Schoolin With My Homies: January Homeschool Theme: Winter

  

My adventures in homeschooling my kiddos.

Hi all! I've decided to do themes each month for the kids that includes foods, activities, research topics, signs, books, movies, and more. I will still do regular school with them, but this is just a little extra fun.

What I'll do is at the beginning of the month I'll post the theme and activities and such we'll be hopefully doing. 

For January the theme is winter! We don't have much of a winter here in Texas, but I figured we can live vicariously through those who actually get snow 

Foods:

Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows: Perfect for warming up on a cold day. You can make it using the powder or a homemade hot chocolate. Here is a list I found of different types of hot cocoa. 

Butternut Squash Soup: I haven't had butternut squash soup, and I'm not a huge butternut squash fan, but honestly I'm kind of excited for it. This is the recipe I will be using.

Roasted Root Vegetables: Nothing better than steamy hot yummy root vegetables. Roast up some carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, beets.. Whatever you like!

Beef Stew: There is just something so special about beef stew in the winter time. I even love canned! But the best kind is the kind that has the beef sitting in the slow cooker for hours with veggies and beef stock. Yum!

Cranberry and Brie Bites: Why are cranberries so associated with winter time? Maybe because Christmas? Either way, these cranberry and brie bites sound DELICIOUS.

Ginger and Orange Zest Spice Cakes: I saw this on pinterest and I know I HAVE to make this. Good thing my mom is a baker.

Mulled Apple Cider: I've always wanted to make homemade apple cider. Imagine the smell this recipe would bring into your home and how cozy it would make everything feel.

Chicken Pot Pie: More wintery comfort food. We used to make little bite sized chicken pot pies. I don't even remember the last time I had a full chicken pot pie.

Peppermint Bark: Another treat I've always wanted to make but never have. This recipe looks easy!

Mini Pretzel Snowflakes: How super cute are these!? When I was looking at recipes I also found some pretzel Christmas trees!

Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Nuts: You can use just about any nut, almonds, pecans, cashews.. I love almonds but John isn't a fan, so we'd probably use another kind. 

Apple Slices with Caramel Dip: How fun would a caramel apple bar be!? Have different toppings with sliced apples. Kids would love that. 

Snowball Cookies: I've never made snowball cookies so I'm not sure if this is a normal recipe or not, but it sure looks yummy! And I love anything with sweetened condensed milk.

Popcorn Snowballs: John loves these during Halloween, where you can buy them in the little snack packs. I would love to homemake them for him during winter! (Also just noticed homemake isn't a word, oops!)

Crafts: 

Snow Globe Jars: Use mason jars, glitter, and small figurines to create magical snow globes.

Paper Snowflakes: Teach them how to cut out intricate paper snowflakes to decorate windows and walls.

Winter Scene Dioramas: Use shoe boxes to create winter wonderland scenes with cotton balls for snow.

Pinecone Ornaments: Collect pinecones and decorate them with paint, glitter, and ribbons.

Hot Chocolate Mugs: Decorate plain mugs with winter designs using paint pens, and then fill them with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.

Snowman Mason Jars: Paint mason jars to look like snowmen and fill them with treats or small gifts.

Winter Themed Candle Holders: Decorate glass jars with winter scenes using paint or decoupage.

Penguin Crafts: Use paper plates, construction paper, and googly eyes to make adorable penguins.

Winter Wreaths: Create wreaths using evergreen branches, pinecones, and winter-themed decorations.

Snowflake Stamps: Use toilet paper rolls, cut into snowflake shapes, and dip them in paint to make snowflake prints.

Cotton Ball Snowmen: Glue cotton balls onto construction paper to make fluffy snowmen.

Pinecone Snowy Owls: Decorate pinecones with cotton balls and googly eyes to create cute snowy owls.

Paper Plate Snowflakes: Cut out snowflake shapes from paper plates and let them decorate with paint and glitter.

Mitten Matching Game: Cut out pairs of mitten shapes from colorful paper and let them match the pairs.

Winter Sensory Bottles: Fill plastic bottles with water, glitter, and small winter-themed items like snowflakes and beads.

Snowy Tree Art: Use Q-tips and white paint to create snow-covered trees on dark blue construction paper.

Penguin Footprints: Use black paint to make footprints on paper and turn them into penguins with construction paper beaks and eyes.

Snowman Faces: Cut out circles from white paper and let them decorate with markers, buttons, and fabric scraps to make snowman faces.

Winter Hats: Cut out hat shapes from construction paper and let them decorate with pom-poms and stickers.

Sensory Bin: 

Please keep in mind this is for ages 3+ and to always be used when supervised by a grown up!

I added all of these items to my cart on amazon and it came out to about $50. Now some of the stuff I could use half of and use the rest for other things and it would come out as a bigger sensory bin.

This one on amazon is cute too.

Fake Snow: You can use instant snow powder or make your own with baking soda and water. 

Cotton Balls: These can mimic snowballs and add a soft texture. 

Mini Pinecones: Perfect for a wintery forest feel. 

Small Winter Animals: Add little figurines like polar bears, penguins, or deer. 

Blue and White Pom-Poms: These can represent snow and ice. 

Glitter: Sprinkle some for a sparkly snow effect. 

Ice Cubes: If you want to add a real sensory experience, throw in some ice cubes. 

Winter-themed Toys: Little sleds, snowflakes, or even small Christmas trees can be fun.

Activities:

Winter Poetry: Encourage them to write poems inspired by winter scenes or feelings.

Hot Cocoa Bar: Set up a hot cocoa bar with different toppings and let them enjoy making their own hot drinks.

Winter Science Experiments: Try experiments like making frost in a can or creating crystal snowflakes.

Winter Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of winter-themed items for them to find around the school or neighborhood.

Snowball Fight: Use soft, indoor-safe "snowballs" for a fun and active game.

Winter-Themed Escape Room: Design a classroom escape room with winter puzzles and clues. Some ideas I came up with include decoding a snowflake message (Rearranging snowflakes with letters on them), finding hidden snowmen, winter animal riddles, mini snowflake maze, snowball toss, frozen key search, hot cocoa mix up (Have funny ingredients and they have to pick the correct mug with the correct ingredients)

Winter Story Writing: Have them write short stories set in a winter wonderland.

Ice Painting: Freeze water with a bit of food coloring in ice cube trays and let them paint with the colorful ice cubes.

Winter Story Time: Read books about winter.

Winter Dance Party: Play some winter-themed songs and have a fun dance party.

Here are some winter but not Christmas-y songs:
Let it snow

Winter Wonderland 

A Hazy Shade of Winter

Sweater Weather

Cold by Maroon 5

Snow by Red Hot Chili Peppers

January Hymn

Winter Song by Sarah Bareilles

Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band

Ice Ice Baby

Hot Cocoa Playdough: Make homemade playdough with cocoa powder for a fun, winter-scented activity.

Winter Animal Puppets: Create simple puppets of winter animals using paper bags and markers.

Research Topics:

How Animals Survive Winter: Investigate hibernation, migration, and other survival strategies.

The Science of Snowflakes: Explore how snowflakes form and why each one is unique.

The Impact of Winter on Ecosystems: Study how winter affects various ecosystems and the plants and animals within them.

Winter Sports and Their Origins: Research the history and development of winter sports like skiing, ice skating, and snowboarding.

Famous Winter Expeditions: Look into historical winter expeditions, such as those to the North and South Poles.

Winter Festivals Around the World: Learn about different winter festivals and traditions from various cultures.

Life Skills: 

Fire Building: Learning how to safely build and maintain a fire is a great skill. 

Gardening: Winter gardening tasks like mulching and preparing beds for spring. 

Hiking: Learning about trail safety and navigation. 

Outdoor Cooking: Using a camp stove or fire to cook simple meals. 

Weather Observation: Understanding weather patterns and how to predict changes.

Cooking and Baking: Winter is a great time to learn how to make warm, comforting foods like soups, stews, and baked goods. 

Crocheting: These are great skills to make cozy scarves, hats, or blankets. 

Indoor Gardening: Start a small indoor herb garden or learn about taking care of houseplants. 

First Aid Skills: Learn basic first aid, which is useful year-round. 

Books: 

Some of these we have already read, but I wanted to keep them on the list for those who haven't.

Fiction:

Non-Fiction:

Picture and Board books

Movies:

Youtube videos:

Here is my winter themed youtube playlist. It has everything from songs, learning about winter, to brain breaks (Yay exercise!), experiments, and more. 

ASL:

Snow

Hold both hands up with your palms facing down and fingers spread apart. Move your hands downwards while wiggling your fingers to mimic the falling motion of snowflakes.

Winter/cold

Form both hands into fists with your thumbs on the outside of your fingers. Hold your fists in front of your chest, with your palms facing each other. Shake your fists slightly back and forth, as if you are shivering from the cold.

Ice Skating

Start with both hands in the "X" handshape (index fingers bent to form hooks). Position your hands in front of you, palms facing down. Move your hands forward and backward alternately, as if you are gliding on ice.

Hot Chocolate

Combine "hot" and "chocolate"

Start with your dominant hand in a "C" shape near your mouth, palm facing you. Move your hand away from your mouth and twist it so your palm faces down, as if you are taking something hot out of your mouth.

Form your non-dominant hand into a fist and hold it steady in front of you, palm down. With your dominant hand, make a "C" shape and place it on top of your non-dominant hand. Move your dominant hand in a small circular motion on top of your non-dominant hand, as if stirring a cup of hot chocolate.

Snowman

Hold both hands up with your palms facing down and fingers spread apart. Move your hands downwards while wiggling your fingers to mimic the falling motion of snowflakes.

Place your dominant hand in an open "5" shape. Touch your thumb to your forehead (like the sign for "father"). Then move your hand down to touch your chest.

Snowball

Hold both hands up with your palms facing down and fingers spread apart. Move your hands downwards while wiggling your fingers to mimic the falling motion of snowflakes.

Form both hands into open "C" shapes. Bring your hands together so that the fingertips of each hand touch, forming the shape of a ball.

Sledding

Start with both hands in "S" handshapes (fists). Position your hands in front of you, palms facing down, as if holding the sides of a sled. Move your hands forward and downward in a smooth, sliding motion to mimic the movement of a sled going down a hill.

Fireplace

Hold both hands up with fingers spread apart, palms facing you. Wiggle your fingers while moving your hands upward to mimic the motion of flames.

Form both hands into "P" handshapes (thumb and middle finger extended, index finger pointing up). Position your hands in front of you with palms facing down. Move your hands in small circles outward, then bring them back together to indicate a specific location.

Field Trips:

Botanical garden

Snow tea: This is a local tea place that is winter themed.

Ice skating

Coloring pages: