Christmas

Holiday Activities

Christmas Science Experiment –Dancing Bells and Cranberries

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As soon as I read about this Christmas science experiment, I had to try it but the kids were both busy. Dancing bells? I also tried some dried cranberries. I used the excuse of wanting to see how it worked before doing it with them. Truthfully, though, I wanted to try it more than once.Christmas science experiment The name of this science fun, Dancing Jingle Bells, starts lots of questions immediately. How can bells do that? Will they really dance? What does experiment use? I could hardly read through all of the post. Fortunately, a few bells were right at hand with the box of decorations.

This experiment needs a glass jar or drinking glass, bells, and a clear, fizzy soda pop. Pour the soda pop into the jar or glass and drop in a few bells. It’s hard to see but bubbles start to form on the inside of the glass and collect all over the bells. Nothing happened for a while but suddenly, one of the bells popped up, stayed at the top, and then slowly drifted back down. Just about the time I thought it was only going to happen once, another bell danced its way to the top. The bells danced a few more times but now there were fewer bubbles.

Christmas science experiment

We’ve done this experiment before with raisins. From baking earlier in the week, there were a few dried cranberries left over. Cranberries are both Christmasy and small and did they ever dance. Up and down like yoyos. Even after more than 20 minutes, cranberries were still coming to the surface. When some of the bubbles popped, the berries would drift back down to recharge.

Although there were three sizes of bells, the largest one took up too much room in the jar to use. I was sure the smallest one of the bells would dance if any of them did, but it didn’t at all. This small bell has been in the decoration box for years so quite likely it is thicker and heavier even if smaller. That’s what science is about, finding answers to questions.

Christmas science experiment

When doing this experiment with kids, talk about it first. What do they think will happen? Will this work? What do they know about soda pop and bubbles? There will be lots more to talk about after doing it too! Can you hardly wait to try this Christmas science experiment of dancing bells and cranberries?

 

Holiday Activities

Kids Christmas Movement Activities – Fun and Play

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Today’s fun and play is kids Christmas movement activities. December is such a busy month we sometimes end up being like the Gingerbread man, on the run. Let’s start there. Gingerbread men can be boys or girls. kids movement activities

In the Gingerbread man, a little old lady makes a gingerbread man cookie, but the cookie jumps out of the oven and runs away. He calls to everyone chasing him, “Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.” If you have access to a big safe space outside, like a yard, playground or park, dress kids for the weather and let them go out and pretend to be the gingerbread man. They can run and run as fast as they can.

Gingerbread kids needs someone to chase them, so you may need to call from the sidelines with suggestions of who’s chasing them. “Now, it’s the farmer chasing the gingerbread man.” You can make up lots of chasers not just the ones in the story, like the farmer, the cow, the horse, the sheep, the goat, the bunny, the dog, the cat, the elephant, the bus, the train, the dentist, and anything else. This should wear off some energy and give kids a chance to move their bodies vigorously. A hallway inside a house will do if the weather outside is frightful. Of course, you can chase if you need to move too.

Kids can also pretend to be the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. They fly around. But what if the reindeer aren’t available? What would happen if Santa needed kangaroos? The kangaroos would hop around. Name some other animals and ask kids to show you how those ones would pull the sleigh. Elephants would take big steps. Dinosaurs would take huge ones. Bunnies are smaller than kangaroos so bunny hops would be pretty small. Fish or whales would swim the sleigh. Birds also fly around while horses gallop. Once the kids, or you, need a break, suggest turtles, who pull the sleigh very, very slowly. These can be done inside the house on a mat.

movement activities for kids

Some other kids Christmas movement activities and ideas for movin’ and groovin’ could be to move like toy soldiers. They march around. The train in The Little Engine That Could had to climb a steep mountain and it was such hard work to pull all the cars full of toys. For this, kids need to move like they are pulling a heavy load. How does Santa move with a sack that’s full of toys? Elves scurry back and forth. For a rest, Christmas trees stand as tall as they can be and stay very still.

Adults may not need vigorous physical activity, but kids do. Could these kids Christmas movement activities be part of the fun and play at your house today?

 

 

Holiday Activities

Handmade Christmas Cards for Kids -More Than A Craft

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There are hundreds of ideas on-line for handmade Christmas cards for kids. This post isn’t a ‘how-to’ make them, it’s a ‘why-to’ have kids make their own.

homemade Christmas cards for kids

Could we save any discussion about whether kids should practice following instructions for a certain design or create a card from an assortment of items for later? Instead, here are some great reasons for kids to make and send cards. Cards have writing, even just a name. The world of writing belongs to adults and a card is like a door letting kids in. Suddenly, there are doing something very grown up.

To write or print, kids need to learn a great deal. They have to figure out the funny squiggles on a paper mean something. While they might look like scribbles, these marks are very specific. Some are the same and some are different. A round shape is the letter O and big, little, or wobbly, it’s still an O.

Understanding these strange marks is also linked to language. Kids have had to learn how to speak, what words mean, and how they fit together in patterns. Then, they have to connect speaking to writing. What a huge amount accomplishment and there’s always more to learn.

Recognizing and printing a name are more than big steps. They are big leaps. For kids ready for a little more, they might like to try copying or tracing words. That’s part of making cards. There are also the pictures or other art play. Crayons, paint, markers, glitter, glue, scissors, stickers, bits of fabric, stamps, and other tools and materials can all be used. Oh, and paper. When doing cards, it’s a good idea to protect the table or floor.

homemade Christmas cards for kids

Making Christmas cards is a doable and meaningful way to engage in writing. Kids are also creating, designing, organizing, planning, and problem-solving. Besides the connections to language and writing, there are the heart-to-heart ones as kids give their cards to family and friends. Could handmade Christmas cards for kids be your child’s activity today?

 

 

Holiday Activities

Christmas Songs and Music for Kids Invite Play

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Christmas songs and music for kids are full of fun and action, much like children themselves. The music and the words inspire many different ways to play, like singing, dancing, and making music. As adults, we groan when stores begin playing Christmas music because we have heard the popular songs over and over gazillions of … Continue reading Christmas Songs and Music for Kids Invite Play →