Holiday Crafts and Projects in the Classroom

December can be a challenging month in the elementary world. Minds are racing everywhere. It can be hard to stay focused with all the hubbub of the Christmas season. It can be a struggle for adults, imagine how hard it can be for the students! Remember to be kind and give yourself (and your students) a break!

To help keep focus on school, there are tons of fun things that can be integrated into the classroom to make learning engaging and holiday themed.We love to do holiday themed writing, games, task cards, break outs. But in our classrooms there are always tons of crafts being made as well.

When the holidays approach I always consider them a time to hone the students' OT skill sets! Fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination are important. And what better way to practice those skills than to craft!

Classroom Holiday Crafts

I love to make crafts with the kids and have them bring them home for a gift. Their faces light up when they have the opportunity to give a gift to someone. We do have some staple ornaments and projects that we do every year, such as these adorable candy cane ornaments--> Easy Christmas Ornaments.

Students come back and tell us, “I still have the ice cream cone ornament” or “I hang my puzzle piece wreath every year!” I know I cherish the ornaments that my daughter has brought home over the years.

This year since I am team teaching again (with 3 sections) and we decided to handle crafts with a team approach. We wanted to make sure each student in the grade level would have identical gifts to bring home. This sounds like a great plan until you have to make 75 of this and 75 of that! But once we got organized the process was like a mini assembly line.

Our first step was to decide what to make. We then talked about supplies we already had in the closets, and finally we divided up the crafting time. It worked out very well because with each of us focused on different curriculum we were able to break up the day (and the crafting time) based on where each teacher was in the scope and sequence for their curriculum.

Below are some of the crafting and holiday-themed items we have sent home to families:

Snowmen Ornaments

Handprint snowmen were done in one classroom. The teacher did a mini lesson for the day and then had the class working on content related tasks that were review, so they didn’t need explicit teaching during this time. She was able to call over each student one at a time to paint their hands. (A parent volunteer came in and put all of the names and date on each of the bulbs.) This helped with time and she was able to get all 75 students’ hands printed on the bulbs. The bulbs came in a great box of 100, so reorganizing them back into the box to dry was a life saver. Paper plates or shoe boxes would also be a storage option.

The next day, once all of the paint was dry, the students came back and worked in small groups to decorate the snowmen. They used permanent and craft markers. The teacher noticed that the permanent markers dried out quickly due to coloring over the paint. So she switched to cheaper markers and they did the job just the same. Once they were all done, she loaded them back into the organizer bin until we were ready to send them home.

Materials Needed:

• one ornament per student (we used glass but plastic works well too)
• white paint
• colored markers

Time:

• 1 day to stamp hands and dry
• 1 day to decorate

Process:

• label each ornament with the student's name and the year
• paint each student's hand white and press it on the ornament (we kept our snowman count to 3)
• wait for the ornament to dry
• have students decorate their snowman family using markers

Family Traditions Book

One of the tasks the students worked on while we were crafting in small groups was a paragraph about their favorite family tradition. They could choose a holiday or winter themed tradition to write about. Once these writing pieces were complete, we made a grade level book of their traditions. This became a keepsake to send home with the students. We did give support with grammar and mechanics, but kept the content as they wrote it. It was nice to see how they all celebrate family during the holidays.

Family Recipe Book

Another memorable keepsake that doesn’t take too much time to put together is a grade level family recipe book. We sent home a flyer requesting a special family recipe to be sent into school. If you plan on doing this make sure you are specific in your request. Ask families to send the recipe via email. We have done this in the past where we had to retype all of the recipes when they came in hand written!

Once you get the recipes, they need to be formatted and complemented with some clip art. In years past we have printed books in a smaller format so we could create a bound book. We would have each student bring in a cereal box to use for the book cover. We would copy the recipes on a half sheet of copy paper. Then we would cut the cardboard boxes to make covers to support that size.The students cover the cardboard with wallpaper, wrapping paper, art work decorated by themselves. It makes a nicer presentation than just the stapled packet. 

Foam Ornaments

The bulk packages that you can buy make a great and simple ornament for the kids. Our parent volunteers spend quite a bit of time trying to separate all the parts that go with each ornament. This is a time saver for sure! We put all the supplies out on the table and bag up what is needed for each ornament. Sometimes it gets a little crazy when the same kit has reindeer, Santa, and a snowman in it. All of those have different accessories, so bag them up and be ready for those crazy crafters to come to the table! These ornaments are also great a great place to stick those school pictures! My teammate loves to grab these foam kits the day after Christmas for 50-75% off. Grab them cheap after the holidays, throw them into storage, and you will be ready to rock once next December gets here!

Snow Globe Ornaments 

This is a craft we have been looking at for years but had never actually done it. After some late-night messaging on social media, we decided to give it a shot.

To start, we took a picture of each student in an “open jumping jack” pose. The goal was to have them appear to be trapped in a snow globe. We then had to transfer the images to PPT and ask for them to be printed in color.

Then, cutting, cutting, cutting. We trimmed each student’s picture so there was only an outline of their body.

For lamination, we used lamination sheets (3 globes per sheet). After drawing the circles on the sheet, we painted the snowdrift on the bottom portion and then asked students to use their fingers to make snowflakes in the upper portion. We sprinkled some glitter to give it a little pizzazz. Lastly, we added in a globe base (pre-printed with the year) and the student picture. The sheets were ready for lamination!

A tiny dab of paint will help keep the base and picture in place.

WARNING: it is IMPERATIVE that the paint be dry before you laminate. Give the sheets overnight to dry; otherwise you will end up with a smeared mess when the sheets go through the machine.

ALSO NOTE: this is such a cute craft, you may end up making some with your own children, pets, or coworkers’ families!

Materials Needed:

• one picture of each student
• lamination sheets and machine
• white paint
• snow globe bases
• string for hanger (optional)

Time:

• 1 day to take, format, and print picture
• 1 day to cut out the silhouettes
• 1 day to prep the sheets
• 1-2 days to add each student's fingertip snowflakes, glitter, base and picture (and laminate)

Process:

• take each student's picture
• format and print the pictures in color (I fit 6 students on the page vertically, 3 per row, in order to be sized properly for the globe)
• cut the pictures
• prep the lamination sheets: draw circles for the globes, open the sheets and paint the snow drift, allow to dry overnight
• have students add their fingertip snowflakes (allow to dry)
• add the glitter, students picture, and snow globe base
• laminate
• cut out the globes
• add hanger (or a magnet to make it for the fridge!)

This is one of the most intense holiday crafts I have ever done. There was quite a bit of stress and frustration with certain parts of the process. However, like childbirth, I will probably forget about the pain, focus on the product, and do it again!

Holiday Canvas Bags

Every year I have seen these adorable string of light crafts where the students make the light bulbs with their fingerprints. Like the snow globes, they are always begging us to make them. This year we decided to make 75 of them! We actually used our PTO mini-grant to help support the cost of these. We found what we needed on Amazon and applied for two mini-grants to cover the cost.

We did the bags in steps and divided the work between the classes. One of us put a piece of masking tape on the top corner and labeled all the names. We organized them into their home/classrooms so they were ready for mass production. Once they were labeled we used a sharpie marker and created unique light string designs on each bag. Then it was time to pass them off to the next teacher. 

Before getting to the painting portion of the craft, we cut down manila folders to fit into the bag. The layer added protection from paint bleeding onto the back side of the bag. When we were done with the bags, we easily pulled the folders out of the bags and put them into storage for next time.

In another classroom, students used their fingertips and paint to create a holiday string of lights.

Students worked in small groups at a designated craft/paint table while the rest of the class worked through a Google Classroom assignment. These festive bags were used for students to transport their holiday items home and made a nice gift themselves!

Materials Needed:

• one canvas bag per student
• permanent marker
• paint (various bright colors)

Time:

• one day to label bag, draw the strings, and insert the folder
• one day for students to paint their bag
• one day for students to write a holiday message

Process:

• have students come to a craft table set with paint
• students dip their fingers in the paint and gently touch spots along the string

For a less intense approach to creating holiday cards and bags you can check out this blog post --> Easy Holiday Cards and Bags

For a Christmas Craft Project that doubles as a ready-made bulletin board you can visit this blog post --> Classroom Christmas Craft

Our days are super busy with curriculum, but this time of year it is important to take time to be present in the holiday spirit. Many days our classrooms looked a lot like Santa’s workshop! But, in the end, the students had an adorable holiday bag filled with timeless childhood keepsakes.These simple crafts will provide memories for a lifetime. Find ways to fit crafts into your plans and don’t forget to lean on parent volunteers and teammates to get the job done!

Happy Crafting!

Easy Holiday Cards and Gift Bags

Let's face it, December can be tough on teachers. If you blink, it's the day before the break and you realize that you need more time to finish the cards and you forgot the wrapping paper for the family gift. So what happens next? You run to the store during lunch and hope you don't get stuck behind a shopper with 672 items who needs a price check. 

If you've been teaching awhile, you've been there. But, you won't have to be anymore! I'm going to share with you two adorable crafts that will work in a pinch saving you not only time and money, but anxiety too!

Adorable Holiday Craft #1 --> Snow Family Handprint Card or Ornament

This one is so easy it's ridiculous. The best part is that it looks a bit elaborate and makes for a wonderful holiday keepsake.

Handprint Holiday Card

Materials:

• Blue Construction Paper (cut big enough for a handprint)
• White Paint
• Brushes
• Permanent Markers

To Make the Craft:

• Write each child's name on the back of the paper.
• Paint their hand white and "stamp" it on the blue paper. Be careful to use the "right amount" of paint or you will end up with a globby mess; too little paint and you won't get a complete print. Make sure the students' fingers are spread a bit to make room for the drawings later.
• Let the handprints dry. If you paint them in the morning, they will dry by afternoon.
• Have students use permanent markers to decorate their stamped fingers to look like snowman. Demonstrate a few different ideas to dress the snowman: top hat, ear muffs, scarves, etc... Also, demonstrate drawing the faces, the buttons and adding a carrot nose.
• Encourage students to add a message and the date. Write some suggestions on the board to guide them:
• Love Never Melts
• Let It Snow
• Winter Wonderland
• Hello, Winter!
• Frosty Friends Make Winter Warm
• Have a Cool Yule!
• Warm Winter Wishes
• Winter Magic
• Laminate for durability. 

Options: 

- add a magnet to the back so they can be displayed on family refrigerators

- add/tape/hot glue a ribbon to the back so students can hang it on their tree

- cut the paper to a size that could fit into a frame and frame the art

These handprints cards could be used as the family gift itself or as a card to decorate the exterior of a package. They are easy enough to make that you could craft a few extra for staff members in your building as a thank you: secretary, nurse, custodian, etc...

Adorable Holiday Craft #2 --> Brown Lunch Sack Gift Bags

Sometimes you do forget the wrapping paper...these things happen in the hustle and bustle of December. If you find yourself lacking in festive wrap you can still salvage the family gift by placing the items in a brown lunch sack. If you do not have at least one package of brown bags sitting in storage at the ready, I recommend you get some. Their versatility is limitless. 

Happily, I always have some in my cupboard and we were able to make these:

Brown Lunch Sack Gift Bags

Materials:

• Brown Lunch Sacks (you can use the standard size or a larger bag depending on what you need to place inside).
• Gingerbread House Pieces Clip Art
• Coloring Utensils
• Scissors
• Glue

To Make the Craft:

• Have students set their bag down and fold down the base flap so they have a flat face on both sides of their bag. 
• Ask students to figure out a "fold line". That's where you will fold and staple the bag when it is done. It's important to know where the fold line will be so students decorate their brown bag accordingly.
• Pass out the copies.
• Have students color, cut, glue, and decorate! If you're really brave you can add glitter and/or cotton for snow.

Once the bags are done, place your gifts inside, fold it on the line and you're done! It is faster and easier than hand wrapping 24 gifts; no measuring or wrestling with tape!

I did a quick google search for gingerbread house clip art.

Jan Brett offers her own clip art for decorating. You can find it here: Jan Brett Gingerbread Friends Clip Art and Coloring

These two crafts will work in a short amount of time and are easy to do (not to mention highly economical)! I may have more than enough time and wrapping paper to spare, but I love these crafts so much I do them year after year.

Dollar Store Deals for the Classroom

Over the years I have gotten smarter about where I get things for the school year. The dollar store is a place where you can find some great bargains that can save you some change. It seems like everyone has their favorite dollar store and knows exactly where to find all their special deals. Which of these classroom favorites are currently being used in your classroom?

BINS, BINS, AND MORE BINS 

There isn’t a teacher I know that doesn’t have bins from one end of their classroom to the other. Bins are great for center organization, table materials, or just to store all of your teacher junk! I love when the store has my color theme in every sized bin and basket. It is a cheap way to get your classroom looking Pinterest ready.

PLAYTIME PREP

The winters in New York are NEVER ENDING! Having a variety of playtime bins to put out gives every kid a chance to play with something fun. I love to get puzzles, coloring books, simple games, and even play dough there. Rotate them every few weeks so they don’t get bored with any of them. 

TALKING TRAYS 

When we work on our Speaking and Listening standards I love to use talking trays to facilitate their turn taking. These snack platters fit perfectly at the center of the students at the tables or even when they are sitting on the floor. The students put their talking chips in the compartment in front of them. As they add to the conversation, they put their chips in the middle of the tray. When their chips are gone they have to listen quietly as the others finish their turns. It helps to give equal talking chances to everyone at the table.

REWARD BIN

Having small prizes and candy picks are a great way to start off your year. When you have a full bin that can be used for game winners, hard workers, or for students coming in to share a birthday cupcake with you everyone wins. There are so many bouncing balls, spinning tops, and chewy candy that there is something for everyone!

BULLETIN BOARD BONANZA!

Who wants to pay $$$ for fadeless paper that will only last for one year anyway? I love to use the colorful plastic table runners for my bulletin boards. They are super easy to staple up and dress up with borders. If this isn’t allowed due to your school’s fire code - wrapping paper will do the job! This year I found white wrapping paper that was heavy duty and looked great with all of my decorative borders. 

STEM MATERIALS 

When shopping for STEM materials the bills can add up quickly. Why not go aisle to aisle choosing items that could be used to create the most interesting inventions? Popsicle sticks, Q-tips, marbles, card stock… You name it - they probably have it. The tool aisle can sometimes have hidden gems. Think outside of the box and find some deals to make your STEM projects shine! 

BIRTHDAY BAGS

Creating bags for your students over the summer is a great way to be prepared for the school year. The dollar store has small trinkets, individually wrapped candy, and cellophane party bags. I make 25-30 bags so I am ready for the year. The kids are so surprised when they come in and find a little gift from you!

HULA HOOPS

These dollar finds are great to make the classroom a little bit more exciting. They work well for creating life sized Venn Diagrams, jumping hoops for brain breaks, or even a fun tool for cooperative games. If you’re looking to make a nice reading nook you could hang fabric around the hoop and suspend it from your ceiling.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Sometimes you can find some great flashcards, borders, and name plates in the school supplies aisle. There are also some neat notebooks and writing tools that you can’t find other places. I found whiteboard paddles with handles a few years ago and they have become a common fixture during phonics work in my classroom.

SNACKS

We all know that you have kiddos that come to school without a snack every day. I don’t provide snack but it is nice to have some on hand for those emergency days. There is a crazy variety of snacks you can get for just $1! They are also helpful for those hunger pains that I have been known to get around 2 pm…

SEASONAL FUN

The dollar store near me offers seasonal items. You can find decor, trinkets, activities, and more for just about any event that hits the calendar. It's a great opportunity to buy some window clings or snow/sand toys that will come in handy year after year.

We all know how much money teachers spend out of their own budget. Why not be a smart shopper and stretch your pennies further? Happy shopping!

The Flat Stanley Project Meets New Yorkie

I was always envious of the primary teachers who took their students on virtual adventures with Flat Stanley. I loved seeing the memorabilia and letters that would teach the students about places around the world.

Being a 4th grade teacher, I knew that most of my students weren’t reading Flat Stanley anymore, so one day I decided to create a project that was just right for my fourth graders. In New York our Social Studies curriculum is centered around the geography and history of our state. So, instead of a Flat Stanley, we were going to send out some New Yorkies!

New Yorkie was going to be our classroom mascot for learning. This project was going to encompass many areas of learning and it was going to start with a simple letter to a friend or family member.

STEP 1: PRINT OUT YOUR CLASS MASCOT

• Print enough mascots for your entire class (and a few extra). I found an adorable Yorkie clip art through Google Image search. Find a mascot you like, copy and paste the image onto a PPT or Doc and then you will be ready! Size your mascot to be sure it will fit into the envelopes you will be using. I typically use a brown clasp envelope that can hold a sheet of standard paper folded in half. I nest Yorkie inside the folded paper when mailing.
• Laminate them.
• Have each student write their return address with a permanent marker on the back using the SCHOOL'S ADDRESS. For some students, this will be the first time they are writing an address. I recommend sitting down in small groups to complete this task. I have also had parent volunteers take 2-3 students at a time to complete this step.

STEP 2: GATHER NAMES AND ADDRESSES

Usually in January, I send out a family letter introducing the New Yorkie project. This letter will spark excitement in the students and their families. The purpose of this note is to explain the expectations and process that we will follow to make this project a success.

On the second page of the letter there is an area where the student and parents write the names and addresses of 3 friends or family members that live somewhere in New York. It is important to make it clear to the students that they need to choose people that they believe will have the time and patience to participate. This page also has a due date to keep the parents on schedule.

Student Address Page
& Laminated Yorkie

While waiting for addresses to be returned get your Yorkie Basket "ready". I keep the following in the basket:

• the laminated Yorkies (with each student's name and school address on the back)
• pre-printed direction letter for the Yorkie recipients
• mailing envelopes
• extra Yorkies
• extra address letters for families
• markers, pencils

As the families return the addresses for each student, I put all of the addresses into my New Yorkie basket.

STEP 3: START THE ADVENTURE!

Once most of the addresses come back, I have students fill out the directions letter and address the envelopes for the first person on their list.

I send out a Yorkie too!
This is a great opportunity to connect with an educator in another school district.

This can also be done with a parent volunteer. Again, students will need explicit step-by-step directions for addressing the envelopes. I remind them to write small and neat. I also provide them a model envelope to help them plan their spacing. Students typically use a marker to fill out the envelopes. Some students will need to try more than once. Keep encouraging them, they can do it!

Students will also need to fill in the date, salutation, and closing of the directions letter.

Once their envelope and letter are done, the students stuff both their laminated New Yorkie and directions letter into the envelope. When a handful of students have completed their mailing, they go to the office to personally place their Yorkies into the outgoing mail. They love that step of the process.

STEP 4: WAITING FOR YORKIE TO RETURN

Yorkie usually takes a few weeks to come back. Once he returns the rewards sealed in the envelope will make the wait worth it! This part of the project is a great lesson in patience for the students. Each student's ability to be patient is different. Some students might ask to send out another Yorkie. I explain that they only have one and we must wait for their specific Yorkie to come back.

Since starting the project I have only had one time where Yorkie did not come back. However, I was told that Yorkie would not be returning. In that unique situation, we sent out a new one.

STEP 5: THE BULLETIN BOARD!  

Creating a bulletin board for all of the New Yorkie swag makes the project even more meaningful! I have a map of NY that I use as a focal point of the bulletin board. As the letters and memorabilia start coming in, I post them around the map. I connect a push pin (and sometimes a string) to the place where they came from. This helps the students identify their location compared to where New Yorkie has traveled.   

This Yorkie came with a QR Code to tell about his adventure!

Push pins show students where (and number of times) Yorkie has traveled

The NY Map/Bulletin Board

The students love to share with their classmates the letters and such that come in with their Yorkie. This is a great way to support the speaking and listening standards as well. After their swag has been up for a few weeks I send it home with them and put up new New Yorkie pictures and information. This gives the students a fresh bulletin board to learn from every few weeks.

STEP 6: REPEAT

Once a student’s first New Yorkie comes in, we address the envelope and fill out the letter for the next person on the list. This process helps us have a nice flow of Yorkies coming in and out. When Yorkies come back dressed up (and many, many of them do!), I keep Yorkie dressed as is and send him/her to the next person on the list.

All dressed up & showing home team spirit!

Fishing & Boating in Cape Vincent, NY

Trooper Yorkie!

This project is a great way to explore New York geography, its attractions, and history. It is amazing how creative some families are with this project. I love how it strengthens the home/school connection that helps build your academic community.

Dive in with this project! You can make up your own classroom learning mascot or use one familiar to your building/district. The rewards are well worth the time and effort.