Spreading Holiday Cheer: Fun Classroom Activities for December



Welcome to the Fifth Day of Christmas with Focused on Fifth! Today I am sharing some fun ideas for spreading holiday cheer in your classroom!
December is my favorite month! The month flies by, and I wish it lasted a few weeks longer! The kids are full of energy, but it's the good kind, and so much fun! Here are my ideas for spreading holiday cheer in my classroom!
Two years ago, an elf first visited my classroom for the month of December. Last year we had another elf visit us for the month. The kids were so excited! And they HAD to be well behaved since our elf was watching over them! (Luckily, all of my students were able to participate in Christmas activities!)
Each day the students were excited to look for Jingles. Sometimes he was hard to find, and they thought he left for good!
We did lots of writing about our elf with these two packs here and here.
One day our elf "elfed" us and brought us treats too! We ended up elfing our school after that! (Click on the picture to see this freebie).
Last year I created the freebie incentive below to help with the December craziness. 
One day our elf brought a stuffed deer and a letter, incentive charts, and passes from the North Pole. The letter stated that the group with the most stickers on their group incentive charts would get to keep the stuffed reindeer at their table group the next day. They weren't allowed to touch the elf, but the reindeer could be touched. This was a huge incentive for my students to stay on task and focused during class! Click on the picture above to see the pack.
Every year on the last day of school before break, the students rotate through holiday centers instead of a party. They create art projects, an ornament, we have cookie decorating, and they make Magic Reindeer Food. I have included directions and printables in my freebie Magic Reindeer Food pack. Students throw the reindeer food in their yards to help the reindeer find their way. Click on the photo below to see it. 
We also make the adorable reindeer below. They are made with scrapbook paper and one-inch graph paper. It's always interesting to see which students are able to color the squares in the correct pattern. They always turn out cute whether they follow the pattern or not! Click on the photo below to grab this freebie.
I also wanted to share a wonderful website I found a few years ago. Have you heard of the Portable North Pole? It's a website where you can create free personalized messages from Santa. They are just precious! I made videos a few years ago when my children were younger, and they loved them. You personalize the videos by adding pictures and information about your child. They now offer a paid video or phone call, but I have always done the free video. You can click on the picture below to check out the site and watch the sample videos.
  
I hope you've found a few ideas that will help add to the magic in your classroom! I would love for you to share your ideas for spreading holiday cheer!



1 comment

  1. Awww, your post makes me wish I did have an elf after all! I love the "elfed" idea and those reindeer are adorable!! Great ideas for bringing in some magic:). Might as well go with it because if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Nagging kids sure isn't working;).

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