- Name:
- Kerri
- Email:
- delilah200@webtv.net
12-27-00
"Ring the Bell" Game- Using a large (4 foot x 3 foot) piece of heavy duty cardboard, I cut a large bell shape from the center. I then added ribbons with jingle bells attached to hang from the open middle area. The children threw bean bags through the bell to "Ring the Bell". Great for hand-eye coordination and throwing skills!
Contact_FullName: Mariann
Contact_Email: QUEEN074
date:: 11/06/01
Area: Christmas Games
Idea:
Santa's Toy Shop
I use this with my 3 and 4 year old Special Education students. Find as many small/manipulative toys as their are the number of students in your class and the same number of hula hoops. I tell the students that Santa left me some toys to try out to see if children like them. I put one toy in each hula hoop and have a child go to a hula hoop and play with that particular toy. After 3-5 minutes they switch to another hoop, and so on, until the class is over. The kids really keep busy and seem to enjoy this activity.
Contact_FullName: Kimie
Contact_Email: kimieland@msn.com
date:: 12/19/01
Area: Christmas Games
Idea:
Christmas Bingo
Make up a bing-o sheet on large white paper with a picture in each square representing different Christmas items (such as: tree, stockings, fireplace and ornaments). Then call out different pictures or hold them up and the children have the match the picture they see to the paper they have. Little prices can be given when BINGO is achieved.
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- Contact_FullName:
- Joyce
- Contact_Email:
- mcfam@iol14.com
- Contact_FullName:
- tammi
- Contact_Email:
- Alphabet@cybertours.com
- Contact_FullName:
- Kristen
- Contact_Email:
- kcordes@earthlink.net
- Contact_FullName:
- Carol
- Contact_Email:
- KidzRmylyf@aol.com
- Contact_FullName:
- Lindsey
- Contact_Email:
- lindslie@mediaone.net
- Contact_FullName:
- Brenda
- Contact_Email:
- bhills56@aol.com
- Contact_FullName:
- Mary
- Contact_Email:
- rdiller@bright.net
- Contact_FullName:
- Jane
- Contact_Email:
- daycaredva@aol.com
- Name:
- Teri
- Email:
- teri123@yahoo.com
- Name:
- Teri
- Email:
- teri123@YAHOO.COM
- Name:
- val solomon
- Email:
- valette@usa.net
- Name:
- Kim
- Email:
- K7224@aol.com
Date: 1-8-00
During a Christmas circle time I asked the children to pretend to be different size Christmas trees. With hands together pointing high above their heads, they are big Christmas trees. Bending at the knees and slightly stooping, they are medium sized trees. Squatting down to the floor, they are little Christmas trees. I varied the speed and order as I called out the different sizes.
12-22-99
A fun Holiday Game - 12 children can play
Pass the tootsies (Tootsie Rolls) Have the children sit in a circle formation. First explain to the group that we are going to be passing 2 tootsie roll around the circle and please know stopping. Practice first with out the candy. Now pick one child to start passing the 2 tootsies and play some fun Christmas music. Now stop the music and whoever is holding the candy should find a friend to give one to and say Merry Christmas and he/she gets to eat one to. Now get 2 more tootsies and start the game again until everyone has had a turn. Teaches patience , friendship , and sharing and of course fun.
Date: 12-21-99
Mistle Toe
2 Mistle toe made from construction paper or a silk one from a hobby store, Christmas music
Children sit in a circle (like hot potato). Children pass around the two mistletoe while music is playing. When music stops, the two children with the mistletoe stand up and blow each other a kiss. (Being that when standing under a mistletoe, a person needs a kiss.)
Date: 12-21-99
We played a little twist on duck duck goose...Santa, Santa, Reindeer. The children sit in a circle and the person who is "it" walks around the outside of the circle and touches the heads/shoulders of the children in the circle, saying "Santa" watch time they touch a child. When the person who is "it" gets to the child they wish to choose they say "reindeer" instead of Santa and that is their cue to chase the person who is "it" around the circle to the empty spot. Continue the game until all of the children have had a turn. We don't do anything if the child gets "caught" by the reindeer to prevent tears and the win/lose situation. The children loved this and quickly caught on.
Date: 12-17-99
Here is a great idea for outside play! Turn a simple game of "red light green light" into a chase to get to Santa! I had Elf hats for each child to wear and I wore a Santa hat as I said red light or green light. The kids will love racing to get to Santa (me) first! To make everyone feel like a winner at the end of the game, give the kids a prize! I gave out a little chocolate Santa, but anything will do! Have fun!!
Date: 12-15-99
We play a fun game with jingle bells in the weeks before Christmas. I take bells and attach them to a little piece of elastic string, anything will do. I then lay out a flat bed sheet and have them put their bells in the center of the sheet. We then pick up the sheet with everyone holding on and working together. We sing Jingle Bells as we gently roll the bells around. On the second "hey" at the end of the song we lift high and the bells go sailing (sometimes to a low ceiling). They love this and ask for it daily.
12-6-99
Take inexpensive Christmas bows and spread them around your classroom during center time or large motor time. Instruct the children not to step on the bows. Great for eye foot coordination.
Daylene
daylene@perpetualpreschool.com
12-4-99
Pic-N-Save or MacFrugals have these great plastic candy holders in different shapes for only .29 Cents. They look like Christmas ornaments, except that you can pull the apart and put candy in them.
Here is what I did with them. I bought 20 of these candy holders in different shapes and colors. I took them all apart and put them in my sensory table. The children had to match either the shape OR the color to put them back together. This is a great game for fine motor skills, colors, and shape recognition.
idea
Cut Christmas tree shapes from Green felt. Cut several different shapes, sizes and types of tree ornaments also from felt. I used squares for packages, wreaths, bells, etc. Decorate with puff paint, glitter etc. Then have children either roll dice, spin a spinner or draw cards to determine how many shapes they will put on the tree. You can refine by using cards that say 3 packages or 2 wreaths etc. I have little ones so my dice is one, two, three only. For very little ones decorating the tree with out the dice is okay and just as much fun.
Date: 11-27-99
Date: 1-7-99
During January we focus on literature for the entire month. To get the children and parents excited about reading at home I have a reading incentive program. I sent home 10 circles representing snowballs. After the children listens to a story at home the parents writes the title and author and the child's name. Then they bring it to school. They earn one piece of snowman for each snowball brought in. Each child is trying to build their own snowman. At the end of the month all of the children will receive a free book and book mark as a prize. I then take all the individual snowballs and put them on the bulletin board. If we get enough snowballs to build a large class snowman we will celebrate all of our reading with a pizza party. The title of my bulletin board is FROSTY IS GROWING WITH GOOD BOOKS. The last day of the month we have a Book Character Dress Up Day. All the children come to school dressed as their favorite book character. We have a fun time parading around the school and trying to guess who everyone is dressed as.
Date: 1-7-99
During the holidays I took three Christmas cookie cutters and traced the shapes onto a piece of art foam. Then I cut the shapes out. The children had to match the "cookie" cutout to the matching place in the large piece of foam. Then they used a rolling pin to pretend to be making cookies. When they matched the cookie cutter to the shape they could "cut" a cookie and place it on a baking sheet. Lots of fun and the children practiced matching skills as well.
Date: 12-6-98
GINGERBREAD MAN ESCAPE!
I pre-bake one gingerbread man for each child. (I use refrigerated sugar cookie dough to save time.) In the morning I read "The Little Gingerbread Man". Then the children Ice and decorate the cookies. We put the cookies on a foil lined cookies sheet. The children go with me down to the oven to pop the cookies in the oven. ( I know what your thinking, but I teach 3's and 4's, and in 10 years no child has ever caught on to the fact that they've been baked already, or that the oven is cold!) We make a big deal out of closing the oven door VERY tightly! Then we go back to our room and, while I do group time, the other teacher takes the cookies to another part of the building. She sets them upright on a bench, lined with a strip of paper towel. She also delivers notes to other teachers in the building. The notes are part of a scavenger hunt (the first note goes in the oven on the empty cookie tray. All the notes start with the familiar line from the Book; "Run and run as fast as you can, You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!" Then the note might say; "I got bored in the oven, I could not wait. If you want to find me, ask Mrs. Tate!" Off we go to Mrs. Tates room! She has the next note. We follow the leads until we find the little guys!
As a language extender, we write down the children's answer to the the question; "How did those gingerbread men get out of that oven!?!" Their answers are hysterical! The kids talk about this activity all year long!
Date: 12-6-98
Draw a large Christmas tree on the pavement with sidewalk chalk. Draw several round Christmas ornaments on the tree. Put a number or letter inside each ornament. Children take turns throwing a beanbag from 3-4 feet away into one of the circle ornaments and identifying the number or letter.
11-21-98
Name: Jenny
E-Mail: JMH2133@aol.com
Cut a large Christmas Tree shape from green paper. Mine is about 2 ft high. Laminate the
tree or cover it with contact. Using a permanent marker, trace Christmas shapes such as a
star, a bell, a candy cane, etc, on to the tree for ornaments. Trace these same shapes on
to fun foam and cut them out. Apply self stick Velcro to the backs of the foam shapes and
to the shapes on the tree. Hang the tree in you room and let the children decorate it by
matching the shapes. Permanent marker can be removed from laminated surfaces with Scrub
Free or Bon Ami. The tree can be reprogrammed to match shapes, colors or whatever you wish.
Name: EKCC@aol.com
A game that we (a three yr. old preschool class) have had fun with during our "winter weather/snow" unit was called "Pass the Snow Ball." We used an oversized white pom-pom as our snow ball. The children all sat in a circle quite close together. At first, we practiced passing the "snow ball" to each other keeping our hands behind our backs. Then I sat outside the circle on a chair and closed and covered (no peeking!) my eyes. When I was ready to open my eyes and guess who was holding the snowball, I told the children so they could all be sure to have their hands behind their backs, making it more difficult for me to guess. After I guessed who was holding the snow ball, that person became the "guesser" and the game went on from there.
Name: Barbara E-Mail: bcoffman@mindspring.com
I tell the children the poem, "Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat. Please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do. If you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you" I make a stove pipe hat from poster board and leave the top open and the children pitch pennies into the hat.
Name: Staci E-Mail: sbridges1@capecod.net
Put wrapping paper into the blocks area with tape, bows, ribbons etc. The children can wrap up small and large blocks like presents.
Name: Staci E-Mail: sbridges1@capecod.net
Turn the dramatic play area into a post office. Since so many cards and packages are sent during the month of December this would be a great way for the kids to role play. Don't forget to include stamps, envelopes, markers, pens, stamps and stamp pads, phone book, scale for weighing packages, phones, tape. Turn the block area into a wrapping station where they can package boxes to be mailed. Use a large box-painted and a hole cut into it for a mail box. Make sure to include a canvas tote for a mail bag.
Name: ginny E-Mail: Msginnyedu@aol.com
Holiday Matching Game
Take a cardboard egg carton, closed up, turn upside down and spray paint it gold ( or red, green or silver). Cut slits in each egg cup.
Make matching sets of six holiday shapes; I used Santa's from the Ellison die cuts, six colors, 2 of each. Laminate, tape to a tongue depressor. The children find the matching pairs and insert them into the egg carton holder. We sing a song using the "Brown Bear" sequencing, ie. Red Santa, Red Santa, who do you see? I see a Blue Santa looking at me.....continue for all colors used.
You can do this for any symbols you want to use, for any holiday.
Make a "fireplace" on your bulletin board. Buy some cheap Christmas stockings or use long socks and "hang" them on the fireplace.
Before the children arrive at school, place different items in the stockings such as a wad of cotton, a toy car, a block, a balloon filled with water, etc. When the children come to circle time, ask each child to come up to the fireplace and try to guess what it inside the stockings by feeling them. Record the children's responses.
