Christmas Center Ideas

This week we are updating our “Christmas Symbols” Theme printables.  I can’t wait for you to see our fun new clip art!! 

To get you started, I’ve found some fabulous resources that can be use in independent centers or even as additional supplement to our printables.

Pattern Blocks
PreKinders has quite the assortment of FREE pattern block designs.  She offers them in color and black and white.  She has 7 different patterns to choose from for Christmas.

 
Please note that not all pattern blocks are the same size, therefore all might not fit perfectly with the template provided above.

Use these templates to create your own pattern blocks.  You can also purchase them through Amazon or other various educational websites.


Stamping
Work on letter recognition with our Stamping Strips.  To do this activity you will need uppercase or lowercase stamps and an ink pad.

Stamping Strips: Christmas Symbols

Hope these ideas are helpful.

Christmas Trees {Expanded}

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, we won’t be posting the next couple of days.  Therefore, we have our expanded “Christmas Trees” unit for you a few days early!!! 

All our printables are in one easy download. Just click the image above to download a single zip file of all the printables. (Can’t unzip it. Try Hamster Free Zip Archiver approved by Amber’s husband. Remember to download carefully.)

You will need to be able to view pop-ups to download the unit, as it will appear in a pop up window from our site! Last year’s printables are also included in this download.   

Here are some of the printables included in this unit:

• Patterns (ABAB and AABB)
• Spin & Graph
• Christmas Tree Math (See last year’s post for more details.)
  • Light Patterns
  • Shape Ornaments
  • Counting Presents (You’ll need our counting cards.)
• Which is Different?
• Writing Maze
• Beginning Writing/Cutting Practice
• Size Sort
• Number Order Puzzle (1-10 and 11-20)
• Spelling Page
• Count & Clip 

Tot Pack

Looking for some ideas for a younger tot?  Check out the Christmas Tot Pack from 1+1+1=1.

Products We Use with Our Units

Looking for more ideas?

• Devotional & Memory Verse Helps
• Center Ideas
• Family Night Ideas
• Apple Cinnamon Ornaments
• Book Recommendations
• Last Year's Post

There are also even more ideas, units, printables and crafts available on this theme.  Check out our Pinterest Board for some of our favorites!

We hope you enjoy these printables and please let us know if you have any issues with downloading or using the items provided. 

Please do not sell or host these files anywhere else. You MAY link people here. When leading others to these printables, please link to THIS page, not to the file page.  Thanks! (See TOU)

 

Tots in Action- Christmas

Here are some pictures of this unit in action! We hope they help you as you plan your week ahead!

Christmas Trees

This unit has been expanded. So, make sure and get all the printables here.

---

 

Here is what we’ve been doing this week. Let us know what you think.  We hope by providing these materials to you free of charge, it will make your life easier! 

Lesson Plan: The lesson plan includes all the lessons for the week, as well as optional ideas. Items following the lesson plan are just the printables or links to websites we used to teach these plans.  (Please note: On top of our lesson plan we are reading books daily that relate to our theme.)

Memory Verse: This memory card is for daily use during our calendar time.  You can learn more about calendar time at 1+1+1=1 or Homeschool Creations.  Our weekly devotional is an object lesson that will help your child apply the meaning of the verse to them.

Day 1: Lights 
ABC Order or Capital/Lower Case Match- This download includes both capital and lowercase letters.  You can use this activity in a couple of ways:  1) Punch holes on the bottom of the light and string them in up in ABC Order.  Then hang them up for decoration. 2) Match the capital letter to its lowercase counter part. 

Christmas Light Patterns-  For math this week, we will be creating a Math Christmas Tree.  Print off the tree below and create a light pattern on your tree.

Christmas Memory- Design and download your own Christmas Memory Game from DLTK’s Growing Together.

 

Day 2: Ornaments 
O is for Ornament- Reinforces letter recognition.

Shape Ornaments- Review the shapes as you add them to your Math Christmas Tree.

 

Make an Ornament- Take some time this week to create an ornament with your kiddo.  We provided one example in our post yesterday.

 

 

 

Day 3: Presents 
Present Phonics- This activity will help your child begin to focus in on beginning sounds.  Do complete this task, your child will use alphabet clothespins (clothespin with a letter on it) to “wrap” the toy.  For example, they would identify the beginning sound of bear and using the clothespin with the B written on it attach it to the present.

Counting Presents- Use the counting cards and place the presents under you math tree.  Once you’ve practice with all the numbers, go ahead a glue your presents under the tree. 

Give a Present (Angel Tree, Toy for Tots, etc.)- This is the time of year that is all about giving, so why not use this time to have your child give to another.

 

 

We hope you enjoy these lesson plans and please let us know if you have any issues with downloading or using the items provided.  

 

You can find more Christmas ideas by visiting:

Please do not sell or host these files anywhere else. You MAY link people here. When leading others to these printables, please link to THIS page, not the 4shared file page.  Thanks! (See TOU)

 

Apple Cinnamon Ornaments

These ornaments are easy to create and only require two ingredients-  applesauce and cinnamon. To top it off the smell like Christmas!

Here is what you’ll need:  1/2 cup cinnamon 1/2 cup applesauce wax paper rolling pin cookie cutter straw spoon, bowl, measuring cup

To make these ornaments, just follow these easy steps:

Step 1:	Step 2:
Put 1/2 cup applesauce in a bowl.	Add 1/2 cup cinnamon.
Step 3:	Step 4:
Mix the two ingredients together until a dough like consistency forms.	Place the dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out to 1/8 inch.
Step 5:	Step 6:
Cut out the ornament with your choice of cookie cutter.	Finally, use a straw to add a hole to the top of your ornament.  You can later string a ribbon through to hang.

Let the ornaments sit out for 24-48 hours to air dry. Then decorate with puffy fabric paints, acrylic craft paint or glue & glitter.  To finish it off add your choice of material to hang it- yarn, clear fishing line, ribbon, twine or strips of fabric. (I’ll make sure to post pics of our finally product on Facebook once ours harden.)

Different Uses for your Ornaments.

Use as gifts for teachers or anther person in your child’s life.

Use them as a gift tag or package decoration.

Questions?  Post questions or comments on our Facebook Page.  You may have the same question as someone else.  If you don’t have a Facebook account, feel free to email us.

Beautiful Light

This week we are posting lessons you can use with your tot for Christmas.  Our verse is from Matthew 5:16.

“Let your light shine before others.”

Materials:

• Your Christmas tree with the lights off

Directions:

• Sit down with your child in front of your Christmas tree, and make sure the lights are off.
• Go over  the devotional with your child. 
• Say the verse above with your tot.  We suggest that you print the verse off and use it every morning with your calendar time.  If you don’t do calendar time still say the verse each morning with your tot before you begin tot school.

Talk about the following with your tot:

I think we have a pretty Christmas tree, don’t you?  Do you remember when we got the tree out for the very first time this year what it looked like.  The branches were bare and there wasn’t anything on it at all, was there?  It didn’t look too pretty, but then we put some things on the tree to make it look better.  We put on the ornaments, the candy canes, and the icicles, and that made it look a lot prettier.  Something though is still missing from our tree right now.  Do you know what it is?  That’s right!  The lights!  (Plug in your Christmas tree at this point)  The lights make everything so much nicer!  It makes the tree bright and pretty.  Without the lights, its just a tree, but with the lights, its something special.  Our verse today tells us that we are to let our light shine before men.  Do you know what the light in us is?  Its Jesus.  When we believe in Jesus he comes to live inside us.  We can make ourselves look really nice on the outside, but without Jesus we are like a Christmas tree without lights. When we do kind things and love one another it shows that Jesus is inside of us.  That is how we show our light to other people, and its the light of Jesus that makes us very special.  Let’s pray,

Dear Father, thank  you for using us to show the world your light.  We know that you love this world very much, and we want to be special people in this world.  We know that there is nothing inside of us that is special without you and the light you give us, so we ask that you would use us to show light to the world.  Help us to do the things you would have us to do.  In your name we pray, Amen. 

Questions to ask your tot:

• You might want to review last weeks questions with your tot.
• Who makes light shine in us?  Jesus
• How do we show this light to other people? By doing the things God wants us to do!

   

Questions?  Post questions or comments on our Facebook Page.  You may have the same question as someone else.  If you don’t have a Facebook account, feel free to email us.

Family Night-The Christmas Tree

This week for family night we are featuring that annual tradition of putting up the Christmas tree. 

Put on some holiday music and decorate the tree with your kiddos!  E loved decorating the tree and really got into it this year.  Granted, we ended up with a lot of ornaments at the bottom of the tree, but its all good!

If you have already decorated your tree, pull out a family movie to watch.  Here are some favorites that the kiddos will like!  

You can also make the popcorn ball recipe below!

Each year when we decorate our tree we make popcorn balls.  Our recipe is easy-peasy, but kind of messy.  You’ll need:

• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 5 cups of mini marshmallows (1 bag)
• 1 bag of microwave popcorn, popped
• cooking spray

Directions:
Pop the popcorn in microwave.  After finished, pour the popcorn out on a 9x13 baking sheet and remove any un-popped kernels.

Next, melt the butter over medium heat in a pan.  While hot, add the 5 cups of marshmallows and stir continuously until melted. 

When melted and smooth, pour over popcorn on baking sheet.  Let cool for 2 minutes, spray hands with cooking spray, and then form into popcorn balls.  This should yield 6-8 popcorn balls.

NOTE:  Do NOT use margarine in this recipe.  I learned this the hard way.  If you use a butter substitute the water in these really messes with the sticky-ness of the marshmallow mixture, and you will end up with popcorn ball soup, like we did. :)  It tastes good, but its not as pretty.  Last year they were made with butter and they turned out FANTASTIC!  Also, do not ask why my hubby is wearing an Elmo shirt because I don’t have a logical answer for you :)

I hope you all have a wonderful family night!