As December arrived, our School Age 1 group welcomed the first snow of the season with tremendous excitement. Snow has always been a favourite among the children, and this month their curiosity and enthusiasm grew even stronger. Whether it was watching the snow fall, touching it, or finding new ways to play with it, the children were eager to explore every part of this winter experience. Despite the chilly weather, their joy never faded. They were ready to be outside, learn, and have fun with every snowy opportunity that came our way.
One day, both School Age 1 and School Age 2 shared outdoor time together. As the older group began rolling large snowballs, our younger friends watched with growing interest. Suddenly, Praise called out excitedly, “I’m going to make a snowball too!” She observed her brother closely, paying attention to how he packed the snow and rolled it forward. When she felt ready, she formed a small snowball and began rolling it slowly across the ground, smiling proudly as it grew bigger. She encouraged her friends to try and even helped a few of them get started, showing patience, confidence, and leadership as she supported their learning. It was a beautiful moment of learning through observation, imitation, and collaboration.
Sledding has quickly become another favourite winter activity. The children took great joy in sharing sleds, taking turns, and pulling one another across the snow. Some even attempted to pull two or three friends together on one sled, giggling at the challenge. Through this playful teamwork, they practiced communication, cooperation, and problem-solving skills that naturally develops when children support each other in play. Their laughter and teamwork made sledding not just fun, but also a meaningful social experience.
Inside the classroom, we extended the children’s love for snow by trying a winter-themed science experiment: making “snow” using baking soda and conditioner. Before starting, I showed them the ingredients and asked if they knew what they were. Michael quickly replied, “It’s baking soda and cream,” and when I asked how he knew, he explained, “Baking soda looks like sugar. I know that.” When asked what they thought we were going to make, Praise shared, “Something like Playdough, because we are going to mix these things, right Sree?” As they mixed the ingredients, Tarasha noticed the smell and said, “It smells so good,” and later added, “It’s so squishy too.” When the mixture came together, Miracle held it in her hands and exclaimed, “It’s so cold and it’s the same like snow,” which was a great connection to our outdoor reality. Seeing their excitement, Praise wondered aloud, “Can we mix some other things too? Maybe shampoo?” Their curiosity showed how deeply they were engaged in sensory play and scientific thinking.
Throughout these experiences, the children strengthened many areas of learning like sensory exploration, creativity, fine motor skills, problem-solving, language development, and social skills. Whether they were rolling snowballs, pulling sleds, or mixing ingredients in the classroom, they demonstrated collaboration, curiosity, and confidence in their abilities. As we continue into the winter months, we look forward to offering more sensory experiences that allow our school-age friends to explore, experiment, and express their imaginative ideas. We can’t wait to see where their curiosity leads next.
