December Preschool Activities

1. Holidays:
   Hanukkah
   Christmas
   Kwanzaa
   
   
2. December Preschool Activities: Science
   Make your own frost. You will need a can such as a soup can with the label removed. Fill the can about halfway with crushed ice. Add about 4 tablespoons of rock salt. Mix together well for about 30-40 seconds then let it sit. Sit back and watch as the frost begins to form on the outside of the can. Let the children touch the frost and describe how it feels.
   
   
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   Talk about the different types of winter weather. Depending on where you live, you may get more snow, freezing rain, or sleet. For example, I live near Dallas and we hardly ever get snow, just freezing rain that creates icy conditions on the roads. If you are fortunate to have snow, you can put some snow is a Ziploc baggie and some ice in a different baggie. Which melts faster, the snow or the ice?
   
   
3. Social Studies:
   Teach the children about different holiday celebrations from around the world. Talk about the country in which the holiday is celebrated, show them on a map, then talk about traditions that go along with those holidays.
   
   
4. December Preschool Activities: Imagination
   Pretend it is Christmas morning. What did Santa bring? What presents are you hoping to find?
   
   
5. Arts and Crafts:
   Make ornaments using applesauce and cinnamon. Mix together equal parts applesauce and cinnamon. If the mixture is too wet, add more cinnamon until you have a nice dough to work with. Roll the dough out about ½’ in thickness on a floured piece of wax paper. Use holiday shaped cookie cutters to cut out different ornaments. While it is wet, put a hole through the top about a 1” from the top. The ornaments will need a day or two to dry completely through. When they are completely dry, put a string, ribbon, or piece of yarn through the hole so that it can hang.
   
   Make a handprint wreath using the colors associated with Kwanzaa. These colors are red, black and green.
   
   Make a dreidel. To do this, you will need to print out the template from here. Follow the instructions and let the children have fun spinning their dreidels.
   
   Give the children pine cones. Spray them with spray adhesive, then let them roll the pine cones in bowls filled with gold and silver glitter (the colors of the month).
   
   
6. December Preschool Activities: Reading
   Read ”The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg.
   
   Read "How The Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss.
   
   Read “Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah Nights” by Leslie Kimmelman.
   
   Read “A Kwanzaa Celebration” by Nancy Williams.
   
   
7. Language:
   Introduce the letters and letter sounds for Y and T. Use yarn to trace the outline of capital and lowercase letter Y. Use gold and silver tinsel to practice make capital and lowercase letter T.
   
   Be sure to sing all the great holiday songs.
   
   
8. Math, Thinking Skills:
   Have the children sort gold and silver bows into 2 different piles.
   
   
9. Math, Shapes:
   Make a pyramid template for each child. First, draw a square on the middle of a piece of paper. Then draw 4 triangles pointing out on each side of the square. Cut around the outside edges, then fold each triangle in, leaving the square as the base. Secure the tops together to form the pyramid. The pyramid can be decorated as a Christmas tree. Give the children different items to decorate their tree. A trunk can be added as well.
   
   
10. Math, Counting:
    Introduce the number 12 and show everyone how to count to 12. Give each child 12 jingle bell balls. Let them count each one as they string it on a piece of yarn to make a jingle bell bracelet. Afterward, sing “Jingle Bells” and let the children shake their bracelets.
    
    
11. Coordination and Movement:
    Have a book exchange. Let the children each bring in a new or gently used book. Wrap the books. Then, have the children sit in a circle. Hand out 1 book and begin to play some holiday music. Pass the book around until the music stops. Whoever has the book when the music stops, gets to keep the book. Continue until everyone has a book to unwrap.
    
    
12. December Preschool Activities: Social Skills
    Play “Follow the Reindeer.” Let each child have a turn at being “Rudolph,” who is the leader and wears a red nose. The leader will have the others follow as he walks, jumps, crawls his way around the room.