What You will Need  

Engaging with Your Child  

The purpose of this activity is to provide your child with materials for sensory exploration and creative expression. Begin this activity with a discussion of past winter activities you have participated in together and ask them what their favourite part of that activity was. Encourage your child to decorate their favourite parts of winter on the mason jar. Provide your child with multiple art supplies to explore and use. They can use a paintbrush or their fingers to paint their mason jars with. During the process of creating the mason jar, ask your child questions such as “Why did you choose those specific colours?”, “Why did you use the pompoms?” or “I see you put the two buttons on top of the ribbon, what are you creating?” Open-ended questions support your child in forming a positive identity. When your child answers these types of questions, they attempt to express their thoughts and feelings during their creative process and begin noticing and recognizing their own abilities.  Don’t forget to praise your child’s efforts during the process, this nurtures their confidence and their sense of self. 

Tip: You can expand this activity to include winter toy animals, accessories or collect items from the outdoors such as branches or pinecones.