Snowcones, Snowballs, or Snow Cream!

The best part of teaching kindergarten is that all you have to do is add a novel item to a learning activity and the kids think it is the greatest thing and do not even realize that they are no longer just playing. For example, these cheap ice cream scoops that I found at the Dollar Store, a styrofoam bowl, and some ping pong balls quickly become an ice cream parlor to practice beginning sounds. 

 

I found some cheap ping pong plastic golf balls and taped some pictures to them (stickers would have worked much better and maybe a coat of Decoupage). The kids then use the ice cream scoop to add the "snowballs" into the correct bowls. 

 I have also used paper snow cone cups with the the letters written on them to hold the "snowballs" but they didn't hold up as well. The kids really loved them but I had to rig something to hold them upright while the kids did the activity because they just weren't quite coordinated enough to manage them on their own without the balls rolling all over the place.

A snack of Snow Cream flavored ice cream (or real Snow Cream for those of you with real snow) makes the perfect end to this activity.