Perfect for Parent Gifts
Play dough Christmas ornaments are perfect gifts for parents. Here are a few ornaments students can create using the easy, no-bake, play dough recipe provided.
Easy Play Dough Ornaments for Christmas:
- Handprint ornaments - Give each student a handful of play dough of any color. (To save time, if it is already a color, e.g. red, there will be no need to paint it later.) Students use a rolling pin to flatten the play dough. Then, they press a handprint into the dough. Use a straw to poke a hole in the top. Pull a ribbon or yarn through the hole for hanging. An optional design idea is to turn the handprint upside down and to paint the hand green (like a Christmas tree). To add a star use yellow paint -or- after drying dot the top of the tree with glue and sprinkle with glitter.
- Cookie cutter ornaments (optional photo)- Snowmen and angels are perfect for adding a photo of the child after drying and painting. Just cut out and glue the photo where the face is. Stocking shapes are perfect if you would like to add a name (e.g. "Mom" or "Dad"). Simply make the play dough recipe provided. Use the cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. Add little loops before drying toward the top or cut a hole towards the top with the end of a straw, so students can hang their ornaments using ribbon or yarn. Let them dry. Then, paint the ornaments. Glitter can also be glued onto the ornament, if you wish.
- Candy cane ornaments - Make a batch of the play dough. Cut it in half. Leave one half plain (or add glitter to it for extra sparkle). Then, use red food coloring to make the other half red. Give each student a small round ball of both colors. Students roll into balls and then smooth snakes. Then, they twist the play dough snakes around each other from top to bottom. Cut the ends. Make into a candy cane shape. If you have metal loops it will work out nicely to poke the loop into the curved top of the candy cane. That way they will have a hook ready to loop ribbon or yarn through for hanging. Let the ornaments dry. String yarn or ribbon through the loops.
Homemade play dough is very easy to make. The play dough hardens and can be used to make the adorable, one of a kind ornaments explained above.
Play Dough Recipe
Here’s a simple and quick recipe for play dough. The recipe does not require cooking. You can add glitter and food coloring for extra sparkles and colors, or keep it out.
[caption id="attachment_4015" align="alignright" width="298" caption="Glitter play dough is perfect for making crafts. You can also keep it in a plastic bag and re-use it."][/caption]
Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- food coloring
- glitter (optional, sprinkle and add as necessary as you knead dough)
Instructions:
- Mix oil and food color together.
- Add dry mixture.
- Mix until pliable.
- Add the glitter. Mix/knead until glitter is distributed evenly.
- Keep in a plastic bag.
Your students will enjoy creating their own turkeys.
Math
- Students can make colorful patterns on the feathers (e.g. red, orange, brown, red, orange brown.)
- Students create math problems by coloring the feathers. They feathers can be made into addition, multiplication or division math problems (e.g. 3 brown + 3 yellow = 6 or 3 red X 3 brown = 9).
Art
Use as a coloring page to take home. You may like to display the turkeys on the classroom bulletin board. Stapling the coloring pages onto brown or yellow construction paper will create a nice frame around the coloring page. Turkeys in Disguise is also a fun activity.
Thanksgiving Book to Read:
[caption id="attachment_3813" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Clarisa and Eliana's Graham Cracker House"]
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Working with an adult, children will love creating colorful, original houses to put on display during the Christmas holiday season. We've all heard of gingerbread houses. Graham cracker houses are made the same way, yet there is no need to bake gingerbread because the crackers are already made.
Creating these sweet, little houses can become a treasured tradition. Clarisa, mother of 2-year old Eliana, has been making graham cracker houses since she was a child. She and her close childhood friend made the houses every year. Each year, the houses became more intricate and detailed. Clarisa invited my 2-year old daughter and I to her home to start the tradition with our daughters.
This craft may be more appropriate for children at home or in small groups. Of course, it's important to check with parents to ensure that the students don't have any dietary restrictions before getting started.
How to Make the Christmas Graham Cracker House
- Feel free to use any type of candy you like. Pictured here you see the tray for the house, candy, graham crackers and bag of frosting.
Materials:
- Frosting in a zip lock bag.
- Box of graham crackers
- Candy
- Plate, tray or cardboard covered with foil.
Instructions:
- Make the frosting and put it in zip lock bags. (See instructions below.)
- Squeeze the bags of frosting and use the frosting to hold together the sides and roof of the house. You may want to hold the sides in place until the frosting has a minute to dry. Lots of frosting helps the house stay together as it dries.
- Use candy to decorate the houses. Put the candy on the frosting to secure it to the house.
Frosting Ingredients: (Purchase ready-made vanilla frosting, or use the recipe below.)
- 4 cups of confectioners sugar. Add more sugar if needed. We used 6 cups to make it thick.
- 4 egg whites
Frosting Instructions:
- Beat egg whites on high until fluffy.
- Mix in confectioners sugar to make the frosting.
- Add more confectioners sugar if you need to thicken it up. Start with 4 cups and add more if needed.
- Put in a zip lock bag.
- Cut the zip lock bag on the corner, so it can be used to put the frosting on the graham crackers.
Thank you to our friends, Clarisa and Eliana, for teaching us how to make Christmas Graham Cracker Houses.
Your students will learn about science (magnetism), as they play this fun "turkey race" game. It's a great game to keep in your game cabinet, too.
Materials:
- Free "Thanksgiving Turkey Race" template
- Box
- Glue
- 2 paperclips (1 per game piece. Two players at a time is recommended for this game.)
- Crayons or colored pencils
- 2 strong magnets (One for every game piece. I'd recommend 2 for this scale. Test the Magnets strength before you make the craft. Hold the magnet under a sheet of paper. Set a paperclip on top. Can it easily drag the paperclip? If it is difficult to do you may need a stronger magnet. The turkey game piece will be taped to the paperclip, so it needs to have a strong magnetic pull.)
Instructions:
Game Pieces
- Color and cut out the turkey game piece template.
- Fold the game pieces in half and tape at the bottom.
- Tape or clip a paperclip under each turkey.
Farm Race Track
- Color the farm race track.
- Cut a 7.5 X 10 inch hole in the box.
- Glue the farm race track template over the hole in the box along the edges & let it dry completely.
Game Instructions:
- Set your turkey game piece on the starting line.
- Put your magnet underneath the turkey.
- Test out the magnet to make sure the paperclip and magnet have a strong magnetic pull. Make any needed adjustments. Make sure your friend is all ready to go, too. (warm-up)
- Say, "On your mark. Get set. Go!"
- Pull your turkey towards the finish line using the magnet underneath the paper.
- The first turkey to reach the finish line wins!
Here's a reference list for quick and easy lesson plan ideas this week!
Take a peak under each heading for free lesson plans and printable templates.
Language Arts & Writers' Workshop:
Math:
- Scarecrow Math - Free printable. All elementary grades can enjoy this lesson. Teaches addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
- Pumpkin Patrol Math - You'll need a pumpkin for this one.
Science:
Crafts:
Poems & Songs
Online Games for the Computer Lab:
More Surprises This Week:
We add more each week, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back soon.
Why Create Classroom Memory Books
Many teachers create classroom memory books. When I taught Kindergarten & 2nd grade I compiled special photos and activities the students had worked on during the year. On the last day of school the students brought home the Memory Books. It was a special way for me to say "good bye" and give my children a memorable gift. The parents loved the books, too.
Memory Books can encourage reading over the summer. It's helpful to include a few summer activities for the students, too. All of the activities I share here are free and printable. We've just started, so there's time to jump in and start creating the Memory Book. You'll see a few links below, under "What We Have so Far" to help you get started.
Recruit Help
If you are fortunate enough to have volunteer parents it will be a great help to have a few parents sign-up now to help you compile the classroom Memory Books. They can make copies, cut out the templates and trace them onto construction paper. They can also take pictures and develop them for you. It will be helpful & save time to think of a list of jobs. At the end of the year, you will need a parent to bind the books together for you, if possible.
Create a Memory Book File Box
You may choose to get a file box and label a file for each student. As the students complete each activity it can be very helpful to have a teacher's assistant or volunteer parent file the completed work. The teacher's assistant or parent can make sure every child has each activity done. If the child is absent, the teacher's assistant or volunteer parent can help the child finish the project or the child can complete it for homework.
It may be a good idea to keep the Family Tree activity filed separately in a locked cabinet at school. Other parents don't need to see these. The teacher may want to add the Family Tree Craft right before the Memory Books are passed out on the last day. If the tree is small enough a blank page can be added while binding the books, so you can later glue the trees to the blank page, or you can return them in a sealed manila envelope.
List of Free Templates & Activities to Include in the Memory Books
This list is being created for you now. You will see posts under "Classroom Crafting with Carol". In the craft post, you will know that it is for the Memory Book when you see this symbol.
Each time I post a new activity I'll continue add it to this list. If you bookmark this post on your browser you can stay up-dated on all the free templates & activities to include in the Memory Books.
What We Have So Far
(This list only includes what we have done so far. You will continue to see this list grow as the year progresses.)
- Stars from the "Star Student" Bulletin Board (Each child's star will be glued onto the Memory Book cover.)
- Jack-O'-Lantern Photo Frame (Insert a picture from an Autumn field trip, such as the pumpkin patch or the child wearing his/her costume.)
- My Favorite Things Book
Share Your Memory Book Ideas
Share any Memory Book ideas you have in the comments section below and check bask soon. This list will grow quickly.
