1-2-3 Come Make An Educational Santa Craft With Me
Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas” is said to be one of the most famous American poems ever written.
Because of its popularity, easy cadence, rhyming words, and the fact that the poem is packed with over 60 Dolch sight words, I wanted to design a craftivity to incorporate into our reading activities, while covering the poetry genre and practicing the “sequencing & retelling” a story standards.
I came up with this “flip-the-flap” Santa booklet.
Children color, cut & sequence the “beard” pages, then glue their top tab to the base, adding Santa’s face as the “cover”.
To retell the story, they flip his beard up to reveal the graphics, which prompt them to explain what’s happening.
For some extra 3D pizzazz and to help strengthen finger muscles, have children pull several cotton balls apart, brush Elmer's glue on the brim of Santa's hat, then press on the "fur".
A large white pom pom glued to the tip adds the finisheing touch.
While working on the sequencing booklet, I thought teachers could also use the pattern for a variety of other things.
So I tweaked the templates and included patterns for:
* A “Ho Ho Ho-ping you have a Merry Christmas” card.
Older students can compose, then write a letter to the recipient on the back.
* A “Dear Santa” letter with a twist.
Instead of having children write the usual “I’d like a …….” have students ask Santa to bring a specific gift to a special person in their life, then explain why.
For example: “Dear Santa, could you please bring a pair of boots for my baby brother Fred, so he can play outside in the snow with me. Love, Ean” and finally,
* Blank patterns so that you can make a flip the flap booklet for another Santa story, or to use as a creative writing prompt of your choice.
Completed projects make a cute bulletin board or hallway display.
Also included in the packet are:
* A photo-poster of Clement Moore,
* Background information on the poem, and
* A copy of the story-poem, which you can read together as a whole group; calling on children to take turns reading a stanza. There's also
* An “alphabetize Santa’s reindeer” worksheet.
Today's featured FREEBIE is "Snowman Name Stackers".
I like to do some sort of January craftivity, before Christmas break, so that we don't come back to a bare-looking hallway.
Since we do a big snowman theme, my kiddos enjoy making a Snowman Name Stacker.
They are a quick, easy and fun decoration for your students' lockers, or as a wall display.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.
I am literally "dashing through December" with more fun-filled activities and committments to attend than ever before.
I have to keep in mind, that it's important to savor the journey of getting things accomplished, and not just the accomplishment.
Wishing you lots of warm and cozy moments.
"He who has not Christmas in his heart, will never find it under the tree." -Roy L. Smith
