We decorated our tree. Paper strips, staplers, and sparkly chenille stems.
Here are some links for our past tree experiences--
If you are looking for some other easy ornaments for kids to make, check out Easy Snowflake Christmas Ornaments (No Time for Flash Cards).
We made Christmas cards. Stamps, stamp pads, markers, paper. We had all the markers out, but the kids decided to put the red ones on the tray so they could find them easier.
I really like this Christmas Card Making Station (Childhood 101). I think we'll incorporate that next year in our Christmas traditions.
We usually play instruments during Christmas; we've even drawn how instruments sound. I'm in the adult handbell choir at my church; after we played bells in worship service, a kindergartner wanted to play bells, too. We borrowed these bells and had a great time doing it.
Here's a game using jingle bells (Fun a Day). I think we may need to do this soon, too.
This week we will make our craft stick frames using a glue gun, a "dangerous" tradition we do every December. I cannot wait to see how the kids this year will do it. This is our standard gift that kids make to give to parents or others.
I also like this fingerprint frame (Fun-a-Day). If we ever decide to change, I would do this.
(The same idea is used for fingerprint cards at Crafty Morning.)
This week we will also decorate cookies, a fun and messy tradition in our class. Kids can eat them (later at home) or give them to a friend (probably not).
Instead of decorating cookies, we could use gingerbread play dough (Teach Preschool). I think this would be a great tradition to add to our classroom.
We will give gifts to our kids - just fun trinkets like slinkys or yo-yos and stickers. Fun stuff that show our care for them. One year I made a discovery bottle to include; those may be ornaments this year.
(Here's a Christmas tag for gifts from Freebielicious.)
I wondered why we do so many of the same things each year. Then I realized - those are our Christmas traditions that we pass along to "our kids." It really seems like Christmas because we are gluing wonky frames or spreading miles of green icing on a paper plate.
Traditions matter. (Check this post about traditions from Not Just Cute.) Not just traditions in your family. But in your classroom community, too.
What traditions do you have in your classroom? What new ones do you want to start?
