Ice Skating

Preschool Activities
Doesn't snow and ice just make everything feel like Christmas?

Since our move to the South, I wonder sometimes if my youngest will remember the deep Central Pennsylvania snow we enjoyed (yes enjoyed!) every winter.  For him, I'll look forward to recreating those wintry scenes with coffee filter snowflakes and white pom pom snowballs. 

I can imagine the fun he'll have with a laundry basket filled with these fluffy pom poms, when I get to making a few more that is.  In the meantime, I'll let him enjoy a skating video:

ExclaimEntertainment's 
BOZ, Drew, Gracie, Marcus and Bria have fun slipping and sliding in "It's Great To Skate"

Family Activities
With three boys, we watch and participate in a lot of sporting events. I believe that participation in team sports teaches kids discipline and provides a necessary outlet for physical energy in an increasingly sedentary world.

Unfortunately, the world of professional sports is not always filled with excellent role models for impressionable children.  Whenever I can, I try to focus my kids' attention toward the exceptions.  So we headed over to Wikipedia (supervised of course) and I asked my oldest to find one interesting fact about the following hockey players. Here is what we found:

• Jarome Iginla: donates $2,000 to charity for every goal he scores
• Joe Sakic: won 2 Stanley Cups and played in 13 All Star Games
• Mike Fisher: is married to Carrie Underwood
• Shane Doan: has Romans 8:28 written on all his hockey sticks
• Bob Froese, John Blue, Adam Burt: all retired and are now pastors

There are outdoor ice rinks to be enjoyed even here in North Carolina where it was 70* earlier this week.  If you get a chance, go enjoy some ice skating with the whole family tonight near your home or at the Speedway Christmas!

Service Activities
Make a donation of hats and mittens to a homeless shelter.
 
Snacks
Sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy popsicles or snow cones together.
 
Songs
Frosty the Snowman
Let it Snow
Winter Wonderland
 
Books
A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet, by Kurt Browning
Angelina Ice Skates, by Katharine Holabird
Charles and the Christmas Skates, by Charles Macnamara