MY WISH!

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in
jars and open a jar of it every month.
Harlan Miller


Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.
Laura Ingalls Wilder




Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.
Eric Sevareid





"Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.” “Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!”
The Grinch


My wish for you is that this day is full of wonderful blessings! I hope all the love you give to your students every day comes back to you and fills you with joy!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

WANT TO GO ON A SANTA HUNT?

I had a great time making this video a few years ago.  I hope they make your children smile!

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

Sara Lensing adapted these words for the "Santa Hunt" 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.

GUACAMOLE CHRISTMAS
Here's a silly holiday parody of my "Banana Dance" (aka Guacamole Song).  It might not "guac" your world, but I hope it will make you smile!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2-WXpB7Gm8

Form the avocado ...

Peel the avocado ...

Guacamole Christmas 

Form the tree 

Trim the tree

Lights to see pretty lights to see

Form the cookies 

Bake the cookies

Eat the cookies

Form the snowball

Roll the snowball 

Build the snowman

Form the house

Decorate the house

Rock the house

Form the stocking 

Hang the stocking 

See the goodies – candy and toy goodies 

Have a happy Christmas, happy happy Christmas

Feel the love

Share the love

FREE GIFT CARDS

I've got a great gift idea that you can give your students this year. Best of all, it's FREE!!

Look at the list below and choose five or ten that you think your students would enjoy. Run them off and make a "2025 Gift Card Book." Pass them out the last day before vacation and you'll have children smiling and "planning and plotting" how they are going to use their gift cards when they return to school in 2025.

*Adapt these to the age and interest of your students. A four year old might be thrilled to choose the book for story time, but a first grader might prefer being excused from a written assignment.

Chew sugar free gum.

Use the teacher’s stamps, pens, or markers.

15 minutes of free time.

Help the teacher do a special job.

Decorate the bulletin board or door.

Sit at the teacher’s desk.

Take off your shoes.

Listen to an IPod or headset while you work.

Take a class game or book home for the night.

Choose a song and lead the class.

Eat lunch with your teacher or a special friend.

Be excused from a homework assignment.

Choose an indoor game to play.

Select the book for story time.

Sit by a favorite person all day.

Choose a board game and play it with a friend.

Hand out supplies.

Be leader of a class game.

Be excused from a written assignment.

Play games on the computer for 10 minutes.

Visit another class in the school.

Work with a friend.

Be first in line for lunch

Be a helper in the office, lunchroom, or in another classroom.

Read a story to the principal or another class.

Have the teacher call your parents to tell them what a great kid you are!

Take a note to the principal about what a great kid you are.

Make something at the art center.

Have your work displayed in the hall or on the classroom door.

One special wish!

HOLLY JOLLY DAYS

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Yes it is! If you're going shopping this weekend stop by the dollar store and fill up your cart with decorations and "junk." Over the next few days I'll show you some fun learning centers you can create from inexpensive materials. 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????

P. S. Here's a video where I demonstrate many of these materials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT6ZaiWeiVs

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.

I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS!

When I was a little girl I got ONE thing for Christmas. Seriously! One thing! And I was happy. I usually got a baby doll and I named her and I LOVED her. We put out popcorn and a beer for Santa. (My dad had a sense of humor and we didn’t know any better. I was probably in third grade before I realized that Santa liked milk and cookies.) We would hang up one of my dad’s socks and in the morning we’d find a few nuts, an orange, and a candy cane in it. 

Those were the days before television and advertisements. Our family had one bathroom and one car for six people and somehow it worked. We never went out to eat because there were no fast food restaurants. There were no books or cartoons about Santa, so my vision of him was created from my imagination and “The Night before Christmas.”

Was I naïve? I didn’t know I was suppose to get tons of presents and leave out milk instead of beer. Ignorance really was bliss because I have such sweet memories. It’s also called selective nostalgia because I only remember the good things. I try to forget the family feuds and some of my disappointments. It does no good to recall the negative things.

That might be the secret to true happiness this holiday season. Forgive and forget the unkind words and hopes unfulfilled. Focus on the positive and things that you have in your control. Surround yourself with people you love, and ignore the ones you are not too crazy about.

I send you peace, love, joy, and hope!!!

Merry! Merry! Happy! Happy!

Now, I'm going to turn off my computer and make some holly jollies. I'll be back December 26th. Ho! Ho! Ho!

GUACAMOLE CHRISTMAS

I don’t know why, but many teenagers are obsessed with my “Banana Dance” video. I think they are making fun of an old lady singing about fruits and vegetables, but I also think I might make them smile.  Depression and anxiety are high in many areas of our society right now, so maybe we all need a little "Guacamole Christmas"!  

                                   

                                      http://bit.ly/drjeanGuacamoleChristmas

Form the avocado ...
Peel the avocado ...
Guacamole Christmas 

Form the tree 
Trim the tree
Lights to see pretty lights to see

Form the cookies 
Bake the cookies
Eat the cookies

Form the snowball
Roll the snowball 
Build the snowman

Form the house
Decorate the house
Rock the house

Form the stocking 
Hang the stocking 
See the goodies – candy and toy goodies 

Have a happy Christmas, happy happy Christmas
Feel the love
Share the love

Merry Christmas!

My hope is that “Guacamole Christmas” will make you sing, dance, and be happie!

PARTY TIME

Need some ideas for your holiday party? These games are easy to adapt for any event. For example, instead of playing pin the red nose on Rudolph you could play pin the carrot on Frosty's nose. Rather than using sweet treats you could use pencils, stickers, or another prize.

Hint! Parents who are in charge of your party might appreciate these suggestions.

Pass the Parcel
This is actually a game a student from England taught me. Thus, “parcel” instead of “present.” My students LOVED this! Fill a box with sugarless bubblegum, pencils, small toys, or stickers. There should be enough for everyone in the group. Next, wrap the present over and over again with wrapping paper, tissue paper, or funny pages from the newspaper. Children sit in a circle and begin passing the “parcel” around as music is played. When the music stops that child gets to open one layer on the package. (If the package lands on someone who has already had a turn they pass it on to the person sitting next to them.) Continue the game until the gift is reached. That child then passes out the goodies to the rest of the group.

Hide and Hunt
Children love to hunt for things, so if the weather is nice you can hide jingle bells, snowballs (cotton balls), chocolate gold coins, small toys, etc. on the playground for the children to find. (If the weather is lousy, move it indoors. The kids won't care!)

*Divide the class in half. Let one group hide the objects for the others to find and then reverse roles.

Crackers
These won’t really crack, but they are lots of fun to make or give to friends. They can also add a special touch to a special holiday table.

You will need: cardboard rollers, wrapping paper, candy, small toys, curling ribbon
Cut the cardboard rollers into 5” sections. Fill with candy and little toys. Roll in wrapping paper, twist the ends, and tie with curling ribbon.

*This would be a nice gift to make for a nursing home or shelter. 

Magic Number
Fill a clear jar or container with candy, cotton balls, or jingle bells. The person who guesses the closest amount is the winner.

Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Draw a reindeer on a poster or chalk board. Cut out red circles and have each child write her name on a circle. Put tape on the back of each circle. One at a time, blindfold each child and spin them around gently three times. Face them towards the reindeer and challenge them to put the nose on Rudolph. Who can get the closest?

Puzzle Pairs
Take old greeting cards and cut them in half like a puzzle. Give each child one half. Have them close their eyes while the other half is hidden in the room. Children tiptoe around the room until they find their matching puzzle piece and sit down.

Pantomime and Name That Tune
Children love to perform, so they always enjoy playing “Guess who I am?” with seasonal objects or toys. They can also take turns humming seasonal songs for their friends to identify.

Word Games
Write a seasonal word on the board. How many words can they create using the letters in the seasonal word?
Hint! Pair children for this activity to enable all children to feel successful.

Holiday Four Corners
You will need four seasonal pictures to tape in each corner of the classroom. For example, a snowman, bell, candy cane, and candle. One child is “it.” “It” hides her eyes and counts to ten as the rest of the class tiptoes to a corner. “It” then calls out one of the objects. The students in that corner are out and must sit in the “stew pot” (center of the room). “It” counts to ten again as the students tiptoe to a new corner. The game continues until one child is left. That child becomes the new “it.”

IT'S A "WRAP"

Now that the children have made their own gifts, save some money and let them make their own wrapping paper and cards.

Wrapping Paper 

With tissue paper, paper plates, paint, and cookie cutters you’ll be all set to create your own wrapping paper. First, fold a paper towel and place it on a paper plate. Pour paint on the paper towel. Let children dip the cookie cutters in the paint and print on the tissue paper.
*Recycle paper grocery sacks to use as wrapping paper.

      

*Let children paint with pine boughs on newspaper to create wrapping paper.

*Use fruits or vegetable prints to create one of a kind wrapping paper.

Gift Tags

You’ll need card stock, an ink pad, fine tip markers, and ribbon to make these gift cards. Cut cardstock into 2” x 5” rectangles. Fold in half. Children press their thumb on the ink pad and then print on the front of the card. Let them add details
with markers. Punch a hole and tie on a ribbon.

Greeting Cards 

Let children use fingerprints or handprints to make “one of a kind” holiday cards. They can also make a colorful collage by gluing bits of wrapping paper to a blank card.

HOW MANY DAYS?

It’s getting close to winter break! I wonder if the children know that you are even more excited than they are! Here are some math activities to keep them engaged over the next few days.

Magic Number
Children stand in a circle and begin counting off. When you get to 25 (Christmas Day) that child must sit down. Continue counting until one child is left.

Mingle Jingle
Children tiptoe quietly around the room as they whisper, "Jingle, jingle." When the teacher calls out a number, they must form groups with that amount. Those students who are leftover can do a jumping jack or other silly movement. Continue having the children mingle and jingle and form different sets.

       


Shopping

Materials: advertisements from toy stores, grocery stores, or discount stores, paper, pencils, scissors, glue


Write questions similar to those below on a chart. Children fold a sheet of paper into fourths and then write a number in each section. Then they look through the advertisements and cut out an object that answers each question.

1. What costs less than $10.00?
2. What costs more than $100.00?

3. If you had $20 what would you buy for your family?

4. What would you like to buy for yourself? How much does it cost?


5. Draw a T-chart on the back. On one side write "wants" and on the other side write "needs." Children cut out pictures (or write words) for things they actually need and things they'd like to have.

Seasonal Shapes
Take a walk around the school and look for different shapes in seasonal objects. Can they find a circle? Triangle? Rectangle? Square? Cube? Cone? Sphere?
*Let them make a shape collage by cutting objects out of advertisements and catalogs.

CRAFTS AND SCRAPS

Need a few center ideas to keep the kids busy?

Recycle Catalogs
It breaks my heart to think of all those beautiful trees that went into making all the catalogs and advertisements you receive this time of year. Recycle them by integrating a cut and paste activity with skills you want to reinforce.

Letters - Find things with a particular sound.
Shapes - Cut out geometric shapes they find.
Words - Cut out words that they can read.
*Can they find words and make a sentence?

Wrapping Paper Tear
Take in scraps of wrapping paper and put them in a tub. Invite children to tear them and then glue them to a paper plate to make a collage.

Mystery Jar
Every year I get out my decorations and find a hand full of little holiday "junk." Put it in a jar and turn it into a learning activity.
*Children can draw what they see.
*Children can make a list of the items.
*Children can write stories using the items as prompts.

Scrap Box 

Want to keep children focused in a positive direction. Put out a scrap box with construction paper and other art media and challenge them to create cards for family members.

GIFTS BY KIDS

After moving three times in one year I "purged" 2/3rds of my worldly possessions.  However, I have every card, picture, and gift my grandchildren ever gave me.  There are some things that money just can't buy! 

Here are some gifts that any child would be proud to make and give. Please remember to let the children DO the projects themselves. They need to reflect the children’s individuality and efforts.

PENCIL CAN
Materials: juice or vegetable can, glue, pasta, spray paint
Directions: Remove the label from the can. Let children glue pasta (bow ties, spirals, macaroni, etc.) around the can. Spray paint gold or silver.
Adaptation: Children can also cover a can with construction paper. Next, let them create a collage on the can with pictures and words cut from magazines.


KEY RACK
Materials: wood scraps (4” x 10”), markers or paints, picture hangers
Directions: Let children decorate the wood with markers. Attach picture hangers to hold the keys.



COUPON BOOK
Materials: paper, markers, pens, construction paper, ribbon
Directions: Each child will need 3 sheets of paper. Cut the paper into fourths to make 12 pages. On each page, children write (or dictate) a different job they could do for their parents, such as set the table, give a back rub, clean their room, etc. Make a cover from construction paper. Hole punch in the upper left hand corner and tie with a ribbon.

PICTURE FRAME
Materials: cardboard, puzzle pieces, glue, photograph
Directions: Cut cardboard into 4” x 8” picture frames. Let children glue puzzle pieces around the edges. Tape a photo to the back.
Adaptations: Add a magnetic strip to the back so it can be hung on the refrigerator.
Decorate with buttons for mom and say “Cute as a button!”
Decorate with golf tees for dad.
Stack colored craft sticks to make a frame.

      


NOTE CARDS
Materials: cardstock, black felt tip pen
Directions: Cut an 8 ½ x 11” piece of paper in half. Fold in half and ask child to draw a picture of her family with a felt tip pen on the front. Open and place two pictures at a time on the copy machine. Make 5-10 copies on cardstock. Cut apart, fold, and tie with a decorative ribbon.

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.

STICK BOOK

Here's a book your students will WANT to write in! It can be used as a letter book, for retelling the sequence of a story, for writing sight words or spelling words, for original stories, for math, science - you name it!

Materials: 2 sheets of paper, a craft stick, rubber band, and hole punch 

Directions: Fold two sheets of paper in half and cut along the folded line. Stack these and fold in half again. Hole punch on the folded side about 1 ½” from each end. Push one end of the rubber band through one hole and insert the end of the popsicle stick through the loop. Push the other end of the rubber band through the other hole and insert the other end of the popsicle stick through that loop.

Hint! To make a bigger book just fold several sheets of paper in half.

Cut up halfway as shown to make a book of onsets and rimes.

Make a nature book by substituting a real stick. 

                       

*A novelty pencil can become a journal or a seasonal book.


*A plastic fork or spoon makes a cookbook.

                                          

*How about a candy cane or cinnamon stick?



*Make a color book by using a crayon.Popsicle Stick Book