WANT TO GO ON A SANTA HUNT?

I had a great time making this video a few years ago. I hope it makes your children smile and is a positive outlet for all their energy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXheMF7XAzs

Thanks to Sara Lensing for adapting these words from “The Cool Bear Hunt.” 

Santa Hunt
Get out your backpacks.
Open ‘em up.
Let’s put in some cookies for Santa and his reindeer.
And, let’s put in a thermos of milk in case he gets thirsty.
Oh. and don’t forget your Christmas lights in case it gets dark.
Zip ‘em up and repeat after me.
(Children repeat each line.)
We’re gonna find Santa (March and slap thighs.)
Before Christmas day.
He has a big, round belly (Extend arms.)
And a long, white beard. (Pull down from chin.)
Look over there! (Point.)
It’s a Candy Cane Forest!
Can’t go over it. (Arms over head.)
Can’t go under. (Arms down low.)
Can’t go around it. (Circle arms.)
I guess we’ll go through it. (Open palms and shrug shoulders.)
Slurp, slurp, slurp! (Pretend to suck on candy cane.)

We’re gonna find Santa
Before Christmas day.
He has a big, round belly
And a long, white beard.
Look over there!
It’s a hot chocolate river.
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under.
Can’t go around it.
I guess we’ll swim across it. (Stroke arms as if swimming.)

We’re gonna find Santa
Before Christmas day.
He has a big, round belly
And a long, white beard.
Look over there!
It’s a gingerbread house!
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under.
Can’t go around it.
I guess we’ll go through it.
Yum, yum, yum! (Pretend to eat gingerbread.)

We’re gonna find Santa
Before Christmas day.
He has a big, round belly
And a long, white beard.
Look over there!
It’s Santa’s workshop.
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under.
Can’t go around it.
I guess we’ll go through it.
Shhh! (Finger over lips.)
Get out your Christmas lights. (Pretend to get out lights.)
Turn them on – click.
Let’s set out the cookies and milk.
I see a big, round belly.
And a long, white beard!
It’s Santa!
He-he-he! We can’t let him see us!
Tip toe! (Tiptoe.)
Quick! Go through the gingerbread house! Yum, yum, yum,!
Swim across the hot chocolate river!
Go through the Candy Cane Forest! Slurp, slurp, slurp!
Go home.
Open the door.
Shut the door.
Phew!
We found Santa.

Merry Christmas to all!

Note! Each year I buy some inexpensive canvas and let me grandchildren paint a holiday picture. We date these and they are my favorite decorations. Some day when they get married I will pass the "gallery" on to them.

MERRY MATH

A package of pompoms, bows, erasers, or other small items from a dollar store and you're set for "merry math."

Materials: pompoms or other small objects

Sorting
Ask children to sort the pompoms. What was their sorting rule? Can they sort them another way?

Patterns
Use the pompoms for making patterns.

Estimating
Have children estimate the number of each type and then verify by counting.

Math Mat
Children place the correct amount on the trees.



Match Dot Cards
Pompoms are a perfect one-to-one activity for younger children.

Touch and Tell

Materials: foam numbers
Place numbers in a bag. Children reach in, feel a number and try to identify what it is. They can take it out to confirm and then write the number.


Number Hunt
Put numbers in a box of Styrofoam packing or sand. Children search through the Styrofoam packing and color off the numbers as they find them.

Stampers

Materials: stamp set
Stamp a pattern, stamp out math facts, or stamp a set.

Here's a QR code for some other "hands-on" math tools.

JOLLY HOLLY WRITING

Today you'll find some books to "entice" children to write. I know some schools don’t allow “holidays,” so I tried to focus on a “winter” theme as much as possible. I mean, who can object to winter????

WINTER WRITING
Napkin Books

Materials: holiday napkins, paper, stapler

Cut paper the size of the napkin. Insert 4-6 sheets of paper in the napkin and staple at the top as shown. Place these in the writing center for creative writing.

Note! The front of the napkin could also be used as a story prompt.


Sticker Story

Materials: holiday stickers, paper, pencils, pens

Let children choose a sticker and put it in the middle of a sheet of paper. Challenge them to write a poem or story or draw a picture around the sticker.


Giving Book

Materials: paper, rubber band, seasonal pencil, advertisements and catalogs, scissors, glue

Fold 3 sheets of paper in half. Punch 2 holes about 2 ½” down on the crease side as shown. Insert a rubber band in one hole and slide one end of the pencil through the loop. Slide the other end of the pencil through the other loop. Let children draw or cut out pictures of items they would like to GIVE to family members and friends.


Holiday Card Center



Materials: paper, pencil, envelopes, markers, crayons, stickers, scrap paper, etc.

Place the writing materials in a tub. Make a seasonal picture dictionary similar to the one shown. Add a class directory with students’ names and photos. Teach children how to fold a sheet of paper into fourths to make a basic card. Invite them to make holiday cards for family members and friends.

Note! You could also ask them to make cards for school helpers and volunteers.


Letters to Santa

Some of you may not be able to do this, but an open center where children could write letters to Santa might get them excited about writing.

Note! There are several free templates for these letters on the internet.

CUT, STRING, SEW, SNIP!

Keep those little hands busy with these materials.  They'd be great for a center, take home activity, morning tubs, etc.

Note!  I picked up most of these supplies at the dollar store.


Cookie Cutters
Materials: cookie cutters, pencils, scrap paper, scissors

Children trace around the cookie cutters on scrap paper and then cut out with the scissors. 

Children can hole punch and then use the shapes to make ornaments or a necklace.

Paper Plate Sewing Cards
Materials: holiday plates, hole punch, yarn

Punch holes around the outside of the plates. Let children “sew” yarn through the holes.

*You can also make sewing cards out of old greeting cards.

Play Dough Writing

Let children make a pancake with the play dough and then write with a golf tee. This will strengthen those little fingers as they practice writing letters, numbers, shapes, words, etc.

Bells
String bells on pipe cleaners and string to make jewelry.



Gifts for the Birds
Materials: pipe cleaners, cereal with holes

Let children string cereal on pipe cleaners. Twist the ends to make a circle and hang outside for the birds.


Cut It Out
Materials: catalogs and advertisements

Put catalogs, coupons, advertisements, etc. in a center with scissors, glue, and paper.
Children can cut out objects they would like to “get or give” and glue them on a paper.

SEASONAL STANDARDS

Don't let standards be the Grinch and steal away your fun this month. Take a look at some of these ideas I’ve got for you!

Sight Words

Each day let children write a high frequency word on a strip of paper and glue the ends to make a link in a chain. They can practice reading over previous words each day as they add a new word and link.

Snowman Math 

Give children the outline of a snowman similar to the one shown. They can take buttons or other manipulatives and place sets in the top two sections. Join them together in the bottom circle to make the sum. Ask students to write the equation.

*Give children a certain number of buttons. How many different combinations can the make on the snowman to come up with the same sum?


Descriptive Writing 

Fold 2 sheets of paper in half and staple to make a book for each child. Children think of a title for their books and add their name as author and illustrator. Have them write and complete the following statements on each page:
(My holiday) smells like…
(My holiday) looks like…
(My holiday) sounds like…
(My holiday) feels like…
(My holiday) tastes like…

*For younger children run off the sentences and let them dictate sentences.

Preposition Elf 

Hide an elf or similar seasonal toy in a different place in the room every day. Encourage children to use complete sentences as they describe where the elf is.

*Let children take turns hiding the toy and calling on friends to describe its location.


Read, Read, Fast as You Can! You Can Do It! We Know You Can!
I saw this delightful bulletin board several years ago. What an engaging way to get children to read sight words and entertain them while waiting in the hall.

TIS' THE SEASON

Someone once told me that ringing bells make you happy. Sounds good to me! I'm tying bells on my shoes and I'm ready to "jingle all the way" with holiday ideas for your lesson plans the next few days.

Note!  I cut pipe cleaners into 4" pieces and attached my bells to my shoes that way.


Bell Bracelets  

Let children thread several jingle bells on a pipe cleaner. Twist the ends together to make a bracelet children can shake as you sing.


Jingle Bell Painting
You will need an empty cheese ball container or similar cylinder shape with a lid. Cut a piece of paper so you can roll it and put it in the cylinder. Take two jingle bells. Drop one in red paint and the other in green paint. Use a spoon to transfer the bells to the can. Put on the lid, then shake up the can as you sing “Jingle Bells.” Take out the paper and you’ll have a jingle bell painting!

Paper Candy Canes
This is a craft idea that you can use to decorate your classroom. Take a square sheet of paper (8 1/2" x 8 1/2" works well) and color around the edges with a red marker or crayon. (Demonstrate how to cut a square by folding up the bottom edge to the side to make a triangle. Cut off the top and you'll always have a square.) Put a pencil at a bottom point and roll up as shown. Tape the end, remove the pencil, and use as a pointer or decoration.

 

*Use the candy cane as a prompt for descriptive writing. Children could also brainstorm creative ways to use candy canes or write original stories about how candy canes were invented.

Candy Cane Book
Fold 3 sheets of paper in half. Punch holes about 2" from the top as shown. Take a rubber band and insert it through one hole and slide one end of the candy cane through the loop. Insert the rubber band in the other hole and slide the other end of the candy cane through that loop.

*Make a similar book with a holiday pencil.

GRATEFUL

Some of you are cooking, some of you are traveling, some of you are sleeping, but I hope you all take a moment today to pause and count your blessings. I'm not sure who wrote this, but I hope you are all BLESSED today and every day!

Today is a day of blessing.

I bless you.

I bless your heart.

I bless your life.

I bless your health.

I bless your home.

I bless your family.

I bless your work.

I bless your spiritual life.

I bless your finances and all your projects!

May your day overflow with blessings!

A Special Blessing!

We've all had parents who have caused us stress and frustration.  (Yes, even Dr. Jean had parents she couldn't please.)  However, this is such a beautiful story about what a positive impact one teacher had on a child's life...so powerful that little girl's mother is donating a kidney to that teacher.  I'll let Jamie Sunderland tell  you more about it:

I wanted to share my story with you because you have inspired so many, and my hope is my story will inspire you. I am a teacher at a small private school in Chattanooga, TN. I am receiving a kidney transplant on January 3, 2023 from a former student’s parent. I taught that student in Pre-K 4. I also taught that student last year, virtually, because she had been diagnosed with cancer and was unable to attend school in person. She’s doing amazingly well now. She’s thriving and is back in person. She is on an oral maintenance chemo for the next two years, but overall is doing great! Her mom is selflessly donating her kidney to me. I’m attaching a news story that was done about our transplant, it was done prior to confirmation of transplant date. Now we have everything scheduled and in less than two months, I will have a second chance at life. I’m also attaching our gofundme, not to get a donation, instead my hope is you will read the entire story there. That sums up everything that fell into place and why we feel so strongly that this is God at work. Thank you for who you are and the joy you put into teaching. 

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Mother of local student makes life-saving donation to child's former teacher local3news.com

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Kidney Shaped Love..., organized by Jennifer Robinson gofund.me

P.S.  Here's a delightful video that Jamie made with her family during the pandemic.  Yes, that's why we are BFF's!

https://youtu.be/alDYM7sAt8U 

OUR COUNTY ALPHABET BOOK

Several years ago when I visited Giles County, Virginia, they gave me a county alphabet book. For each letter there was artwork by the children, as well as a photograph. What an amazing way to nurture a sense of community pride in children, teach letters, and make them more knowledgeable about the place they live!

Wouldn't this be a great project for any town, city, county, or state? I bet you could get a grant for publishing this book, or perhaps the chamber of commerce or visitor's center in your area would be interested.

I thought the last page was the best. 

"May the music of Giles play all your life long."

Find many of

A B C - SEE ALL THESE ALPHABET BOOKS

A B C D E F G

Make an alphabet book with me!

H I J K L M N O P

Take a look and you will see.

Q R S T U V

Alphabet books from A to Z!

Here are some alphabet books you might want to create with your class. They are a perfect vehicle for alphabet knowledge, reading for information, reading foundations, and many other language skills. And, you know when your children make a book there is a sense of “ownership” and they will want to read it.

I Can Read!
Take 26 large sheets of paper (12” x 16”) and write a different letter on each page. Put pages between construction paper to make a book called “I Can Read My ABC’s.” Hole punch and bind with book rings. Invite children to bring in words from food labels, stores, catalogs, etc. that they can read. As children bring in their words, help them match up the first letter with the same letter in the book and glue their word on that page.

See - Sign - SING!
Enlarge copies of the sign language alphabet. Put a different letter and sign on each page; then let different children illustrate a picture that begins with that sound. Bind together to make a book. Encourage the children to reproduce the signs on each page as they read the book.
*Take digital photos of children making the different signs.
*Cut hands out of felt and glue them to make manual signs.
*You can also make a Braille alphabet book by using drops of glue to represent the different Braille letters.

Alphabet Art
Write large letters of the alphabet on paper. Give each child a letter and challenge them to create a picture around their letter. “What does your letter look like? Does it remind you of something? Can you use your crayons to turn it into that object? Try to ‘camouflage’ it so no one knows what your letter is.” Put their drawings together to make a book. Can they find the letter hidden in each picture?
*Give each child the letter that their name begins with to make this book.
*Challenge older children to turn their letter into an object that begins with the sound their letter makes.

Touch and Tell ABC Book
Make letters out of different textures, such as sandpaper, felt, yarn, canvas, fake fur, etc.

AlphaBODY Book
Challenge children to make letters with their bodies. Or, divide children into small groups and ask them to make letters.

Themes and Holidays
Make alphabet books that coordinate with various themes, holidays, and
seasons. For example, if you are studying the ocean make a “Ocean ABC
Book.”