The whirlwind month of December has come, and we better fasten our seat belts because it's going to go fast! This time of year is both magical and frustrating to children. For all the wonderful things that go on in December it can feel very frustrating to a child to be dragged and pulled to different destinations and events throughout the busy schedule that makes up most family's holiday season. Sometimes this causes unwanted behavior that can leave a parent scratching their head. During these holiday times try to include your child/children in decision-making whenever you can. Give them small jobs that help out the family and include them in the festivities. Invite them to help decorate the house. Find a small tree they can decorate themselves. Let them place bows or tags on gifts, or help with any correspondence your family might do. Let them put stamps on and/or seal envelopes and make an outing to the post office to let the child drop the letters into the drop box. These are just some ideas. Get them involved and you will see fewer problems with behavior. And don't forget to get outside!!
This month we will be making gifts for our families, painting rocket ships, learning about the moon and its phases, singing new songs, talking about mammals, amphibians, and birds, and making gingerbread men/women. It is going to be a busy and delightful few weeks. We will go to space in the dramatic playroom and it is not uncommon to hear, "3...2...1...BLAST OFF!" at full tilt for the duration. So much fun ensues...
Monday, Dec. 3: We will start our holiday gifts for our families today. I can't tell you what it is. ;) We will paint rocket ships and start talking about amphibians and their characteristics.
Wednesday, Dec. 5: 3s~We will start making gifts for our families today. We'll talk about rocket ships and paint one. 4s~Today we will paint a different rocket ship that we will decorate on Friday. We will continue work on our gifts, and we will learn about birds and their characteristics.
Friday, Dec. 7: 3s~We will make cards for the family gifts. We will decorate our space ship from Wednesday. 4s~See above. Also we will talk about mammals and their characteristics. One child will take home the class beaver named Castor. They will spend the weekend with him and record their adventures in the journal that accompanies Castor. This will be a year-long venture in which each child will get a chance to take Castor and enjoy his visit. Each family will be responsible for recording their visit and entering a fun fact about beavers. Super fun.
Monday, Dec. 10: We will start a project today that allows us to study the moon and its phases and learn a great story as well. The book we will read is Papa Please Get the Moon For Me by Eric Carle. We will read the story all week in anticipation that the children will be able to tell the story themselves. They will make a story board that will be started today and worked on all week. They will bring it home at the end of the month with directions to tell their family the story. Watch for it...it is one of my favorite activities throughout the school year.
Wednesday, Dec. 12: 3s~Today we will learn a song about a man called Aikendrum who lives in the moon. We will fingerpaint to make his face. We will sing the song all week so you might be hearing it. We will wrap gifts for families. 4s~We will make a ladder for our story board and paint a "papa" as well. We'll wrap gifts to get them ready to send home.
Friday, Dec. 14: 3s~Today we will celebrate the end of our moon unit. We'll bead moon/space necklaces and make yummy moon cakes! We will finish up our picture of Aikendrum and we'll send home the children's family gift. 4s~We will finish up our Papa project and tell the story together at meeting. We will make necklaces with space objects and eat moon cakes at snack time. The children will come home with a family gift.
Monday, Dec. 17: We will move away from space in the classroom (the dramatic playroom will still be open for business), and start talking about the Christmas season and gingerbreads. We'll read many stories about gingerbread, in particular stories written by Jan Brett. We will make gingerbread depictions and paint gingerbreads pictures. We'll use gingerbread pictures to measure items in our classroom to discover just how tall things are in gingerbread size.
Wednesday, Dec. 19: 3s~We will make gingerbread necklaces today and decorate gingerbread pictures. We'll mix the dough for real gingerbread cookies that we will bake and eat on Friday. We'll start a picture of a reindeer to send home with a special surprise on Friday. 4s~We will decorate gingerbread pictures, mix dough for gingerbread cookies, and paint a tree.
Friday, Dec. 21: 3~Today we will glue eyes and noses on our reindeer from Wednesday. We'll send the reindeer home with a special package of magic. :) We will cut out and bake the gingerbreads we made on Wednesday. There will be a small celebration (starting at 11 a.m.) with our gingerbreads and I will read a short holiday story and send the children home with a small gift from me. Happy Holidays! Enjoy your break. 4s~Today we will cut out the dough we made on Wednesday and bake it. We'll decorate the tree we painted, and we'll bead gingerbread necklaces. We'll have a short celebration (starting at 3 p.m.) to decorate and eat our cookies. I'll have a special story to read and a small gift to send home. Have a great holiday season. Enjoy your break from school! See you on January 7, 2013!
I don't mean to nag, but please don't forget to get outside during this month. The rains have made it difficult lately, but it is so important for the children to have lots of fresh air and running around time. It will keep them happy and you sane. Make sure to schedule at least one day a week to be out running with your child/children. Make them a part of your weekly itinerary. A quick trip to the park before you go grocery shopping can keep frustration at bay. It is very easy to make small bird feeders to hang outside your child's window to keep them interested in the out-of-doors and instill a stewardship to the Earth. Bake a batch of cookies and take them to a shut-in or special friend in your neighborhood. Walk to the library and play at the park. Try to find easy ways to keep your child's mind learning and stretching. Have fun!! I wish you the very best Holiday Season and hope that you stay safe in your travels.
Peace to you and yours,
~Anne.
