Welcome to the December 2008 kindergarten-lessons.com Newsletter

You must be well into the most busy, glittery time of the year, celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, and/or other multicultural winter festivals.

Remember the golden rule of teaching kindergarten so you, the parents and the kids all have fun… Keep it Simple.

For a few tips to simplify and enjoy a busy winter season, read Kindergarten Christmas tips .

Choose crafts that are open ended and that children can complete as independently as possible. Throughout the year teach the children the following skills to help them work unassisted in your arts and crafts center.

If you haven't taught the following basics about using craft glue, tape and scissors earlier in the year, Christmas is a great time to do so.

• Teach the children how to use tracers. Show them that the cardboard shapes with large Xs on both sides are called tracers. Show them how to trace. Tell them not to use the tracers for their own crafts, pictures, or Christmas cards.
• Provide squares of wax paper for the children to place under each craft, otherwise the kids will accidentally glue their crafts to the tables. Show the kids how to use a wax paper base and to move their crafts by lifting the piece of wax paper, not their wet, gluey creation.
• Give lessons on using a tape dispenser or there will be long, long pieces of tape all over the tables. A large office style tape holder is easier for young kids to use than the small hand held tape dispensers, as the weight of the dispenser holds it on the table.  Have each child pull out about two inches of tape and show them how to pull down to the right or left to tear the tape off.
• Introduce Little Dot Glue. Fill tiny jam jars (the type in gift baskets) half full with white liquid craft glue (non toxic) and place 2 or 3 cut stir sticks (about 2 inches long) in them. Teach the kids how to use only little dots of glue and that craft glue needs time to dry. Depending on their previous experiences, some children also need instruction on how to use a glue stick.
• Teach children how to use twist ties (cut from rolls) to make hangers. Show kids how to poke a hole, thread twist ties through their decorations and twist the ends together. Most children can manage twist ties more independently than string or ribbon.
• Teach the children how to choose a few items at a time from the boxes of materials available. Provide small paper plates with the number five and five dots on the edge.  Show the kids how to choose 5 decoration type items (or any number you choose) at a time and place them on their plate (great for number sense too), otherwise some children will load far too many decorations on one craft and the other children will have nothing to work with. 
• Teach kids how to clean up their work area. Show them to return unused material back in the correct places and to wipe the table where they worked. Keep a damp cloths on the table to clean sticky fingers and to wipe their area.

No time to plan an activity?

Let the kids use their imaginations and create. Inspire them with literature and a few samples you leave in the center. Check out a few images of items children have made without assistance.

Ask the children who avoid the art and craft center to participate once or twice a week so they will learn new skills. Teach them that some activities are called Must Dos as the kids must do them!

No room for an "Arts & Craft Center"?

If you don't have a permanent arts and crafts area, put little boxes full of imagination station bits and pieces, different papers and basic tools into two lids from the boxes photocopy paper comes in. The sides are high enough so things don’t tip out on to the table and they are easy to put away when you need the table space. Divide the lids with various sized containers. Integrate arts and crafts into your regular center time, as it is easier to have 6 to 8 children making crafts at a time, rather than the whole class.

Other December activities...

• Teach the triangle shape, as it integrates well into Christmas activities, trees, stars…
• Coordinate the holidays with a Light and Color theme
• Make your room magical by hanging some twinkle lights in the room. Turn the regular lights off for snack time.
• Create a holiday bulletin board by adding crafts as they are made. Black or dark blue paper makes a great background for festive displays.
• Send crafts home before the last day of school to simplify your work load
• Prepare for the first few days of school in January so you don’t have to think about school over the holidays and take a relaxing break.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year,
From Patricia

kindergarten-lessons.com