Snowflake Ballerinas!

What better to conclude our Nutcracker unit in 2nd grade than these beautiful Snowflake Ballerinas? I am always looking for novel and interactive ways to teach major works like The Nutcracker Ballet so when I found this on Pinterest, I was so excited!

My students really enjoyed watching the Dance of the Snowflakes while creating these precious ballerinas. Even the boys really got into it! We talked a little bit about tu-tus and pointe shoes as they were creating. It was a great way to keep energetic hands busy as we survive these last few days of school before Christmas break. ;)

A few helpful tips if you want to try this in your classroom:
- For some students that have a harder time with fine motor skills, I went ahead and folded the paper for them and let them cut out the shapes. It saved them some time and frustration.

- I recommend using something like a tray to catch the snowflake scraps. Otherwise, it takes FOREVER to clean up. I figured that one out pretty quickly. ;)
- If they can handle it, you can even have the kids move their ballerinas to the music. My students discovered that they float very nicely if tossed up gently.

You can find the directions and print-out here. Enjoy!

Here are my 2nd graders hard at work:

After they finished cutting out their snowflake, they had a chance to add some designs and color on their ballerina. Many enjoyed adding a face as well.

 

I love how this student drew a bun on the back. :)

So. Much. Fun!  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from HSES! :)