Christmas in Bethlehem

Learning goal: Jesus was born in Bethlehem long, long ago.

• Reading= Little Porcupine’s Christmas by Joseph Slate, God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa T. Bergren and This Is the Season: Beloved of the Year by Simon Dewey. Letter of the day= J is for Jesus.
• Science= Look at pictures from the day you were born. Talk about the care a baby needs as you discuss a collection of baby items. (Place items in a bag and use your hands to guess what they are.) Wrap a baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and prepare a soft manger for him to sleep in.
• Art= Create a model of the city of Bethlehem by decorating 2-D gingerbread houses. For inspiration, locate Bethlehem on a map and describe how Bethlehem might have looked on the night Jesus was born. Show a variety of fine art depicting the holy family (e.g., Raphael’s Madonna and Child).
• Play= Remove pieces from a nativity one-by-one and allow children to guess which item is missing. Or, dress up like wise men or shepherds and search for a hidden baby Jesus. Sing "Away in a Manger" softly then louder as the seeker gets closer to the hiding place.
  

Santa’s Five Senses

Learning Goal: We have five senses to help us learn and play.

• Reading= Santa’s Suit by Kate Lee, I Smell Christmas by Mercer Mayer and Santa Claus: The World’s Number One Toy Expert by Marla Frazee. Number of the day= 5
  
• Science= Set up stations representing the five senses in different rooms of the house (see ideas below). Introduce the senses as you make dice having pictures of a nose, ear, hand, eye, tongue and a heart (to represent intangibles like love and generosity). Roll die to determine which station you go to first and so on. When you roll a heart, hug someone you love and wish them a merry Christmas.
  
• Art= Decorate your own wrapping paper. Put paper in the bottom of a box. Add textured balls dipped in paint. Tilt the box to roll the balls across the paper and make a pattern. Or, cut out a gingerbread man from sandpaper. Dress him up like Santa Claus using a variety of textured materials (velvet, felt, cotton, pom-poms, foil, leather or plastic-wrapped black paper). Try rubbing a cinnamon stick over the sandpaper to add scent.
  
• Play= Visit the five senses stations. 1) Hands guess objects hidden in a long sock or stocking. 2) Eyes go on a “reflection” walk (e.g., mirrors, silver spoons, water, a pizza cutter, a bell, ornaments, the stove). 3) Ears play hide-and-seek. The hidden person rings a bell to help seekers locate her. 4) Nose guesses Christmas smells while blindfolded. 5) Tongue tastes ingredients as you bake Christmas fudge (e.g. salt, sugar, lemon juice, unsweetened chocolate).

Reindeer Games

Learning goal: The world has many different environments. The south and north pole are very cold all year long.

• Reading= Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Eileen Daly, How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky and The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Letter of the day= R is for reindeer.
• Science= Show where the north and south poles are on a globe. Explain that these places are very cold; they have snow and ice all year long. What kind of animals can live here? Use photographs to talk about the adaptations of arctic animals (e.g., reindeer, penguin, polar bear and seal).
• Art= Make reindeer hats, jingle bell bracelets or thumbprint reindeer. Thumbprint reindeer can be done on a slice of wood from your Christmas tree trunk and hung as a keepsake ornament.
• Music= Listen to your favorite version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and sing along!
• Play= Pretend to be different arctic animals using simple props and play hide-and-seek. Or, pull children on a blanket around the house and pretend to go on a sleigh ride.