CHRISTMAS START HERE Archives • Elementary Island https://elementaryislandblog.com/category/christmas-start-here/ Where low-prep, differentiated resources aren't just a mirage. Wed, 28 Aug 2024 21:03:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://elementaryislandblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cropped-Elementary-32x32.jpg CHRISTMAS START HERE Archives • Elementary Island https://elementaryislandblog.com/category/christmas-start-here/ 32 32 How To Melt Cups into Ornaments: A Teacher’s Simple, Cheap and Cute Christmas Craft https://elementaryislandblog.com/2022/11/13/how-to-melt-cups-into-ornaments/ https://elementaryislandblog.com/2022/11/13/how-to-melt-cups-into-ornaments/#respond Sun, 13 Nov 2022 17:27:00 +0000 Year after year I search for new ideas I can use in my classroom for Christmas gifts to the parents.  I basically narrow down ideas by 3 items: simple, cheap and cute.  Simple because we are talking about kids here and we still have standards to cover. Cheap because well….. hello, we are teachers and […]

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]]> Year after year I search for new ideas I can use in my classroom for Christmas gifts to the parents.  I basically narrow down ideas by 3 items: simple, cheap and cute.  Simple because we are talking about kids here and we still have standards to cover. Cheap because well….. hello, we are teachers and have 20-30 kids in a class.  And cute because why would you want to put time into something you don’t enjoy???? I stumbled across these melted ornaments and I am in L-O-V-E!  This will probably be my go-to activity every year now because it checks off all those boxes! I need to add this to my EASY Christmas Ideas that Parents Will LOVE file. 

Use this fun and easy creative idea for your students this year to make personalized ornaments parents will LOVE!

Supplies for Melted Plastic Cup Ornaments

These supplies fall into the “simple and cheap” category.  
  • Plastic Cups (7 oz preferably) – You will need to look for ones that have the recycle number 6 at the bottom. It took me a while to find these cups, but now that I have, I will spare you all the searching I did which will save you time!  Go directly to any cheap dollar store. Seriously. Don’t look for name brands. Your local Dollar Tree, or Dollar General should have these. 
    Make sure to look for the recycle 6 number on the bottom of the plastic cups.

  • Sharpies or other permanent markers
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Foil or Parchment Paper
  • Ribbon or Yarn
  • Hole Punch
  • Oven
  • Spatula

How To Melt Cups into Ornaments: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°.  Cover your cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper and have your non-stick spatula ready to go. 

Step 2: Design your Ornament

Take the time to decorate your ornament as nicely as possible!  It’s amazing how these melted cups show all the colored designs when they turn into flat ornaments – even writing can be seen!  You may want students to add their names or the year somewhere in their design.
 

Take the time to design a one of kind cup. Use different colors and designs for a unique look.Take the time to design a one of kind cup. Use different colors and designs for a unique look.

Step 3: Melt the Ornament

Place your plastic cup ornament open side down on your cookie sheet and place in oven. These will start to melt almost immediately!  Our ornaments took about 30-45 seconds total. When they look to be almost flat, I open the door, take my spatula and flatten it down all the way before pulling them out of the oven. 
Place your designed cups onto a cookie sheet to place in the oven.

Step 4: Cool Down

It literally takes about 10 seconds before you can touch them, but be careful, the pan is still HOT.  

Step 5: Add the Extras!

Depending on how messy you want to get, you can let the students add glitter.  They can also add their name and year to the back of the ornament for that parent keepsake.  
These are also perfect items to add those student photos (that you never know what to do with) to the center of the ornament. However, if your intention is to add the photo, I would let the students know ahead of time so that they are not mad if you cover their center design.  Or better yet, these are so cheap and easy, you can have them make TWO!
This is the final product to your ornament. Add student pictures to each ornament for a wonderful keepsake.
Fake student added!  Haha!  😉

Step 6: Turn into an Ornament

Use a hand held punch or a 3-ring punch to add that circle.  Make sure the ornament is pushed all the way back to get an entire hole for the yarn to go through.
That’s it!  Simple, cheap and BEAUTIFUL!  These plastic cup ornaments will surely be a hit with parents and an ornament that will make its way onto the tree for years to come! 
The final product to a melted ornament. You can see how the designs melted down to exactly how it was designed.The final product to a melted ornament. You can see how the designs melted down to exactly how it was designed.

The final product to a melted ornament. You can see how the designs melted down to exactly how it was designed.The final product to a melted ornament. You can see how the designs melted down to exactly how it was designed.
Looking for other Christmas activities to excite your students during the month of December?  Look for these other blog posts:

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS AND QUESTIONS

My ornaments curled up some. What do I do?

This happened to some of ours.  Luckily a good cut with a sharp pair of scissors will do the trick!  

Can I use bigger size cups?

Well you can, but they won’t turn out as pretty.  The 16 oz cups are known to curl up more, so I would recommend not going over 9 oz.  Plus, you don’t want a HUGE ornament on your tree!

Do I need to use sharpies?

While you do not need to use the brand Sharpie, you will need to use some type of permanent marker.  Remember, you are drawing on plastic.  If the markers are not permanent, you will smear your drawings.  Even with the Sharpies, we needed to take a little time in between drawing for the marker to dry.

Does it really melt in under one minute?

Yes, it actually does!  So don’t walk away and make sure you turn the light on to see the melting!  It really is very cool.  Of course, all ovens are different, but if set at 350, it should take less than a minute.

Do I need to flatten them with a spatula?

This is just an option. If you like them bubbly looking, then don’t flatten.  It’s all personal preference.

Did you melt all your students’ ornaments at home?

Yes, I did. But I took video of all the ornaments as they melted.  I was able to fit about 9 on the cookie sheet at a time.  If you are lucky enough to use the ovens at school, that is also an option!

Can I use a microwave?

No, a microwave will not work to melt this type of plastic quickly and cleanly. 

Would love for you to share! Spread the fun or save for later! 

Step by Step Tutorial about how to turn plastic cups into keepsake ornaments. Perfect for a teacher's classroom.

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]]> https://elementaryislandblog.com/2022/11/13/how-to-melt-cups-into-ornaments/feed/ 0 20 Varied and Fun December Writing Prompts That Aren’t About Christmas https://elementaryislandblog.com/2022/08/06/december-writing-prompts/ https://elementaryislandblog.com/2022/08/06/december-writing-prompts/#respond Sat, 06 Aug 2022 15:40:00 +0000 Christmas activities can add some fun to your classroom, but there’s only so much Rudolph and Frosty a teacher can take over the course of a few weeks.  Add that to the fact that many families don’t celebrate Christmas, and that can lead you on a lengthy search for high-quality (yet fun!) activities that still […]

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]]> Christmas activities can add some fun to your classroom, but there’s only so much Rudolph and Frosty a teacher can take over the course of a few weeks.  Add that to the fact that many families don’t celebrate Christmas, and that can lead you on a lengthy search for high-quality (yet fun!) activities that still bring some December cheer.  The perfect solution to this problem?  Writing prompts that capture student interest by featuring special days in December! Keep reading to find 20 fun December writing prompts that will keep your students happily writing till break!
Looking for writing prompts to use with your students during the month of December? These fun writing prompts include all the joy of the month plus fun prompts kids will love using for writing practice.

1. Eat a Red Apple Day

Encourage your students to eat healthily as they explore Expository Writing by sharing reasons why they should eat fruit every day.  
Bring red apples to class and allow your kids to experience eating one for themselves!
Use the days of the month as inspiration for writing prompts. National Eat a Red Apple Day is the perfect opportunity to spark your student's imaginations as they start creative writing.

2. Popcorn Day

Buttery, salty, sweet, and crunchy – students will sharpen their Descriptive Writing skills as they describe their favorite type of popcorn.
Pop some popcorn and share it with your students as a pre-writing snack! That’s one way to inspire creative thinking that I could really get behind!

3. Make a Gift Day

Practice Narrative Writing (as well as encourage kindness) by asking students to write about their favorite gift they have ever made for someone.  
Students can’t remember ever making a gift?  Tell them to think of a gift they could make instead!  Then encourage them to really create what they wrote about and give that gift to a loved one.
This writing prompt could also be used to work on How To writing.  Instead of having students write about a personal experience, encourage them to use that experience to teach someone else how to make the same gift.  

4. National Sock Day

Get students in the mood by declaring National Sock Day as a no shoes day in the classroom.  Let students and parents know a couple days in advance of this special day to make sure everyone has a pair of socks to wear.
Once students are in the mood for all things socks, celebrate this funky day (and their powers of persuasion) by writing about why toe socks are better than regular socks!   Once they have finished, students could illustrate their writing by drawing and coloring their own pair of crazy toe socks!
Get your students excited to write persuasive text with this fun National Sock Day writing prompt.

5. International Ninja Day

How could a day get any cooler than this one?  Sneak in some Narrative Writing practice by asking your students to imagine they are ninjas for the day then write a story of their adventures!  
Another sneaky “Teacher Trick”?  Watch their hallway behavior improve 100% by pretending to be ninjas as they stealthily creep to the library, cafeteria, or gym!

6. National Microwave Day

Don’t let this Expository paragraph fry your brain!  Ask students to think about the benefits of using a microwave instead of a conventional oven and then explain them.  
Want to make this day memorable?  After writing, do a mini science experiment by microwaving different types of candy and see what happens! Then let them document their findings in their science journal.

7.  Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is a day to remember the thousands of lives lost on December 7, 1941, during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  This day has an obvious connection to history and social studies.  
But don’t stop there. Teacher your students about remembrance in general and open their eyes and understanding to many special days we celebrate during year. Connect this idea to having students remember someone important to them.  This Descriptive writing prompt asks students to describe someone important to them.  Once students have finished writing, encourage them to draw a picture for or of that special person!

8. Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

This prompt will propel students into the future!  The year 2144 to be exact!  Students will use their imaginations to pretend they are now in the future, then flex those Persuasive powers of theirs to convince someone from that time that they are from the past!
Do not pass up the opportunity to show your students that you are from the past too!  Pull out old kitchen gadgets, tools, or tech devices and explain their uses!  

Creative writing prompts are great any time of year, but when paired with fun and silly national holidays your students will have even more fun writing.

9. National Llama Day

Llamas sure are interesting creatures, and in this prompt, students get to describe just how interesting they really are by telling important details like what they are, where they live, and other cool facts.
To get the ball rolling on this prompt, perhaps show a quick YouTube video clip of llamas on a farm before asking students to write.  If you’d like to teach your students 10 interesting facts about llamas check out this video that was made for kids!  And . . . a silly picture like this one will get your students excited to start writing!

10. Nobel Prize Day

When writing a Narrative story, students naturally write better when the topic is themselves!  Have students imagine they won a Nobel Prize!  Students can share what they won the prize for and how.  
For a little inspiration, show pictures of past Nobel Prize winners and explain what important contributions they made to the world that earned them this prestigious award!

11. Noodle Ring Day

Linguine, rotini, spaghetti, or orzo – students will need to use their noodles to decide on their favorite pasta and write reasons as to why it’s better than any other type of pasta!
Give students practice making evidence-based arguments by holding a class discussion where students try to convince you that their favorite pasta is better than yours!

12. Gingerbread House Day

No matter what you think about the taste of gingerbread, there’s no denying that a well-made gingerbread house is simply adorable!  Let your students pretend they are gingerbread men and describe the gingerbread house they live in (down to the tiniest detail!).
Have students who don’t have experience with gingerbread houses?  Build some background knowledge before they write by showing a quick YouTube video of the Gingerbread House Competition at the Grove Park Inn!  These incredible (and edible!) works of art are sure to inspire even the most reluctant writer!

13. National Violin Day

In this Narrative prompt, students will imagine they are a musician performing in front of a large crowd.  They must write a short story that tells how they are feeling and what they are doing through this experience.  
To really set the mood, play orchestral music before or during your students writing time.
Asking students to write with empathy is an important skill for them to learn.

14. Monkey Day

Yes, there really is a Monkey Day, and what better way to celebrate it than to allow students to choose their favorite primate and write a Descriptive paragraph about it?   You could also have students write about whether they would like to have a monkey as a pet.
Once students have written about their animals, allow them to share famous primates they know from movies or tv (ex. Curious George, Ivan, King Kong, etc…) and compare/contrast them with real primates.

15. National Cupcake Day

There is not much that captures the interest of a kid quicker than the word “cupcake”!  Capitalize on that by asking students to write a Descriptive paragraph about their favorite cupcake.  Remind them that they should use all 5 senses in their description.  
If you’re feeling super festive, grab a platter of tiny cupcakes from your local bakery!  Have a class discussion where everyone describes the cupcakes as they are eating them!  

16. National Chocolate-Covered ANYTHING Day

This Narrative prompt may just be a class favorite as students are asked to write a story where they forgot to turn off a chocolate fountain and chocolate has splattered everywhere!  
Not only will this silly prompt inspire some giggles, but the pictures they create in their minds as they write will definitely need to be drawn!  Give your students extra time to illustrate and share their stories with the class!

17. Wright Brothers Day

Introduce your students to Orville and Wilbur Wright and their invention to kick off this special day.  Airplanes are arguably one of the most important inventions in history.  In this Expository prompt, ask students to give examples of how airplanes have changed the world (a class brainstorming session before writing may be helpful if some kids seem unsure about what to write).  
When you are finished, have a paper airplane-making competition!  Design, color, and fly those paper airplanes to see which one can fly the farthest, make loops, or be the tiniest but can still fly, etc.
 

18. Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf

Buddy the Elf brings cheer to everyone around so why not have your students spread a little cheer just like him?  Students will pretend to be Buddy the Elf and write a descriptive paragraph detailing what they would say when answering the phone like Buddy.  
After writing, have students read their paragraphs aloud to the class using their very best “elf voices”!  Encourage your students to spend the rest of the day doing kind deeds for other people as a way to spread cheer (they can drop the “elf voice” though!).
Ask your students to imagine how they would answer the phone with this super silly writing prompt they are sure to love.

19. National Oatmeal Muffin Day

Muffins make breakfast just a bit sweeter, and this Persuasive prompt asks students to make a choice- which muffin tastes better: oatmeal or blueberry?  Students must decide and write reasons for why others should agree with them.
And you know what goes well with a choice like this?  A taste test! If you’re able to, cut 2-3 blueberry and oatmeal muffins into bite-sized pieces so students can make an informed decision!  If not, a picture of each item may help students to get a better idea of what they are choosing between if they have never eaten them before.

20. Go Caroling Day

A little class discussion about what caroling is, sharing past experiences, and perhaps singing a song or two together will help students connect to this Narrative prompt.  Ask students to write a story about a time they went caroling.  Many students may not have been caroling before, so ask them to imagine where they would go, who they would sing to, and what they would sing to help create an imaginary story of what they would hope their caroling experience would be.  
If your school allows it, practice singing a song together several times, then take your students to the principal, the cafeteria staff, or other classrooms and carol to them!

What do you think of these December Writing Prompts?

These writing prompts are so much fun, and I hope you can use them in your classroom!  You can find all of these December Daily Writing Prompts on Teachers Pay Teachers!  
You will find beautiful prompt pages (in both printable and digital formats) and student writing pages that are themed to go along with the day’s prompt.  You can even add your own prompts on the editable Prompt card and student page!  This resource will truly make the weeks leading up to break so much easier for you and fun for your students!  And . . . by the end of the 20 days they just might love writing a little more!
Looking for writing prompts to use with your students during the month of December? These fun writing prompts include all the joy of the month plus fun prompts kids will love using for writing practice.

Pin These Writing Prompts for Later!

Not ready for December planning just yet?  Pin this post to your favorite December Activities Pinterest Board!  These ideas will be right where you left them, ready for when you need them! 
Looking for writing prompts to use with your students during the month of December? These fun writing prompts include all the joy of the month plus fun prompts kids will love using for writing practice. Asking students to use empathy, persuasive writing, and creative thinking are all included in these 20 December writing prompts great for any classroom. #Decemberwritingprompts #writingprompts #winterwritingprompts

 
 
 

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]]> https://elementaryislandblog.com/2022/08/06/december-writing-prompts/feed/ 0 7 standards-based Christmas activities students will enjoy https://elementaryislandblog.com/2021/10/19/7-standards-based-christmas-activities-students-will-enjoy/ https://elementaryislandblog.com/2021/10/19/7-standards-based-christmas-activities-students-will-enjoy/#respond Tue, 19 Oct 2021 16:33:00 +0000 I counted the squares on the calendar…15 days ’til Christmas break.  How was I going to actually get my crazy excited students to learn something (all.those.standards), without feeling like pulling my hair out?  Take this as a great opportunity to connect learning to this magical time of year.  I love to plan fun activities and […]

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]]> I counted the squares on the calendar…15 days ’til Christmas break.  How was I going to actually get my crazy excited students to learn something (all.those.standards), without feeling like pulling my hair out?  Take this as a great opportunity to connect learning to this magical time of year. 

7 standards-based Christmas activities students will enjoy

I love to plan fun activities and projects surrounding holidays and new seasons throughout the year. This helps students stay engaged, learn and have so much fun at the same time. Celebrating Christmas is an extra special time for children. Make learning memorable by incorporating all the fun and magic of Christmas into the classroom. Planning for Christmas learning in the classroom doesn’t have to be overwhelming, expensive, or an all-day meeting time sucker. These are some of my favorite activities for the holiday season.  Literally, smack a reindeer or Santa onto anything and the students are excited to work!  

Get the Class into the Christmas Spirit

The very first thing I do is create Elf Names for all my students!  This kicks off the joy of the season in such a fun way.  Elf names are generated by their own name and birth date.  Then we add new name tags to our desk with our Elf name and students are able to color and personalize them!  If you only do one thing, grab my  Elf Name freebie because it is always a crowd-pleaser.   I remember one of my students saying, “I’m going to have my family call me this all month!” (I’m sure they enjoyed that 😉 
Students will love coming up with their unique elf name to use around the holiday time! Use your first and last name to find your Elf name and create a name tag!


.

Fun Christmas Activities

Color by Codes

There is no shortage of ideas when it comes to hands-on, engaging Christmas activities for your classroom. I like to incorporate worksheets and STEM activities into my lessons during the holiday season. The students absolutely love learning with fun holiday themes! These color-by-code worksheets are a great way to practice math skills with the magic of Christmas mixed in. Students will solve the math problems and fill in each corresponding area with its proper color. They will end up with a cool Christmas-themed picture like an elf, Santa, or Christmas tree! You can use it to practice differentiated addition, subtraction, or place value! There are multiple sheets so you won’t run out of ideas throughout the season! My students always enjoy these and YES, make them show their work on the picture or another piece of paper. 
Students will LOVE practicing their three digit addition facts with these color by code worksheets. Simple and effective practice. This resource is also differentiated.
Students will LOVE practicing their place value with these color by code worksheets. Simple and effective practice. This resource is also differentiated.
A customer said: “These are always so much fun for all of the students to work on and get us into the holiday spirit!”

STEM Projects

If you are not incorporating STEM activities in the classroom, you are truly missing out.  I l-o-v-e to hear my students work together and problem solve.  Their minds just kick into high gear!  I often ask myself “Where is this child usually?”  So yes, STEM projects are another way to add excitement and energy into the classroom. These Christmas STEM activities combine holiday fun with hands-on STEM challenges that don’t require a ton of prep. Design Santa’s chimney with straws and popsicle sticks, create a Christmas tree with toothpicks and playdoh or construct a bridge for the elves! Each activity comes with helpful guides, printouts, and worksheets to go along with it. Students will love these awesome STEM activities to get them in the holiday spirit and learn at the same time! 
Students don't even know they are learning with these fun holiday themed STEM activities! This is slumbering Santa where students are asked to create a bed for Santa!

One person stated: This was a great resource to use during the Christmastime period. It kept my students engaged and learning even with Christmastime lingering on their minds.

Students are asked to create an elf bridge in this Christmas STEM activity.

Christmas Crafts

Remember when we were little and THESE were the days we were most excited about at school?  This is something students STILL love and can easily double as a Christmas gift to take home to mom and dad (we all have those homemade ornaments on our trees don’t we?). Christmas crafts bring the spirit of the holidays into the classroom while letting students’ creativity shine! I love using supplies I can gather easily or having children bring in things like toilet rolls and popsicle sticks leftover from home. That makes crafting so much easier during the holidays! This adorable reindeer craft features students’ handprints! Then you can hang it in your room for fun holiday decor! 
This reindeer craft makes a beautiful display for the holiday season in your classroom or for the hallway.
Other favorites are snowmen toilet paper rolls. They are so simple to create and each student ends up with a unique snowman. Just use toilet paper rolls, white paint, and snowmen accessories to glue on the roll. A Santa Plate with cotton balls will give you a cute Santa with a beard full of cotton. Or you can simply make a Christmas tree ornament using popsicle sticks, green paint, and glitter! The possibilities are endless when it comes to crafting in the classroom throughout the holidays!
Use this santa craft for all types of writing activities - how-to, descriptive or use as a character in a narrative writing.
The best part??? You can EASILY incorporate your writing standards into these crafts.  Simply have them write a how-to post about their crafts or descriptive writing about what they look like.  These crafts can also become a character in one of their writings!  This will surely get students’ creative writing juices flowing. 

Christmas Games

Who Done It? Cases

Bring the fun into the classroom during Christmastime with games.  There are so many fun and engaging games you can play during downtime or even as a lesson to get students’ brains going. The Case of the Captured Elf is one of our classroom favorites! It combines fun and logic to solve the case of the missing head elf, Elvis. There are clues left around the scene that students will have to follow to figure out which elf captured Elvis! Then cross out the suspects as they complete the clues. Students will use skills like math, shapes, counting money, and more to solve this puzzle..all while having a blast!  Extend this the entire week by assigning them individually or complete in a few days in partners.  This activity is easy to incorporate into your lessons and students will show up each day with their eyes wide, on their knees, literally begging, “Can we do our mystery today?”, “Please can we finish our math mystery?” and as a teacher you will smile and think, “I’ve got them!”
This math mystery will have students trying to figure out who took head elf, Elvis? They will proceed through math sheets to find who the culprit could NOT be. Eventually leaving only one individual. See who it is!
A person said: “Thank you for this activity. My students enjoyed it and were fully engaged the entire time. It was a great educational filler for the end of the year.  I can’t wait to purchase more.”

Classic Games

You can also take classic games and give them a holiday twist! Try pin the nose on the snowman, candy cane hunt, Christmas musical chairs, or jingle bell tossing! There are endless fun and games around the holidays so make sure you bring them into your classroom! 

Christmas Books

When it is time for reading, there are a ton of incredible Christmas books to choose from. Reading Christmas books aloud in class is a fun activity for everyone. Afterward, you can ask students questions about the book and also let them share their favorite parts of the holiday season. You can also create a Christmas reading space with an assortment of holiday-themed books to choose from. That way when it is time for individual quiet time or reading, students have awesome Christmas choices! You can stick with some classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas or The Night Before Christmas, add in some fun, new books like Llama Llama, Jingle Bells and Pete the Cat Saves Christmas..or mix it up and do both! We also love Polar Express which goes along with the movie and can be paired with hot chocolate and pajamas for a great holiday classroom treat before break starts!
Kids reading

Happy Classroom Holidays!

As you can see, there are so many holiday possibilities to bring magic to your classroom during the Christmas season. These activities will easily become Christmas traditions in your classroom and fill your students with joy each year to come. The best part is, they are super simple and won’t overwhelm you during an already chaotic time of year! If you are looking for EVEN more activities to do over the Holidays, you’ll want to check out this post HERE.

Save These Christmas Activities for Later!

Save these fun, engaging Christmas activities and ideas to your favorite classroom board on Pinterest so you can quickly and easily find them later!
  Use these 7 standards-based Christmas activities in the classroom for students to enjoy and practice their skills before the holiday break!

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]]> https://elementaryislandblog.com/2021/10/19/7-standards-based-christmas-activities-students-will-enjoy/feed/ 0 EASY Christmas Gifts from Students Parents Will Love https://elementaryislandblog.com/2018/11/14/easy-christmas-gifts-from-students/ https://elementaryislandblog.com/2018/11/14/easy-christmas-gifts-from-students/#respond Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:33:00 +0000 EASY Christmas Gifts for the Classroom Once December hits, Christmas gifts and crafts are on every teacher’s mind!  Teachers are often looking for the “perfect” Christmas gift for parents BUT…..how do we do it without spending a fortune and sacrificing valuable curriculum time?!?!?! Here are a few ideas that I have collected from other fabulous […]

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]]> EASY Christmas Gifts for the Classroom

Once December hits, Christmas gifts and crafts are on every teacher’s mind!  Teachers are often looking for the “perfect” Christmas gift for parents BUT…..how do we do it without spending a fortune and sacrificing valuable curriculum time?!?!?! Here are a few ideas that I have collected from other fabulous bloggers to help get you going on these easy Christmas gifts to give!

Are you looking for easy Christmas gifts for parents? I have put together a few of my favorite craft ideas from simple, budget friendly ideas to more complex. Kids will have fun creating these awesome stocking stuffers and giving them to their families for Xmas! These easy Christmas gifts are great for the holidays and will have children excited to be giving than receiving! Perfect for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. #elementary #Christmas
I love this step by step guide from Sarah J Creations about a Puzzle Piece Picture Frame.  This is something from start to finish that the children are in charge of and turn out super cute!  Add a cute holiday picture from class and the frame is ready to go!  
This post from Stories by Storie is filled with different ideas you can use in the classroom for gifts.  Some gifts have multiple steps and others can be completed in 30 minutes!  From paper crafts to cute directed drawings from those budding artists you will surely find something great!

Primary Paradise has a great post about 5 Easy Christmas Crafts for Students for $1 or Less!  These will bring out your child’s creative side as they color their way to fabulous frames and ornaments.  Bought in bulk, these are easy on the wallet too! 
If you are looking for something a little more involved and the CUTEST idea ever, Going Strong in 2nd Grade has an awesome snowman that will last past Christmas!  I received one of these from my child’s teacher and I will forever treasure it!  Tip: To personalize it, my daughter’s teacher made the snowman the size of her!  I will forever remember my little girl at age 2!
Or……if you want to get your hands a little dirty and incorporate some measuring skills, Teaching in the Tongass has a great FREE Cookie Jar Kit your students will LOVE making, as well as eating!  
And one of my favorites that I have just found!  Melting cups into ornaments!  One of the most cheap, fun and easiest ideas!  Click on the picture for directions on this activity!

I hope this post has helped give you more ideas for easy Christmas gifts to use in your classroom! Whichever you choose, your parents will love that look on their child’s face when they happily hand over the gift they created.  There’s nothing more magical!  If you use any of these or want to comment with what you are working on this year, I’d love to hear it!  Comment below!
Merry Christmas!

Looking for easy Christmas Activities to excite students?  Check out these activities, prompts, crafts and a FREEBIE here! 

Are you looking for easy Christmas gifts for parents? I have put together a few of my favorite craft ideas from simple, budget friendly ideas to more complex. Kids will have fun creating these awesome stocking stuffers and giving them to their families for Xmas! These easy Christmas gifts are great for the holidays and will have children excited to be giving than receiving! Perfect for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. #elementary #Christmas

The post EASY Christmas Gifts from Students Parents Will Love appeared first on Elementary Island.

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