December Celebration

 Dream Snow by Eric Carle

It's December 24th and the old farmer settles down for a winter's nap, wondering how Christmas can come when there is no snow.  It is in his dream that he imagines a snowstorm coming and covering him and his animals in a snowy blanket.  But . . . the story doesn't end there.

 Countdown Calendar Book Basket: Here's a great countdown to Christmas activity that doesn't cost any money and doesn't involve . . .  chocolate! Wrap Christmas books (use the ones you already have, everyone likes to hear an "old friend" at Christmas time) in Christmas paper and place them in a basket or box. Unwrap and read a book each day.  When the basket starts getting empty, students will be able to see that the holiday is almost here! 

 

"Baking" Cookies: Sight Word Recognition: What's the secret to these cookies: Play dough! Write sight words on cards. Have students roll out the play dough and use alphabet cookie cutters to cut out the letters that spell frequently used sight words.



Mystery Gift: Invented Spelling: Shake, guess and write. Those are the surprisingly simple directions for this activity. Choose items like pencils or bouncy balls, legos, marbles, etc. and put several of the same item in a medium sized box. Wrap the box (or several boxes) in bright colored wrapping paper. Students choose a box (if more than one), shake it, guess what's inside and write their guess on the box. At the end of the day, use the invented spellings for a large group mini-lesson, then open the box and see if anyone guess what was inside.  Put new "gifts" in the box each day.

 

The Gingerbread Man Class Book: Read your students a few different versions of the classic Gingerbread Man story and lead them in a comparison of the stories. Work on comprehension by having students retell the the story, then add their own different text and endings for inclusion in a class book. Thanks Jennifer Vasquez and the Kindergarten students at Wasatch Elementary School in Salt, Lake City, Utah for sharing your class book with me.





Five Senses of Christmas: Science Center: The Christmas holiday season lends itself nicely to a Discovery or Science Center featuring the Five Senses.  Put out different items for children to taste and smell. For example: scented flavorings, smelly stickers, peppermint candies, fresh cranberries. Also include different textures to feel and items to examine under a magnifying glass.  Add some Christmas cards that play a song or make a sound when opened.  For that all important Literacy connection, have students draw and write about their experiences at the Five Senses Center in a Discovery Journal. 



 Service Learning Project: Christmas is a time of giving so December is a perfect time to conduct a food or clothing drive for needy families.

Stained Glass Mosaics: Art Project: Students place a sheet of overhead plastic on top of a simple Christmas picture.  Using the picture underneath as a template, they color the plastic with vibrantly colored markers. Cut the colored plastic picture and a piece of aluminum foil to be the same size as the inside of a colored paper or plastic plate. Students "scrunch" the foil so that it fits into their fists. Unfold, smooth gently and glue in the center of the paper place.  Glue the colored plastic picture over the tin foil for a stained glass look. 3D Art Murals: See how a large cardboard box can become a work of art! Cover a large box (a refrigerator box is ideal, but any large box will do) with butcher paper.  Put an outline of a house, Christmas tree, mode of transportation, etc. on each side of the box.  Each day allow students to use different materials to add to the mural. For example:  Monday, they might add paint.  Tuesday, fabric scraps. Wednesday, old greeting cards cut up and glue on . . .  You get the idea!  

 



Celebrate Winter hoidays with a Book Party.  Make a Hibernation Hut (see directions below) and a Reading Igloo.  Yes, the Reading Igloo IS made out of empty milk containers! Put battery operated votive candles in paper bags. Turn out the lights so everyone can hibernate and read some good Winter themed books.

Hibernation Hut: Turn a simple card table into a place for your young students to read and . . .  hibernate! Measure the top and height of your card table and buy enough simple material to cover your table from the top to the floor.  Felt works exceptionally well because you can cut it and glue shapes on it, but you don't need to hem it.  Don't make this project too hard, a simple dark sheet draped over a card table would work just as well.  Put pillow blankets, stuffed bears and a variety of books about Winter, hibernation and bears into the hut.  This creates a warm, comfortable, semi-dark place for students to read and rest this Winter.