GRANDPARENTS DAY

September 8th is officially Grandparents' Day. Even if you are not a biological parent, every teacher is a grandparent to children in some way because you think they are absolutely WONDERFUL!

Grandparents' Day reminds all of us to recall of a special memory we had with our grandparents. It's also the perfect day to call them, thank them, and tell them that you love them!

My grandfather used to put me on a stool and let me help him make canned tomato soup when I visited. That was the BEST soup in the whole, wide world. My sweet grandmother would always let me have a tea party and she never said, "Only one spoonful of sugar!"

Someone once told me that when a person you care for passes away your memories and love are like beams of light going to them. I hope it's true! (You know, it's also interesting that so many of my memories of life involve food. Is that just me or is the same true for you?)

This would be a good week to have children write or draw pictures about their grandparents and what they enjoy doing with them. You could also give children art supplies so they could make cards for their grandparents.

Here is a song that my daughter wrote for Grandparents' Day. The link will take you to my website where you can download the vocal or instrumental version.

Download Song Versions Here

Grandparents’ Day - (Tune: “Simple Gifts”)
Grandma and Grandpa we just want to say
How much we love you on this special day.
With smiles and kisses and bear hugs, too
We want to say thanks for all that you do!
You make us feel like superstars!
You help us to see how wonderful we are.
The love and the time that you have shared
Will stay with us always and everywhere!
We play games together, we go for walks
We go out fishing or just sit and talk
We read books together and have so much fun!
Every moment with you is a special one.
You make us feel like superstars!
You help us to see how wonderful we are.
The love and the time that you have shared
Will stay with us always and everywhere!


Grandparents' Party
Although this is way too early in the school year to plan a party for grandparents, you can have a celebration any month. After thirty years I can still recall a grandmother thanking me and saying, "Now when I think of Kristy I can see her in this happy place." I always involved the children in making the invitations, snacks, decorations, nametags, and a little gift for our grandparents' party. I would also let them choose the songs and dances they wanted to do for their grandparents. (Of course, “Tooty Ta" was always at the top of the list and we asked the grandparents to join along!)

Here are some other ideas:
Take a photo of the child with her grandparents.
Have children draw a picture of their grandparents and then play “Guess Who?" as you hold up the drawings.
Ask grandparents to write down a story about what they remember about being in Kindergarten, first grade, etc.
Let grandparents and children do a craft activity together.

TEDDY BEAR DAY

Let's have a Teddy Bear Party! Teddy Bear Day is officially September 9th, but it would be fun to do this any day in September.

Everybody loves teddy bears, so how did this love affair with teddy bears begin? President Theodore Roosevelt was a hunter. While hunting in Mississippi in 1902, he refused to shoot a small bear. The Washington Post published a story about it and illustrated the event with this cartoon.

Brooklyn candy shop owner, Morris Michtom, saw the cartoon and asked his wife to make two stuffed toy bears to go in his shop window. After asking permission from President Roosevelt, he called them “Teddy’s bears.” Eventually Michtom started the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.

About the same time a German named Margaret Steiff was making her living by sewing stuffed animals. An American saw a stuffed bear she had made and ordered many of them. These bears also came to be known as Teddy Bears…and that’s how the whole thing started.

"Teddy Bear Party"
Ask children to bring their favorite teddy bear (or other stuffed animal) and introduce him/her to their classmates. (Encourage them to name their bear and explain why they love their bear.)



*Let children draw pictures and write stories about their bears.

*Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast real bears and stuffed bears.

*Read some books about teddy bears. Let children vote on their favorite using a bar graph.

*Play “build a bear” which is similar to hang man. Think of a word and then make blanks for the letters in the word. As children call out letters, write them on the lines. If they call out a letter not in the word begin drawing a bear (body, head, ears, etc.).

*Make a teddy bear sandwich. You’ll need a cookie cutter shaped like a teddy bear. Cut out the bread and then decorate with cream cheese, peanut butter, or your favorite topping. Use raisins, chocolate chips, etc. to decorate.

*Let children make teddy bears from play dough.

*Peanut butter play dough makes cute bears you can eat. (Mix 2 TB smooth peanut butter, 1 tsp. honey, and 2 TB instant dry milk in a bowl. Stir until smooth.)

                

PARTY TIL THE END!

Some of you have one or two more days of school, and some of you have a month to go. What ya' gonna do? Party every day!!!!

Sports Day – Enjoy the warm weather with a “Sports Day.” Children can wear t-shirts and hats from their favorite teams. Let them bring sports equipment to share with friends on the playground.

Beach Party – Bring beach towels and wear sunglasses, shorts, and bathing suits. Set up sprinklers or other water activities on the playground. Play beach ball games, beach music, and have a “cool” snack like popsicles.

Book Party – Encourage children to dress up like their favorite book character. Play “Guess Who I Am?” or have children describe why they like a particular character. Let them bring favorite reading material (books, magazines) from home and sit or lay wherever they want for independent reading

Talent Show - One of my favorite memories is of a Talent Show we had at the end of the school year. I just invited all the children to think of a “talent” (song, dance, story, gymnastic stunt) they could do. We sat in a circle and they all got up and performed! We clapped and laughed and cheered!

Pajama Party – Have children wear pajamas and bring pillows and stuffed animals to class. Read books, watch a movie, and eat popcorn.

Career Day – Children come dressed for the career they’d like when they grow up. After sharing with friends, have each child draw a picture (or take a photograph) and make a class book.

Luau – Make grass skirts from draw string garbage bags. Cut straws in 1” pieces and alternate stringing with paper flowers on dental floss to create a lei. Hula, surf, and eat pineapple fruit kabobs for snack.

Toy Day – Children bring a favorite toy from home and share with their friends.

Wash Day – Wear old clothes and bring sponges, pails, and squirt bottles. Let children wash tables, desks, toys, etc. (You could tie this in with a water play day.)



Teddy Bear Parade – Children bring in a teddy bear or stuffed animal and parade around the classroom. Have them write stories and draw pictures of what they like to do with their bear. Have a “tea party” with your bears.

Board Game Day – Let children bring board games from home. Set aside the last hour in the day to share games and play with friends.

Take a Vacation (Instead of "Time Out")
Carrie Tibetts shared this brilliant idea. First, children get to choose a "vacation location." This is any special place they like in the classroom. If a child needs a break they can "take a vacation" and go to their quiet spot.

ABC COUNTDOWN

Several years ago Brad McKinney (Kindergarten Teacher at Severn Elementary) emailed this idea to me. I was searching through old blogs and I found it!! With all the craziness this past year, the ABC COUNTDOWN might end your year on a positive note. It's something that you could easily adapt to your calendar or teaching situation.


Note! As someone once told me, "It doesn't matter what you serve your guests for dinner. Just make sure the dessert is good because that's what they'll remember." Think of this last month of school as "dessert"! Make it GOOD and HAPPY!

Parents and Guardians,

Believe it or not, the school year is quickly coming to an end. During the last 26 days of school, our class will be participating in an ABC Countdown. Each school day will have a different activity related to the letter for that day. Your child may need to wear or bring something special on some days – those days are underlined. This sheet will help you and your child remember what day of the countdown we are on.



A
Monday
Animal Day
Bring your favorite stuffed animal to school

B
Tuesday
Bubble Day
We will be making and blowing bubbles

C
Wednesday
Card Game Day
Bring your favorite card game to play at school

D
Thursday
Dinosaur Day
We will be dinosaur detectives

E
Friday
Everybody dress in your favorite team shirt

F
Wednesday
Fruit Day
Bring your favorite fruit for snack today

G
Thursday
Going on a picnic
Bring a packed lunch!

H
Friday
Hat Day
Wear your favorite hat to school

I
Monday
Imagine Day
Imagine you had a magic wand - what would you wish for?

J
Tuesday
Joke Day
Write down your favorite joke to share with class

K
Wednesday
Kick Off Your Shoes Day
You will be able to take your shoes off in class all day

L
Thursday
Leisure Day
We will relax outside with a book (weather permitting)

M
Friday
Memory Day
We will be writing about our favorite memories from kindergarten this year

N
Monday
Nature Day
Make binoculars and go on a nature walk

O
Tuesday
Orange Day
Wear the color orange and bring an orange for snack

P
Wednesday
Picnic Day
Bring a packed lunch from home

Q
Thursday, June 12
Quiz Your Teacher Day
Bring your hardest question to stump your teacher.

R
Friday
Roadrunner Field Day
Field day games and activities outside with entire grade level

S
Monday
Sidewalk Art Day
We will be decorating a section of the sidewalk

T
Tuesday
Talent Show Day
Share your talent with the class

U
Wednesday
Used Book Day
Bring a used book you would like to donate to the class or library

V
Thursday
Veggie Day
Bring your favorite vegetable for snack

W
Friday
Wishy Washy Day
Be prepared to get wet!

X
Monday
X-change Autographs Day
Make an autograph book and collect as many autographs as you can

Y
Tuesday
Year End Clearance
Bring a bag to gather all your items from the year

Z
Wednesday, June 25
Zoom Out of School Day
Last day of kindergarten

FANTASTIC FRIDAY CELEBRATIONS 2022

I don’t know about you, but when I was in the classroom January was always a LONG month. I started doing a little celebration every Friday for me as much as for the children. It gave us something positive to focus on and look forward to during the cold, dark days.

Here are some ideas that will build memories, create a classroom community, and nurture social-emotional development because they are positive and playful. Take a look and I hope you’ll find one or two that are just right to chase those winter blahs away!


Hot Chocolate Friday
I LOVE this idea! Ask each parent to send in a box of instant hot chocolate and an old coffee mug. End your week by letting each child stir up some hot chocolate. Read poems, say rhymes, read books, and fall in love with language as you sip your hot chocolate together!

 

Sock Hop
Children get to wear silly socks to school and have a dance at the end of the day.

*Teach the children the “Twist,” “Swim,” “Pony,” or other dances from your past.

Talent Show
One of my favorite memories is of a Talent Show we had one Friday. I just invited all the children to think of a “talent” (song, dance, story, joke, gymnastic stunt) they could do. We sat in a circle and they all got up and performed! We clapped and laughed and cheered!


Board Game Day
Let children bring board games from home. Set aside the last hour in the day to share games and play games with friends.
Note! It might be good to have parent volunteers or older students in your school help.

                         

Pajama Party
Have children wear pajamas and bring pillows and stuffed animals to class. Read books, watch a movie, and eat popcorn.

                                               

Career Day
Children come dressed for the career they’d like when they grow up. After sharing with friends, have each child draw a picture (or take a photograph) and make a class book.


Beach Party
Bring beach towels and wear sunglasses, shorts, and T-shirts. Play beach ball games, beach music, and have a “cool” snack like popsicles.
                         

Toy Day
Children bring a favorite toy from home and share with their friends the last 30 minutes of the day.


Book Day
Invite children to bring their favorite book from home and share with classmates.

FANTASTIC FUN FRIDAY
Tell your children that they can EARN “fun” time on Friday. First, discuss what “fun” time might mean to them. Basically, it’s a time when they get to do whatever they want. When you catch the class on good behavior during the week they can earn a letter in the words “FANTASTIC FUN FRIDAY.” Write the letters as they earn them on the board. If they earn all the letters by Friday then their reward is to have fun the last 30 minutes. (You’ll be surprised that some of your students won’t know what to do at first. They’ll just walk around and walk around. Funny! Sooner or later they will figure it out!)

PARTY GAMES

Need an idea for your holiday party?  These 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.

                                                   

*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.

                                                                          

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.”

PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN!

Note!  I was looking through some old blogs and found this idea. It's so simple and could be adapted to any holiday or any skills.  You'll also find an idea for a MAGIC PUMPKIN that Carolyn Kisloski shared a few years ago.  

Here’s a game that you can make with a pumpkin, gift bag, or other seasonal container. It’s great for practicing skills, listening, and following directions. Keep it on your desk and you can use it whenever you have a few extra minutes.

Take index cards and write simple one or two step directions on them. For example: “Touch the flag and then walk to the trash can.” “Go under the teacher’s desk and then knock on the door.” “Balance on one foot and say a nursery rhyme.” “Go to the front of the room and tell a joke.” Place the cards in a plastic pumpkin. Let children take turns selecting cards and following the directions.

Hint! You will have to read the directions to younger students.

*Let older students write their own directions to use for the game.

Just think about skills your students need to master and an action and you're ready to get going. For example:

Clap and count by ten’s to 100.

Touch your nose and spell the word SHE.

Point to the word ‘THE’ in the room and then jump two times.

Touch something that is a sphere and then tiptoe and touch something that is a circle.

Turn around and count backwards from 10.

Walk to the front of the room and act out an adjective.

March and touch a noun.

Walk to the back of the room and tell the day of the week, the month and the year.

Gallop as you count by 5's to 100.

Skip around the room as you say the months in the year.

PARTY TIME

Make the last few days “sweet” ones to remember with lots of special days. You might want to celebrate “Wonderful Wednesdays” the last month of the school year or plan a little celebration every day the last week of school. What many adults forget is that children are happy with “plain vanilla.” Wearing a silly hat or a shirt from a favorite sports team can be as much fun as a fancy ball!

Sports Day – Enjoy the warm weather with a “Sports Day.” Children can wear t-shirts and hats from their favorite teams. Let them bring sports equipment to share with friends on the playground.



Book Party – Encourage children to dress up like their favorite book character. Play “Guess Who I Am?” or have children describe why they like a particular character. Let them bring favorite reading material (books, magazines) from home and sit or lay wherever they want for independent reading.

Talent Show - One of my favorite memories is of a Talent Show we had at the end of the school year. I just invited all the children to think of a “talent” (song, dance, story, gymnastic stunt) they could do. We sat in a circle and they all got up and performed! We clapped and laughed and cheered!

Board Game Day – Let children bring board games from home. Set aside the last hour in the day to share games and play with friends.

Pajama Party – Have children wear pajamas and bring pillows and stuffed animals to class. Read books, watch a movie, and eat popcorn.

Career Day – Children come dressed for the career they’d like when they grow up. After sharing with friends, have each child draw a picture (or take a photograph) and make a class book.

Unbirthday Party – How about a birthday party when it’s everyone’s “unbirthday”? Play party games, sing, and decorate cupcakes. (This is also a great way to celebrate all those summer birthdays.)

Beach Party – Bring beach towels and wear sunglasses, shorts, and bathing suits. Set up sprinklers or other water activities on the playground. Play beach ball games, beach music, and have a “cool” snack like popsicles.

Teddy Bear Parade – Children bring in a teddy bear or stuffed animal and parade around the classroom. Have them write stories and draw pictures of what they like to do with their bear. Have a “tea party” with your bears.

Hat Day – Ask children to wear their favorite hat to school, or challenge them to design a hat from a paper plate and art scraps.

Luau – Make grass skirts from draw string garbage bags. Cut straws in 1” pieces and alternate stringing with paper flowers on dental floss to create a lei. Hula, surf, and eat pineapple fruit kabobs for snack.

Toy Day – Children bring a favorite toy from home and share with their friends.
                                          

Wash Day – Wear old clothes and bring sponges, pails, and squirt bottles. Let children wash tables, desks, toys, etc. (You could tie this in with a water play day.)

Sock Hop – Children get to wear silly socks to school and have a dance at the end of the day.
*Teach the children the “Twist,” “Charleston,” “Jitterbug,” “Swim,” “Pony,” or other dances from your past.

Teacher of the Day – Assign one child each day the last month of school to be “Teacher of the Day.” That child gets to sit in your desk and be in charge of circle time. They can choose a book to read to the class, a song to sing, game to play, and so forth.

                            Note! "Teacher of the Day" is my favorite!!!!

PARTY GAMES

Here are some ideas for your holiday party or any other celebration. They 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.

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.
*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.”

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.

MAKE IT A YEAR FOR POETRY!

If I were in charge of the world I would start 2020 by giving each child a pocket folder that they could decorate for a poetry folder. Each week I would choose a poem, nursery rhyme, finger play, or song to add to their poetry notebooks and I would use it to integrate standards in a meaningful way. 
                                       

Monday - Introduce the poem as a shared reading experience. Reread the poem several times. Let children use pointers to find letters or words they can recognize, point out words that rhyme, punctuation, etc.

Tuesday - Give children individual copies of the poem. Let them illustrate the poem, hole punch it, and put it in their notebook.
Hint! Give children blank paper to encourage creativity and their imaginations.

Wednesday - Use the poem for skill work during small group. Highlight parts of speech, sight words, etc.

Thursday - Children bring notebooks to large group and reread this week’s rhyme and review previous poems.

Friday - Children read poems independently or with a buddy.

Weekend Homework - On Friday, let children take home their poetry notebooks. Ask children to read the poem to someone in their family over the weekend. Encourage parents to sign their name and write their comments and compliments on each poem.

POETRY CAFE

You’ve read this idea before on my blog, but it bears repeating because I think it would add a little sunshine to dreary January and February. It would be utilizing instructional time, but more importantly it would put a love of poetry in the children’s hearts!

What to do!
Write a note next Monday asking each family to send in a box of instant hot chocolate and an old coffee mug. Explain that you will end each Friday with the “Poetry Café” where children can listen to poetry, recite poetry, and enjoy a mug of hot chocolate. Remind parents that this will be an engaging way to develop listening skills, oral language, and an appreciation of literature.
Hint! If you teach at a school where no outside food is allowed check to make sure this idea would be permissible. You could ask the parents to send instant tea or any beverage that their child could enjoy.

*If you are at a school where parents might not have the ability to do this I bet there’s a retired teacher (like me) in your community who would be thrilled to do this for your class.

IT'S ALMOST PARTY TIME!

Need an idea for your holiday party?  These 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.
                                                  

*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.”

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.”