We spent our week keeping busy with LOTS of Christmas themed crafts, singing Christmas songs, learning Christmas finger poems, reading our numerous holiday books, and watching Christmas movies! Last year, our overall Christmas theme was Christmas trees (the kids were obsessed with them last year). This year our focus is on ornaments. Majority of our crafts are some kind of ornament. The kids are having so much fun with these and are eager to hand them to mom and dad at the end of the day!
Here's a peek at our week:
The kids loved their hand print Rudolph's when they were completed. They were not so much into making them though.
Lots and lots of cotton balls were used for our Santa hat project. I had them color the hats first then they glued on the cotton balls.
Finger paint Christmas trees.
Poor kitty Sophia could not figure out why the kids kept interrupting her nap in the doll bed....
This picture pretty much sums up the end of our days here: all three minis talking wildly about their days or telling stories and Hubs and I crashed on the couches.
I love paper shapes from Michael's! They are made with thicker paper which makes perfect for coloring, painting, gluing, and anything else little hands can do. I just wish they made more shapes because I would buy them all (please Michael's, hear my wish!).
Christmas ornaments. These were paper shapes from Michael's ($1.99 for 4 ornaments and string). I had the kids use
Do A Dot Art: 5-pack Shimmer Markers on the ornaments.
A few of our Christmas songs and poems we're learning.
We get creative during the winter with our playing. My kids played in water beads in the bath tub:
http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/12/tuesday-night-fun.html
The snow sand sensory bin (flour, vegetable oil, glitter, small snowflakes, and glittery pinecones) for winter.
Snow flake ornaments (also $1.99 from Michael's for 4 snowflakes and string). I had the kids use blue, silver, and gold
Do A Dot Art Marker Brilliant 6-pack.
They also decorated snowflake paper shapes (found at Michael's for $1.99) with snowflake stickers.
It has been a whirlwind with my writing lately, but I'm happy to say my book is finished and available on Amazon:
Let's Use Our Words. I'll be writing a blog soon about how this book came about.
Dance party to Christmas music.
Gingerbread men. I drew gingerbread men on poster board and cut them out. The kids colored them different shades of brown and glued on googly eyes, buttons, pom poms, and beads.
Santa Faces was the most loved craft of the week. Learn how to make your's here:
http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/12/santa-faces.html
This girl out does herself for naps: dolls, stuffed animals, 4 fleece blankets, a doll carrier, a wooden learn to tie your shoes, and magnetic drawing boards.....it should be of no surprise that she's been refusing naps lately so she makes sure she has plenty to do in her bed!
Shaving cream candy canes make a great Christmas decoration:
http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/12/shaving-cream-paint-candy-canes.html
Next week we'll be talking about how Christmas is the season is giving. We'll be reading a couple of books about this subject and watching a few Christmas shows (thank you ABC specials). At the end of the week, the kids will be drawing pictures for each other and *giving* them to their friends. We're having so much fun with the Christmas season!
