Winter Parent Tips

After reading about ICICLES, take a winter walk. If you live where winter is cold, look for icicles like the ones in the story. Have your child describe how it feels--cold, smooth, wet... Challenge your child to find other frozen things. Is there ice on a pond or stream in your neighborhood or a nearby park? (This can be a teachable moment during which you can remind your child never to walk on a frozen pond or stream without permission.) Have a conversation about the seasons--whether you live where there are four seasons or two. Chat with your child about changes in weather and how the changes affect your neighborhood.

Here's a quiet game to play with your child when you're done playing in the snow or taking your a winter walk. Snuggle up together and read Rhyme Time. Then add to the fun by making up funny or silly sentences using as many of the rhyming words as possible. For example, using Rhyme Time in the November/December 2009 issue, try...
"A bug in the rug took Daddy's mug after a hug."
"A bee paid money for more honey."
"A berry makes the holidays very merry!"

Text by Catherine D. Hughes
Photograph by Erika Allen, My Shot

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