Cabin Fever and a 50 Degree Day in Buffalo!

Hi friends! It’s been a busy week and somehow I let 8 days go by without any new posts! Yesterday it was 50 degrees in Buffalo! It was so nice out that we took a walk outside in kindergarten (without coats on!!) It made me miss the fall days of going on the playground every afternoon. This time of year when the kids (and teachers) start getting cabin fever, it is so important to remember to let the kids move around. It was a HUGE treat that we could move around and get fresh air yesterday!

One of my favorite things to do within the classroom is ABC Yoga (something I made up on a whim when I realized we had been sitting on the rug for too long one day). I will post a poster of our ABC moves soon. The kids find a spot around the room and we stretch into different poses that make the shape of a letter. If you can imagine the dance moves of YMCA by The Village People, then you get the idea. 🙂 We listen to our rest-time music and the kids know it is a quiet time to let their brain relax and get some energy stretched out. As an added bonus- in kindergarten it also reinforces correct letter formation by forming letters with your body! We started to do it daily after a student raised his hand one day and said, “Miss Eager I need to let my brain relax, when are we going to have yoga?” Haha 🙂

Other things I love: Sight Word Olympics, bean bag number tosses, and scavenger hunts to get up and going!

I know some schools require teachers to have a block of physical activity on days that the students don’t have gym. A third grade teacher I know does the Mileage Club, where she takes her class for walking tours around the school (inside and out) during those tricky 5-10 minute breaks between specials. What a great way to fill the time and encourage the movement. What do you do with your class to fight off the cabin fever and the winter blues?