Christmas, Secular: Day Two

O, Christmas Tree

Read some Christmas-themed books.

Sing "O, Christmas Tree."

Let children help you start decorating the house for Christmas, especially the Christmas Tree and Wreaths.

Here We Go Round the Christmas Tree

(sung to HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH)

Here we go round the Christmas tree, Christmas tree, Christmas tree,
Here we go round the Christmas tree, at Christmas time.

This is the way we string the lights, string the lights, string the lights,
This is the way we string the lights, at Christmas time.

This is the way we drape the tinsel…
This is the way we hang the balls…
Look at our lovely Christmas tree…

Author Unknown

Little Pine Tree

(sung to I’M A LITTLE TEA POT)

I'm a little pine tree, tall and straight,
Here are my branches for you to decorate.
First you put the star on the very top,
Just be careful that the balls don't drop!

Author Unknown

Decorate The Tree

Directions:

• Cut out Christmas trees with felt. Next cut out ornament shapes out of different colored felt. Let your children decorate the felt Christmas trees. For older children tell them how many ornaments to put on the tree or have them roll dice to decide.

Five Little Christmas Trees
Five little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their heart were very sad
'Cause they hadn't found a home.
Then chop went the ax
And down fell the tree
And off they went with a happy family!
(continue from 4-1 Christmas Trees)
No little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their hearts were very happy
'Cause they all found a home!!!

Christmas Tree Shapes Craft



Christmas Tree Activities/Coloring Pages--DLTK's

Tree Activities--First School

Tree Crafts--Making Learning Fun

Christmas Wreaths

Materials:

Red Ribbon

Paper Plate

Bow Tie Pasta

Red Hots

Glue

Paint Brush

Gold or Green Spray Paint

Directions:

• Cut the center out of one paper plate per child. Have your children paint glue around the entire plate and then stick the pasta to it. Once the glue has dried, take the wreaths outside and spray paint them. After the spray paint has dried have your children glue on some red hot berries. Attach a ribbon to the top of the wreath and hang it up.

Christmas Wreath Activities/Coloring Pages

Wreath ideas--Making Learning fun

Christmas, Secular: Day One

Countdown to Christmas

Read books about Christmas such as:
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry.

Here is a Christmas Book List to use as a resource.
Sing some Christmas Songs like "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas."

Christmas Time
Talk about Christmas time drawing near. Make mention of the decorations throughout the neighborhoods and in the stores, and help him name the different icons and symbols - Santa Claus, wreath, Christmas tree, holly, bells, reindeer, etc.

Christmas Count Down Chain

Directions:

Cut out twenty four 4"x1" links and one red bell for each child. Help your children number the the links from 1-24 and then attach them to form a chain from 24 to 1, attach the top link to the bell. Explain that each day they will be able to tear off one link and when they reach the bell it will be Christmas.

More Advent Calendar Activities

Teach your child to say, "Merry Christmas." Look for these words everywhere you go around town.

Winter: Day Five

Winter Wonderland Party

Welcome the Winter season by celebrating some of the wonderful things about this time of year!

Make Welcome Winter hats for the party!

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

Directions:

• Take your class on a winter walk. Help your children bundle up and explore the outdoors. Look for things that indicate it is winter (seeing your breath, trees without leaves, ice, smoke from chimneys) talk about why you see these things and think of other signs that are special to winter. Collect pine cones for a bird feeder! After the walk, help children to make bird feeder they can take home and put in a tree in their yard.
  

Bird Feeder
Need: Floral wire, Large open pine cone--one for each
child, Peanut butter, Bird seed, Plastic bag--one for each child

Tie the floral wire around and close to the inside of the
top ring of the pine cone. Give each child a pine cone.
Spread peanut butter on the pine cone and then roll, or
gently shake in a container, of bird seed. Provide
plastic baggies for child to transport bird feeder home.

Make a Winter Wreath for each child to take home.

Winter Coloring Pages:

here and here

Celebrate Winter with some snow snacks:

Directions:

• Have a white snowy snack day. Some suggestions: shaved ice with lemonade to drink, marshmallows, string cheese, coconut, milk, vanilla pudding.

Winter: Day Four

Cold Weather Wear

What special clothes do we need to wear when it's cold outside?

Books:
Under My Hood I Have a Hat--Karla Kuskin, Fumi Kosaka
The Mitten Tree--Candace Christiansen, Elaine Greenstein
Talk about the clothes needed when it's cold/snowing outside.

Do this:
Circle Time Rhyme for Under My Hood I Have a Hat.

Have children practice with:
Pocket Chart for Under My Hood I Have a Hat

Songs:

Gloves, Gloves, Gloves
(tune: Three Blind Mice)

Gloves, gloves, gloves,
Gloves, gloves, gloves.
I'm in love, with my gloves.
They are what I like to wear,
Especially in the cold, cold air,
I like to take them everywhere
Gloves, gloves, gloves.

Snowy Pokey

You put your right mitten in, You take your right mitten out,
You put your right mitten in and you shake it all about.
You do the Snowey pokey and you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.
Note continue with additional verses:
You put your left mitten in
You put your scarf in
You put your right boot in
You put your left boot in
You put your hat in
You put your snowself in
etc

Activities:

Mitten Matching

Directions:

• Cut out several pairs of mittens. Draw snowflakes on half of the mittens and numbers on the other half. Have your children match up the mittens, the number of snowflakes on one mitten to the number on the other mitten.

Dressed for Winter Paper Doll: Let children practice putting on winter clothes with this activity. (Or, use this Rabbit Dressed for Winter idea.)

Then, let children practice getting themselves dressed to play in the snow.

Snow Fun
Place snow in the sand/water table with buckets, measuring spoons, and small shovels. If they want to let them wear mittens while they play.

Crafts:

Mitten Prints

Materials:

• String
• Mitten Stencil
• Paint
• Eye Dropper
• Construction Paper

Directions:

Fold a sheet of construction paper in half and have your children use eye droppers to drop paint onto one side. Once they are done dripping paint, fold the paper back in half and rub. Trace the stencil onto the paper and cut through both halves. You will then have two identical mittens. Attach ribbon to both sides and hang from a clothes line in your classroom.

Mittens & Hats
Cut sponges into mitten and hat shapes. Use a clothespin to create handles.
Provide trays with paint on them. Have children dip the sponges in the paint and creating prints on construction paper.

Mitten Paper Craft

Cold Hand/Warm Heart Craft: Even when it's cold outside, we can stay warm on the inside!

When it's cold outside, it's important to wear the right types of clothing to keep us safe and warm!!!

Winter: Day Three

Cold as Ice

In winter, and when it's cold outside, water can freeze into ice. When the temperature warms up, the ice will melt!

Books:
Frozen Noses--Jan Carr, Dorothy Donahue
Hello, Snow--Hope Vestergarrd, Nadine Bernard Westcott
First Snow--Emily Arnold McCully

Songs:

I'm a Little Ice Cube
(tune: I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little ice cube, frosty and square,
I make things icy cold everywhere.
If it gets too warm, I better watch out,
"Cause I will melt, there is no doubt.

Activities:

Ice Cube Painting

The day before place water in ice cube trays. Cover the tray with aluminum foil. Cut small slits in the foil and place ice cream sticks or craft sticks through the slits in the foil covering the ice cube trays.

Give the children heavy paper with powdered tempera paint sprinkle on it. Have the children run their ice cubes over the powdered tempera paint. Lay folded paper towels on the table for the children to lay their ice cubes onto.

COLOR ICE - Colors
In ice cube trays, make ice cubes tinted separately with red, yellow, and blue food coloring. Set out clear-plastic glasses of water. Then let your children try making three new colors by dropping two different colored ice cubes into each glass. Lead them to see that mixing red and yellow makes orange, mixing red and blue makes purple, and mixing blue and yellow makes green.

Talk with children about some of the colors that are considered "cool" colors--blues, greens, purples. Let children practice mixing colors to create a icy, winter scene.

Ice Cube Racers

Use food coloring to make different colors of water. Place the colored water into ice cube trays. Set up an ice cube race track by placing a smooth board on a chair. Set out the ice cubes. Let the children choose their ice cube, put it at the top of the race track and watch it race down to the bottom.

Melting Experiments

Directions:

• Use several ice cubes to study ice melting patterns. Stick one ice cube outside, one ice cube in your classroom, one in a refrigerator (or ice chest) and one in a blender. Have your children predict the order in which the ice cubes will melt. Observe the ice cubes and compare the results to your children's predictions.

Slippery Roads

Directions:

• Fill an 8x12" pan with water and freeze. Place it on your science table with toy cars. Let your children drive the cars across the ice. You can also sprinkle salt or sand across the ice to see how it affects the road conditions.

Frosty Windows

Directions:

• Help your children create frosty windows in your classroom. Provide your children with 1/2 hot hot water mixed with 1/2 cup Epsom salt and a paint brush. The mix will dry leaving crystals and snow design on your classroom window.

Ice Skating

Directions:

• Cut two 12" square pieces of wax paper for each child in your class. Punch two holes, on opposite sides from one another on each sheet, tie a piece of string through each hole and tie it around your child's shoe smooth side down. Play some classical music and watch your children ice skate around the carpet.

Frosty Bubbles

Directions:

• Refrigerate your bubble solution until you are ready to go outside, to tempreatures at or below freezing. Take the bubbles outside and use a wand to make bubbles. Watch as crystals form on the bubbles.

Cold Palentologist

Directions:

• Freeze small toy dinosaurs (or other toys) into Ice cubes and then let your children use a small mallet to break them out. OR Fill several compartments of an ice cube tray with water. Let your children help drop a different small object, such as a stone, a paper clip, a penny, or a pasta piece, into each of the compartments. Place the tray in the freezer. When the cubes have set, ask the children to try guessing which object is in each cube. Then let them melt the cubes with warm water to check their guesses.

Snacks:
Igloo Snack

Ice Cube Snacks--Pour water into ice cube trays and let children drop a small piece of fruit into each compartment. Put the tray in the freezer until frozen solid. At snack time, serve cubes in glasses of ginger ale, flavored water, or juice.

Winter: Day Two

Snowflakes

Snow falls from the sky in as frozen flakes. Each snowflake is unique.

Books: Winter is for Snowflakes--Michelle Knudsen, Denise Fraifeld
There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow--Lucille Colandro, Jared Lee

Songs:

Dance Like Snowflakes

(to the tune of: Are You Sleeping)

Dance like snowflakes,
Dance like snowflakes,
In the air, in the air.
Whirling, twirling snowflakes,
Whirling, twirling snowflakes,
Here and there, here and there.

Snowflakes

(to the tune of: Grey Squirrel)

Snowflakes, snowflakes, falling on the ground.
Snowflakes, snowflakes, falling all around.
I am bundled to my chin.
See my footprints where I've been.
Snowflakes, snowflakes, falling on the ground.


Fingerplay:
Five Little Snowflakes
One little snowflake with nothing to do.
Along came another and
Then there were two.

Two little snowflakes laughing with me.
Along came another, and
Then there were three.

Three little snowflakes looking for some more.
Along came another, and
Then there were four.

Four little snowflakes dancing a jive.
Along came another, and
Then there were five.

Five little snowflakes having so much fun.
Out came the sun, and
Then there were none!


Use these images to print out a book for each child to take home of Five Little Snowflakes. (I made it into a flip book, so you can lift up one snowflake at a time.


Activities:

Snowflake Matching Game: Use the cards to match the identical pairs of snowflakes.

Magnified Snow

Directions:

• Use a blender to crush some ice. Spread it on black paper sand have your children examine it with microscopes or magnifying glasses.

Pretend To Be a Snowflake:

Directions:

• Play classical music for your children and have them dance around like a snowflake in the sky.

Crafts:

Paper Punch Snowflake

Snowflake Past Bracelet/Necklace

Citrus Snowflakes

Materials:

• Oranges
• White Paint
• Blue Paper

Directions:

• Cut an orange in half horizontally. Have your children dip the orange into the paint and then press onto their paper. The orange will make a pretty snowflake print.

Sparkly Snowflakes

Materials:

• Paper Doily
  
• Glue
• Pom-Poms
• Ribbon
• Beads
• Buttons
• Stickers
• Sparkly Glitter
• Spray Glue

Directions:

• Have your children decorate both sides of a doily with your classroom art treasures. Once the doily is dry spray it with an adhesive and sprinkle iridescent glitter on it. You can hang these from your ceiling or in front of windows to create a snowy effect.

Snowflake Lacing Project

Use this snowflake pattern to make a snowflake chain, a glittery snowflake, a center in a paper plate wreath, etc.

Snack:
Snowy Muffins--frost muffins in white icing. Let children sprinkle tops with coconut "snowflakes."

Winter: Day One

Snowy Winter

Learn about what makes winter such a special time of year.What are some of the characteristics of the winter season? When is winter?

Read Everything for Winter--Kathy Charner and Dream Snow--Eric Carle. Talk about how you know it's winter in these books. What are some signs that it's winter? (SNOW!!!)

Do this Fingerplay:

Falling Down

Snow Snow
Falling Down (move hands, like falling snow)
Quietly, quietly (move finger to mouth-shhhhh!)
It covers the ground (move hands back and forth and smooth).

It Is Snowing

(to the tune of: Are you Sleeping)

It is snowing, it is snowing,
All around, all around.
Whirling, twirling snowflakes
Whirling, twirling snowflakes,
Touch the ground, touch the ground.

Snow is Falling

(to the tune of: Twinkle twinkle little star)

Snow is falling all around,
Falling, falling, to the ground.
I catch snowflakes on my tongue.
Building snowmen is such fun.
Snow is falling all around
Falling, falling, to the ground.

One sign of winter is that the weather turns cold and you may see snow!

Snow Paper Punch: Give each child the word SNOW and some paper-punched snowflakes. Let them glue the snow flakes onto the letters.


Snow is white and cold. It's frozen water. You can play in it and use it to make snowballs.

Sing:
Snowball

(to the tune of: Are You Sleeping)
Make a snowball, make a snowball. (Act like making a snowball)
Throw it now, throw it now. (Use Throwing Motion)
Make a snowball, make a snowball. (Act like making a snowball
Throw it now, throw it now. (Use Throwing Motion)

Snowball Toss

Directions:

• Fill several white balloons with white rice (a funnel is very helpful when doing this) and use them as bean bags. Your children can toss them to one another or try toss them into a laundy basket. OR Have an indoor snowball "fight" with cotton balls or crunched up paper.
  

Collecting Snowballs Game

Make Snow:
Start by putting several cups of ice into the blender. Pulse until you have SNOW! Let children play with the snow, making snow balls, feeling the cold temperature, etc.

Melting Snow
Give each child a plastic container. Have the children fill the containers with snow. Let them bring the containers inside and place them around the room. Have the children check their containers periodically to see what is happening to their snow. What is snow made of? As an additional experiment, try adding different drops of food coloring to the snow to see what colors as formed as it melts.

Crafts:

3D Snow Picture

Materials:

• Styrofoam Peanuts
• Glue
• Dark Paper

Directions:

Have your children glue styrofoam peanuts (you can use the ones form your water table play) onto their paper to make a 3D snowy picture.

Snow Globes

Materials:

• Small clear jars with lids
• Mineral Water
• Crushed Egg Shells (from hardboiled eggs)
• Small Toy

Directions:

• Glue a small object to the inside lid of a jar (glue guns work best.) Add mineral oil and crushed egg shells (with the filmy part removed) to your jar. Run a line of glue around the inside of the jar rim and screw on to lock in place. shake up the jar to create a snow globe scene.

Q-tip Snow Pictures

Materials:

• Q-tips
• White Paint
• Dark Paper

Directions:

Let your children create a snowy picture using Q-tips to paint a white snowy picture.

Snow On The Roof

Give each child a piece of paper with the shape of a house drawn on it.
Lay out small containers of glue with paint brushes. Have the children dip the paint brush into the glue and brush the glue on the roof and along the ground of their picture.

Give the children cotton balls to place onto the rooftop and along the ground of their papers for snow.

Snow Day Book

Playdough Snow

Snack:

Snowy Gelatin

Make gelatin. Distribute styrofoam cups to the children. Pour 1/2 cup of gelatin into the individual cups. Let each child add marshmallows to his/her own gelatin cup, counting as he/she puts them in. Let the gelatin harden in a refrigerator. Then enjoy the gelatin as a snack.