Christmas Activities For Little Ones

Christmas is such a special time around our house. We are always creating new traditions and trying to spend as much family time together as possible. We definitely don't always get everything crossed off our list, but we are usually having fun in one way or another. Holidays are so fun with little ones running around and it's a perfect time to create crafts, work on activities, and maybe even throw in some learning.

There are so many crafts to do with kids around the holidays that I could not even begin to list them all here. Snowflakes are always a great option, and can make fun decorations or ornaments. When I was teaching math, cutting basic snowflakes out of paper squares was a lesson we always had fun with when we studied symmetry. Now our snowflakes are a little more fancy (and a lot messier!) Here is our throwback to those popsicle stick ornaments we all made as kids, as well as some pre-cut foam snowflake shapes that make this activity so easy!

Another classic Christmas craft is these candy cane bead ornament strung onto chenille stems cut in half. We used these to work on patterns. Since these can go on a "kid" tree and will probably be played with, don't forget to knot the bottom and top so the beads don't fall off! If you have an extra small tree this makes a good option for keeping little fingers off your main tree.

You can also get a little more involved in the ornament making and create a keepsake ornament with your kids. They also make really great gifts. We have a few that my oldest made in school when he was a bit younger, and they are some of my favorite ornaments!

My husband is usually still working when I start dinner, so anything to keep the kids entertained in the kitchen is a lifesaver.  A friend of mine made a felt tree for her daughter who loved it, so we made one last year. I wanted to decorate the ornaments with sequins and beads to make it a bit more fun, but like I said, not everything gets crossed off the list... When I get that done I will add ribbons to the back and sew buttons on the tree so they can "hang" the ornaments. Having this activity is another one that seems to help prevent the kids from taking ornaments off the actual tree.

We don't get a lot of snow in Texas, but luckily we found these fake snowballs at Hobby Lobby last year. The kids love trying to toss them in different buckets and containers. We are definitely still working on our motor skills... and aim! If you can't find snowballs you could always use large pom poms, make pom poms out of yarn, or even substitute styrofoam balls. For older kids it would be fun to have a few different buckets with different points assigned to them so they could compete to see who would be better at a snowball fight.

My 3 year old is working on her numbers, so these foam trees make a great "game" for her. One side has the number form and the other has the word form. She can count the correct number of bells, small ornaments, etc needed to decorate her tree. If you can't find the foam trees, I have a similar printable game in my TpT store.

Here is my my Bee counting lights on the printable version:

We like to sneak in learning activities wherever we can. We keep a blank book and pack of small stickers (Thank you Target dollar spot!) in our bag so my daughter can practice "tracing" her letters or name while we're out and about. It keeps her entertained when we are somewhere she has to sit for a while.

Another way we like to practice letters is to make them into an object. I've noticed it really helps with letter recognition. Sometimes we will just fill the letters with stickers, but this time we made the letter "O" into an ornament, and the letter "R" into a reindeer. 

We also like to practice our letters in a festive way, because that always makes it more fun, right? These letters are also available in my store, and you can use them in so many different ways. We have the small ones hung on mini-clothespins to display our number line, and the medium size is hung on a ribbon to display our alphabet. We also use the small ones to match upper and lower case letters and to practice spelling our sight words and names. These are the black and white versions printed on colored cardstock.

Hopefully this will give you a few ideas to keep your kids entertained over the holidays. While most of them are geared towards little ones, my eleven year old still likes to jump into the action and get creative with a few of these, so you can easily adjust some of them for older kids. 

What are your favorite holiday activities to keep the magic going during this time of year?

The Benefit of School Gardens

We LOVE being outside. There is something about breathing in the fresh air, seeing the wildlife running around us, smelling things we smell every day but never actually take the time to really smell... It just puts us all in a better mood. 

And it is such a great way to learn.

We are constantly finding teachable moments outside. The amazement on a child's face when you explain that the tiny acorn they are holding will one day grow into that huge oak tree towering above them is priceless. Or letting them watch a caterpillar metamorphose into a butterfly.

We found this swallowtail caterpillar giving our parsley a taste test!

So why not harness that awesome power of nature and bring it into your learning? Or better yet, bring your learning into nature?

Our gardens are probably the single greatest tool we use to learn. I start my kids out in the garden before they can even walk. They love feeling the textures and playing in the soil, watching the creepy-crawlies, and "helping" me plant. I won't lie, we have had packages of seeds spilled, things planted haphazardly, and mystery plants coming up in some strange places. But it's been such a great experience. 

Harvesting potatoes got a little messy, but she loved helping find them. It was like a treasure hunt!

We love using our senses in the garden. Hearing the bees, feeling the different textures of leaves, seeing all the colors of the flowers (and butterflies!). Not to mention smelling and tasting the herbs, fruits, and veggies. My kids think eating their veggies is a treat. Getting them to share with us is a whole other story!

We weren't the only ones tasting the Thai basil. This bee thought it was yummy, too!
Gardening isn't just about plants. It presents a great opportunity to study wildlife, habitats, and relationships.

While ours is more of a "homeschool" garden, there are several schools around us with amazing gardening programs. Moss Haven Farms is an amazing farm and garden program by one of the local elementary schools. They even sponsor a "Peek at the Coops" where the community can tour resident's chicken coops and gardens in the local community. Wouldn't it be amazing if every public school offered a program like this to their students?

My kids love visiting the chickens and collecting the eggs at their grandparent's farm.

From observing the animals and insects, to experimenting with planting mediums, to watching seeds sprout and grow and produce food they kids get to actually eat, gardening provides so many learning opportunities. Some are structured and planned, and some just present themselves to us as we are working in it. 

Working on a garden observation drawing is a great way to incorporate some art into your learning.

There have been so many studies coming out with evidence that gardening is actually good for your health. Physical evidence that the microbes in the soil are beneficial for you. But slowing down long enough to literally stop and smell the roses and eating all those fresh, healthy snacks can't hurt either, right?

Who can resist a sweet strawberry fresh from the garden?

Need help starting your school garden? Check out my School Garden Prep Pack to get you started. It's full of resources and even includes a few starter activities! 

Do you have a school or homeschool garden? What kind of lessons or activities do you use for your students?