Winter holidays are sure to be a big hit in your classroom! Be careful that you are sensitive to all belief systems in your classroom. Because the schools at which I have taught are publicly funded, we do not discuss religious beliefs but rather traditions that people observe during the holiday season. The majority of my students celebrate Christmas, but I want to at least expose them to other holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. I will allow three weeks for this theme.
Your book for this theme is If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff-another of her fantastic circular books. The book does not talk so much about holiday traditions as it uses visuals to show holiday traditions. Of course, there are SO many Christmas songs, so you can choose whatever songs you like and your students know. We always sing “Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel,” and the students love it.
For the first few days, we will be focusing on gingerbread men (women, etc.). Day one, you will be making puffy gingerbread people. Give your students a gingerbread person to cut out (use construction paper, because the puff paint will make copy paper soggy). Have the students cut their gingerbread person out then paint with puff paint, which is one part glue, one part shaving cream, and enough paint to turn it the color you want. DO NOT mix this ahead of time, as the shaving cream will deflate and your paint will not be puffy! Encourage your students to dab rather than spread the paint; it will really dry puffy! Once they have painted their gingerbread people, they can stick on pieces of paper or foam, rick-rack or buttons to make faces, clothing, etc.
For fine motor, give each student 3 craft/popsicle sticks. Have them paint three of the sticks green and one brown. Set these aside to dry-you will use them tomorrow to make a Christmas tree picture frame ornament.
An easy, inexpensive, and fun sensory table activity is to shred several sheets of red and green construction paper (wrapping paper works well, too) and put it in the sensory table along with pine cones, small gift boxes, mini stockings-whatever you like.
Your book for this theme is If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff-another of her fantastic circular books. The book does not talk so much about holiday traditions as it uses visuals to show holiday traditions. Of course, there are SO many Christmas songs, so you can choose whatever songs you like and your students know. We always sing “Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel,” and the students love it.
For the first few days, we will be focusing on gingerbread men (women, etc.). Day one, you will be making puffy gingerbread people. Give your students a gingerbread person to cut out (use construction paper, because the puff paint will make copy paper soggy). Have the students cut their gingerbread person out then paint with puff paint, which is one part glue, one part shaving cream, and enough paint to turn it the color you want. DO NOT mix this ahead of time, as the shaving cream will deflate and your paint will not be puffy! Encourage your students to dab rather than spread the paint; it will really dry puffy! Once they have painted their gingerbread people, they can stick on pieces of paper or foam, rick-rack or buttons to make faces, clothing, etc.
For fine motor, give each student 3 craft/popsicle sticks. Have them paint three of the sticks green and one brown. Set these aside to dry-you will use them tomorrow to make a Christmas tree picture frame ornament.
An easy, inexpensive, and fun sensory table activity is to shred several sheets of red and green construction paper (wrapping paper works well, too) and put it in the sensory table along with pine cones, small gift boxes, mini stockings-whatever you like.
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