What is the Christmas holiday without cookies? The first day we had several different cookies. We had Oreos, wafer cookies, ginger snaps and Nutter Butters. We looked at each cookies shape, color and tasted each cookie. We wrote comments on chart paper. We made a Cookie Monster craft to practice scissor use and snipping around the blue circle. When we create a craft, we discuss colors, shapes and use positional words (above, below, inside, outside, etc.) The children were allowed to choose two different cookies for snack. We played 'Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar' which the children enjoyed immensely.
On Thursday, we played a memory game with cookies. We place some out and then the children closed their eyes (in theory) and guessed which was missing. We also graphed our favorite cookie. Choices were chocolate chip, sugar and peanut butter. We counted the choices and discussed which numbers were bigger or smaller.
We made cinnamon gingerbread ornaments. This is a cheap and easy craft for Christmas ornaments. I have had these on some garland for my home and they have lasted for over five years. The children will be out of school for two weeks. It might be a sanity saver some afternoon!
Cinnamon Dough
1 cup ground cinnamon (get the cheap stuff at the dollar stores)
3/4 cup applesauce (not the chunky and again get the cheap stuff)
Mix the cinnamon and the applesauce until a fairly stiff dough is formed. If necessary, add cinnamon or applesauce to get a good consistency. It will still stick to your hands when you knead it but it should not be too dry or the ornaments will be too dry and just crack. It should not be too wet or you won't be able to roll it out. This is the official recipe but I usually just pour a jar of applesauce in a bowl and keep adding cinnamon until it is stiff. I have also put in nutmeg, all spice and ground cloves for that Christmas smell.
Now you have the dough. Give your child some wax paper and place the dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Use a straw to poke a hole for an ornament.
Keep the ornament on the wax paper and place on a cookie sheet to dry. Turn the ornament over occasionally as it dries. It will take about three or four days to dry completely. Merry Christmas!
On Thursday, we played a memory game with cookies. We place some out and then the children closed their eyes (in theory) and guessed which was missing. We also graphed our favorite cookie. Choices were chocolate chip, sugar and peanut butter. We counted the choices and discussed which numbers were bigger or smaller.
We made cinnamon gingerbread ornaments. This is a cheap and easy craft for Christmas ornaments. I have had these on some garland for my home and they have lasted for over five years. The children will be out of school for two weeks. It might be a sanity saver some afternoon!
Cinnamon Dough
1 cup ground cinnamon (get the cheap stuff at the dollar stores)
3/4 cup applesauce (not the chunky and again get the cheap stuff)
Mix the cinnamon and the applesauce until a fairly stiff dough is formed. If necessary, add cinnamon or applesauce to get a good consistency. It will still stick to your hands when you knead it but it should not be too dry or the ornaments will be too dry and just crack. It should not be too wet or you won't be able to roll it out. This is the official recipe but I usually just pour a jar of applesauce in a bowl and keep adding cinnamon until it is stiff. I have also put in nutmeg, all spice and ground cloves for that Christmas smell.
Now you have the dough. Give your child some wax paper and place the dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Use a straw to poke a hole for an ornament.
Keep the ornament on the wax paper and place on a cookie sheet to dry. Turn the ornament over occasionally as it dries. It will take about three or four days to dry completely. Merry Christmas!
