DECEMBER
REDUCING STRESS
December is a busy month full of holiday celebrations with friends and family. It can also be a stressful season so we're focusing on reducing stress and replacing that emotion with peace, gratefulness, and reflection.
This month, our curated resources include places to explore and family crafts and activities to enjoy together. Have fun this month and enjoy the holiday season.
We hope you enjoy our resources this month and every month during our Year of PLAY!
Personalized Learning = Active You
Want to print this month's poster? Click here to download.
DECEMBER FAMILY BUCKET LIST
25 Days of Christmas Acts of Kindness
Get into the Christmas spirit of giving with this 25 days of Christmas acts of kindness challenge! Teach kids about giving and serving while doing a Christmas countdown.
To download this free printable from the Learning in Color website, click here.
DECEMBER Family Movie:
THE POLAR EXPRESS
On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.
INDOOR GAME OF THE MONTH
farkle
All you need are 6 dice to play this fun family game of dice-rolling risk- taking!
Click here to download the game instructions.
7 C's ACTIVITIES
Be part of a CARING COMMUNITY, COMMUNICATE to build friendships, CONNECT with themselves and others, have CONFIDENCE and self-esteem, COPE with disappointment and conflict, CELEBRATE themselves and others!
ELEMENTARY
Dealin' With Feeling Bored free printable
Being bored means that you have nothing fun planned to do or there is nothing going on that gets you excited. The best way to cope with boredom is by finding something to do that you enjoy!
SECONDARY
Coping with the Holidays Worksheet
Use this worksheet to help you record your holiday feelings and ways to cope with them.
DECEMBER: recommended reading
Primary
online storytime: the mitten
When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing.
One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax.
Intermediate
As entertaining as it is informative, this comprehensive field guide describes the many different types of snowflakes, where and how to find them, and what can be learned from their intricate structures and patterns. Also included are handy tips for intrepid snowflake hunters, including what type of snowflakes to expect during certain weather conditions, and opportune ways for capturing them (the author prefers the brightly-lit tops of parking garages at night, for example). Illustrated with Libbrecht's own remarkable microphotographs of real snowflakes, the book is itself a work of art, as delightful to look at as it is to learn from, and as full of wonder as it is rich with answers. An excellent guide for snowflake lovers, classrooms, family fun, as well as the serious scientist.
Secondary
The Drop
The Drop by Jeff Ross. This is the story of a teen that wants to just snowboard all day and his greatest wish is to be on the Backcountry Patrol.
HAVE SOME FUN WITH WRITING
Download and print these fun writing activities for elementary and secondary students.
Try a WEATHER JOURNEY for elementary kiddos!
Draw a picture of what the sky is each day and write one sentence to describe it. Instead of writing "sunny" every day, use synonyms. Count down the days until winter break with this weather journey.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
UNSTRUCTURED PLAY: SKIPPING STONES
Skipping stones, stone skipping, skipping rocks, or stone skimming, is the art of throwing a smooth flat stone across the water in order to make it bounce or skip off the surface as many times as possible before sinking. The world record for skipping stones is 89 times!
STRUCTURED PLAY: FEEL THE RHYTHM!
Environmental sounds, both natural and human-made, are a part of children's outside world. Bring the rhythm of these sounds into their awareness by asking children to echo the beat of a tree branch in the wind or the rat-a-tat-tat of a jackhammer. Record each sound they hear outside.
FUN HANDS-ON LEARNING ACTIVITIES
elementary
Seasonal Crafts
Use items in your cupboard for fun seasonal crafts! Break out the macaroni!
more fun and games
Marshmallow Jenga
Fact: kids are never bored if there’s a bag of marshmallows in the house. This means the holiday game possibilities are endless! While the most popular game is arguably “Fling the Marshmallows at Your Siblings”, we suggest another, slightly more civilized, activity known as Marshmallow Jenga.
Place a large plate or cutting board on your table, then ask each participant to take turns stacking marshmallows on top of each other. When someone causes the structure to collapse, they’re out! This game works best with the jumbo-size marshmallows.
Place a large plate or cutting board on your table, then ask each participant to take turns stacking marshmallows on top of each other. When someone causes the structure to collapse, they’re out! This game works best with the jumbo-size marshmallows.
