Literacy First™ December Parent Ideas
Happy December!
This month we are going to be doing some exciting activities at school, and we want you to be a part of the fun! This month’s theme is WINTER, HOLIDAYS, WEATHER, CLOTHING, AND CHRISTMAS, so your child will be hearing new stories about seasons, appropriate clothing for the weather, holidays, traditions, and more. Through a variety of classroom activities, your child will learn how to cooperate, share, give to others, manners, and other important social skills.
You can extend the learning at home with a few simple and fun activities. Check out the PARENT IDEAS for some ways you can engage with your child at home. Make it fun!
Decorate: Have children help decorate your home for the holiday. Encourage them to help hang lights, decorate the tree, countdown to Christmas on the calendar, and display greeting cards. Help children make paper chains, hang garland, ribbon, and mistletoe.
Christmas Cookies: Have children help make Christmas Cookies. Choose a favorite kind and make it a tradition each year. Encourage them to measure, mix, use cookie cutters, or decorate the cookies with sprinkles. Children can help in many ways with your guidance and supervision.
Christmas Movies: Show classics like Charlie Brown’s Christmas, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and so on.
Snowball Fight: Have an indoor snowball fight with giant marshmallows or rolled up socks.
Snow Fort: Build an indoor snow fort with white sheets and pillows. Read stories or tell stories in the fort.
Seasonal Songs: Break out the old Christmas favorites like White Christmas or Jingle Bells. Add in some modern favorites like, 'All I Need Is Love' by Cee Lo Green featuring The Muppets, or This Christmas (Christina Aguilera.)
Snow Shakes: In a blender, mix 4 scoops of peppermint ice cream and 2 cups of milk. Blend and serve for a cold, minty treat! Try gingerbread or plain vanilla, too.
Play Outside: Take a nature walk. Observe what’s different during the winter months. Look for animals, snow, or icicles. Play in the snow! Make snow angels, have snow races, build a fort, make tracks in the snow, go sledding, skating, take a sleigh ride, or have a snowball fight.
Spread Good Cheer: Help feed the poor at a shelter’s Christmas dinner service. Have children help collect canned food to donate or have them make/sign cards for lonely neighbors. Encourage children to pick out some toys or books to donate to a needy family. Purchase animal food or toys to take to a local pet shelter. Send cards to troops overseas. Who does your child want to help?
Read these other books about weather, winter, clothing, and Christmas:
