For Discover & Explore this week we’d love to see all of your fabulous winter related activities and ideas. I had a cute little winter craft planned–that we might get to one day this winter–but instead I decided to have a little fun with Lovey. She’s getting to the age where she understands humor and a good trick now and then. This hot chocolate “surprise” was my way of breaking up long day inside and having a good laugh together. You can do it just for fun or incorporate a little science discussion, too.

GET A FULL WEEK OF WINTER THEME ACTIVITIES IN OUR  PRESCHOOL WINTER LESSON PLANS.

While the girls were in another room playing I asked them if they’d like to make some hot chocolate. Umm! Did I have to ask? After cheers of glee, I discreetly set up the materials for our surprise.

In the bottom of her cup I put some baking soda (about 1/4 cup, maybe). Then I covered it with powdered hot cocoa mix.  Then I poured some vinegar into the pitcher (okay, not technically a pitcher but we use it as one because it is easiest for the girls to pour). I was afraid that the smell might tip her off to my trick, so I distracted her with a plate of marshmallows. 🙂

If you’re kids are familiar with vinegar and baking sodas and you’re afraid they will notice the smell, you could always pour it for them–you’ll get the same surprised effect and you can play it up a bit, too.

I wasn’t sure how much of a mess this would make, so I placed a towel underneath our materials. We ended up not needing it.

After I invited the girls over, Lovey was relatively bored with making the hot chocolate herself. But it was great to watch her face progress from bored to intrigued, and finally to total shock as she poured the vinegar in slowly.

She realized I had played a trick on her. On the other hand, Tinker was a little alarmed. She kept asking what’s wrong with the hot “choc-it” and saying she didn’t want any.

Lovey kept adding the vinegar to see how high she could get the cocoa to bubble.

And what’s hot chocolate without marshmallows? They had fun adding the marshmallows to the picture…until they realized they couldn’t eat them once they were in there. Then they preferred to keep them.

Tasty hot chocolate anyone?

What fun ways have you played tricks on your little ones? How do you add a little laughter to your days? We had so much fun with this easy activity that I’d love to try some new “tricks” soon.

More Hot Chocolate Fun

Hot Cocoa Slime Recipe

Hot Chocolate Sensory Play Ideas

Hot Chocolate Math and Science Activities

PRINTABLE WINTER THEME LESSON PLANS

Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. We have a variety of lesson plan sets that work well as winter themes. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.

Watch this short video to see just a few examples of the types of activities and printables included in this set:

1) 10 Little Trees Winter Song and Number Cards (in color and b/w)
2) Get Dressed for Winter Activity Mats and Clothing (in color and b/w)
3) Hot Cocoa Counting Mats 1-20 (in color and b/w)
4) Winter Color Matching Puzzles
5) What Can We Do in Winter? Emergent Reader (4 versions)
6) Child and Snow Angel Uppercase and Lowercase Alphabet Matching (in color and b/w)
7) Winter Number Cards 0-35 (3 versions in color and b/w)
8) Winter Roll and Graph (in color and b/w)
9) Winter Tree Dice Game (in color and b/w)
10) Winter Picture-Word Cards

GET YOUR LESSON PLANS

Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

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