Can I please just start by saying what a pain in the *you-know-what* it is to upload pictures!? They all uploaded sideways and after 10 minutes 25 minutes of 'google-ing' how to straighten them I finally got it right! Ugh!
So I know I'm a little late sharing these ideas but hopefully you'll find some inspiration and tuck it away until next year! *Super sad that I have to wait a WHOLE year to do these adorable activities!*
I got lots of inspiration from various pinterest & blogs I follow and tweaked their ideas to make them my own & to make them work for my littles.
We started the month off with a countdown idea that I found on pinterest. We counted down the days until break rather than how many days until Christmas day. Each day we tippy-toed into the hallway to cut a piece of Santa's beard off. It was so fun!
We then made our stockings to hang by the window with care! They were amazed that you could write their name with glue, cover it with a pile of glitter, and shake it off to find it all sparkly and new! We had the "12 Days of Stockings" the last 12 days before break. The kids could bring in 15 28 (yes, I have 28 itty bitties in an even itty-bittier classroom!) small somethings to stuff in everyone stockings. They just LOVED playing the role of Santa!
We made these adorable reindeer during our week long study of Rudolph & his friends. The kids LOVED making these and they turned out so stinkin' cute. Here's the glyph pack that you can get from First Grade Blue Skies.
We also made these adorable Santa craftivities that I found here on pinterest! Once again I slacked on the picture taking but they were very similar to this!
I have such a HUGE tiny room that I don't even have the room to put up a Christmas Tree :( Makes me so sad. So I add.libbed. The kids were jumping out of their seats waiting to open up their presents from me. *Everyone got an ornament and a book*
The kiddos also hand-made an ornament to give to someone special in their lives. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. *I'm embarrassed to say that my mom has my sample hanging on her tree with all of the other ornaments I made as a kid!... so sweet!* They loved every minute of making these little gems and were even more excited to give them away! I kept having a brain-fart and failed to get pictures as we went along & after the kids wrapped them. Here's one picture of the final product!
The last day of school before break, all of 1st and 2nd grade went caroling around town. We sang at the public library, a local church, and at Central Park on a ginormous stage! They felt like such super-stars. When we got back one of the most amazing the most amazing and helpful mom came in a spooned out our delicious crock pot hot cocoa & whipped cream and set cookies on everyone desk to warm us up before the school-wide sing along. She really is the best! **Funny story... it was so WARM that day, that by the time we trudged back to school and got in the class, everyone was H-O-T! It was still delicious!
And last but not least.... my FAVORITE day of the month was by far Grinch Day! So many blogs had adorable ideas and I kind of mushed them all together to make my own. The celebration was so calm and collected hectic that I didn't manage to get all the pics I would have liked to have :( But here are a few...
We came up with a zillion adjectives to describe the Grinch. We then listened to the Grinch Song and added even more! We then came up with our own similes to describe the Grinch.
I made these cute bookmarks for the kids & gave them to them during Daily 5. They LOVE bookmarks and were super excited about them!
We made this delicious Ginchy Green Punch which I found on Pinterest. Check it out!!
We also did a writing activity "I feel like a Grinch when...". These were so dang cute and I'm sad I don't have a pic to share :( Firsties come up with the darnedest things!
Thanks for stopping by!! Check back for some awesome New Year's activities and other things we did our first week 2 days back to school! :) Back to relaxing on this wonderful, lazy, Sunday!!