Search results matching tags 'christmas' and 'holidays'

Sip a Virtual Hot Chocolate

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:00:00 GMT

A rainy evening calls for hot chocolate...virtual style.

This game lets you customize your hot chocolate style even down to your accessories, hair color, cap and more. Give it a try.

Drawing Christmas

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:51:00 GMT

We drew holiday scenes today. The basic designs were from a directed step by step drawing book called Drawing Christmas, but I was surprised about the unique details students added on their own.

The tree in this picture was the only item that was copied from the book. The rest of the details was talent a la my student. I love her staircase and lamp.

Provide Coloring Comfort: Holiday Service Blog Hop

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:12:00 GMT

These items cost less than $25.00

I am honored to be part of a special Blog Hop: A Season of Giving: 31 Days of Service. It is important to teach young children to do service and develop compassion and kindness towards others. During this rushed season of shopping frenzy, do you wonder if there is a way to feel more gratitude and peace? Doing service will bring you a feeling of contentment and enrichment. You will feel connected to others of similar spirits and understand the true meaning of Christmas.

For this service project, coloring books and drawing pads were purchased at the dollar store. I had already purchased crayons and notebooks when they were reduced to $.20 during the summer back-to-school shopping price. These items will be donated to the Department of Human Services which gives them to a counseling center and to a shelter for abused women and children.

A quart jar holds around $100 or more

We have a coin jar and throw our extra change in it during the year. It holds around $100 to $150. We like to use this money to help someone who needs something and perform Random Acts of Kindness. My grandson Sammy loves putting coins in the piggy bank which is good for fine motor skills /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} and for the soul.

Young Children Can Be Taught to Save & Give

Coloring is soothing. It will give children something to do while they wait for services, or let them know that someone cares during times of stress and disruption.

This is part of A Season of Giving: 31 Days of Service Blog Hop. We'd love it if you'd take the time to look at the Mom It Forward.com free eBook on the link. Mom It Forward has made an entire calendar devoted to service projects. It has beautiful photos, ideas and quotes to inspire others to work together for the benefit of those who need a little extra help this year.

My wish for you is that you have a wonderful Merry Christmas and feel the joy that can be found in service.

"He who lives only unto himself withers and dies, while he who
forgets himself in the service of others grows and blossoms
in this life and in eternity." ~ Gordon B. Hinkley

Related Posts:

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Would you like a glimpse into Kindergarten or ways to save your sanity with preschoolers? The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both have been number 1 bestsellers on Amazon and make helpful gifts for parents and teachers.

What service ideas do you have for young children?

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8 Parenting Tips for Happier Holidays with Young Children

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 11:00:00 GMT

It's time once again to begin preparing for the holidays and gearing up for family, fun, and festivals. The kids will be getting excited and home for school vacation. Here are eight tips for ensuring a happier holiday season.

TIP # 1: Good Behavior in Someone Else's Home

At some point prior to arriving at someone else's home for a holiday party, get to your child's eye level and go over the rules for being at the party. You may even ask them to explain the rules to you and don't be surprised if they already know. Throughout the event, acknowledge them every time you witness the behavior you want. If their behavior has been a problem in the past, tell them there will be a consequence to bad behavior and that consequence will be leaving the party. If you choose this option, be ready to implement it immediately, and don't punish them. The punishment is the departure itself and your complete silence on the drive home.

TIP # 2: Reduce the Toys and Gifts

A few weeks before the holiday season arrives, allow your child to lead an activity to thin out the usable toys and clothes they already have and then donate them to a local charity. Let your child have as much participation in the process, especially the delivery to the donation center. Commit to buying your children less toys. Too many can create visual chaos and excess stimulation, and certainly do not teach crucial lessons of moderation and limits.

TIP # 3: Take Care of Yourself

When you become stressed over the holidays, your appearance of being frantic and frazzled will be felt by the children and they too will begin to simulate it in their own way. Take time out for yourself to recharge your batteries. You need extra rest, exercise, and healthy eating, ingredients for greater self-control and patience.

TIP # 4: Teach Children Gratitude

Make it a priority to get your family involved in a giving exercise this holiday season. Donate your time to volunteer for a charitable organization by wrapping gifts for a gift collection agency, delivering a meal to a shut-in, or serving the hungry at a soup kitchen. This act of compassion will remain with your children for a very long time. During the thanksgiving holiday, my family and I would prepare and deliver a meal to an elderly person living alone. I'll never forget the year we delivered our dinner to an elderly lady who was so grateful for our gift, she cried as we left. My son was silent as we drove away and he had tears welling in his eyes.

TIP # 5: Don't Over Schedule

During the holidays we automatically think about wanting to connect and be with family and friends. But if past holidays have not been fond memories because of over scheduling, reconsider your plans for this year and commit to simplifying the family calendar or take a vacation away from home. This move may require having to say no to some invitations or changing routines. One family we connect with often makes it a point to avoid the holiday rush. They plan plenty of get-togethers throughout the year and then disappear at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas to take cruises, go to Disney, or travel to see family out of state.

TIP # 6: Set Realistic Expectations for the Kids

Let's face it; December can be a stressful month for the kids and stressful or busy times for you. This guarantees that your children are going to behave differently and it will be a challenge getting them to cooperate and remain calm. Clarify your boundaries and rules and be patient when their excitement gets in the way. Remind yourself about the true meaning of the holidays; it's not about having the perfect family. A big mistake parents make is remembering the holidays from their childhood and trying to recreate them today.

TIP # 7: Create the Reverence of New Traditions

Participating in family traditions that were passed down can be fun and exciting, but it can also add to the stress of the holidays when it means having to recreate complex meals, trips, and events that originally belonged to someone else. Take bold steps to create new traditions for your immediate family that will leave lasting impressions, regardless of how simple they might be. When my children were young, we started a new tradition of allowing the kids to open one gift on Christmas Eve. We intentionally gave them new pajamas in this one special gift and they would be the pajamas they would wear to bed that night. Each year after that, I came up with fun and creative ways of disguising the gift to keep them guessing, because they knew what they would find in the packages. Creating new and fun traditions and faithfully celebrating them each year with consistency will teach your children how to do it themselves when they have families of their own.

TIP # 8: Be the Person You Want Your Children to Be

Finally, there is no better way to teach your children how to enjoy the holidays than to demonstrate being the person you want them to be. The most powerful training your children will ever have is the observations they make of your behavior on a daily basis. Work hard to remain calm and loving throughout the holidays. When you find yourself on the threshold of an emotional reaction to someone else's behavior, ask yourself if what you're about to say or do will bring your family closer together, or create more distance. Being close of course, is what the holidays are all about!

Get more help for discipline for small children at http://www.StopTheTantrums.com

Bill Corbett is the author of the award-winning parenting book series, LOVE, LIMITS, & LESSONS: A PARENT'S GUIDE TO RAISING COOPERATIVE KIDS (in English and in Spanish) and the executive producer and host of the public access television show CREATING COOPERATIVE KIDS (http://www.CooperativeKids.com). As a member of the American Psychological Association and the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology, Bill provides parent coaching and keynote presentations to parent and professional audiences across the country. He sits on the board of the Network Against Domestic Abuse, the Resource Advisory Committee for Attachment Parenting International, and the management team of the Springfield Parent Academy. Bill's practical experience comes as a father of 3 grown children, a grandfather of two, and a stepdad to three. You can learn more about his work at http://www.BillCorbett.com and http://www.StopTheTantrums.com.

Take a Peek ....Holiday Tile Gifts

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 17:48:00 GMT

My students make these decorated tiles for their family holiday gift.

I bought the tiles at Home Depot for 16 cents each. In all, it cost me less than $5.00 for a class set.

Then I cut squares of scrapbook paper.

Students picked the design they liked and modge podged it to the tile.

I chose more generic designed paper that could be displayed all year, but you can also use seasonal designs.

Then I sprayed them with a sealant.

This is one of the easiest gifts I've made over the years for both the students and ME!

The finished tile can be put on display or used as a coaster.

Don't forget that I'm having a TPT sale

Logo courtesy of From the Pond

Gift Writing

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:26:00 GMT

My students completed our Gifts of Giving Writing this week.

Their ideas were cute and thoughtful.

"First of all, without moms in my life it would be an awful time because they make your day bright."

This student thought that, "... fire is a good thing because we need it to light up a candle

so we can celebrate birthdays."

I'm having a sale in my TPT store to kick start the holidays...so Merry Everything to my blog followers!

10 Easy Gifts Kids Can Make For Christmas (or Hanukkah)!

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations.

The holiday season has arrived. Parents and teachers everywhere are frantically searching the internet (especially Pinterest!) for fun and easy gift ideas that kids can make for little to no money. Today I'm sharing ten easy ideas that kids can make as simple gifts for the adults in their lives.

1. Cheerio Wreath
Simply thread Cheerios or any other "O" shaped cereal onto a glittery pipe cleaner and twist into a wreath shape. Easy for even the youngest tots, and great fine motor practice is the bonus!

2. Gift Box with Poem
Have your child wrap a small gift box and attach the poem below. One year we wrapped the small pieces of foam left underneath the furniture by the carpet cleaners! It really doesn't matter, since the present is intended to stay unopened. Also a great fine motor exercise for little hands!

I took an ordinary box

As empty as can be I filled it with a special gift

And wrapped it carefully

But please don't ever open it

Just leave the ribbon tied

And hold it tightly near your heart

Because my love for you is inside

3. Footprint Christmas Tree
Paint the child's foot green and print on cardstock. After it dries, add sequins or glitter to embellish. Print the child's name and date and laminate to help preserve the memory longer! If you like, you can add a poem on the back.

4. Handprint Snowmen Ornament
Paint the child's hand and place a solid colored glass ornament in their hand , fingers pointing upwards. After the handprint dries, add details to the snowmen and write the child's name and year on the back with a permanent or paint marker.

5. Recycled CD Snowman Ornament
This one is so easy! Have the kids paint an old cd with white paint. Add googly eyes, sequins, pom poms or paint embellishments to make the snowman's face. Glue a hat shape cut from craft foam to the top!

6. Model Magic Magnet or Ornament
I just LOVE Crayola Model Magic! It is so easy for kids to work with and is a great sensory experience for the kids! Younger kids can use cookie cutters to form a shape, older kids may choose to make their own free form shape. Another great feature of the Model Magic is that you can let the piece dry before painting OR you can paint right away! Either way works!!! Just about any paint will work, from craft paint to tempra to watercolors. The watercolors dry and look quite lovely! Let dry overnight. Add a sturdy stick on magnet to the back or poke a hole with the end of a paintbrush to thread a loop of ribbon.

7. Musical Angel Ornament
I worked at a Christian preschool for several years and made quite a variety of angels over the years, but these Musical Angels that our afterschool kids made these this year to hang on our tree in the lobby is definitely one of my favorites! They photocopied sheet music their favorite Christmas Carols onto cardstock and cut out a large circle. they cut away a slice (about 1/4 of the circle) and folded into a cone shape and stapled it together. They added a small jingle bell to one end of a glittery pipe cleaner and threaded the other end up through the top of the cone. They added a wooden bead onto the pipe cleaner, then folded the rest of the pipe cleaner into a small halo. Any extra length was fashioned into an ornament hanger. They drew a few cute, simple facial features onto the bead. The final touch was adding a bit of paper doily to fashion some wings. These are so cute and really easy ---this would make a perfect gift for any music lover!

8. Cute As A Button Christmas Tree Ornament
One of our toddler classes have been making these this week. They took 3 green craft sticks (plain sticks can be easily colored with markers or paint) and glued together in a triangle shape. The tots glued on a few buttons and added "Cute As A Button" on the bottom with permanent marker. Each child's picture was glued to the back, facing outward through the tree shape. Simply, well, cute as a button!

9. Reindeer Puzzle Piece Ornament
I've seen oodles of ornaments and frames made with puzzle pieces over the years, but this one is just so simple that one of our toddler classes made them and they turned out beautifully! They glued 3 puzzle pieces together--one for the head and two for the antlers. They painted the "wrong" side with brown paint and added googly eyes and red glitter nose for the reindeer face. Add a little ribbon to hang with and this ornament is ready to hang!

10. Santa Suit Votive Candle
I saw this on Pinterest this year and thought we would try this as our parent gift this year. I often teach siblings of kids from previous years, and I like to have the kids make something different than what a sibling made for the parent before. We took some small jelly jars and covered the outside by gluing red tissue paper to it. After that dried, we added a strip of black paper around the middle of the jar for Santa's belt. On the front of the jar, right in the middle of the black band, we added an open square of gold glitter to make the belt buckle. When everything is dry, either coat with another layer of glue, or spray with clear sealant. Add a small tealight candle inside to make this cute little votive a perfect holiday decoration!

(Ooops! Experiencing minor technical difficulties. Check back tomorrow for a picture of the finished votive. )

As I mentioned in a couple of the ideas, don't forget to add the child's name and date to each gift. They will surely be treasured for many years to come! It is almost time for me to take out our family holiday decorations, and I will probably have several little "moments" reliving the joy as I unpack each handmade ornament or decoration my own kids have made over the years. I'm a bit sad that they have now reached the age where they are no longer making their gifts for me. Cherish those sweet moments and the treasures they share, made by their little hands. The time goes quick---trust me, I know first hand how fast they grow up!

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook!

A Holiday Webmix From MyWeb4Ed: A Collection of Funny, Sweet, and Touching Holiday Videos

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:20:27 GMT

Happy Holidays to all MyWeb4Ed readers! I’ve put together a collection of holiday videos for you! These are a sweet, touching, funny and cute collection of videos sure to make you smile and saw “Awww.” Some will make you laugh out loud and some will make you shed a tear in joy! Enjoy!

Holiday Freebies and Goodies

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 20:18:00 GMT

Holiday Freebies galore!

Go grab my Rudolph Writing freebie

I've linked up with these blog hops:

Thinking of Teaching's

Teaching My 3

Stocking Stuffers for Kids: A Teacher's Top 10

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:32:00 GMT

As a former Kindergarten and Special Education teacher, I can promise you that teachers would greatly appreciate your child receiving these stocking stuffers. Of course, keep some at home, but sending a few more supplies to school would certainly help a teacher and her students. Here is my Top Ten List:

Crayons and Pencils: I know for a fact that one or two boxes of crayons won't last the entire school year. For a bit of humor, see 10 Crazy Ways Kids Use Crayons. And pencils are chewed on, purposely broken and cut upon, while the fascination of sharpening appears endless.
Markers: Buy washable markers for children and Dry Erase markers for the classroom. Many teachers have small white boards for their students.
Glue bottles and sticks: One or two bottles will not last the entire year due to practically daily gluing activities. Children love to squeeze lots of glue to make anything stick. It must be the squeezing motion they enjoy or they just haven't grasped the concept that a little dab will do ya.
Playdough: Children's favorite malleable teaching tool is playdough. It helps develop fine motor skills and has many other benefits. To read more about the wonders of playdough, and my favorite No Cook Recipe, click here.
Scissors: Odd how they are lost so easily. Sometimes kids sneak them home in their backpack because they can't find their scissors at home - or don't have a pair. Yes, cutting crayons and using them with playdough will make them duller, but still buy child safety scissors and supervise so they don't give themselves a haircut.
Notepads and Index Cards: Little notepads can inspire children to write. They can be used for Blue's Clues, Scavenger Hunts, and I Spy games. White or colorful index cards are great for labeling items around the house like a pet's name on their habitat, Toy Box, Book Shelf, Art Supplies, Collections... This helps your home have a print rich environment, teaches the reading/writing connection, and helps children learn to read.
Simple Science Tools might include a magnifying glass, bug box, LED Headlamp, flashlight, and bug net. These fun items will encourage your little ones to go outside and explore, discover, and learn about their fascinating world. What child doesn't love to make collections or look at the wonderous activities of small critters?
Jump rope and balls. Exercise releases endorphins, the feel good hormone, helps develop fine and gross muscles, and helps children get a better night's sleep.
Sidewalk Chalk: Children can learn letters, how to print their name, play hopscotch, and develop socialization skills while they are outside in the fresh air with some chalk. Neighborhood children will draw around if you provide sidewalk chalk and a smile. Variations of hopscotch can teach numbers, letters and words. Your child could lie down on the sidewalk while you trace around him, then encourage him to fill in the area.
Fine Motor Tools might include pipe cleaners, stickers, pom poms for sorting and counting, or a scoop and funnel for pouring sand or rice. You might be amazed at how long a child will pour rice through a funnel.

It is a good idea to buy extra school supplies during the summer when many stores compete for your business. A mom told me that she buys 30 boxes of crayons during the summer school sale and her child gives each student in his class a new box for Christmas.

You might also consider buying extra crayon/pencil boxes and fill them with the basic school supplies. Children enrolling or transferring after the school year begins often come with no supplies. It helps ease their anxiety to have a pencil box prepared. Your child's teacher will also be grateful.

Yes, teachers do have a small budget for classroom supplies but it is not nearly enough to cover what they need throughout the year. Every contribution is greatly appreciated.

I was always touched to see a child beam when they received a new box of crayons. We adults sometimes forget that children depend upon us for their teaching tools. These are inexpensive ways of helping children learn, grow and develop through playful activities using their imagination and creativity. Santa, are you listening? We've been good!

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For a glimpse into Kindergarten see my book. Would you like inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Mommy with Selective Memory and I can help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both have been number 1 bestsellers on Amazon and are helpful gifts for parents and teachers.

What other stocking stuffers would you like to include?