'Waking Up' from Winter Hibernation in Pre-K
In March, Pre-K students celebrated the end of an eight-week, concept-based winter adaptation unit with "Hibernation Day." During the week prior to the celebration, children had transformed large brown cardboard boxes into caves; they wore comfy hibernation clothes and brought in a teddy bear or another stuffed animal to school to hibernate with them. Fifth grade big buddies joined them in their caves for reading time. 
Hibernation Day marked the conclusion of our rich series of activities exploring winter through stories, music, science, games, outdoor discoveries, creative work, self-expression, and much more.
Highlights of this unit included venturing on a snowy hunt for animal tracks in the woods behind S.A.I.L. teacher Betsy Holland's house, completing a study of the properties of ice involving rock salt, constructing miniature caves populated with hibernating creatures and furnished with natural materials, illustrating scenes of the Arctic featuring penguins, extending the classic "The Snowy Day" with snow-inspired art, growing our own colorful Borax crystals, and building detailed hibernation dioramas featuring items that each child would take with them into their winter hideout.
During our Hibernation Day celebration, pre-kindergartners spread out blankets, books, flashlights, slippers, and other items inside their caves. Children brought items (a small blanket, flashlight, book, and other "survival" items) from home with which to make their den as comfortable as possible. They also brought in older sheets, beach towels, or blankets to drape over furniture and caves to enhance their "bear den" experience. Then they went around the room collecting toys and plastic food to store in their cave for the day. They looked like little squirrels storing up for the winter!
By the time the children had created their hibernation dens, the entire classroom looked like a winter wilderness with lots special bear dens for the children to crawl into. We concluded the day with SmartBoard activities including observing a hibernation thermometer from winter to spring, categorizing and graphing all the visiting bears on a grid, and using YouTube for a singalong of "Going on a Bear Hunt."
While this winter was nowhere near as snowy and Arctic as last, pre-kindergartners nonetheless had a rich and imaginitive winter experience on their adventures within the classroom and outdoors.
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Hibernation Day marked the conclusion of our rich series of activities exploring winter through stories, music, science, games, outdoor discoveries, creative work, self-expression, and much more.Highlights of this unit included venturing on a snowy hunt for animal tracks in the woods behind S.A.I.L. teacher Betsy Holland's house, completing a study of the properties of ice involving rock salt, constructing miniature caves populated with hibernating creatures and furnished with natural materials, illustrating scenes of the Arctic featuring penguins, extending the classic "The Snowy Day" with snow-inspired art, growing our own colorful Borax crystals, and building detailed hibernation dioramas featuring items that each child would take with them into their winter hideout.
During our Hibernation Day celebration, pre-kindergartners spread out blankets, books, flashlights, slippers, and other items inside their caves. Children brought items (a small blanket, flashlight, book, and other "survival" items) from home with which to make their den as comfortable as possible. They also brought in older sheets, beach towels, or blankets to drape over furniture and caves to enhance their "bear den" experience. Then they went around the room collecting toys and plastic food to store in their cave for the day. They looked like little squirrels storing up for the winter!
By the time the children had created their hibernation dens, the entire classroom looked like a winter wilderness with lots special bear dens for the children to crawl into. We concluded the day with SmartBoard activities including observing a hibernation thermometer from winter to spring, categorizing and graphing all the visiting bears on a grid, and using YouTube for a singalong of "Going on a Bear Hunt."
While this winter was nowhere near as snowy and Arctic as last, pre-kindergartners nonetheless had a rich and imaginitive winter experience on their adventures within the classroom and outdoors.
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