I've had a lot of fun creating some holiday sets for holidays that I don't personally celebrate (like Diwali, and Kwanzaa, and Ramadan, and Hanukkah!) (I was right--it WAS fun, and wow, I learned a lot while doing research for those sets.) I'm really happy to be able to share those, as I think it's pretty important to expose kids to various cultures. And to share in celebrations with the kids who DO celebrate holidays outside of my own experience :)
For the most part, I focus holiday sets on the parts of holidays that kids understand most easily. So the concepts are generally about simple traditions vs. religious themes.
I also want my sets to be usable both as storytime sets-- where the adult is using the set pieces as props to support a rhyme, song or story--and as play sets for the kids--where the kids are re-enacting traditions, songs, and stories that they've learned about.
And today I'm sharing my Christmas set! This one was primarily created for kids to play with independently at home (or in a classroom or library setting). I've got a couple of other Christmas storytime sets already, and I was thinking more about independent play when I built this cutie But as you see from the songs below, it can certainly be used at story time as well!
The Lights on the Tree
As you sing each
verse, place the pieces on the board.
The lights on the tree
go sparkle, sparkle, sparkle, (twinkle fingers)
sparkle, sparkle, sparkle; sparkle, sparkle, sparkle
The lights on the tree go sparkle, sparkle, sparkle…
On Christmas day!
The cookies left for Santa are yummy, yummy,
yummy (rub tummy)
The stockings hung with care are red and green (point at
each as you sing the color)
The Christmas pajamas we wear are cozy and warm (put the
jammies on the kids and hug yourself)
The presents under the tree have bows and ribbon (place
the ribbons on the gifts)
The candy canes in the stockings are sticky and sweet (put the
candy canes in the stockings)
Ornament Hide and Seek
Arrange your pieces on the board as you’d like them, naming them
with the children. Have the children cover their eyes, or turn the board
around, or take the pieces off and sneakily put one of the felt tree ornaments
under one of them as you replace them on the board. Then, perform
your chant:
Ornament, ornament, you fell off the tree!
Are you behind the ___________?
Let’s look and see!
