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Christmas Center Ideas
- Thread starter Emily
- Start date
kyteacher1
Senior Member
christmas centers
I've been trying to think of some lately too. I'm afraid mine arent all that creative but I will probably have a word zone center with the word christmas written on a sentence strip then I will cut the letters apart and they have to make as many words as they can ( I always put the color the vowels red to make it easier). I will probably have a tip sheet to help them. OH goodness - my power is flickering. Big storm coming - I will think about this some more and get back with you.
I've been trying to think of some lately too. I'm afraid mine arent all that creative but I will probably have a word zone center with the word christmas written on a sentence strip then I will cut the letters apart and they have to make as many words as they can ( I always put the color the vowels red to make it easier). I will probably have a tip sheet to help them. OH goodness - my power is flickering. Big storm coming - I will think about this some more and get back with you.
E
Emme
Guest
Christmas Centres
All of my students can participate in Christmas Centres this year too. I've been doing them and adapting them for several years...
I have one idea where they choose a Christmas item (like a candy cane, a star, a gift etc) to draw on the computer, and they write 3 clues for the item. We put their computer picture inside a folded card covered with Christmas paper, and they read the 3 clues and let their classmates guess what they drew. Those who don't celebrate do clues about winter...mittens, snowflakes, snowman, and don't feel left out.
Another thing we do is listen to a Christmas story on tape, and then sequence 6 pictures I photocopied from the story. We print under these pictures the words "first, next, then, and, later, finally" to introduce that vocab for the new year. You'd need a standby story about winter for those who can't do Christmas.
We also make a reindeer out of a brown triangle of paper, trace hands on tan paper to glue on for antlers and add eyes, mouth and pompom nose. Fold down 2 corners for ears. There's paper on the back of this head, where they write facts about reindeer that they make up....what they eat, what they do for fun, how they move, the sounds they make...these questions were brainstormed and listed before centres started. You can change paper colors and adapt this to another horned animal, a moose, elk, caribou, etc.
Another fun activity is to write and illustrate a Christmas counting book. "I knew it was Christmas because I saw..... one angel, two gingerbread men, three wise men...." you get the idea. Vocab was brainstormed earlier and displayed. We expect everyone to get to five, and have extra pages for those who can do more. You can adapt this to signs of winter.
I also give them a recycled Christmas Card which I've trimmed and glued onto colored, lined paper. They write a description of the scene. This wiritng centre is usually at the perfect independent writing level for Grade Ones in December. In January I ask parents to send in their used cards (fronts only) for next year, and I usually get dozens. I keep only the best, and always keep a few that are just winter scenes for those who don't celebrate this holiday.
Hope these ideas help!
All of my students can participate in Christmas Centres this year too. I've been doing them and adapting them for several years...
I have one idea where they choose a Christmas item (like a candy cane, a star, a gift etc) to draw on the computer, and they write 3 clues for the item. We put their computer picture inside a folded card covered with Christmas paper, and they read the 3 clues and let their classmates guess what they drew. Those who don't celebrate do clues about winter...mittens, snowflakes, snowman, and don't feel left out.
Another thing we do is listen to a Christmas story on tape, and then sequence 6 pictures I photocopied from the story. We print under these pictures the words "first, next, then, and, later, finally" to introduce that vocab for the new year. You'd need a standby story about winter for those who can't do Christmas.
We also make a reindeer out of a brown triangle of paper, trace hands on tan paper to glue on for antlers and add eyes, mouth and pompom nose. Fold down 2 corners for ears. There's paper on the back of this head, where they write facts about reindeer that they make up....what they eat, what they do for fun, how they move, the sounds they make...these questions were brainstormed and listed before centres started. You can change paper colors and adapt this to another horned animal, a moose, elk, caribou, etc.
Another fun activity is to write and illustrate a Christmas counting book. "I knew it was Christmas because I saw..... one angel, two gingerbread men, three wise men...." you get the idea. Vocab was brainstormed earlier and displayed. We expect everyone to get to five, and have extra pages for those who can do more. You can adapt this to signs of winter.
I also give them a recycled Christmas Card which I've trimmed and glued onto colored, lined paper. They write a description of the scene. This wiritng centre is usually at the perfect independent writing level for Grade Ones in December. In January I ask parents to send in their used cards (fronts only) for next year, and I usually get dozens. I keep only the best, and always keep a few that are just winter scenes for those who don't celebrate this holiday.
Hope these ideas help!
H
hdsmith
Guest
Christmas
Is holidays around the world not a part of your curriculum? I know we do christmas, hanukah, and qwanza. Each get a week of instruction during the month of December. We send notes home to let the parents know that although they may not celebrate we are not forcing any beliefs on the students. We are merely introducing them to other cultures, beliefs, and practices. I however do not have any students that do not celebrate Christmas.
Is holidays around the world not a part of your curriculum? I know we do christmas, hanukah, and qwanza. Each get a week of instruction during the month of December. We send notes home to let the parents know that although they may not celebrate we are not forcing any beliefs on the students. We are merely introducing them to other cultures, beliefs, and practices. I however do not have any students that do not celebrate Christmas.
I teach K, but some you might be able to use. Some of my centers will be:
1)Santa Sounds- I use a santa notepad and on his hat I write the letter and on his beard I glue a picture of something that starts with that letter, I cut them in half and they match the beginning sound to the picture.
2)Take Home book- Christmas, Christmas what do you see?, on the first page "I see a gree wreath looking at me", and so on we read it together and they draw the thing, for grade one they could write the things they say and draw.
3)Decorate Gingerbread men (cardboard cut outs) with glitter clue, ribbon buttons ect.. then they write about it "My gingerbread man_______________." (this is two centers the first day the group does the art project the second day the writing)
Oh will come back baby is awake.
1)Santa Sounds- I use a santa notepad and on his hat I write the letter and on his beard I glue a picture of something that starts with that letter, I cut them in half and they match the beginning sound to the picture.
2)Take Home book- Christmas, Christmas what do you see?, on the first page "I see a gree wreath looking at me", and so on we read it together and they draw the thing, for grade one they could write the things they say and draw.
3)Decorate Gingerbread men (cardboard cut outs) with glitter clue, ribbon buttons ect.. then they write about it "My gingerbread man_______________." (this is two centers the first day the group does the art project the second day the writing)
Oh will come back baby is awake.
F
firstgrteach
Guest
Even though, everyone doesn't celebrate Christmas, it is still our job to teach the Standard Course of Study which states that students learn the reasons for celebrating holidays of diverse cultures.