By

Learning Together Joyfully: Better to Give than Receive.

Welcome back parents, grandparents and educators! Winter and the holiday season has arrived and children’s excitement is mounting. Christmas means singing, concerts, ceremonies and family rituals both at home and at school that mark this special time of year. Hanukkah (December 18 – 26, 2022), a family-oriented Jewish religious holiday, may be celebrated by lighting the menorah, playing a game of dreidel and gift giving. Reciprocity or the old saying that it is better to give than to receive is one to reflect upon and to discuss with children. The feeling we get after doing something for someone else, is so much more meaningful than anything we buy for ourselves. It is important to start sharing this lesson with young children. The holiday season is meant to be joyful, but it can also be stressful for children and challenge them to engage their self-regulation skills to the maximum. Ideas and strategies presented here will hopefully support educators, parents and grandparents to make the coming weeks easier for their children. As you and your children enjoy the holiday season and some of the included activities, remember to play, learn, and grow together!

Quick Links

Use these links to quickly navigate to specific sections within this blog!

  1. Read and Sing Together
  2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Drawing and Constructing
  3. Explore, Engage & Interact together
  4. Healthy Living: Movement & Nutrition
  5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about Learning
poemsearcher.com

1.  Read and Sing together 📚

Reading to children is one of the most beneficial activity that adults can do with them. Talk to your children about what is happening in the story.  Ask them how the story made them feel and why?  What part’s of the story did they like or dislike?  Which picture was their favorite?  Model reading so your children see that you value it.  Use books to build experiences, bond together and escape the day to enter a new world. Daily reading develops skills that will help them develop mentally, emotionally, and socially. ENJOY!

Explorekidtalk.com

GIVING AND RECEIVING BOOKS: You may wish to consider creating opportunities for children to enjoy giving and sharing.  Introduce ideas and opportunities for your children to give time or donate personal items. For example, you might suggest they visit an elderly neighbor who can’t get out much anymore, or donate their less-used clothes or toys to others who could benefit from them. Children usually want to help; they just don’t know how they can make a difference. Talk with them about ways they can give back and discuss activities that are aligned with their interests. While enjoying the holiday spirit, it is also a great time to focus on the spirit of giving with thought-provoking books to stimulate discussions. Generosity during the holiday season may provide you opportunities to explain and model for children that it goes beyond “gifting” big material presents. The following titles show different ways to give the best of ourselves — every day and every way we can. You can find these titles at your school or public library or you may wish to simply enjoy clicking on the links below and reading the books together with your children. 

  •  The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson. Sure, new clothes can be great, especially if you’re a giant who can’t often find a look you like. George, the formerly scruffy giant, gets all suited up and becomes the most smartly attired giant. It’s on a walk through town, encountering creatures in need, that he realizes each of his new purchases could really help others. If you’re trying to teach children the reason to donate toys or clothing they no longer need, this is a good place to start.
  • Harold Loves His Wooly Hat by Vern Kousky. When a crow snatches Harold’s prized wooly hat off his head, he offers worms, berries, and shiny objects in a desperate attempt to win it back.Harold then climbs the crow’s tree intent on taking back his hat and instead discovers others who need it more.
  •  The Gift Inside the Box by Adam and Allison Grant brings the message of giving and generosity with the clever story of a gift box looking for the perfect recipient. The gift box comes across greedy would-be recipients, but what the box really needs is a generous person who sees an opportunity to give rather than take. The book, meant to be read interactively, with adults posing questions so kids can guess what’s happening (and why) provides an opportunity to start conversations about giving and generosity. 
  • If You Give a Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. This humorous book is a great first introduction to Mouse, the star of the If You Give… series and a perennial favorite among children. “If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk,” it begins, and then the story spirals out from there, leading somehow to mopping the floors, creating signed artwork, impromptu haircuts, and circling back once again to giving a mouse a cookie. Reading of this book provides a perfect opportunity to open the discussion about the importance of never taking advantage of those who are giving.
  • Give and Take by Chris Raschka. (20:55 mins.) Most kids master the art of taking pretty quickly, but the art of giving takes a bit more thought. Still, in life there is a balance to strike between give and take—no one can be all give, or all take. In this book we meet two characters named Give and Take and see what happens when a farmer follows all of one’s advice (spoiler: nothing good!) and when he finally sees the value of both (somehow this creates an apple pie, which is a great thing indeed.) 
  • The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (5:38 mins.) This story of a boy who loves a tree, and a tree who loves the boy involves the tree giving everything she can to the boy, until she is nothing but a stump, and then she still gives some more. This book is the perfect bedtime or story time read to follow up a season of consumerism and over indulgence as it highlights the kind of selflessness and generosity that people of all ages could consider.

SOLSTICE BOOKS: Winter Solstice takes place on December 21, 2022. It is the astronomical moment when the Sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn.

  • The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper. As the sun sets on the shortest day of the year, December 21, your child will enjoy learning about how early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again.  This book captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before — and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. Richly illustrated by Carson Ellis with a universality that spans the centuries, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!
  •  Mouse Celebrates the Winter Solstice by Terri Mack. It is winter. The land lies still, quiet and stark beneath a blanket of snow. The tiny footprints of a mouse can be seen in the light of the moon. “Wrapped in the quiet, and there in the bleak, there stood a wise mouse, preparing to speak.” The words that mouse chose were from many years past. She spoke to them in the cold night air. So begins the enchanting story of a very special Winter Solstice celebration. The lyrical text and engaging illustrations will appeal to readers of all ages.

CHRISTMAS BOOKS : Making time to slow down and read out loud to children ensures they make meaningful connections  – especially in December. As their excitement grows, spending quality time chatting with children about holiday books can help them cope with the stresses of the season.

  • Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson. Bear’s friends are determined to keep Bear awake for Christmas! So they wake Bear up and have him help them find a Christmas tree, bake cakes, hang up stockings, and sing Christmas songs. Bear stays up — by discovering that giving is one of the best Christmas presents! 
  • Finding Christmas by Robert Munsch. Every year Julie finds the Christmas presents her parents hid: in the basement, under the bed, in the garage. But this year it’s Christmas Eve and she has found nothing. NOTHING! She’s worried – will there be no presents at all? Her investigation takes her to a mysterious box on the rooftop, which – lo and behold – houses all of the gifts! But, there is the biggest surprise of all for her family on Christmas morning.
  • Baseball Bats for Christmas by Michael Arvaaluk Kusugak. This authentic tale about children living in the Arctic in 1955 about Arvaarluk and his friends watching Rocky Parsons land his plane on the ice in Repulse Bay, a tiny community “smack dab on the Arctic Circle.”  Having never seen trees before, the children try to guess what the six green spindly things are that Rocky delivers. One of the boys has a brilliant idea: why not use them as baseball bats? The Arctic way of life is realistically portrayed by the author, whose narrative voice resonates with the lilt of his native language, Inuktitut.
  • The Little Match Girl adapted & illustrated by three-time Caldecott Honor recipient Jerry Pinkney transform this classic story of a nineteenth-century Danish girl of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale into a child plucked straight from America’s melting pot, shedding new light on the invisibility of the poor among the prosperous – a circumstance as familiar in Andersen’s day as it is in our own.
  • The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett. For many centuries young and old alike have been singing about the maids a-milking, the lords a-leaping, and a partridge in a pear tree. A Christmas carol, a parlor game, and a delightful counting song-The Twelve Days of Christmas- is indeed a favorite of the holiday season. In this book, sumptuously illustrated by Jan Brett, all the splendid images of The Twelve Days of Christmas come joyously alive. Look closely and you’ll see not only the extravagant gifts given by a suitor to his lady, but a love story, a family’s busy Christmas preparations, “Merry Christmas” in eleven languages, and a veritable menagerie of charming creatures.

  • Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner. Snowmen at Night shared with us the magical, slip-sliding adventures of snowmen after dark . . . but have you ever wondered what snowmen do for Christmas? Well, now’s your chance to find out! The snowmen are back, and this time they’re celebrating Christmas—the snowman way! This snappy and entertaining book depicts all the best parts of the holiday, replete with icy treats and a snowman Kris Kringle. Told in the same bouncy verse as the original, this book is perfect for a snowy evening read-aloud.
  • The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore; illustrated by Charles Santore. This book is an enchanting Christmas story that has brought Santa Claus to life for generations. Celebrate the holiday season a four-page foldout, perfect for gifting! Carry on a family tradition or start one of your own with this new version of the classic Christmas book for children and families. Initially this book was published anonymously as A Visit from Saint Nicholas, and credited as a work by Clement Clark Moore. Bring the family together for a read-aloud and as children prepare for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve. 
  • The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. t’s Christmas Eve and the JOLLY POSTMAN is delivering greetings to various fairy-tale characters – there’s a card for Baby Bear, a game appropriately called ‘Beware’ for Red Riding Hood from Mr Wolf, a get-well jigsaw for hospitalized Humpty Dumpty and three more surprise envelopes containing letters, cards, etc. Everyone’s favourite postman keeps on peddling his bicycle up hill and down dale . . . and into everybody’s hearts.
  • Santa’s Underwear by Marty Rhodes Figley. It’s Christmas Eve and Santa is busy getting gussied up for the big night. But when he goes to put on his warm, cozy (holey, ragged) Christmas underwear, they’re nowhere to be found! With undies for every occasion, he tries on the rest of his collection. But nothing is quite right. Just when he’s about to give up he find a surprise from his considerate team of reindeer. Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!

HANUKKAH BOOKS: Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 B.C. and is considered one of the happiest Jewish holidays of the year.  You may find these titles at your school or public library or you may wish to simply enjoy clicking on the links below and reading the books together with your children. 

  • The Night Before Hanukkah by Natasha Wing. It’s the night before the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah begins, and everyone is excited! Each evening, the family gathers to light the candles and share holiday traditions such as playing dreidel, eating latkes, and exchanging gifts.
  • The Story of Hanukkah by David A Adler.  No celebration of Hanukkah would be complete without recounting the events of more than two thousand years ago that the holiday commemorates. In a simple text with vibrant paintings, the story of the courageous Maccabees and the miracle that took place in the Temple in Jerusalem is retold. A recipe for latkes and directions for playing dreidel are included.
  • The Eight Knights of Hanukkah by Leslie Kimmelman. The whole kingdom has gathered to celebrate Hanukkah–but a dastardly dragon keeps interrupting the festivities. Can the Eight Knights of Hanukkah set things right? Lady Sadie must call upon the Eight Knights of Hanukkah to perform deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery and put an end to the dragon’s shenanigans. There are also notes on the traditions of Hanukkah and directions for playing the dreidel game.
  • Read and Green and Blue and White by Lee Wind. Inspired by a true story, this is a tale of a community that banded together to spread light. It’s a holiday season that both Isaac, whose family is Jewish, and Teresa, whose family is Christian, have looked forward to for months! They’ve been counting the days, playing in the snow, making cookies, drawing and writing poems. They enjoy all the things they share, as well as the things that make them different. But when Isaac’s window is smashed in the middle of the night, it seems like maybe not everyone appreciates “difference.”  This is a quiet, uplifting tale where readers will feel heartened at children’s power to influence others to stand up for justice and defeat prejudice.

SONGS:

https://ves.norris.k12.ca.us/

CHRISTMAS:

CHRISTMAS SONGS WITH ACTIONS:

GIVING & TAKING:

TOYS:

HANUKKAH:

OakvilleBeaveronTwitter

2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Drawing and Constructing 🧩

SOLSTICE ACTIVITIES: The Solstice is when we are in the Northern Hemisphere have our shortest day with sunlight and the longest night of the year. During the winter solstice, the Sun appears low in the sky.

  • Read The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper and Mouse Celebrates the Winter Solstice by Terri Mack and then sing The Winter Solstice.
  • You may wish to download this Winter Solstice colouring page.
  • Learn more about how to enjoy and celebrate the winter solstice. 
  • Consider decorating the outdoors with easy to make bird seed ornaments to hang around your yard or along a favorite hiking trail or in the school yard. Build a DIY bird feeder to share with the winter animals and birds. These could be useful gifts to give to others during the holiday season!
  • Solstice Symbols – There are 3 major structures and buildings associated with the winter solstice. They include Stonehenge, Newgrange, and Maeshawe. Click on the links above to read more on each of the structures/buildings and read more about their connection to the winter solstice.It is believed that these three places are aligned with the rising sun on the winter solstice.
HoopoeQuotes.com

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES:

  • 12 Christmas Sensory bin ideas: by creating sensory play experiences, parents and educators are supporting cognitive growth, language development, gross & fine motor skills, and social and emotional skills all at the same time!
  • Encourage children to decorate their own tree over and over again with some green playdough and lots of bright sparkly ornaments! ( Playdough Christmas Tree from CreationSpace)

HANUKKAH ACTIVITIES:

itsabouttimeteachers.blog.com

3. Explore, Engage & Interact together 🌍

  • Meet the staff and engage children in this delightful array of VSO songs. Check out the programs offered for young children at the VSO School of Music.
  • Activities for families living or visiting the lower mainland include:

4. Healthy Living: Movement & Nutrition 👭

 

QuotesGratitude.com

NUTRITION: One of the best parts of the holiday season is creating festive treats with children. Many childhood holiday memories revolve around food and family. You might have family events during the season such as cooking-making day, Christmas eve dinner or Christmas dinner at Granny’s – enjoy every one of these family traditions or start some new ones! Hopefully you will have time to bake and prepare some of the following recipes with your children (or your own favorites).

HANUKKAH: Jewish holidays, such as Hanukkah, often have foods associated with them. Teaching children some simple traditional recipes can be a good way to introduce them to their religious heritage as you cook and share together. Hanukkah is a time of year to get together with family and friends to enjoy food. Families enjoy latkes or sufganiyot – jelly donuts. These fried treats are reminders of the miracle of the Hanukkah story–the day’s supply of oil burned for eight nights.  Children will enjoy the fact that a lot of Hanukkah food is fried to celebrate the magical lighting of the menorah for 8 days when there was only enough oil for one day’s burning. The following are some easy to make Hanukkah kid friendly recipes that can support children to be involved in celebrating the Festival of Lights. 

  • Enjoy preparing the following recipes with your children:

WINTER SOLSTICE: Invite friends and family over to enjoy a Winter Solstice feast by candlelight. Consider involving children with the family to prepare:

  • Finish off the evening by reading the Winter Eyes poem:

 

MOVEMENT: When kids get the wiggles, consider stopping for a Brain Break! These brief mental breaks give children a chance to relax and reset. They can be used as a way to transition from one activity to the next. The following movement songs will get kids up and moving! Use these songs for indoor recess or anytime kids need a break.

www.playwithapurpose.com/

5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about Learning 💭

Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight

internationalprom.com
MomJunction