more preschool Christmas games

My work getting ready for preschool this week was wasted, the snow came and laughed at me.   Here are few games and activities I had made up that will get filed away for another year.  Bee is testing them out.  She likes to remind me how easy these activities are.

This is just a shape matching game.  Match the cookie cutter with the shape.  I traced the cookie cutters on brown paper and laminated them.  Magnets stick them to my old cookie sheet.  I have been thinking this might be interesting since I used another cookie cutter in an activity and the kids couldn't figure out what shape it was.  It was a heart with an arrow through it and they were guessing cow and dog.

Many of the 3 year olds still struggle with recognizing their own names.  I thought I'd make sure and have at least one activty each week for the next few weeks that focuses on names.  This one took me some time to make for all my kiddos but I thought it would be worth it.

The kids were going to match each letter in their names to the light bulbs.  I would like to send these home anyway next time we meet so the kids can use them.  I keep meaning to write up a little note home with ideas on how to help practice reading and writing names.   I guess now I have all of Christmas break.

I had 6 different sized gift bags. I was going to have the kids help me put them in order by size. 

Then I had some of the same bags with number tags on them.  I had groups of items that might be given for Christmas.  I had planned for the kids to help me count them and put them in the correct bag.   There are some samples in the front, 1 tattoo, 4 pencils, 5 toy bugs, 3 plastic fish, etc.

Lastly, here are some more cookies.  Good grief, I'm going to need to buy another cookie sheet if I'm going to take pictures of it.   I have switched to doing most of my baking on stones and love them.  This guy is not needed and got downgraded to preschool.  

Anyway, the cookies (and you could make cuter ones...I made these when I started seeing snow, I was already suspicious) stick on the cookie tray with magnets.  Here's the little rhyme:   

                "Holiday cookies on my tray.  How many cookies did I eat today?"

We were going to count the cookies and add a number card with the correct number.  We would have played this several times moving the cookies around and changing the number.  Number sentences could be acted out as well.  We could have also played 'which one is missing' with these.   That a favorite game at our house!

So since it's a snow day, that's enough school stuff for me, I'm off to enjoy the backyard sledding hill!

Wreath and tree games

Here are some wreath and Christmas tree games that we played recently at preschool. 

Here's a Christmas card matching game.  I placed 5 Christmas cards on this felt wreath on the floor.  I passed out matching Christmas cards to all the friends in the circle and they all took turns placing their card on the matching one. We talked about the pictures on each card, the colors, the symbols of Christmas, etc.

Build a wreath: This was played during circle time where all the kids were sitting on the circle rug.   Children took turns rolling the dice.  Each number was assigned an item.  We collected the items until we had them all and could build the picture. We played a few times so everyone could get a turn. 

Here's another wreath game.  I made little wreaths for everybody.  I rolled the dice and then each little person added the right number of berries to their wreaths. 

Here's a tree game that involved a bingo style card.  We've been trying a few activities with numbers or shapes on bingo style cards for kids to find on their own.  A few kids are great with this, but as a whole it's not going so well for the 3 year olds.

So, each child had a bingo card and a hanful of pom poms as markers.   As I brought out each piece of the tree, they were to cover that item up.  There was a tree, a skirt, a present, a star, a nativity set, and 7 different ornaments.  I had intended to use a real tree but our little one was still in a storage tub.  This actually worked out well.  When I was done, I just rolled it up and got it out of the way quickly.

I'll have a few more Christmas games later this week.  The theme this week is Christmas fun.  I guess that leaves it pretty much open.  

snowday

Snow day! 

Successful play in the snow equals a huge pile of wet clothing. 

Christmas recap

I'm doing very little crafting right now.  I am finishing up the last un-made etsy order this weekend and then will be done.  The last two Christmas seasons, I've crazy sewn up until the last mailing date.  The move was freeing for me because I didn't let myself do that this year. I have a few family gifts to get working on, but that sewing is often more enjoyable.  

Here are a few favorite past Christmas crafts from the fam here at From the Hive. 

This Christmas book remains a favorite read at our house and a simplified version is being made at my preschool this year.

Bee may be dong something similar again, she's a reluctant thank you note writer.  Here's some easy kid's thank you notes.

We just made this Reindeer crafts  again this year at the nature center.

Pretzel wreath-    A yummy treat I had forgotten, but will need to make soon for sure.

Christmas coasters

 I have been meaning to make these Pancakes in a jar again all year. 

I have some preschool Christmas crafts and games coming this week.  We have been doing so many fun things there, but I never have my camera ready and available.  Maybe I'll have to do a better job of that in 2011.  

a few other house pictures

Here are a few last pictures of the house. The boxes are about 95% done. I guess we just don't need the rest! Christmas boxes are coming out today. The kids have been asking all week. I was telling them that everybody else was just early, but they've stopped believing me.

Here's the rest of the basement. My sewing area is to the left, the kids have a play area in the middle and then there's a small living/treadmill area at the end. There is a doorway to hubby's office to the right of the TV.


Most of the kid's toys from the old playroom are in this funny basement storage area. It's like having a walk in attic. There is a similar one across the hall that has the laundry area and more storage.


Here's the living room.



This shelf is in the kitchen. I love having some of the canned food out. They are too pretty to have put away. This is most of them. There are more green beans, pickles, and tomatoes in the basement. I think we made plenty of pickles.

Here's our bedroom. The walls are light blue, although here they almost look green.


Finally got the curtains put up late this week. They were a funny material to sew with and drove me so crazy I would work on them in small allotments.

All of the bedroom furniture fit, which is always a concern. We have such large pieces.

Poor Lou, his room is the least 'finished.' He has asked not to have his dinosaur stuff up again, and wants monster trucks. We're still discussing this.

hip hip horray

This would be part two to 'sometimes smart people do dumb things.' The next post about this will be titled, 'Our stupid tax.'

The plan is to close by the end of the month. {insert huge sign of relief} Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to us!

thrifty finds

The kids and I had a big load to drop off at the thrift store today, moving will do that to you. We usually find as much as we drop off. We also had a lot of trash to put out today. How does that happen? We lived with that much trash worked into our house...it always happens when we move and it always surprises me.

Today's finds were this huge basket. I was looking for something large to keep library books in. I don't think this picture does it justice. This basket is huge and super sturdy. It was $10, which was more than I wanted to pay. I figured that I'd pay more than that if I bought some kind of container new at the store.


Also picked up today was this little nativity set. It's from Peru. I immediately thought of my mom since she sort of collects nativity sets, but maybe just special ones from our travels. OK, my brothers travels. Who am I kidding, I only venture to walmart and back. She recently moved to a smaller home so she may not want my collected items anymore. We could find room here. Either way, the kids are enjoying it. These were $3 and have already provided some sibling story telling time, so we're good there.


I also bought a brand new with the tags Ann Taylor sweater twin set for $1. No picture, it's in the wash. I want to wear it to school tomorrow. It's a pretty pinky salmon color. I also bought a pair of shoes, but don't want to weird you out with shoes. I always think of that line in the movie Uncle Buck (one of my sister's favorite movie) where they go bowling and the guy says, "Here's your rent-a-shoes." Then the sassy teenage sister says, "Rent a foot fungus." Maybe I'll spray some sanitizer in there. Let's stop talking about it.

great gift for a teacher

This is a great gift for a teacher or a neighbor or co-worker, really it's just a nice gift in general. One of my students presented me with an early gift last week (how nice to get those gifts out of the way as this gift needs to be gifted early). At first, I was confused when I looked in the gift bag to see other gift bags and then I saw the scissors and tape, etc and figured it out.

It's a present wrapping kit. Better than a kitten mug any day! Teachers tend to get a lot of mugs. Ones with kittens are especially popular if you've ever mentioned you have cats, had a cat, or once saw a cat.


There are a number of gift bags, gift boxes, tissue paper, some tape, Santa scissors, and homemade thank you cards. Practical, useful, no kittens involved.

I have linked up at some of these lovely places.