Holiday Crafts

It is my first day of winter break and I am enjoying every lazy minute of it!  I left the house only to walk the dogs.  I, of course, am still in my PJ's because with this rainy cold weather, I simply layer all of my rain gear on top of my PJ's and nobody knows (except you) that I haven't gotten dressed for the day! :)  It really is a win-win situation!

Anyhow, we spent the last two days of school finishing up our Christmas ornaments for our parents.  It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves!  One student continually came up to give me a hug and say "Thank you for letting us make...."  He did this for each project, including decorating cookies.  The funny thing about this is he is one of my littlest kids and if I am standing, he often grabs my butt as he hugs me because his arms don't make it around me.  He has NO idea this happens, but I think it is kind of funny.

The first project we made were photo puzzle wreaths.  We simply used all of the puzzles we have missing pieces and then hit up the Goodwill for additional puzzles.  The kids glued the puzzle pieces in a circle then painted them green.  Once they were dry, we added their photo, a bow and some little pom poms for berries.  They turned out quite cute in the end!

Just imagine a cute little face in the middle of that wreath!

Next up was our candy cane ornament.  The students used their patterning skills to create an AABB (red, red, white, white) candy cane for their parents to hang on the tree!  Here is what it looks like.

Our final ornament was a snowflake.  The kids love this one because it includes glitter - LOTS of it!  They simply start by making a blob of glue on a piece of wax paper and then using q-tips that have been cut in half to make the 6 points of a snowflake, making sure to role the cotton end in the glue too!  Once it is all laid out, they sprinkle away!  It takes quite a bit of time to dry, but once it is dry you simply peel it off and then add a paper clip and your done.  We add an additional piece of paper so the kids can write their name and the year on it for their parents.  It also provides extra support!  Here is what the finished product looks like...

The final job is for the students to write a card to their parents.  We talked about how cards are personal and should be meaningful.  Therefore, I do not dictate what they should write.  I simply tell them to start with "Dear."  We talked about how we all have different names (mama, mommy, mother, mom, etc) for our parents and you should use what is appropriate.  In the past my students have kept things very simple - Merry Christmas or I love you's.  This year, I was SOOO impressed with my students.  Here are a few samples of what they wrote to their parents.  

Dear Mom and Dad,  This Christmas is going to be the best Christmas ever and ...

Dear Mommy & Daddy, Merry Christmas.  I hope you have a great time.  I  am having a great time.  I am too...

Dear Mommy and Daddy, I am so happy to spend the day with you.  From L

 We also decorated the front of the card with a cute little tree and then stapled them to the front of their bag for their parents.  Here is what one of the final present looked like.

To say the least, the students and I had tons of fun! 

However, it wasn't just the students that were in the Christmas spirit this year!  Every year a talented 5th grade and Kindergarten teacher create an amazing holiday video that no other school comes close to creating!  I hope you enjoy!

 Merry Christmas to everyone!!