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Monthly Activities Page - December 2024

Daily Activities - December 2024

Monthly activities' calendar in English:

Los atividades del mes en español:

Monthly Theme - Multicultural Awareness

Tips for a Successful School Year

Recommended Reading for December

Reading together & incorporating literacy into your daily life & routines is important for bonding, developing language, expanding vocabulary & fostering empathy

Holidays & Celebrations in December

LAS POSADAS - "THE INNS"

Las Posadas (Spanish for "the inns") is a festival that lasts for 9 nights- beginning on December 16th & ending on Christmas Eve (December 24th) each year. 

It is a festive celebration mostly celebrated by members of certain Latin American cultures, especially Mexican.. 

Recommended Items for Celebrating Las Posadas from Maestra Casiano:

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS

Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th every year. Advent is the waiting period that leads up to Christmas Eve when the celebration begins in many cultures. 

Christmas is a very important holy celebration for Christians around the world. The holiday is celebrated in different ways through various traditions. In some countries, including in the USA, many families who are not Christians use this time to celebrate family & share gifts.

Items Recommended by Maestra Casiano for Exploring the Spirit of Christmas:

HANUKKAH

In 2024, in the U.S.A., Hanukkah will begin on December 25th. Hanukkah is a celebration that lasts for eight nights.  The dates of Hanukkah change each year as it is a holiday that is based upon cycles of the moon. It begins on the 25th day of Kislev (the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar) every year.   Hanukkah is also known as "The Festival of Lights."  It originated thousands of years ago & commemorates a historical event.  The festival lasts for eight nights.  

Hanukkah is a very important holiday for people who are Jewish in faith & culture.

KWANZAA

Kwanzaa is a holiday that began in the U.S.A. in 1966. It is celebrated from December 26th through January 1st each year. The weeklong festival honors & celebrates African American culture & heritage. It is a time of friendship, family, giving thanks, & sharing.  

Although Kwanzaa incorporates several key themes & common beliefs held in many African cultures, the holiday is uniquely celebrated only in the U.S.A.

Music & Dance Inspiration for December

Fostering whole child development involves incorporating kinesthetics, rhythm, musical intelligence, & creative expression through performing arts into daily lives

Arts & Crafts for December

The visual arts are important for exploring creative expression as well as developing hand-eye coordination, dexterity, tenacity, & executive functioning skills

Crafts Recommended by Maestra Casiano for Celebrating Winter Holidays:

Downloadable Packets & Worksheets 

To access the printable activity/packet, click on the image for that packet.  These are downloadable PDF, WORD or PowerPoint files.  

For Kids in Preschool through Kindergarten:

For Kids in Lower Elementary Grades (1-2):

For Kids in Upper Elementary Grades (3-5):

For Kids in Middle School Grades (6-8):

Career Exploration - December - Meteorologist

It is never too early to start talking about your child's interests, strengths, curiosity, & options for the future

Kid Friendly Culinary Creations to Try in December

Cooking & baking together is great for family bonding while providing real life opportunities to explore math concepts such as fractions, measurements, & proportions; practice reading & writing recipes using specialized vocabulary & sequencing words; and developing gastronomical awareness 

Executive Functioning for Families

Executive Functioning (EF) is basically the brain's management system.  EF is a set of mental skills including working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control that are used daily to learn, work, and manage daily life.

Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things.

S.T.E.A.M. Exploration for December

Explore key concepts from science, technology, engineering, art, & math using items from around the house. 

Family Fun Night Suggestion - Build Holiday Houses

Build Holiday Houses (aka Gingerbread Houses)!

For best results, build the holiday house over several days. 

Suggested process:

        Planning Day (before December 12th):  Complete steps 1, 2 & 3

        Assembly Day (International Gingerbread House Day, December 12th):  Complete step 4

        Decorating Day (International Gingerbread Decorating Day, December 14th):  Complete steps 5-6.   

Allow for 7-10 days for your holiday house kit to arrive after ordering. Consider performing "Day 1" activities on December 12th (Gingerbread House Day) & 

Step #1: Order one or more holiday house building kits from Learning Made Fun with Maestra Casiano

Step #2: Watch this short video on Gingerbread House Assembly (Click Here) & gather supplies

Step #3: Create a flow chart with your child which lists/illustrates the different steps to follow to assemble the house

Step #4: Assemble & build your holiday cookie house (use flow chart, ordinal numbers, sequencing adverbs to discuss)                 

                 After assembling the holiday cookie house, allow for at least 1-2 nights of "dry time" so that it does not collapse

Step #5: After your house has been allowed dry time of at least 24 hours, Decorate your holiday cookie house  

Step #6: Photograph your completed holiday house & let it dry overnight

Step #7: Complete the "Build Your Own Gingerbread House Interactive Craftivity" (Click Here)

Step #8: Print, decorate & play the "Gingerbread House Sight Word Board Game" (Download Here)

For added fun, consider ordering the "Hansel & Gretel" pop-up book offered by Learning Made Fun With Maestra Casiano!

Be sure to send Maestra Casiano some pictures! You might be featured on the site & win a gift certificate!

 Holiday House Craft Kits :

 Activities to Support Holiday House Crafting :

Family Movie Night Suggestion

Christmas Movie Compilation:

This compilation of classic children & family movies includes four different movies for the holiday season.  Watch "Frosty the Snowman," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," & "The Litte Drummer Boy."  Discuss the characters & setting for each movie.  These stories fiction. Talk about how your child can tell that the stories are fiction (not real, make-believe, fake) by identifying that animals really cannot talk or how a snowman cannot dance, etc. Ask your child which story is his or her favorite & why. 

For added fun, listen to songs related to each of these movies (Click the name of these songs here to be transferred to the Youtube song): Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Clause is Coming to Town, The Little Drummer Boy

 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Holiday Items :

Social-Emotional Development

Social & emotional development, especially in early childhood, provides a critically important foundation for children in developing & learning throughout their lives.  
     Social development refers to the ability to initiate, create, foster, & sustain meaningful relationships with adults & peers.
     Emotional development refers to the ability to express, recognize, interpret, & manage one's emotions & the ability to respond appropriately to others' emotions.

Journaling Can Be a Highly Effective Way of Identifying, Addressing, & Regulating Emotions:

Featured Items for December

Here Are Some Adorable Winter Cuddle Buddies: