Christmas Play Felt Board Set

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!

Christmas Fun!

 We need some jolly old Christmas storytime fun, don't we?  Yes, indeed!  So here we go:

The laminated jingle bell is just right for a Christmas version of Little Mouse:

Jingle bell, jingle bell, you're hiding somewhere!
Are you behind the Christmas tree?

Let's peek under there!

And this set is just right for a Christmas version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  

I like it so much, I even made a video of it :) 

Fingers too tired to make your own?  Visit my shop:

50% off Holiday Sets!

I'm clearing out a couple of my winter holiday sets to make room for new designs coming this year :)  These two are perfect for the fine motor area of your classroom or library--ages 3-7 really love these!  Each set comes with a list of related book titles to check out at the library, as well as the lyrics to a few rhymes and songs that go along with the theme.

This is a quick sale--just today and tomorrow, 

12/30 and 12/31/18--

and there are only a few of each set left!

(Although these cuties are no longer available, I've got lots of fun holiday sets in my shop!)

Christmas Finger Puppet Set

Okay, so these aren't actually finger puppets.  I bought the pattern for them at Precious Patterns on Etsy, and I fully intended to make them into puppets.  But I also plan to sell them in my shop (editing to say they're sold out :) ), and I decided it would be more time efficient and perfectly acceptable to make them into flannel board figures instead.  So rather than stitch everything together, I followed the patterns but glued them together instead.  I think it works!  I know the kids will love them (though I probably won't use the Santa and Mrs. Claus in the classroom, since I steer away from the whole "get, get, get" aspect of the holidays.  Except in my personal life ;)).

If you're not a seamstress but you love how these look, I think they would be easy enough to make into finger puppets simply by gluing the various pieces together as I did, and then just whip stitching around the outer edges.  I adore the look of these.  My farm and jungle finger puppet patterns came from the same site, and I have the Halloween set just waiting to be made :)

These Christmas Cuties are sold out, but find tons of holiday felt goodies in my shop!

Flannel Friday is being hosted by Mollie at Storytime with Miss Mollie, and of course you'll find lots of other ideas at Flannel Friday's blog or Pinterest page.

Christmas Trees

Who says Christmas has to wait till December?  The kids in my classroom have been decorating Gingerbread Houses all summer!  I have a feeling they'll enjoy decorating these trees just as much.  Librarians, don't discount these--I picture them at a table in your children's section after a story time about winter--alongside a felt board of dreidels, menorahs and gelt perhaps! (Coming soon to a blog near you...)

With all the different shapes and colors, there's just so much patterning, counting and sorting to be done!  

I put my CuttleBug to good use with the decorations--I've been using wool blend felt, and even the thinnest dies cut right through it with no problem.  This was great news--I was so disappointed that the thin dies wouldn't cut acrylic felt.  One more reason to switch to wool blend. It is a bit more expensive, but I really love the quality and the colors are amazing.

This set is sold out in my shop, but lots of other holiday sets are available!

Flannel Friday is being hosted this week by Laura at Library LaLaLand  Check out the round up there, and don't forget to find more amazing flannel board ideas at Pinterest and Facebook and the Flannel Friday Blog!

Cookies!

Here's another set for the children to use independently--and another one that's inspired by my thoughts of cooler weather... (Here are my other sets.)

Hungry, anyone?  Here are some cookies for you!

Hmmm...  Those look a little plain.  How about we add some frosting?

That's better, but do we have any sprinkles?

YUMMMY!!  They look good enough to eat, don't they?  (My cat and I highly discourage this.)

Sometimes around the holidays we make real cookies with the children (ah, sweet, sugary fun!)  I think this will be a great set to put out for them to extend that activity, as well as get some conversation going about activities they do at home with their families.  And of course these pieces provide perfect opportunities to sort, count, name shapes and colors, and otherwise learn as they play.

This set is sold out in my shop, but lots of other felt goodies are waiting for you.

  I hope you'll visit me there!

Flannel Friday is being hosted this week by Kathryn at Fun With Friends at Storytime.  Check out the round up there, and don't forget to find more amazing flannel board ideas at Pinterest and Facebook and the Flannel Friday Blog!

Gingerbread House Set

Nothing like gingerbread in the middle of June!  

These are not for storytelling necessarily, although it would be fun to give each child a piece and have them come up to the board to help build a gingerbread house--and then go into a rousing rendition of The Gingerbread Man.  I made these for the kids to use in the classroom--everything comes apart other than the candy canes and window panes--they are glued on.

These guys are a work in progress.  I bought clip art for the patterns, but the sizing is off for various roof toppings that aren't shown, and I want to adjust them.  I also made all the candy canes facing the same way (there are four but I only have two pictured), and the gumdrops and peppermints should be much smaller!

This particular set isn't for sale, but please check out my shop with many of my other sets:

Flannel Board Fun Shop

The Flannel Friday roundup is being hosted this week by Mollie at What Happens in Storytime!  You'll also find other Flannel Friday goodies at Pinterest, Facebook, and the FF blog--check them out!