Bonus Unit

Holidays

Materials for Holidays Bonus Unit

Tin cans or baby food jarsUnpopped popping cornGlad Press and Seal wrapColoring utensilsTime capsule containerCupcakesSparkling apple juiceDoiliesConstruction paperGlitterPaper platesHearts made of paperBed sheetRice crispiesEgg dying packagesHard boiled eggsEgg cartonsPipe cleanersGluePaint and suppliesNutter Butter cookiesFrostingCandiesGraham crackersBreadTurkeyCheese

CondimentsCotton ballsPlastic gobletCraft glueTissue paperWrapping paperRibbonMatzohSoap templatesGlycerinScents, dyesFood coloringChocolate heartsStar stickersMagazines to cut upMilk and donutsPretzel rodsMelted white chocolateStyrofoam ballsYarnRegular pretzelsOrigami templateMenorahCandlesSugar cookies

New Years

Story Time: Happy New Year! / Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai! by DemiThis book introduces students to the Chinese New Year and all the celebrations

associated with it.

Art Activities:

Individual: Noise MakersGive students cleaned out tin cans or baby food jars to make shakers with.

Provide them with unpopped popping corn and let them fill their containers as they wish. Then, they can cover the open end with Glad Press and Seal plastic covering. It will hold the kernels inside and will leave you without a mess! Students can decorate the containers however they like.

Group: Time CapsuleCreate a time capsule with things from your classroom that will be found by

students a long time from now. Encourage students to include things that represent their daily activities, such as markers and crayons, books, and a picture of the class.

Cognitive Skills:

Old and NewTalk to students about the concepts of old and new and ask for some examples of

old and new things. Then, give them a worksheet and two different coloring of coloring utensils. They should circle all the old things on the worksheet in one color and all the new things with the other color. Talk about the value of old and new things as well.

New Year, New YouAsk students if they know about New Year’s resolutions, and if they do, what

theirs might be for next year. Tell them that it is a great way to start something over, especially if they have been making mistakes or not being a nice person.

Dramatic Play: Midnight Snowball FightSend your students to winter with this fun play activity. They can pretend to be

outside in the dark, just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. They can be having a snowball fight until you tell them that it is time to celebrate the New Year. Then, they can all count down from 10 and jump around in celebration.

Snack Time: Sparkling Apple Juice and CupcakesBecause New Year’s is a celebration, your students should get a little celebration

for snack time! Give them festive cupcakes and a cup of sparkling apple juice. It will make them feel like they are having a soft drink even though they are getting none of the caffeine effects.

Valentine’s Day

Story Time: Fluffy's Valentine's Day by Kate McmullanThis is about a loveable pig who realizes the fun of Valentine’s Day.

Art Activities

Individual: Personalized ValentinesProvide students with doilies, construction paper, coloring utensils, and glitter and

let them make their own valentines. You can provide them with some simple phrases written on colorful paper (or even provide Valentine stickers), such as “Happy Valentine’s Day!” “Be Mine, Valentine,” and “Have a Stellar Day, Valentine!”. They can glue these to their valentines.

Group: Valentine’s Day QuiltGive the children magazines to cut out pictures which would be appropriate for

Valentine’s Day. Have them cut out a rectangle of construction paper. On it, they can glue or tape their pictures to look like they are “sown” together to make a “quilt” of Valentine’s Day cheer.

Cognitive Skills:

CountingMake two hearts, one pink and one red. Glue them together, back to back. Then,

put that heart with about three dozen other plain hearts on a bed sheet. Have each student grab a part of the bed sheet and lift it high on your count. When you say the word, students should toss the sheet in the air so that the hearts fly. Students should then run to pick up all the hearts. When they have all been collected, have students count their hearts to see who has the most. The person who get the pink and red heart can count it as five hearts.

History of Valentine’s DayYou can explain Valentine’s Day without getting too religious with students by

telling them that the day is named after St. Valentine and telling them a bit about why he was known for love and gifts. Ask students if they can think of any other holidays that have to do with religious celebrations or historical figures.

Dramatic Play: Secret ValentineHave one student pretend to be at home, and have other students come and

pretend to ring the doorbell but run away. The student at home should open the door and act confused for the first few times, then angry. Finally, on the last ring, the student should open up the door to find a valentine lying on the ground. He or she reads the

valentine and looks for the sender but cannot see anyone. Finally, the sender comes forward and gives the recipient a Valentine’s Day hug.

Snack Time: Red and Pink Rice CrispiesThese are such a fun and delicious treat. The red and pink colors will make them

festive and keep your students in a Valentine’s Day mood!

Ingredients:1 or 2 bags miniature marshmallows1 tablespoon butter2 cups crispy rice cerealRed food coloringMelt butter in a saucepan. Add marshmallows and red food coloring.Stir until mixture becomes difficult to stir any more. Mix in the Rice Crispy Cereal and stir until hot.Butter a pan (a square pan like a brownie pan) and spread mixture evenly in the pan. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Easter

Story Time: The Best Easter Egg Hunt Ever by John SpeirsKeep the mood light with this cute story about an Easter egg hunt. Your students

will be dying to do their own egg hunt!

Art Activities

Individual: Egg DyingBring in egg dying kits and hard boiled eggs for students to experiment with. You

can set up stations with different colors and teach students how to pattern the eggs. You should have egg cartons available for the eggs to dry in later.

Group: Tulip BouquetStudents will each need one cup from an egg carton, paint supplies, and a pipe

cleaner. They should cut the top of the egg carton cup in a jagged edge so it looks like a tulip. Then, they should paint or color their egg carton. When it is dry, they should write their names on the tulip. One end of the pipe cleaner should be twirled into a spiral shape. This end will be glued to the egg carton. Let it set for a few hours and put everyone’s flowers together for a class bouquet.

Cognitive Skills

Match the PatternsCut out egg shapes from different colors of paper with 2 eggs for each color.

Hide one each of the different color eggs in the classroom. If you don’t have enough colors you can always decorate eggs with matching decoration (for example, some a squiggle design, some with zigzag, some with stripes. Give each child one egg and have them find their matching egg in the room.

To increase the difficulty, you can make large egg shapes then cut them in half using a puzzle type cut, such as zigzag or interlocking puzzle pieces. Give each child one half of an egg, and then ask them to find the person with the other half that fits theirs.

Dramatic Play: The Bunny FamilyHave your students pretend to be a family of bunnies. You are the parent bunny

and it is your job to get everyone together and sitting down for a bunny dinner for Easter,

but your bunny family is too wild and excited to sit still long enough to fill their plates! Have your students take turns being the bad bunny while you pretend to get exasperated at their behavior.

Snack Time: Easter ChickFor this snack, take a nutter butter cookie (or similar sandwich cookie if there are

allergies to nuts) and ice it with yellow frosting. Use a candy corn for the beak and chocolate chips for eyes. Your students will have lots of energy after this snack, so be prepared!

Passover

Story Time: Matzo Ball Moon by Leslea NewmanThis is a charming story about a girl and her family at Passover. The Matzo balls

are so good that no one can resist sneaking them when they make trips through the kitchen. After eating a wonderful meal, the girl sees the moon and compares it to a matzo ball, leading to the name of the book.

Art Activities

Individual: Soft Little LambsEach student starts with two paper plates. One should be the body of the sheep.

One will be cut apart to make the head and feet. Students should cover the body with cotton balls that they glue on. Next, they should cut a circle for the head and glue it on the back of the body, so that it looks like we are viewing the sheep from the side. Then, students should trace their thumbs to make feet for the sheep. They can cut the feet out and glue them on as well. Finally, they can decorate the face and make their sheep smile.

Group: Create Elijah’s GobletKeeping with Jewish tradition, students can make Elijah’s goblet from a plastic

goblet and tissue paper. The students should have different parts to perform to make this a true class project. The first students should cover the cup in craft glue. The next group should cover the cup in tissue paper that has been torn up into little pieces. The third group covers the cup with another layer of craft glue to make it shiny and smooth. The fourth group glues a piece of ribbon at the top of the stem and winds it around until it reaches the bottom. Then, they should glue the bottom in place. Finally, the last group should decorate the cup with extra bits of ribbon, colored-on butterflies, etc.

Cognitive Skills

Traditional Passover FoodAsk your students if they know what foods are usually eaten at Passover. Tell

them what the menu consists of and explain what the symbolism behind each food is. If possible, bring the food for your students to see and taste.

Dramatic Play: Seder SupperHave students act out a Seder supper, including telling a little about the history of

Passover and why it is so important to the Jewish culture. They can pretend to be a family sitting down to dinner and telling stories about their heritage and culture.

Snack Time: MatzohThis traditional Jewish food of unleavened bread is available at most grocery

stores with a kosher section, so it should be easy to find and tasty to eat. Give it to your students and explain that it is the same as their normal bread, it just does not have yeast, which makes the bread rise.

Mother’s Day

Story Time: Wake up, Emily, It's Mother's Day by Patricia Reilly GiffYour students will probably understand Emily’s problem of not knowing what to

do for her mother for Mother’s Day. She keeps trying to think of things to do, but her plans are not working out. Will she have a gift ready in time?

Art Activities

Individual: Mother’s Day CardGive students construction paper, coloring supplies, and a mission to make their

mothers a Mother’s Day card. Since it is their card and their mother, they can create whatever they want. When they are finished with the outside, you should have a standard saying for them on the inside, such as “Thanks for being such a great mom! I love you!” They can sign their names to make it truly special.

Group: Decorative SoapBring in soap templates and glycerin soap for your students to use in making their

mothers special soap. You can melt down the glycerin and let them add colors, scents, and exfoliating particles if they wish. You should do all the pouring and handling of the hot soap, but they can personalize their products just for their mothers. You should keep track of whose soap is in which template by writing their names on the templates.

Cognitive Skills

Mother’s RoleAsk your students some of the many things their mothers do. Ask them how hard

they think their mothers have to work to make sure everything is as it is supposed to be. Talk about ways your students can make things easier for their mothers, such as picking up after themselves or doing things to help before they are asked.

Dramatic Play: Be a MotherStudents can be mothers in this dramatic play, but the fun is that they get to pick

what type of mother they want to be. They could be mother ducks or mother horses, whatever they can think of. They should treat their imaginary children as a traditional mother would, adapting it for the type of mother they pick.

Snack Time: Chocolate HeartsMothers love chocolate, so serve it to your students in honor of Mother’s Day. If

there are heart-shaped chocolates available, that is most appropriate, but if not, just use whatever is around and in season.

Memorial DayStory Time: Let’s Get Ready for Memorial Day by Lloyd G. Douglas

This book has a nice history and background on Memorial Day, as well as a storyline that students will follow.

Art Activities

Individual: Personal FlagLet students show their national pride by helping them make an American flag.

They can cut strips of red and white paper for the main section of the flag. Once those are glued together, they can cut a blue square from construction paper and glue it to the upper left corner. Then, students can add small stars. The small star stickers that come in various colors work best for this; use the silver ones to make it look most authentic. Then, students can cover the stripes in glitter if you have it. They should drizzle glue over the stripe and put the same color glitter on all of the stripes. It will make it much flashier and exciting for your students.

Group: Memorial Day TributePass out magazines for your students to look through and cut up. Ask them to

look for pictures that they think are related to Memorial Day, such as people in uniform, flags, gravesites, and any other patriotic picture they may find. Then, have your students come forward and paste their findings on a big notepad. This should be a group project, and everyone should get to post everything they find, as long as it is relevant. When you are finished, talk about what items you have on your board and why they represent Memorial Day.

Cognitive Skills

Counting FlagGive students a multitude of a small candy, such as red hots or M&Ms. They

should divide all the red ones into seven equal piles, representing the seven red stripes on the flag. Then, they should separate all the white candies into six equal piles, representing the six white stripes on the flag. Students should also make sure that there are the same number in the white piles as the red piles. Then, they should count to see how many they have per pile. Students can then line up their stripes and count how many candies they have total.

Dramatic Play: Memorial Day ParadeSend your students on a joyful parade around the room celebrating the service and

sacrifice of the armed forces. They can pretend to be in a bad, they can be baton twirlers, they can be beauty queens, they can ride horses; they can do whatever they see in parades. Do not forget to keep students reminded that there is a serious reason for the holiday but that it is a time for joy and celebration.

Snack Time: Graham Cracker FlagsGive each student a graham cracker and have three dishes of icing sitting out.

The icing should be mixed with food coloring so there is red, white, and blue colors. Let students decorate their flag however they want before eating it.

Father’s Day

Story Time: A Perfect Father’s Day by Eve BuntingThis cute story is of a girl and her father on Father’s Day. She wants to spend the

day doing what he wants, but instead, they spend the day doing everything that she loves to do. Her perfect father, however, pretends those are his favorite activities and they have a wonderful day together.

Art Activities

Individual: Tie CardHave students cut a piece of card stock or construction paper into an M

shape. Fold over the two flaps left on top so that all the sides are even, then unfold again. Draw a line vertically down the center of the paper. Draw three buttons down the side or glue on real buttons. Make a tie from construction paper or cut up an old one you have found. Glue the top of the tie to the top of the paper. Fold down the flaps again and make them look like collars. Glue down the collars. Have special messages to Dad on small pieces of paper that the children can glue on the underside of the tie and the top of the tie telling him Happy Father’s Day.

Footprint T-Shirt

Ask each child to bring a “dad-size T-shirt”. You might want to ask for parent volunteers for this project or do a few at a time because it can be messy.

Put fabric paint on the children’s feet and have them walk on the T-shirt that they will be giving their dad, (uncle, grandfather, whoever fills this role for the child). Next use a permanent marker and write the phrase: “I walk all over my daddy!” These make great fun gifts for that special person.

Group: Father WordsDraw a man’s silhouette on a large piece of paper. Then, let students come up

and tell you the names of their fathers so that you can write them in the space inside his head. Brainstorm with students about what words describe their dads, and have them come back up and write words that represent their fathers. When you are finished, you have a lovely tribute to fathers everywhere.

Cognitive Skills

Describe DadAsk your students some of the many things their fathers do. Ask them how hard

they think their fathers have to work and ask what their fathers do when they go to work. Talk about ways they can help this special person in their life.

Another fun discussion is to ask them if they know their father’s ages. Write the numbers on the board and then see if they can figure out whose father is younger. You can give ideas by putting numbers 1-10 on the board and then showing talking about the concept. (This is usually fun with your older preschooler students.)

Dramatic Play: Be a DaddyLet students pretend to be fathers taking care of their children. They can be

whatever kind of father they want, so if they do not like humans, they can choose to be mice or elephants or whatever else they like.

Snack Time: Milk and DonutsServe students a real dad’s meal with milk (to replace coffee) and donuts.

Everyone loves a little treat, and donuts are sure to do the trick!

Fourth of July

Story Time: A is for America by Devin ScillianThis alphabet book explains much of America’s history and is a great tribute to all

things American. The pictures are great as is the content. A great learning book for your students in multiple ways.

Art Activities

Individual: Statue of Liberty CrownHave your students color a picture of the Statue of Liberty, paying special

attention to her crown. To make their own, they should cut out a rectangle from construction paper. The rectangle must be long enough to go around their heads. Then, they should cut a zig-zag pattern on the top to make it look like the spikes of her crown. When they are finished, you can help them glue or tape the edges of the crown together. They can decorate the crown any way they like before wearing it around for the day.

American Flag CollageSend students looking through magazines for pictures with lots of red, white, and

blue in them. When you have collected enough, have students start pasting the colors together to make a flag. They can overlap pictures, use bits of pictures, and do whatever else they need to in order to make the flag look as real as possible. When you are done, put up the flag for everyone to see and salute.

Cognitive Skills

Pledge of AllegianceSay the Pledge of Allegiance and the correct way to salute a flag. Talk about the

importance of all the words and why students should respect the flag. It is not a toy to play with but it is fun to wave it and use it at parades and celebrations.

The First Independence DayHave a discussion with your class about the history behind Independence Day.

Ask if they understand how America became its own country. You can talk about colonization, the fight for freedom, the Declaration of Independence, the struggles that followed, and the country that we have grown into today.

Dramatic Play: Fourth of July FireworksAsk students about their experiences observing fireworks. It is important to let

them know that adults are the ones who handle fireworks and the need for safety when around them. Then, let them pretend to set off fireworks and make all the explosion noises that go along with them. They can pretend to set off giant or tiny ones, whatever they want, but everyone can get into the spirit and wave imaginary sparklers around.

Snack Time: Pretzel SparklersGive students long pretzel rods. Have them come forward and dip the top section

in melted white chocolate. Then, send them to the decoration table where they can put sprinkles or other candies on top. They can wait until the chocolate is dry to eat or they can eat right away.

Thanksgiving

Story Time: If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovernThis is a fun question and answer style book that combines history with great

pictures. It teaches about the pilgrims’ first year in America and the problems they encountered along the way.

Art Activities

Individual: Pilgrim HatHave students color a paper plate brown. This will serve as the brim of the hat.

They should then take a piece of brown construction paper and make it into a cylindrical shape. They can tape it so it stays that way and glue it onto the brim. Then, they should cut out a black strip of paper and glue it just above the brim, on the brown construction paper. They should then cut out a black square and glue it to one side of the black band, so it looks like a buckle from a Pilgrim’s hat.

Group: CornucopiaLet students create their own favorite food for their cornucopia. You can bring in

a wicker cornucopia or create one from construction paper. They should draw their favorite Thanksgiving foods and cut them out. Then, everyone should bring their pictures forward and put them together to create a class cornucopia.

Cognitive Skills

Turkey MazeSet up an obstacle course maze in the classroom with a few “dead ends” that lead

to a road block. Put a turkey stuffed animal at one end of the obstacle course and a table set for dinner at the other end. Students will have to get the turkey (stuffed animal) at one end of the maze to the Thanksgiving dinner with his family at the other. They must work through the maze, avoiding the dead ends, to get the turkey reunited with his family.

You can do this same thing in miniature by drawing a maze in the sandbox if your classroom has a sand table. Children stand around the sandbox and do this with toy food and furniture.

Food CategoriesShow students pictures of Thanksgiving Day items. Have them split the items

into different categories, such as “meat,” “vegetables,” “bread,” and “dessert.” Do any

foods count in both groups? How many items are in each category? Which category has the most items?

Dramatic Play: First ThanksgivingSplit students into pilgrims and Indians. Have them pretend to share a feast.

They should stay true to what they know about the cultures of these two groups. They should act different, eat differently, and talk differently.

Snack: Turkey SandwichesGive students each one slice of bread and some turkey deli meat. They can add

cheese and condiments as they like to have a small Thanksgiving Day celebration at snack time.

ChristmasStory Time: Carl's Christmas by Alexandra Day

This is a beloved children’s Christmas book about a loving dog named Carl and his adventures with a baby at Christmastime.

Art Activities

Individual: Snowmen SculptureGive students Styrofoam balls in different sizes. They can cover the balls in glue

and glitter and add sticks that they collect from outside for arms. They can color the faces and glue hair on or make a hat for extra fun.

Group: Handprint WreathStudents should trace their hands on green construction paper and cut them out.

The hands should be overlapped in a circular motion and glued together. Then, students can cut out small red circles from construction paper to make holly. This wreath can be hung on the classroom door to remind all who enter of the festive season.

Cognitive Skills

Concentric CirclesIntroduce the idea of concentric circles by showing the snowmen balls. If the

balls were flat, making only a circle, they would fit inside each other, because they are perfect circles. Show different circles, some ovals, some misshapen, and see if students can tell which ones are concentric and which are not.

Snow Rhyming WordsHave your students come up with words that rhyme with snow. Talk about how

the last syllable in a word determines what its rhyme is going to be, and work with them to know which rhymes are perfect and which only come close.

Dramatic Play: Decorate the TreeAct like a family decorating the Christmas tree. Some students can hang

ornaments and some string popcorn for a garland. Talk about your favorite Christmas ornaments and why they are special to you.

Snack: Chocolate-covered PretzelsDip pretzels in white chocolate and let students drizzle red and green icing over

them in whatever pattern they design. Let the pretzels dry and enjoy them!

Hanukkah

Story Time: The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story by Eric A. KimmelThis story is about a boy with a brass dreidel who meets a mischievous goblin

who gives him a few special gifts. Throughout the story, he learns that he does not need magic to have a lovely Hanukkah.

Art Activities

Individual: MenorahHave students cut out eight white strips of construction paper. Show them a

picture of a menorah base and have them draw one on plain paper. Then, they should glue the candles to the menorah base and draw on flames. If they like, they can cut out flames from yellow paper.

Group: Play the Dreidel GamePurchase a dreidel or have one of the students bring in a dreidel from home if they

have one. Teach all of the children how to play the game. Need: beads for each child to have 10 each. Place a bowl in the center and ask each child to put 2 beads in the bowl. Spin the dreidel! The letter facing up when the dreidel stops does the following: Nun - do nothing, Gimel - take everything, Hey - Take half of the pot, Shin - Put one penny in the pot .

Throughout the game, ask children to count the beads. Younger ones will need help counting but it is a fun time for all.

Cognitive Skills

How Did the Oil Last?Brainstorm their reasons why the oil that should have lasted one day really lasted

eight days. Explain first to your students the story behind Hanukkah and its importance to the Jewish people. When you finish talking, conclude with this question. Was it a miracle or not?

Organize the CandlesBring in a menorah and eight real candles. Have them numbered, and mix up the

numbers in the menorah. Have students unscramble the numbers and put them in ascending and descending order.

Dramatic Play: The Miraculous OilPretend to be Jews cleaning up the temple after the fighting surrounding

Hanukkah. Get ready to light the menorah and discover only enough oil for one day.

Pretend to be amazed when the oil continues to last, and be a bit fearful of the incredible miracle you are experiencing.

Snack: Dreidel CookiesMake simple sugar cookies and cut them into dreidel shapes with a cookie cutter.

Ask if any of the children know how to make the Hebrew letters or find samples from a book or the internet and use those patterns. Let your class decorate their cookies with Hebrew letters before eating them.