December Ideas For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

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1 December Ideas 2014 Advent Boxes A lot of you bring out the Advent calendars as we anticipate the birth of Jesus. Here is another idea for you to try instead of opening up the doors of the calendar. Use little boxes and decorate one for each day. Label each box with a number from Write activities such as: Make a popcorn garland, sing a particular Christmas song, bake and decorate cookies or color a special picture. Attach a long piece of garland or Christmas ribbon on the wall. Tie a ribbon around the package and attach to the garland/ribbon. Have children cut one package a day and do the special activity printed in the box. This original idea from prekinders.com, uses little boxes for the activity, but a lot of you may not have access to 25 boxes, so another choice would be to take pieces of fabric and put the surprise inside the fabric package, and tie it to a piece of garland/ribbon and each day a package with a surprise can be opened. Hand Print Angels For this project you will need the inexpensive large paper plates, blue construction paper, white paint, flesh colored precut circles and a variety of small items: buttons, shiny paper glitter, stickers, fabrics etc. to decorate the angel skirt. Cut a triangle out of the paper plate. You will use about 1/3 of the plate and this will be the angel skirt. Have the children glue the skirt to a piece of blue construction paper with the rounded part towards the bottom and the point of the triangle towards the top. You will use the child s palms as the wings of the angel. Paint each palm white (one at a time), make the print of the hand on each side of the point of the triangle. Have the children spread their fingers for the print. After you do the white hand print, you can also take their thumbs, or a finger, use some flesh colored paint and print them to be the arms of the angel. I would point them down like folded hands. Now glue the head on the angel, which is the circle that you have cut. Have the children draw a face.now the children can decorate the skirt of the angel with all the fun and sparkly items you have provided them. *I realize that this is a teacher director project for most of the angel, but the children can decorate the angel however they want. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

2 Christmas Trees This project will help challenge the children to arrange strips of paper from smallest to largest. You will need 5 strips of paper for each child. You can make them whatever sizes you want. I would start with one that is 5, 4, 3, 2 1 and ½ - ¾ wide. You know your children. If these pieces are too small for them, make them bigger. Talk about the shape of a Christmas tree. Unless you are enjoying these new trees that came out a few years ago that are hung upside down, most Christmas trees are in the shape of a triangle that points to heaven. Now spend some time looking at some strips of paper and the different sizes. Measure them so the children can see the difference. Give each child the 5 strips of paper and let them arrange the strips on their paper first before they glue them down. Once they glue them down they may add a trunk to their tree, a star on top or additional decorations. If you want to make this a little easier for them, you can start the one strip at the top or the bottom. Have a few rulers on the table so if they want, they can measure the strips. Snowflakes For this project you will need to find the snowflakes that are used as Christmas ornaments. They are not solid with a snowflake printed on them, but have the cutouts in them like a real snowflake does. You can usually find them at Walmart, Michaels or any craft store. They are made out of plastic. You will also need a spray bottle filled with blue watercolor. Have the children set a few snowflakes on a piece of white construction paper. Now spray the paint over the snowflakes so when you remove them, you will have the white imprint below. (You might need to have the child stand on a small step so they are spraying down on the flake and not across or underneath) A darker blue water color will make the white snowflakes stand out better than a light blue. It makes them look like snowflakes at night. This is a good exercise for the small muscle development in a child s hands. Christmas? Boxes You will need to collect about six empty cube-shaped tissue (Kleenex) boxes. Ask the parents to bring in their used ones and you will probably get all you need. These tissue boxes will be used as feely boxes. On the outside of each box, put a big question mark. In each box, place a Christmas related item. Maybe it is something from the nativity, a Christmas ornament, a bell or a star. Have the children take turns putting their hand in a box, feeling the object and guessing what it might be before they pull it out. You can put anything in these boxes, so save them to use later as a game when you need to fill some time. Prekinders.com

3 Pine Branch Printing I have seen this idea several times while searching the web for new ideas. It sounds like it might make some interesting pictures. If you have pine trees growing near you, cut off some of the branches. These will be the paint brushes for the day. Let the children dip them in shallow pans of paint and print onto paper. If you don t have access to real pine branches, I don t know why fake branches would not work. Preschool-plan-it.com At the Science Table How objects are alike and different, in the development of a child s scientific discovery skills, cannot be overemphasized. This activity is to help the children in formulating a basic understanding of the meaning of the words, alike and different. You can do this at any time of the year with any grouping of objects, but for this purpose, stay with similar objects that are the December/Christmas theme. Find objects that the children will see this time of year such as ornaments that are the same size, but different. Two figurines from the nativity, candy canes, pine cones, stockings, mittens your options are endless. Have the children tell you how the objects are alike and how are they different Science and the Weather If you live in a state where the snow has begun to fall, use this as a science/math activity. You can use a calendar or make a larger chart that will allow you each day to chart and write down the information. Chart the temperature and the measurement of the snow. Does the temperature have any relationship to when the snow begins to melt? What temperature does it start melting? Will it only snow when the temperature is freezing? Discount School Supply or Amazon carry a product called Insta Snow and when made, looks and feels like snow. It is even cold to the touch. You just add water and you have Insta Snow. 1 jar makes 2 gallons. It is a fun activity and a good one for the states that do not get any snow. Snow Storm in a Jar We have seen a lot of pictures of snow storms on TV lately. Here is an activity that you can create the snow storm in a jar. You will need: A jar or similar clear container, baby oil, white paint, water, iridescent glitter, Alka Seltzer. Tip: You can find baby oil, white glitter and generic Alka Seltzer at the dollar stores. Fill the jar ¾ of the way with baby oil. In a bowl mix together very warm water and white paint to make white water. The amount of paint you need will depend on how much water you are using with the idea being to use enough water so

4 that you can fill the jar almost to the top. Once mixed, pour the white water into the jar. Have kids sprinkle in glitter. Then wait for the glitter and water to settle at the bottom of the jar. Once the water is settled, it is time to Make the Snow Storm! This is the children s favorite part of course. Take an Alka Seltzer tablet and break it into pieces. Have the children drop the pieces into the jar and watch what happens. The storm will last for several minutes. Whenever the storm starts to dissipate, you can add more Alka Seltzer to get it going again. Growingajeweledrose.com Vocabulary Alike Different Same Measure Songs and Finger Plays Five Little Gingerbread Five little gingerbread lying on a tray One jumped up and ran away, Shouting catch me, catch me, Catch me if you can I run really fast, I m the gingerbread man! Continue counting down until there Are none left and finish with: No more gingerbread lying on a tray They all jumped up and ran away! Bells Tune of : Jimmy Crack Corn Ring those bells and turn around. Ring those bells and turn around. Ring those bells and turn around For Christmas time is near. Repeat and change the words to any action: Ring those bells and stomp your feet clap your hands- shout hurray and end with For Christmas time is near

5 Four Little Bells Four little bells Silver and Round, Each one makes a different sound. Bell number one. Ring-a-ling-a-ling! Bell number two Ding-a-ling-a-ling! Bell number three Ding-ding-dong! Bell number four Bing-bang-bong! Ring-a-ling-ling! Ding-a-ling-a-ling Ding-ding-dong! Bing-bang-bong. Here is Joseph, Here is Mary Here is Joseph, Here is Mary Hold up index finger and middle finger They walk to the inn so tired and weary Walk those fingers up your arm Knock, Knock, Knock, please open your door Pretend to knock But the innkeeper says there s room for no more Shake your head no So they walk and they walk to the end of the day Walk with your fingers Where they find a stable and a bed of hay Use your hands to make a point like a building And there in that manger on Christmas morn Rock arms like you would a baby Jesus! The Son of God was born Make a cross with fingers Knock, Knock, Knock, I ll open my door Open hands over your heart And God will be with me forever more. Have a Blessed Christmas See you next year!