CHRISTMAS
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CHRISTMAS
I don't think we can ever get enough
options for child-created Christmas cards for parents. Sometimes just a
simple twist of an old idea becomes a new refreshing one:
^I'm
honored that Jane Karyuka, from Australia kicks off this section of my
website by submitting this card idea: Parent
Christmas Cards: The cards are a piece of brightly colored cardboard.
Inside, children dictate a message to their family (and scribble one of their
own), and on the facing page, they draw a picture of themselves and Father Christmas.
On the front they choose a Christmas greeting ink-print stamp, cut out and glue
on stars or Christmas trees from fluorescent paper, then place a number of star
stickers on it. Then lines or zig-zags of glue are made across the stars/trees
and covered with glitter. These are quick, easy, and very effective and
the parents love them -- especially the personal message inside.
^From
Sheryl Bauer:
Parent
Greeting Card: In a construction paper greeting card to send home with gifts
children make for their parents, have children make a handprint by dipping their
hand (with fingers spread apart) in white paint. Once the paint is dry,
they can give features to each "finger snowman." Help them glue a copy of
this poem inside the card:
^Here's
a fabulous language activity from Mandy Smith in Zambia, Africa:
Goin' Christmas Fishin': Get out your familiar
fishing game (magnet on a string) for this: Place greeting cards in the bucket
and as each child "catches" a card, they discuss the picture (what is happening
in this picture, what colour is Santa's suit, etc.).
^From
Cynthia Hernandez:
Cinnamon
Ornaments: You will need 4 cups of Cinnamon and 3 cups of Applesauce: Mix
the cinnamon and applesauce well until it is of play-doh consistency. Use
cookie cutters to achieve different shapes. To hang them, cut a hole out
of the top with a straw. Allow them to air dry until they are hard.
They are so cute and can be used for any theme shape.
^From
Stormie:
Although
I'm posting ideas below as often as I can, my very favorite activities have been
reserved for my "CHRISTMAS"
booklet (see the "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" section
of my website).
Creative Collage: Christmas Tissue Boxes: Provide each child with an empty tissue box and let them decorate it to their heart's desire using "Christmasy stuff": ribbon, bows, giftwrap cutouts, name tags, tinsel, etc. Even if all you have is a couple rolls of ribbon, give each child a strip of it and let them snip their own pieces from it. A box covered in little ribbon scraps looks terrific and they make great containers for Christmas cards, or to store bows in, or, you name it.
Rubbings: You're probably familiar with the activity where children turn a crayon on its side and rub on paper that is atop a leaf or other texture, leaving an imprint. Well, you know what? You can do rubbings any time of year. So, you don't think you have enough textures? Oh yes you do! Has anyone ever sent you a birthday or anniversary card with texture on the front? And especially at Christmas, take a look at just how many of your Christmas cards have a raised picture on the front. Cards are just the greatest for "rubbings." Save all your greeting cards and eventually you'll have enough pictures for each theme you do. I personally like to tape them to a table in the Fine Motor area so they won't move while the children do the rubbings.
Christmas Tree Chains: There's nothing quite as perfect for teaching "patterning" than creating paper chains, using two or more colors. But instead of the usual green and red construction paper loops, let the children use ribbon loops (you know, the kind of ribbon used to wrap gifts).
Christmas Picture: Provide "Christmasy"
collage materials and instruct children to make their own Christmas pictures.
Variation: (Creativity Within the Limits of a Theme):
After discussing "Christmas," give children a "tree" cutout to glue on paper,
then ask them to finish their "Christmas tree" or "Christmas" picture any way
they wish. Observe and encourage as they draw and collage. Have them
tell you about their completed pictures, then print their exact words on their
papers.
Neat Classroom Ceiling Decor or Christmas Tree Ornaments: Have children dip pinecones in a watered-down glue then shake them in a bag of glitter and/or sequins, then let dry.
Fine Motor: Lighting a Mural Wreath: Draw a simple circular wreath on a large piece of paper. During Free Choice time, children dip just their fingertips in yellow paint then make dots anywhere on the wreath by placing one finger down in one spot then another finger down in another spot, etc to represent a string of lights. By doing this rather than placing all fingers down at once, they are required to exercise those fingers, isolating one at a time, which can be challenging. You could also use red paint (for berries), giving the children a choice as to which they'd like to make -- lights or berries, or both.
Stormie's
Games: By the way, I offer a "Christmas Memory" game in the "Teaching
Aids" section of "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
^Here's a host of ideas from my very good friend, Debbie Reynolds:
Reindeer Feed Sacks:
This activity is a bit of pure Christmas-related
fun and fantasy with a little fine motor practice, pre-math/reading thrown in.
I wanted to share a project that I've done for years: Everyone leaves a
snack for Santa, but who thinks of the poor, hungry reindeer? Who will take
care of them? We will!! We make "Reindeer Feed Sacks."
You
need per child:
Brown lunch bag
Antlers (trace handprints on brown
construction paper and cut out)
Red pom pom for reindeer
nose
White ovals with black circles for reindeer eyes
Reindeer Food: Bird seed (cheap one is fine), peanuts in the shell, Cheerios,
and raisins
The bag is the reindeer
face. Cut out the eyes and glue them to the front of the bag. Glue
the pom pom nose on the bag and draw a mouth. (This is a "following directions"
holiday craft, not creative art, so the children may need guidance.) Place
the "food" in several bowls with small scoops. After the reindeer faces
have dried, everyone can put a scoop of birdseed in their bag. They can
count out a few peanuts to go into the bags (perhaps counting whatever the number
of the month/week is). And they can scoop cheerios and raisins into the
bags. (Try to keep the bags from getting too full -- less than 2 cups is
enough.) Fold the top of the bag down and staple the antlers to the fold
so that it looks like a reindeer face. Attach a rhyme to the back of the
bag (examples below). Children take their reindeer
bags home a day or so before Christmas Eve and place them in their yards.
The idea is that it will be gone by morning because the reindeer ate it.
In reality, birds and squirrels eat it, but that's an adult secret! (Oh,
by the way, the peanuts can be greasy, so don't do this activity weeks before
you need it.)
I created my own rhymes below for the children to choose from for placing on the back side of their bags:
Milk
and cookies left for Santa every Christmas Eve,
But
who thinks of the reindeer and how hungry we must be?
So
please leave this reindeer feedsack in your yard, out on the ground,
And our sleigh bells will jingle "Thank You" as we fly over
your town!
------------------------------------------------------------
It's Christmas Eve in your town and Santa's on his
way,
But did you ever think who has to pull
that sleigh?
Eight reindeer get real hungry
from pulling Santa's pack,
So please do us a
favor and put out this reindeer snack!
Just
spread it all around, outside on the ground,
Our
bells will jingle "Thank You," a Merry Christmas sound!
Hand
and Foot Reindeer: Paint the bottom of a child's foot with brown paint then
press it onto white paper (fingerpaint paper is best because the print will stay
flat). I find that using a brush to put the paint on the feet shows all
the little sole crevices and makes a really good print. This will be the
face of the reindeer, so place the print low enough on the paper to allow room
for the antlers. Make the antlers by having the child dip his hands in paint
and making prints at the top of the head (footprint) -- the prints should overlap
the toes of the footprint just a bit to appear anchored to the head. When
the prints are dry, children can place blobs of glue on the face then sprinkle
on glitter (gold for the eyes and nose and red for the nose). These are
very cute, but make sure you have lots of soapy water nearby to clean hands and
feet. It's best is you have an assistant.
Extension: If
you do have the extra helper (and the time) you could make a black construction
paper frame for the reindeer heads. With help, children could print their
names on the bottom of the frames (perhaps you could add the year too for when
this cute project becomes a memory).
Group Time Discussion: When you hear lots of Christmas seasonal "I WANTS" in the classroom, why not take time to talk about what we can do to make OTHER people happy and how we can show our love for THEM?
Marble
Painting: Tree Garland: In
advance, draw tree shapes on green paper (fold the paper in half lengthwise and
cut from the folded edge as this will give the tree an even right and left side
when it's unfolded). Try to vary the shapes (fat, skinny, long, short) so
the children's trees won't all look the same. Or, to get the children even
more involved, provide various sizes of green paper triangles for the them to
cut out if they are developmentally ready. Provide several colors of paint
in small containers, each with a marble and spoon (use paints that will show up
nicely on green paper). As each child comes to do the activity, s/he will
lay the tree shape in a box lid or shallow pan. They choose a paint color
and then spoon the marble from that paint out into the corner of the lid/pan.
Then they move the box around forcing the marble to roll over the tree,
which paints it. Allow the children to use as many colors of paint as they wish
(some
may like just one color). Most of the trees will probably have
a criss-cross of colors on them, looking like garlands on a Christmas tree. While
the paint is still wet, allow the child to shake some glitter GENTLY over the
tree, so that it sparkles. If you have glitter glue, they might like to
dab "ornaments" onto their trees once the paint is dry.
No-Mess Marble Painting Tip: Place wax paper in the bottom of the lid/pan
before the child places their tree in it so as to keep paint from the previous
child's tree from messing up the current child's tree. A piece of tape added
to the back of the tree will anchor it to the wax paper.
Santa's Boot Christmas Countdown (Pre-Math/Name Recognition): In advance at the beginning of December, draw/trace an outline of a pair of boots on white paper. Also tear out 24 pieces of black paper and label them with the children's names. Each day, a child will look for his name then glue that piece of black paper on the boots outline. By Christmas Eve, December 24th, the boots should be filled in, and now Santa will come! (You will have to experiment with how big to tear the pieces of black paper since you want exactly 24 of them to fill in the boots.)
^Here's
a great classroom decor idea from Carol Bellamy, Head Start teacher in
Virginia:
Tree
Lights: I
precut two Christmas tree shapes of the same size (not too big), and holding them
together, I punch holes in various places on the trees. Then I help the
children carefully open the trees and place little colored tissue paper squares
over each hole of one tree. We then place the other tree on top of the first
one so that the holes line up. The trees are then placed on our windows.
It looks like the lights are glowing!! They are really beautiful and
I get many compliments for this activity.
^Here's
a great idea from Sandi, in Illinois, that could be extended for days in
your creative art center:
Stormie, this is a "following
directions" activity with some child decision making throw in: Christmasy
Table Centerpiece: For a pretend "candles" centerpiece, provide
children with cardboard tubes of various sizes and shapes (toilet
paper, paper towels, etc) for painting, and
(then the next day) gluding onto a round piece of cardboard. The children
can then stuff yellow tissue paper into the tops of the tubes for flames.
Variation from Stormie: Pre-Math: Size Sequencing:
Have children line up the carboard tubes on a strip of cardboard according to
height (tallest to shortest or shortest to tallest).
Favorite
Books:
^From
Stormie:
The Puppy Who
Wanted A Boy, Written by Jane Thayer; Illustrated by Lisa McCue: All
Petey, a puppy, wanted for Christmas was a boy. He sets out to find one
by asking other dogs it they'd be willing to give up their boy. They all
refuse, but in the end, Petey's dream does come true--more so than he could ever
imagine.
^From
Susan Wray, Library Storytime Leader, Dyersburg, Tennessee:
The Snow Tree, written by Caroline Repchuck; illustrated
by Josephine Martin: This story is about a bear who wakes up to whiteness
everywhere and wonders "Where have all the colors gone?" One by one his
friends (the other animals in the forest) bring gifts of color for the "snow tree,"
explaining their interpretation of its importance. At the end of the book,
the tree is very colorful. Moose adds a star and proclaims, "Let its light
shine out to all the creatures of the forest, that they may gather to celebrate
the glory of nature, and the beauty of friendship during this Christmas time."
Making a Multi-Cultural Connection:
Suggested Book:
"Baseball Bats for
Christmas," by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak; Vladyana Krykorka, Illustrator:
I haven't seen or read this book but the reviews say it is for ages 4-8. Reviews
at Amazon.com say it's a story of life from within the Inuit Indian culture of
the Arctic, and it demonstrates how children of differing cultures and backgrounds
can also have much in common (like wanting baseball bats for Christmas). So,
based on that, I think it sounds like a wonderful book. If you read it,
I'd love hearing your opinions of the book.
Activity:
Show children where the Arctic is located on a globe.
--------------------
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