Sunday, December 30, 2012

Winter RoundUP: Snowmen, Snowflake, Penguin Fun

photo of: Winter Fun RoundUP of Winter Bulletin Boards, Snowmen, Snowflake and Penguin Fun via RainbowsWithinReach

My FINAL RoundUP of the year 2012!
2012 will long be remembered as a year of milestones!

photo of: Debbie Clement Keynote at the National Head Start Association in Dallas

  • I gave my first NATIONAL KEYNOTE (WHAT? You missed that news? Click back here if you're looking for an article designed to inspire and motivate you. Especially peachie-keen for any project that lights your fire yet seems to be taking for-ev-er to accomplish.) 
  • My blog had its first 'millionth' page view in Nov!!!! Now at 1,142,946!
  • I opened a brand new store at "Teachers Pay Teachers" -- to offer immediate digital download of my songs as Mp3s with support materials!!! (If you're reading this article in 2012, my whole shop there is currently deeply discounted as a way of saying thanks.)
  • Our collaborative blog, PreK+K Sharing, is nearing its first million page views in just over a year. We have some seriously incredible news about to go public on Jan 1st over there: think EMPORIUM!  
  • My skills at social networking are growing! I now have over 80K followers at Pinterest and I've just opened accounts at Sulia. My blogging peers teach me things on a daily basis and I'm so grateful. 
  • I finally figured out how to showcase the excellence in education that I observe making my author/illustrator school visits. Build a "RoundUP" and they will come.  
  • TA DA!!!

WELCOME TO A WINTER WONDERLAND OF INSPIRATION!

Winter Art Project: Snowman in a Snow Globe via RainbowsWithinReach


photo of: Snowman Painting with Tempra Paint via RainbowsWithinReach

photo of: Winter Wonderland Bulletin Board with Snow Globe Writing in First Grade (via Winter RoundUP from RainbowsWithinReach)

~~~ Any blog article that includes the word "Bulletin Board" in it -- as in, 
"Look at this winter bulletin board with clever three dimensional snowman and snow globe writings from first graders" is sure to be sought + found by Google searchers. 

photo of: Snowman Craft Using Cotton Balls via Winter RoundUP from RainbowsWithinReach

 ~~~ Simple craft projects are a hit with teachers the world over. 
Simple always works. 
Projects using 'every day' objects such as cotton balls or paper plates are big winners!

photo of: Winter Bulletin Board: "First Grade is Snow Fun" (via Winter RoundUP at RainbowsWithinReach)
Winter Bulletin Board: "First Grade is Snow Fun" 

Did you hear me mention that bulletin boards are a great image to capture? 
It's like the best bait available. 
Bulletin board images on Pinterest are a sure fire lure. 
Bulletin boards featured at Google are dynamic.
My number one and three articles here are about bulletin boards.
{BTW: Number three deserves to be number one. IMHO. LOL. }
Photo of: Bulletin Board Round-UP via RainbowsWithinReach (All Seasons!!)

photo of: "It's SNOW Secret We Can Add Multiple Numbers" Bulletin Board in Winter RoundUP at RainbowsWithinReach

photo of: "Our Winter Wonderland" Bulletin Board via Winter RoundUP at RainbowsWithinReach
Adding a caption that says, "WINTER BULLETIN BOARD WITH SNOWMEN" helps google find you!

photo of: Winter Bulletin Boards from Winter RoundUP at RainbowsWithinReach

Did I mention that as a former elementary Art school teacher, I am ALWAYS on the prowl for meaningful open-ended Art projects that spell success for all participants? 

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. 
'Snow exploration in Louisiana for the littles.' 

photo of: Winter Wonder Open Ended Art Project via Winter RoundUP at RainbowsWithinReach

photo of: Snowflake Symmetry Art Project in the Elementary School Art Room via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP
Snowflake Symmetry Art Project from Florida Elementary School for the 'bigs' 


photo of: Snowflake Symmetry via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP of fun

Here's another WINTER theme bulletin board. 
One can never have enough inspiration, when it comes to bulletin boards. 

photo of: Winter Bulletin Board in Kindergarten via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP
Winter World of Wonder Bulletin Board: Collaboration of Self Portraits

 



photo of: Snowmen: Snowballs of Letter Writing Names via RainbowsWithinReach
Snowmen from Snowball Letters in Names

photo of: "My Snowman is_______" Writing Project via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

As an author/illustrator I am also searching for fun prompts for encouraging writing in the littles. The simple writing prompt, "My snowman is _____________" prompts young fingers to grab their pencil. I have an entire series here, now with 40 articles called Fine Motor Friday.  Yup. Most Fridays I gather up ideas demonstrating how fine motor leads to fine arts. Seriously awesome ideas. Must begin your digging here to see just how brilliant the suggestions are and trust me I see amazing inspiration during my travels and I travel with fresh camera batteries where ever I go!

Did ya know that I was commissioned by Zaner-Bloser to create two albums of original songs for their programs supporting hand-writing in the earliest classrooms? TRUE DAT! Hence my continued motivation to continue to serve as a fine-motor finder-of-fun.

photo of: Snow People via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

photo of: Winter Cutie Snowmen with Sticks for Arms via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

Look above HOW CUTE those snowmen become, with the addition of some simple sticks for arms! 
Look below to see what snowmen-do-at-night from the preschool easel perspective. 

photo of: Snowmen at Night Easel Paintings via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

Look at how these snowmen-at-night can serve as the inspiration for a whole writing assignment later on in elementary school. 

photo of: Snowmen at Night Writing Project via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

Penguins? Did someone say penguins? What is it about these little creatures that captures the imagination from the earliest age? Is it the tuxedos? I postulate that the simplicity of the black and white reverberates with  each of us..... it certainly does with me. EVERYone who knows me, knows I'm wild about black and white. The only thing better than black and white is polka dots in black and white!!!

photo of: Penguin Project via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

Earlier this year I went on a tirade about open-ended Art over at our collaborative blog PreK+K Sharing. My rant on the importance and significance of open-ended art continues to gain hundreds of readers weekly due to the incredible images I had to share. The writing and penguins below are the 'thumbs up' version of how to encourage your students in their creativity. You'll have to click over to the collaborative to see the penguins that I dubbed "Stepford Wives." I'm usually all hapy, happy, joy, joy, but that bulletin board stopped me in my tracks. 

photo of: Penguins from Torn Paper with Writing Report via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

photo of: Hot Chocolate Coloring Project via RainbowsWIthinReach Winter RoundUP

Just how cute is this hot chocolate coloring project, with fluffy marvelous marshmallows melting magically? It's the fluffy cotton that makes the fine motor work of controlling a crayon worth the work in the hands of a tiny tot. I'm big on big endings.

photo of: Open Ended Color Fun for Mitten Project in All Things Winter RoundUP from RainbowsWithinReach
Open Ended Art Project for "Mitten" Fun 

photo of: Anchor Chart for Snowflake Song in Shared Reading via RainbowsWithinReach Winter RoundUP

No seriously awesome RoundUP is complete without the punctuation of a pocket chart or the inclusion of an anchor chart. The fact that I have one of each to share in this overview is a double-bonus superlative and I know you appreciate my gathering them together. 

Do you realize how your simple 'pin' is the best way of saying thank you? It guarantees my gratitude and has the potential of ripples and ripples of additional viewers discovering me. Did I mention how much I LUV Pinterest?  

My all-things-fall RoundUP has just crept into my all-time Top 10 list..... I wonder if winter will surpass it? Time will tell. 

photo of: Anchor Chart for Early Math: Melting Snowmen
Little Snowmen Anchor Chart for Melting/Count-Down

There are some AWESOME Snow + Snowmen posts over ta our collaborative blog, PreK+K Sharing. You simple must pop over for this Top10 favorite from Deb Chitwood. 

Matching Activity over at PreK+K Sharing

Or if you need another open-ended art project look, look no further than this post making snowflakes. All of the instructions are included to make it super successful. 

Coffee Filter Snowflakes over at PreK+K Sharing

Do you know the value of movement and dance for the children in your life, but search for ways to integrate ideas into your day? Here's a prop that will lure you over to national dance expert Connie Dow's article at PreK+K Sharing! 

Snowflake "Prop" for Dance Activities

Miss Carole has her own take on the use of integrating 'snow-props' into her zipper songs and suggestions in this oh-so-popular article. 

Be the wind: Blow and let Go! 

Our generous Carolyn Wilhelm shares one of her gazillion gifts-as-FREEBIES in this article from last year

FREEBIE SNOWMAN MATCHING

Scott Wiley shares insight on "Making Snowflakes Our Way" in this article

Snowflakes and Fine Motor Fun 

Thanks for spending a part of your day here under-the-rainbow. Honest. There's all sorts of good stuff for you to explore around here. I hope that you'll consider following my blogging adventures. Who knows what's in store for 2013? I know that I'm headed back to Texas for my fourth and fifth trips this school year! I have keynotes coming up in Tennessee and Florida. 

photo of: Three Picture Books by Debbie Clement of Rainbows Within Reach

Life is such a glorious adventure and I'm ever so appreciative of your support. I promise if you like art and polka dots you'll LUV my picture books, too. The newest won garnered a national INDIE AWARD of EXCELLENCE(!!!) and earned me the opportunity of traveling to Europe to visit four of our Army bases in Germany and Italy to share my patriotic dittie with the children of our troops stationed abroad. YES. I'm living the dream! I got to spend a day in REGGIO Emilia, singing to the Italian children. Those 18 articles are chronicled in this series.  


photo of: ABCs of "The Power of Arts Integration for Young Children" via RainbowsWithinReach

My next BIG blogging adventure rolls out a week from today. I am joining over 60 of my bestest early childhood blogger-buddies as we all create an ABC series specific to our passion. This will be my MOST concentrated blogging effort EVER, as I take a look at the ABCs of Arts Integration for children. Click over here to see the entire line-up of what's in store for your blog readers next week. This incredible brainstorm is the vision of "THIS READING MAMA". Wish me luck in getting mine together. I have a big incentive as a reward. We leave on a cruise a week from today as it unfurls. Imagine me without the internet for a week?!?!?! I'm willing. It's fun being a diva. Somebody's got to do it!


-- Debbie -- 

Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth - TeachersPayTeachers.com
My NEW STORE: BIG SALE
**** Remember, right now all of my digital downloads are 50% off -- for the next couple of days to conclude all of this greatness of 2012. Please pop over and follow my store, so you'll see the announcement when I roll out the next digital download. Gather up your FREEBIE, "Going to the Library" and I'd be so grateful if you'd leave some comment LUV over there.

2 comments:

  1. Love all the ideas, thanks for rounding them up. I think we will start with the name snowmen when we go back to school on Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so gracious of you to take the time to offer your appreciation, Sue. You are so welcome. Thanks for the support.

      Debbie

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