Valentines for the Birds

The other day (when there was still snow on the ground) we decided to make Valentines for the birds.  I cut out hearts from some cardboard and Eva turned them into treats by spreading shortening on them and then sprinkling on bird seed.

We added some ribbon for hanging and then went out to decorate a tree with them.

Eva helped by sprinkling some of the extra seed around the tree for the birds (and squirrels).

Seeing as they disappeared from the tree that night, either we have some very hungry (and strong) birds or some other critters got a little treat.  All that matters is there are a few less hungry animals in our neighborhood!

Snowflake Decor

We haven't had much snow here this year so the other day we decided to make our own snow- snowflakes that is!

I folded coffee filters and then Eva took snips out of them in various places.  Her favorite thing was cutting off the corners.  We even broke out the hole punch and made a few snowflakes using them.  After making a bunch I taped some yarn to them and we suspended them around our dining room window.  Now we can have snow even when it's rainy or sunny outside.

Outdoor Play Every Day

We have joined up with our friends at Greening Sam and Avery and pledged to get outside every day this year.  The weather has definitely been working in our favor!  The first half of January was extremely mild for us (especially since we live in the city that ranked number 2 in the nation for most snowfall each year!).  Eva has been riding her tricycle and even having snack outside.

We knew we couldn't avoid the snow forever and now that it's here, we are still out playing!  We've been taking hikes in our neighborhood park, sledding, and making tons of snow angels.

We even built a fire in our fire pit one night and toasted marshmallows by the light of the moon.

Want to join us in our pledge to get outside every day?  Stop by Greening Sam and Avery (today Abbie is hosting a link-up if you have some outdoor fun to share) and let's play outside every day!

Mitten Prints

We dug out a few of Eva's outgrown mittens for this fun craft.  First, Eva chose three different paint colors- pink, purple and turquoise- and I poured a little of each on small plates.  Eva then pulled on a mitten, dipped her hand in the paint and stamped onto a sheet of paper.

Such fun!

We sang a favorite winter song while painting too:

The Mitten Song

Thumb in the thumb hole,

Fingers all together

This is the song 

We sing in mitten weather!

The Arctic

Wow!  This month has flown by!  We will be wrapping our visit to the polar regions with some time in the Arctic.  We'll mainly focus on the animals that live near the North Pole, along with a few activities relating to winter wear.

Crafts
Mitten Prints- what happens when you finger paint with mittens on?  you'll have to stop by and see!

Snowy Owl- we'll transform a pinecone into an adorable owl

Activities
Tracks in the Snow- we'll head out to the park to look fro animal tracks and make a few or our own

Polar Bear Fat- we got to do this cool experiment at the zoo a while back and we will try to reenact it at home

Camouflage Experiment- how does a polar bear's white fur help him hunt?  we'll play around with colors to see how animals' fur helps them hide from predators or prey

Mitten Matching- using Eva's supply of mittens, we'll find matches and hang them on a little clothesline

Books:
Arctic Animals:
            
Winter Wear: