A 12 Day Yule Time Alphabet Celebration

                                                                               Day 1

Begin With The Letter O
Here we go.

Day 1

This is the large O for Ornaments Lesson

 

Cut out the Large ornaments to match the letter on top.

Ornaments, odd, 

'Pairs for Presents Please

Question? Whose St. Nick?

Rudolph's Round Red Nose

Santa's 6 senses and the Snow

Top 10 Toys Under the Tree

Up on the Houstop and Under the Tree

The visitors in the village

A Window Wonderland

An Xpress Train That Went eXtra

Your Year Book

The Zebra at the Zoo

Make the mini Ornament book. Put in order and then staple.

Play the On off Word Game

When they see the on word then on goes the light. When you hold up the off word, off goes the light.

Have them walk on a beam.

Story 2 is 

The Odd One Out

Finger puppets

A micro take home book. Cut out each page or do it with 2 strips folded back and forth.

Do this activity verse using the Snowman Mask

Cut out the Snowmen and do the verse

Do the numbers in order of the snowmen

Have you ever felt like the odd one out?

Summary: You learned the short letter "O" by turning off and on a light. The tot will count to six by sequencing one to six.

How does it feel to be odd? You  let them have phonemic awareness the fun way.

Watch for the second day of a letter Christmas.

Day 2

Day 2 

P is for the Presents in pairs

Begin with Please Pairs 4 page story. Let the tots cut out the small 4 page story and then staple for them. 

For this story cut out the presents front and back. Tape the side fronts and back as well as the bottom front and back of the presents. Cut out the present pairs and put inside the presents. A tot will open the presents as it comes up in the story.

presents front

presents back

cut out present pairs

4 page take home

Which pair would not be under there *tree (lips)

Have 3 balloons blown up and insert the 3 letters (p o p)

Cut out the large pop word that they will pin the letter on each letter in the word to spell POP! To get the letter out of the balloon the tot will have to pop the balloon. Three balloons means three letters in the word pop.

 

Here Is the Pp present pairs lesson

Make a piñata 

Make some paper Mache paste

Cut up Christmas tissue into squares

buy a pack of birthday cone hats

You'll need a large paint craft paint brush

and a punch ball

Paper Mache Recipe

Paint the glue over the tissue squares that the tots will lay on the punch ball. Cover completely with a couple of layers of paper. 

It will take a day or two of drying. Pop the balloon inside.

Then glue the hats around the piñata. Push an unraveled wire hanger through the top portion of the piñata and let it come back up through. Twist the hanger together. Your ready to hit the piñata that will hang on a pole.

Practice saying Please and Thank you *(song)

Think about your body

What is in pairs? How many *2

A pair is 2 together.

Two hands, feet, ears, eyes, socks, shoes, legs, arms, lips, brows

Do the practice page of pairs for Santa possibilities

Copy the poinsettia wreath ring and flowers

I copied and laminated for long term use. Then I used dot Velcro for the backs of each flower that had the other dot placed around the wreath ring.

Let the tots match the pairs.

How many pairs?

How many altogether?

Let them make poinsettia wreaths to take home.

A bonus pom pom game

Color sorting cards for the pom poms

Each tot will receive a color pom-pom card. The tot's will all extract the colored pom poms in the center that is drawn on their card. They will move it with tongs to their own paper plate. After the pom poms are gone, then count up each color that has now been sorted out.

 

Summary:
Please and thank you, pairs, how many in a pair, reading the word pop etc.

Day 3 

Question? 

Who is St. Nick?

Read this large 4 page story

Small Take Home For The Tot

Lesson For Q

Cut out the letters to the word Quick!

Scramble the word and then unscramble. Say each sound in the word and then repeat the word. They will be learning to read with you.

Play music and write the word quick. They will move in place quickly. Then write the word quiet and have them move slowly and quietly. 

Do the Questions while you write a large Question Mark. 

?

Use the mastery lesson plan as you do the activities.

Make a Santa beard with the color page.

Use Q tips to brush paint or creams on the beard for take home.

Summary for Q

They will learn to read quick, Words that begin with q, how to be quiet, Q tip art, another name for Santa, What is a Question mark?

Day 4

Here is the Plan

 

Read and discuss this story of Rudolph and about how the other r r r r  reindeer were rude. Rudolph's round red nose gave him the top spot on the team. How many reindeer guide the sled on Christmas Eve?

Here is a 4 page take home of this R story

Have them put a ring around Rudolph.

Here's a black and white 4 page book

Tape each reindeer to a craft stick and then count the reindeer that fly as well as how many in all. 

The Santa Finger Puppet

Black and white

Sing about Rudolph and use this mask. Copy, cut out, and then tape to a large craft stick. Your ready.

Tot's take home color mask page

There are masks for each Reindeer

One

Dasher

two

Dancer

three

Prancer

four 

Vixon

five

Comet

six

Cupid

seven

Donner

eight

Blizen

Santa Mask

Notice that Rudolph's nose was red and it was round. Let's look at things that are round.

What is red?

Scramble the r e d letters and then unscramble. Do the same with the letters in 

r i n g.   . Be sure to read this with them.

When the tot hears the r r r they will ring their bell.

A ring is what shape? (circle)

Summary: They should learn how to read the words red and ring. The tot will be introduced to the 2 meanings of ring. Ring a bell and place a ring around something are two different meanings. They will learn of things round as well as things red. What is rude?

*******

Day 5

A nutshell lesson plan for Ssssss

Let it Snow

"S" is for the Season with Snow

Learn why the sun causes the snowmen to go.

Introduce the Letter "S" for Snow and for the number 6. Count and sequence the cookies. Using the sense of touch have them hold snow if possible and answer how it feels. Use ice to substitute Learn about the 5 senses. With the "Snowmen in a Row" verse, teach them to sequence, to count and to subtract. The sun will melt the snow. Sequence the 6 snowmen cards by number. Match the 2 snowmen that are the same. 

Match the 2 that are the 

Same (Ss)

'

Six cookie sequence

Which senses do you use for a cookie eating experience? *(taste, touch, smell)

         Santa's Sixth Sense SSSSssssss Story

                                                   A Pocketbook for take home

'

                  

Make a Santa Advent Calendar 

Glue cotton balls on Santa's beard he is growing. He will have made his appearance on December 24 for  December 25th.

Learn about your 5 senses
see, hear, taste, touch, and smell
(copy the sense cards and tape to the front of the sack.)

*Place items that use the sense in a baggy and then into the lunch sack.

Song: "Two little eyes that Blink"
Go to Google

10 Snowmen in a Row Activity Verse

Learn to Subtract

 
verse

Read this story and have the tots follow along with their own microstrip book.

"A Shaping Up" Book for story time         
 (8 1/2 x ll)

Here is a Microstrip 6 pg. Book 

Copy the one page black white or  color to make the book for the tot. Cut out the 2 strips. Fold back and forth . Staple the book together.

 

Black & White 

Sequence in the order of the story and then play a game.

S is for sequencing the shaping of a snowman.

Cut out these snowman parts and then mount sticky magnets to the back. Then decide what is first by spinning the wheel.  Choose the part or parts that correspond with the number. Place on the magnetic board while you name the shapes as you shape up a snowman. 

Mini 4 pg. snowman book

Another black and white mini book

Snow comes in what season? (Play the song, "Once There Was a Snowman")

Spin a Season

Spin the dial and talk about the seasons. Demonstrate how snow or ice melts and changes to water.

Just cut out the dial and spinner arrow. Place a fastener through the arrow and the center of the dial. Make sure it is loose enough to spin.

Make a Snack with 6 Cookies

Make 6 cookies or have 6 cookies in a sack with the six laminated cookies that are numbered. (Have them first smell the cookies, then have them see them and determine if they are right about what was in the sack. Lastly have them taste the cookies.) Count out the six laminated cookies and place in order.

Read a word

Cut out the letters and then scramble sit and sad. Put the letters in order. Say the sound letter at a time and then repeat the word. How many letters in the word?

Sew and Stuff a Stocking

Top front of the stocking to be sewn

Back of the stocking to be sewn

Summary: The tot's will have learned a little science with the snow and heat from the sun that makes the snow melt, the number will be s-s-six, the shapes will be circles, stick lines, square etc. the color will be white for snow, Some of the concepts will be sequencing, sorting, same science, seasons, subtraction and learning about your senses. 

Day 6

 Top Ten  Toys Under the Tree

The Christmas Tree Tradition

Make a sugar cone tree. Decorate with sprinkles and frosting

The frosting bags are made by clipping a small piece from the corner. Fill the baggy with frosting and twist the sandwich sized bag.

Let them each have a baggy of frosting. Decorate on a paper plate.

Share a Christmas tradition

It could be a food, a nativity, a book, etc.

*Copy, cut out, and tape the 10 trees to toothpicks.

Ten triangle toothpick trees

Count the trees and then put them in order.

A Tt lesson plan with word cards.

Cut the bottom with the letters off. Cut the t o p and the t e n letters out.

Scramble and then put in order. Count the letters in each word. Say the word sound at a time.

Tap a toy drum when you hear the t t t in ten and the t t t in top.

Make a tree.

Make a tree by cutting out the 2 tree halves. Then cut on the slit lines. Cross the bottom slit of the tree over the top slit. Decorate with stickers etc.

finished tree

What time is it?

It is time for a Story

The Top Ten Toys Under The Christmas Tree

Finger Puppets

Pocket Take home story

Cut out in 2 strips of two pages. Fold back and forth and then staple.

Board Story Pieces

Cut out the presents and gift front and back gift boxes. Cut out the toys.

Board Story Pieces and gift boxes both front and back will be taped together. Tape the gift boxes on the sides and bottoms insert each of the ten gifts inside. 

Board story tree piece

This is a follow up activity page. 

match the gift to the toy as given in the story. 

Learn about Top and Bottom

Fill the stuffing at the top of the bear

Put your hands on top of your head. *sing "My hands upon my head I Place"

Make a stuffed Teddy Bear toy 

Copy twice. Staple all the way around except at the top. Fill with stuffing. Then staple shut. Its now time to paint.

Summary for Tt :

Sequence to ten, learn the words top and ten, learn the concept of top and bottom, discover the Christmas tree tradition, other traditions, and learn the triangle shape.

***

Day 7

Uu Lesson Plan

in a nutshell

Here's the plan

U is for Santa up on the housetop and under the Christmas tree. To underline is to make a line under something. You might need an umbrella when it snows. Place things under a napkin for the tot to guess. The sky is gray on a rainy day. Presents are square and in the shape of a rectangle. Review "The Top Ten Toys Under the Christmas Tree" found in "T" and talk about what would happen if the presents were not under the tree, but rather on it. Santa pulls the sleigh with 8 reindeer.   (This Santa goes Up & down the chimney) (Song: "Up on the Housetop")

Large Story

Make a personal pocketbook 

What's under the cup?

Can you hear the U u u u u in cup? Stand up if you can otherwise put a finger up.

Words under and up

Scramble and unscramble as you say the letter sounds to form a word.

Play it's under which cup?

Learn to underline the Uu word

Try to have an upside down tea party

Make this craft to practice for the program and to take home.
(song, "Up on the Housetop")

 

Look at them move Santa up.

Summary: You will learn the song, "Up On the Housetop". The tots will go up and down as they hear it in the song. Hide things under a napkin and have them guess what is under it. You can use the top ten toys under the Christmas Tree activity. They will learn the color gray for rain clouds. Learn about what is upside down by using the "Upside Down Story". What shape is the presents under the tree? Time to make a line under or underline using this mini U book.

***

                    

Day 8

V is for Visitors that you see takes more than a village

Here is a short lesson plan

A Four Page Story Large

More Than a Village

Small take home story

=

Have them cut out and assemble the 4 pages.

Staple for the tot

Make a Vase with Paper Mache

Use the paste recipe to paint over the square tissues  on the can with a large child paint brush. Dry for of couple of days. Fill with Poinsettias

V is for the village where Santa sits and for the visitors of the baby about three. 

What are vegetables?  (Let them circle or underline)

Copy and cut out the veggie cards *

Face the cards down to match and name the vegetable.

(Sing: "Go Round & Round the Village")
Let them decorate a village house you have made ahead and eat them for a snack along with some vegetables *(veggie tray).

The graham cracker village takes 7 half square crackers. Make on a paper plate. Start with the half a square cracker for the floor. Pipe frosting on the sides and bottom of the cracker and stick around the floor cracker for the walls. The roof is a whole cracker broken in half. Glue together with the frosting. Let dry overnight so they are ready to decorate. 
decorate with: small packs of Skittles, Sixlets, 

M & M s small pkg. and or Lifesavers. Each tot will have a piping bag made with a small baggy or small zip lock bag. Push about 4 tablespoons of frosting in the corner. Twist the bag and clip the corner of the frosting bag. Each tot now has a piping bag. Notice the piping bag on the left of the plate.

It is a great day to visit Santa at a village near you.

Village take home craft 
(copy to cardstock)

 

Learn to read the word van

Copy, cut out and then scramble van.

Unscramble and read each letter sound as you form the word with them.

What of the village where the babe lay upon the hay?
Read: "The Visitors Came" with the big book and have them read along with their microscopic strip book. Act it out with the masks and do some Christmas songs with it or give them a microstrip pocket book. "The visitors Came" book and finger puppets to follow along. Using the finger puppets, and or masks, name the visitors.

Finger Puppets

Copy and cut out.

Cut out fingerholes

You're ready to play

larger

Or Use the Masks from the Nativity

Act out and discuss who were the visitors?

(3 wisemen)

(cut out the 2 strips) 
Cut the cover page apart from the 2 strips. Do not cut out each page, but only strips. Fold back and forth. Staple together for a mini 8 page book.

 

finger puppets

Make graham cracker villages for a snack

Summary: Learn about a violin while you listen to some music with a violin, what is a visitor? Count the visitors in the story.  Name the shape of a star and then count the points, yellow is a star, there was just one baby (power of one). 
Visit a Christmas Village. What visitors may be there?

***********

Day 9

W is for a winter wonderland window with snow.

A Short lesson plan

Large Story

A Winter Wonderland Window

Tot take home

Copy window. Cut out 

each square of the window 

Glue over a blue sheet of paper.
Tots add winter stickers (Dollar Tree)

Word Play

Copy and follow instructions

What is the weather?

Winter or Spring Ww

Water comes from rain, and snow.

Talk about what lives in the water. Buy some animal capsules. Have a bowl of water and let the tot drop a capsule in the water. During the lesson wait for the capsule to open up and name the water animal. 

Weather dial

Does Santa's sleigh have wheels? It has ski like blades.

Discuss what has wheels.

 Sing: "The Wheels on the Bus". Wheels are round circles. Let them count out the Davinci Pasta wheels and place them over the number of wheels on each thing. Have them play with things that have wheels. Go over the mini book with the tots.

What has wheels?

mini book

Take home

Activity sheet for home

Buy pasta wheels to place over the wheels. 
Count the wheels

Or 

What about the 3 Wisemen who knew where to go?

Wisemen starts with a w w w.

Count out the Wisemen of three with little helpers

(Pattern to copy)

Summary: W is for the winter weather. Water comes from the rain and snow which is white. Water that is frozen is ice, but when it melts it is water clear not white. They will have learned what to watch. There were 3 Wisemen. The tots will learn of the tradition of Wisemen. The 3 gifts were gold, frankincense, & myrrh in 3 square boxes, They will learn the color gold. The Wisemen were led by a star. Hide the star and let them search it like them from afar. Find out w-w- where it is. They will have learned what has wheels. With the Davinci pasta wheels, the tots will have learned to count the wheels. Learn to read wind and water.

                          

                                                                       

                       

                                                                ****

     

                                                                   Day 10

A nutshell lesson

Read "The Polar Express

Have them come in their pajamas

What fell out of the pocket?

Make each tot a box that will have a bell given by Santa

Do the follow up Polar EXpress Story page.

Enjoy some hot chocolate

Word play

Listen for the X sound and read the 4 page story. When you hear the x ring the jingle bell.

Here is an extra retold story about an xpress train who tried Extra hard. 

Publish and Extra Xtra Tot News

.

His extra hard work make this train so he could

Six Express Trains

Put them in order from one to six. Ring the jingle bell when the tot hears the x in six. Identify some shapes in the train picture.

Place the six cookies in order.

X it out with 4 pages

X is for the Polar Xpress and the xpress mail sent, 
that each tot watched as it went. 
(Send an invitation X-Press ) 

Put the Xpress mail page in a large envelope with Xpress on it.

Have an express train set for play.

Summary: Learn to hear the x in the beginning and in the end sounds. They will build their  reading comprehension. Sequence from one to six. Learn how to x out. These trains are black. The box is a square.

****

Day 11

Do the Your Yearbook Story

Cut the 4 strips 

Fold back and forth 

Staple in order of months

Personal pocket book

Cut out the 12 cards you count.

Put them in order months of the year.

Word Play

Scramble and unscramble each word.  Read each  letter at a time until you have formed a word.

Do the You page for your  year about you

Y is for the New Year, so give a countdown cheer!
Each tot needs a noise maker for the final countdown.

Copy the letter Y page and have yogurt and and egg ready to crack and slop while you say the sound of "Y" that says y y y y  yellow, yogurt & yuck!

Your number for the day will be 12 for 12 months

   12 yule logs

Yule is a winter Christmas celebration

The light of the Yule log is light and warmth in the longest and darkest nights.

Do this magnetic board activity to teach about the months and what happens that month.

Chinese New Year (sack dragon kite)

The dragon dance is to scare off the bad spirits and is done to welcome the new year. Fly these kites to the Chinese Dragon Music found on YouTube

 Pattern for kite

and make a pinata with the dragon pattern

Paste the dragon face to the flat part of the sack and fill with prizes. Poke the pinata that is in the center of the table.  until the prizes are exposed. Then share the party bag filler. ( use popcorn for filler if you like.

Count backwards and celebrate as if welcoming the new year. 

Use the arrow to point to 12 for 12 midnight.

Make lots of noise.

Sing: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year"

Have some yogurt.

Summary: They will have learned traditions of the new year around the world. The tots will learn to count to 12. They will name the months of the year and what happens. They will have learned to count backwards from 10 -1. The flame of the yule log and an egg yolk is y-y- yellow. The world is round like a circle.

             ********************

Day 12

Z is for

 

     

Z is for Christmas at the Zoo with one animal that *begins with
 "z" too. (Zeb*ra). A Zebra has black stripes.
Have them each r*ead along. Find the "Z" animal at the zoo. in their "Zig Zag Zoo Christmas Tree" microstrip pocket book.
 Cut out the 2 strips. Fold back and forth and then staple.

color version

Black and White Version

Spin and name a Zodiac zoo animal

Match the zodiac animal cards face up for the real young tots and down for more advanced naming of the zodiac zoo animals. Be sure to copy twice and then cut out the cards.

Zig Zag Z  (Cut on the Zig Zag paths)

or

Cut out the Zig Zag Tree (The tot will probably need help)

Magnetic Christmas Zoo Story- 
(Cut out and mount the flat sticky magnet on back.)

Board Story Pieces

 

Finger puppets

Copy and cut out puppets as well as finger holes.

They are ready for tot play.

Finger puppets

Make a zig zag Christmas Tree
Help them cut the zig zag tree.

Let them cut the zig zags

Word Play

Summary: Learn to count to 10 and learn the colors green and red with the story. The tots will learn to cut and learn how to use scissors. The ornaments are round and the stripes on a zebra are black. They will name the zoo animals and decide which one starts with a "z". Time to read zoo, zig, and zag.

Make a 3D Zig Zag Christmas trees 

Color and decorate with sticker ornaments

That is summary of the 12 letters to Christmas one letter a day. Now it is time to sing & play.
Have a 12 Letters of Christmas Program

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve foods from each letter:
O- Mini Oreos, sliced oranges, P- pizza, pretzels, Q- Quaker snacks, R- red raspberries, S- Smokey sausages, sea food (shrimp), T- turkey sandwiches, tortilla chips and salsa, U- turn the cups upside down, V- vegetable (carrot), W-water, hot chocolate from the Polar Xpress hot chocolate lesson, Y yogurt gogurt or ice cream roll yule logs, Z- plate of zoo animal cookies

We Wish You A Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year!!