This Christmas patterning activity is one of many pattern pin sets that we use in our classrooms. Pattern pins are easy to make, inexpensive, hands-on learning tools. Plus, they are super cute, the kids love them, and they work those small hand muscles!
MATERIALS USED:
– Paint mixing sticks
– Paint (craft or spray)
– Clothespins
– Jingle bells
– Christmas mini bows
– Hot glue gun
For this set, we painted the mixing sticks brown; we always use a dark color for our bases, so that the patterns really stand out. You can pick up mixing sticks at Home Depot, Lowe’s, or your local paint store. We found jingle bells and mini Christmas bows at Dollar Tree, and hot glued them to the tops of clothespins.
You might first introduce pattern pins and demonstrate the concept of patterning in a large group, and then work with small groups of children, making patterns together.
Students will not only create patterns, but they will also copy and extend patterns that are represented on other sticks (made by you or other students). For this reason, it’s a good idea to have multiple bases on hand. Be sure to encourage your students to identify their patterns and describe what is and what is not a pattern.
As a parent and a teacher, it’s always been fun and important for me to introduce ALL of my children to what I loved and adored, and learned from when I was young.
So every holiday season, I bring out the The Gingerbread Man. To me, this first edition Giant Golden Book was the most magical story ever. As a child I spent hours looking over the vibrant illustrations of Bill and Bonnie Rutherford, letting my imagination run away right along with that fearless, little yummy cookie.
This classic book is ideal for reading aloud and makes for an excellent literary-based art activity; gingerbread men and houses. Last year, we used our creations to decorate our classroom window.
The houses are made of basic shapes (squares, rectangles, and triangles) and can be cut out by you or by your children depending on their ability. This year, I will be offering even more materials such as stiff felt, fuzzy sticks, bows, etc., so maybe we’ll see some gingerbread girls!
MATERIALS USED:
– Construction paper
– Our gingerbread template
– Googly eyes
– Ricrac
– Acrylic craft jewels
– Stiff felt/fabric
– Sparkle/glitter pom poms
– Buttons
– Holiday scrapbook paper
– Sequins
– Mini bows
– White foam (roofs)
– Holiday fuzzy sticks
This Thanksgiving turkey craft is a cute, fun art project. But it’s also a wonderful lesson in math, as it is completely made up of 2D and 3D shapes! There are so many learning concepts in this little gobbler.
The hat is made up of squares and a rectangle, the eyes are circles, and the beak is a triangle. We used the Fiskars large heart punch to make the wattle, and the tail is a paper plate cut into a semicircle. Square tissues were used as feathers, and everything was attached to a cardboard tube/cylinder.
As children assemble their turkeys, have them analyze, compare, and identify the shapes based on their attributes; facilitate conversation about the similarities and the differences of the objects. When working with older students (pre-kers and kinders) who are developmentally ready, take this opportunity to introduce the vocabulary words 2D and 3D, and talk about how 2D shapes are flat and 3D are not.
MATERIALS USED:
– Toilet paper roll
– Construction paper
– Fabric
– Tissue paper
– Googly eyes
– Stiff felt
– Paper plate
– Fiskars large heart punch
– Glue
– Scissors
We're Gigi and Zoey. We teach a two-year program (preschool and pre-k), and we're passionate about Early Childhood Education and the philosophy that children learn through play. Our goal is to prepare children for kindergarten while making learning fun.
We hope that our resources inspire you, and that you will share them with your little ones.
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. To me, this first edition Giant Golden Book was the most magical story ever. As a child I spent hours looking over the vibrant illustrations of Bill and Bonnie Rutherford, letting my imagination run away right along with that fearless, little yummy cookie.
