Seasons

One of my favorite things from Montessori is the "Birthday" song.  The child having a birthday holds the earth globe and walks sedately in a circle around the sun (a candle) while singing "the earth goes round the sun" to celebrate.  I've totally corrupted this quiet celebration of another year passing for a lesson on the Seasons with our little group of 2 and 3year olds.  Using a giant yellow bouncy ball (held by one child) and  a smaller earth globe (held by another), I try to teach them a song about the Seasons:

(To the tune of Hi-Ho-Derry-O)

The earth goes round the sun.  The earth goes round the sun.  Hi-Ho-the-Derry-O, the earth goes round the sun.

In Spring the flowers bloom.  In Spring the flowers bloom.  Hi-Ho-the-Derry-O, in Spring the flowers bloom.

(Action: arms go up and out, like growing plants)

In Summer the sun is hot.  In Summer the sun is hot.  Hi-Ho-the-Derry-O, in Summer the sun is hot.

(Action: ASL sign for sun - draw a circle in air with one finger then splash all fingers out)

In Fall the leaves fall down.  In Fall the leaves fall down.  Hi-Ho-the-Derry-O, in Fall the leaves fall down.

(Action: wiggle fingers from high above heads to low)

In Winter it is cold.  In Winter it is cold.  Hi-Ho-the-Derry-O, in Winter it is cold.

(Action:  make two fists near shoulders and shake (like shivering))

The earth goes round the sun.  The earth goes round the sun.  Hi-Ho-the-Derry-O, the earth goes round the sun.

The kids each got a turn to do each part and they never did actually sing the song (it was new to them), but they all liked the actions and got the seed of the idea that the sun changes our seasons on Earth throughout the year.

Our craft project corresponded to the song by showing a deciduous tree at different seasons.

Our activities involved reading different picture books and practicing dressing appropriately for different weather (over their clothes, they tried on snowsuits, swim trunks, umbrellas and jackets depending on what weather I was pretending to see).

There are a million different ways to tweak this to better suit different climates and add to it.  I'd love to hear your ideas.