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Talking about traditions
One of our social studies standards for preschoolers is to develop an awareness and appreciation of family and cultural stories and traditions. The holidays lend themselves perfectly to this standard so I make a special effort to encourage families to share their traditions with our class. Over the years I have had families bring in cookies to decorate with the class, I’ve had families make gingerbread houses with us, decorate ornaments with the children, share favorite holiday stories, and make traditional foods with the class. Each of these experiences has given the children the opportunity to compare and contrast their own family traditions, to see which traditions they…
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Winter Traditions
Around the holidays I love to encourage my families to share their favorite traditions with the class. Here is my winter tradition bucket list: All of these traditions would be fun to do with your students or with your own families!
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Friday Freebie – Holidays around the world
Happy Friday! As these weeks get closer to winter break I swear they get longer and longer! If you are still planning for holiday exploration (or evaluating how you want to teach this unit next year) today’s freebie is for you! This Holidays around the World Poster Pack from Sunny and Bright in First Grade is a great way to help your students visually organize the symbols and images that go with all of the different holidays. There are 8 holidays included in the set, and even if you don’t use all of the posters they give you a great starting point for your research. Download your copy and have…
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Books for learning more about Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is one of those holidays that you might hear about annually – especially if you are teaching multicultural holidays – but the general population does not have a great understanding of the principles, symbols, or reasons for the holiday. It’s not easy to teach children about something that we don’t know much about ourselves, so books can be a great place to start. Here are a couple of great books for learning more about Kwanzaa. All links are Amazon affiliates. Titled simply Kwanzaa, this is one of my favorites because the real photos are of modern families and they avoid stereotypes to introduce the holiday in a way that…
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Books to help you celebrate Hanukkah
In my opinion, the best way to introduce new concepts to young children is through books. Whether Hanukkah is a new holiday or a near and dear one, these books will be favorites in your classroom celebration. All links are Amazon affiliates. Latke, The Lucky Dog is told from the dog’s point of view – what preschooler can resist that? The illustrations and text work together to introduce new vocabulary words in a way that feels natural and flows with the story. Dear Santa, Love Rachel Rosenstein is not exactly a Hanukkah book. It’s a book about a little girl who’s family is Jewish and celebrates Hanukkah even though she…
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Books to help you celebrate Christmas
It’s not a preschool holiday without some themed children’s books! Here are some of the best for Christmas – Just a note, I’ve always stuck with stories that stay away from the religious aspects of the holiday because that’s what I feel most comfortable with in the classroom, so that’s what I’ve got to share with you! All links are amazon affiliates. The Polar Express is a classic for a reason. I remember having this story read to us every year as a child and it’s an endearing tradition that needs to be shared. The illustrations are magical and the story leaves just enough to a child’s imagination to make…
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Cultural Sensitivity and Winter Holidays
Some teachers live for the holiday season and cannot wait to introduce holiday themed activities, others are more apprehensive about planning activities that meet the needs and beliefs of all of their students, and still others work in schools where policies prevent them from using any holiday-related materials whatsoever. I’ve met and worked with teachers who fall into all three groups, and I myself tend to end up in that middle category. Whichever of the three groups you find yourself belonging to, here are a couple of my tried and true resources for handling the holidays while still be culturally sensitive. First thing’s first, this little parent letter has saved…
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Friday Freebie – New Year Countdown
Happy Friday! We are officially into December and I couldn’t be happier about it – I don’t know if I’m more ready for the Holiday, or just for a break. Yesterday I posted some ideas for counting down to Christmas, today’s Freebie is a countdown to the New Year. If you’re planning ahead for your own festivities make sure to add this to your repertoire!
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Countdown to Christmas!
It’s December 1st so we can officially begin that countdown! Whether you countdown to Christmas, or winter break, it’s always fun to watch those days go by as you anticipate the holiday – or a little bit of time off! I was overwhelmed by the cute ideas that are out there so I had to share some of my favorites with you. I still can’t decide which one I like best, but I love that they are all simple to use and involve the children in the process. This cute freebie is from Erin Wing, and it includes little positive notes and compliments for each day. This Santa Countdown is adorable,…
