The Lesson Planning Mommy – Merry Christmas!

December 17, 2013

Hillary, a.k.a The Lesson Planning Mommy, is one of the founders of Great Lakes Bay Moms.  She has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education pre-school through third grade and a Master degree in Elementary Education grades K-8 with a reading endorsement K-12 grade. She loves creating meaningful, mind provoking activities and lessons for kids.

The Lesson Planning Mommy – MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I don’t know about you but, a few of the hardest days to keep the kiddos entertained is the days that the kids have off before Christmas. This year I have an arsenal of activities ready and waiting.

 

Wishing you a blessed holiday filled with memory making and lots of family time.  Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

What We’re Reading:

It’s Christmas, David!
By: David Shannon

The Night Before Christmas
By: Natasha Wing

The Night Santa Got Lost:
How NORAD Saved Christmas
By: Michael Keane

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas
By: Eric Litwin

Songs:

Where Is Santa
Sung to: “Where is Thumbkin”

Where is Santa? Where is Santa?
Here I am! Here I am!
Merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry Christmas
Ho Ho Ho! Ho Ho Ho!

 

Christmas time is here
Sung to: “Farmer in the Dell”

Christmas time is near.
Christmas time is near.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Christmas time is near.
it’s time to trim the tree.
It’s time to trim the tree.
Merry Christmas everyone.
It’s time to trim the tree.
It’s time to wrap the gifts.
It’s time to wrap the gifts.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
It’s time to wrap the gifts.
It’s time to hang the stocking.
It’s time to hang the stocking.
Merry Christmas everyone.
It’s time to hang the stocking.
Santa will soon be here.
Santa will soon be here.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Santa will soon be here.

Activities:

.:Christmas Sensory Play:.

What You Need:

5-10 lbs. of white rice (5lbs = 1 child 10lbs = 2+)
2 plastic baggies
Red and green food coloring
Peppermint extract
Hand sanitizer
A bin for play

 

Directions:

  1. Pour some rice into a plastic baggie, then added about 4-5 squirts of hand sanitizer and half a bottle of red food coloring.
  2. Then we sealed the bag well and shook, squeezed and tossed the rice to disperse the color evenly.
  3. Repeated the process with the green food coloring. We left some rice uncolored so that we’d be able to add white to our final product.
  4. Spread out our rice onto a baking pan and shallow bin respectively, to allow them to dry.
  5. Mix the  colors together and play!

.:Christmas Book Bingo:.

1. Print the Christmas Bingo Cards found at The Crafting Chicks. There are 4 different game boards available.

2. Grab a stack of your favorite Christmas books. Make sure you have a variety of books to match the images on the bingo cards. We liked to have books that featured 2-3 words in the story. It didn’t go too fast, and the players weren’t bored.

 

The images featured on the cards are as follows:

  • Reindeer
  • Merry Christmas
  • Wreath
  • Candle
  • Snow/Snowflake
  • Bells
  • Christmas Tree
  • Gingerbread/Cookie
  • Candy Cane
  • Stocking
  • Santa
  • Wisemen
  • Santa Putting Presents Under the Tree
  • Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus
  • Shepherds
  • Presents

3. Choose something edible to mark the bingo boards. We used Hershey Kisses, but you could use other treats as well. After the game is over, you can enjoy the yummy treats on your board. Another idea would be to use pennies. Then the players get to keep the pennies after the game is done.

4. Read the books! As the players hear the featured words during the story they can mark their boards. 4 in a row on the bingo board wins!

.:Christmas Lights – Can You Find:.


Before you set out to look at all the beautiful Christmas lights, print this “Can You Find” FREE printable. The kids will enjoy spotting all of the items on the list. You could even make a game out of it!  The first one to find 3, 5 or even ALL of the items gets a special surprise or gets to choose which book is read before bed that night. My boys and I will be doing this on Christmas Eve for sure!

Happy Hunting!

.:FREE Down-loadable Book:. 

You can find this FREE down-loadable book HERE! All you have to do is print, put together, staple, color and read!

.:Handmade by the kiddos:.

What You Need:


Green, brown and red washable paint
Washable markers
White card stock
Little hands and feet!

 

 

 

Directions:

  1. Paint with green washable paint 1 little foot and stamp it on the paper to create Santa’s sleigh.
  2. Paint one little hand with brown paper and stamp it in a row on the paper to make a few of Santa’s reindeer. I suggest re-applying paint to the hand each time you stamp the hand.
  3. Dip one thumb into red paint to make Santa’s body and dip one fingertip, to make his head.
  4. Add Santa’s face, belt, reindeers antlers, hoves, noses, eyes, reins, details on the sled and your kiddos name with a marker.

Gift:

.:Festive Serving Tray:.


Turn mints into a serving tray!  Just arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Then let completely cool at room temperature. Great idea for a plate of cookies you don’t have to get back. Love this for delivering Christmas cookies.

 

 

 

Snacks:

.:Santa Party Mix:.

What you throw in the mix is up to you!

Santa hats
Bugles corn snacks (original or “Sweet & Salty Caramel” flavor)
Red candy melting discs
Mini marshmallows
White sprinkles

 

 

 

The Mix:

3 cups mini pretzels
1/2 cup craisins
1 cup salted dry roasted peanuts
2 cups Rice Chex
2 cups holiday colored M&M’s
8 oz. white chocolate for melting

Directions:

  1. Spread all your ingredients, EXCEPT M&M’s, out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
  2. Melt your white chocolate according to package directions and drizzle over the pretzel mix.
  3. Transfer into a large bowl and coat mix with chocolate.
  4. Return to baking sheet to allow to dry.
  5. When chocolate is set, sprinkle M&M’s and Bugle Santa Hats over the mix.
  6. Transfer to big bowl to serve.

.:Christmas Coal:.

Do you have a kiddo that’s not sure if he or she will be getting gifts from Santa or a big hunk of coal???

 

What You Need:

1/4 cup Butter
10.5 ounce Bag mini marshmallows
1/8 tsp. Black icing color (Be sure you are using Wilton’s Black Icing Color, not black icing/gel in the tube. It may also say concentrated paste. This can be found in the cake decorating section of Michael’s.
4 cups Rice cereal

 

Directions:

  1. In a large pot melt butter and add marshmallows.
  2. Stir until melted
  3. Add black color and mix in well.
  4. Add rice cereal and stir until blended.
  5. Drop by small spoonfuls onto parchment paper. Be sure they are in odd shapes.
  6. Cool.
  7. Place 3 in a small cellophane bag and tie with ribbon.

Include a tag with Poem saying…

“I heard you have been naughty not nice,
And Santa even checked his list twice.
So all the way from the cold North Pole
all you’re getting is a bag of coal.”

Great Lakes Bay Moms has other SEASONAL – CHRISTMAS ideas and LESSON PLANNING MOMMY!