Christmas

Kindergarten Readiness – Cookie Shapes

Yum, yum. My favorite shape is a cookie. I’ve heard that Santa likes them, too. Will you be making cookies for Christmas Eve? What shapes are they?

Cookie Shapes

Every day there are dozens of opportunities to help children get ready for kindergarten, no matter their age and how long before they start school. This is another example of how parents and others can help with kindergarten readiness. It only takes seconds to notice if the cookies for Santa are circles, squares, rectangles or triangles. But children need lots of learning practice in lots of different ways. This opportunity is natural and exciting. Did it take time and effort on your part? Not at all. Was it boring for your munchkin? Nope, again. Instead, quite engaging . It focused your child’s attention on a detail. It reinforced some specific vocabulary and language. Extend the learning by counting the cookies. Talk about favorites. Think of what kind might be Santa’s favorite. Sometimes learning is followed by a test. How about a taste test?

Kindergarten Readiness – Getting In Shape For Holidays

What shape should we get in? The different meanings for the word shape and the play on words is a great reminder that kids (and adults) need to play. For some playtime today, exercise the body in different shapes: make circles with different parts of the body, bend arms and legs like triangles, stand and stretch into a long rectangle shape. Squares can be more difficult to make with just one person but here is a fun way for 2 people. Each person puts the left arm out straight and bends the right arm over to hold just above the elbow. Now, turning to face each other, with the left hand hold on to the other person’s bent right arm. In the middle there is a square shape. This is sometimes called making a lift or a chair–an arm chair (tee-hee).

Trampoline Shapes

Adults and children learn in all different ways but we usually prefer one ‘channel’ more than the others. Some children are visual learners and learn best by seeing. They may have trouble with spoken directions and enjoy looking at the pictures in books more than the story. Others are auditory learners and enjoy talking and telling stories. Kinesthetic learners are hands-on and learn best by touching. Knowing the names of basic shapes is general knowledge for kindergarten readiness. Some children learn the names easily (auditory) but can’t always match the name and shape, some know the shapes (visual) but need lots of practice remembering the names. Making the shapes with the body helps all kids, most especially the action learners. Getting in shape is exercises for bodies and brains. What shape are you? (Tomorrow, we’ll eat some shapes.)

Kindergarten Readiness – Elf/Elves Action Songs

How do elves get ready for Christmas? The do the Hokey Pokey, too.  Just like the last blog, sing the Hokey Pokey using as many body parts as you have breath to sing (kids can do this far longer). When you’ve rested a bit, guide your little one to think of all the actions that elves use such as cutting, sawing, measuring , gluing, painting, rolling, building, etc.  Make up your own verses to the tune of Twinkle, twinkle little star:

Elves work hard all the year long,
Building toys for girls and boys.
Santa’s workshop’s oh so busy.
Christmas is coming very soon.
Elves work hard all the year long.
Making toys for all the world. 

(replace italics with other actions:  making cookies for us to eat, washing dishes in the sink, putting away all the laundry, and more. Even little elves can help.)

Put on red or green socks as you and your “elves” work around the house getting done what you need. For children, learning that their efforts can contribute to the group is part of family life and kindergarten readiness. Are you remembering to whistle and sing as you work? Hi, ho, hi, ho….

Kindergarten Readiness – ‘Writing’ Tags & Cards

To date, for December activities we have explored shapes, thought of words that rhyme, matched initial sounds, and used oranges for science and imagining combined with simple Christmas preparations. All these authentic activities have lots of learning and help children develop kindergarten readiness skills. Is it time to wrap presents and label gifts? If your … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – ‘Writing’ Tags & Cards

Kindergarten Readiness – Santa Fun & Learning

Learning and kindergarten readiness can take just a few brief minutes and center around something that is already occurring. For example, next time you and your child see a Santa Claus, mention that Santa starts with an ‘sss’ sound, just like sandwich or sun or soft. What other words start with that very same sound? Think … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Santa Fun & Learning

Kindergarten Readiness – Stories About Shapes

Reading books and sharing stories is not only one of the best kindergarten readiness activities, it’s one of the best for developing language and laying the foundation for learning to read. Stories about shapes work on both language and visual skills, (see last week’s blog for more Christmas shape ideas). This old favorite book by … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Stories About Shapes

Kindergarten Readiness – Breakfast Science

I know that they are available all year but I still think of mandarin oranges as Christmas ones. Plus, there’s lots of holiday recipes that use them in sections, sauce or juice. Since part of childhood and kindergarten readiness is discovering and exploring here’s a science activity with an orange. Lots of families have orange juice … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Breakfast Science