today it stirs such nostalgic feelings in me for those childhood days! So much so, I thought I'd find some polar toys for my son to also play with each January. I found these at a toy store and thought they were cute: 

My sister-in-law also gave me this awesome penguin stacker toy- perfect for our Polar Animal days!






ENJOY ARCTIC MOVIES and BOOKS

Lastly, we would watch one or two polar animal movies:  

ICE AGE

HAPPY FEET

The PEBBLE and the PENGUIN


are a few fun ones!

There are so many fun books too: 

ICE BEAR, Nicola Davies
POLAR BEAR NIGHT, Lauren Thompson
LITTLE POLAR BEAR, Hans de Beer
IF YOU WERE A PENGUIN, Wendell & Florence Minor
ARCTIC TALE, Rebecca Baines

are just a few!