In January, we started a new country for Passport Pals – Russia! Our first week in Russia was a basic introduction and an emphasis on the cold climate. Here are the plans that I used.

Passport Pals: Russia

Song: Come on everybody and clap your hands . . . stomp your feet . . . swing your arms . . . jump up and down . . . spin around . . . sit right down . . . spin the globe . . . on the way to Passport Pals!

Welcome to Passport Pals! Privyet! (pree-VET)! That means hello in Russian! Can you say that?  This month we are going to be talking about RUSSIA! Let’s find it on the map! Do you see what continent it is in? It is really big . . . it is actually in 2 continents! Asia & Europe!  Let’s sing our continent song.

Continent Cheer (#3 GGM)

Now, what would I need to pack if I went to Russia?  What do you think? (Take out suitcase — hat, gloves, flag of Russia, Santa Hat, chess pieces,)

Read “Russia ABCs” by Ann Berge, refer back to items taken out of suitcase (especially chess pieces)

In Russia, it is very cold. Russia is in an area called the ARCTIC. That is a very cold area, where there is lots of snow and ice. In fact, you could say that it is a WINTER WONDERLAND!

Song: Winter Wonderland (with instruments) (or any other wintry song!)

Russians have a special holiday that they celebrate on January 1st  – the Russian New Year! On that day, a special person (kind of like our Santa Claus) brings them gifts. His name is Grandfather Frost.

Read “Here Comes Jack Frost” by Kazuno Kohara

Fingerplay: snow flake song – I had several “snowflakes” with velcro on the back that I gave to the kids. As we sang the song, I had the kids come up and put the snowflakes on the board.

The snow is falling (to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell” by Jean Warren

The snow is falling down,

The snow is falling down,

Heigh ho, fast then slow,

The snow is falling down.

The yards are covered with snow,

The yards are covered with snow,

Heigh ho, just watch it snow, the yards are covered with snow.

The roads . . .

The land . . .

Russia is covered with snow . . .

Snow makes a snowy, blowy winter! Read “Snowy, Blowy Winter” by Bob Raczka.

Today we talked about Russia, but do you know where YOU live?

At this point, I introduced a new song from the Geography, Geology and Meteorology Cd that I use for Passport Pals. This song is  “Where do I Live”, and takes the kids through the different places they live . . . a house, street, city, county, state, country, continent, and hemisphere.  I found pictures of each place and made my own little “songbook” that I held up when we sang this song. I will be using this song throughout the month of January.

Craft: Snowman Craft. I gave the kids cardstock with circles drawn on it in the shape of a snowman. I also gave them cotton balls and a box of miscellaneous construction paper. They glued the cotton balls on the circles to make a snowman and then added accessories using the construction paper.

Stamp Passport