Paper Mittens and Snowy Stories

We have had a busy week filled with playgroups, a moms night out, stroller fitness playdates at the malls and more, and on Friday, we met at the Calgary Public Library for our regular "Tales for Tots" event.  Together we read stories, sing songs, recites rhymes and fingerplays, and enjoy games and crafts too. Our theme for the month is "Winter Wonderland", and we have been learning about snow, and about how to dress for it.  When it is -40 degrees celcius, mittens are something essential, and we made our own paper versions: 

Prior to the event, I cut several large mittens out of construction paper, and glued them together around all edges except the bottom, creating giant mittens you could stick your hand (or other treasures inside). 

At the library, we decorated our mittens with stickers, markers, cotton balls and glue:

Making mittens takes concentration:

And giant paper mittens are a little different than the kind we usually wear:

But once you figure them out, they sure are fun:

Just a few of the masterpieces displayed on Calgary fridges this weekend:

And the cutest reminder that you are never too young for stories and crafts:

A perfect story to go along with a paper mitten craft is the "Missing Mitten Mystery" by Steven Kellogg.  Annie loses her mitten playing in the snow, and she and her dog retrace their day, searching to no avail to find it.  When the snow begins to melt in the morning, Annie discovers that the mitten has become the heart of her snowman.  

We also enjoyed reading "If You Were a Penguin" by Florence Minor, "All You Need for a Snowman" by Alice Schertle, and "Hello, Snow" by Hope Vestergaard. 

While reading the last two books, everyone held onto to pompom snowball, and threw or waved it in the air when they heard the word "snow".  Having kids perform an action when they hear a certain word in a book is a great way to encourage active listening and enhance concentration, and it is great fun too.  Try it at storytime in our house today.