Christmas-Baking

AREA SETUP

Print a variety of posters and use them to decorate the walls of your daycare. (Open thematic poster-Christmas-Baking)

Stickers-Christmas-Baking

(Open stickers-Christmas-Baking) Print the illustrations on adhesive paper and use them to create original stickers for your group.

Educa-theme-Christmas-Baking

(Open educa-theme-Christmas-Baking) Print and laminate the different elements representing the theme. Use them to present the theme to your group (and their parents) while decorating your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Christmas-Baking

(Open educa-decorate-Christmas-Baking) Print, laminate, and cut out the illustrations. Use them to decorate your walls and set the mood for the theme.

Garland-Christmas-Baking

(Open pennants-Christmas-Baking) Print and let children decorate the garland elements. Cut out the items and use them to create a garland that can be hung near your daycare entrance or within your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Gingerbread

(Open educa-decorate-Gingerbread) Print, laminate, and cut out the illustrations. Use them to decorate your walls and set the mood for the theme.

Add to your role play area-Christmas-Baking

Here is a list of items that may be added to your kitchen area during the theme: plastic dishes and utensils, wooden spoons, cutting boards, funnels, sieves, plastic food items, a small kitchen scale, stickers representing different foods, refrigerator magnets, felt food items, modeling dough, scented markers, a Christmas tablecloth or placemats, empty food containers, water bottles, dry pasta, pictures of food, etc. Laminate pictures representing traditional Christmas meals and treats and use adhesive paper to stick them directly on your tables.

CIRCLE TIME

Throughout the theme, children will pretend to be bakers or chefs. Every day, during circle time, name a chief baker or chef. Select a privilege for each “baker or chef in training” (examples: no need to clean up, no naptime, etc.). Play the role of a great baker or chef and invite your bakers and chefs in training to assist you in your Christmas preparations.

Bake gingerbread cookies and place them in a special box, a small Christmas-themed treasure chest for example. During circle time, gently open the box and ask children if they are familiar with this type of cookie. Give each child a cookie and let them eat it to introduce your theme.

Discussion period-Christmas-Baking

(Open picture game-Christmas-Baking) Print and laminate the pictures in the format you prefer. Use them to spark a conversation and ask children questions about the theme.

Poni discovers and presents-Christmas-Baking

(Open Poni discovers and presents-Christmas-Baking) Print the cards. Laminate and cut them. Use you Poni puppet (or another puppet children are familiar with) to present them to your group.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group.  Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Christmas-Baking) Print, laminate, and store in a “Ziploc” bag or in your thematic bins.

Memory game-Christmas-Baking

(Open picture game-Christmas-Baking) Print the pictures twice and use them for a memory game.

ACTIVITY SHEETS

Activity sheets are provided for each theme.  Print and follow instructions. (Open activity sheets-Christmas-Baking)

Educa-spots-Baker’s hat

(Open educa-spots-Baker’s hat) Print for each child. Use bingo markers to add color inside the circles. If you don’t have bingo markers, stickers or cereal can also be used.

Writing booklet-Christmas

(Open writing booklet-Christmas) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker.

Stationery-Christmas-Baking

(Open stationery-Christmas-Baking) Print. Use the stationery to communicate with parents, in your writing area, or to identify your thematic bins.

Educa-nuudles-Gingerbread

(Open educa-nuudles-Gingerbread) Print for each child. Have children color the sheet and use Magic Nuudles to give it a three-dimensional look. Variation: You don’t have Magic Nuudles? Have children fill the spaces designed for Magic Nuudles with bingo markers or stickers. To order Magic Nuudles.

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS-Christmas-Baking

Workshop planning booklet

(Open workshop planning booklet) Print, laminate, and use the grid with a dry-erase marker. This essential tool will help you prepare and create the material you need for your various workshops, organize your environment, and plan per the interests of the children in your group. It will also help you analyze your weekly activities.

Construction/Building blocks:

• Red, green, and white paper or plastic disposable drinking glasses for all kinds of constructions.
• Red, green, and white drinking straws for adding fences, pillars, or other decorations to children’s creations.
• Aluminum pie plates (different sizes) to add a touch of shine to their constructions.
• Empty individual yogurt or applesauce containers that can be used instead of blocks. Ask parents to help you collect them.

Arts & crafts:

• Dry pasta, rice, or cereal for all kinds of red, green, and white collages. Create colourful pasta or rice simply by adding approximately 1 tsp of paint to it and mixing. Add a small amount of rubbing alcohol to set the color. Let dry for at least 15 minutes or bake in a 225ºF oven. You’ll know the paint is dry by touching it.
• Grocery store flyers children can cut food items out of to create a collage representing a Christmas feast.
• Pour red, green, and white poster paint in muffin tins and let children paint with pastry brushes.
• Make prints with Christmas-themed cookie cutters dipped in poster paint.
• Use cut food items (peppers, apples, potatoes, carrots, etc.) as stampers.
• Fill containers that have a lid with seeds, pasta, or rice to create unique maracas.
• Various recycled containers can be used to represent a Christmas village.

Drawing:

• Food-related coloring pages.
• On white paper, have children draw the food the enjoy the most and the food they dislike the most.
• Encourage children to “invent” a food item and draw it.

Role play:

• At the bakery: utensils, white modeling dough, rolling pins, placemats, bread pans, chef hats, cookie cutters, etc.
• At the grocery store: cash register, pretend money, baskets, plastic food items, recycled food containers, brown paper bags, hair nets, uniforms (butcher, baker, etc.).
• At the restaurant: menus, tables, chairs, salt and pepper shakers, napkins, utensils, notepads and pencils, plastic food items and dishes, cash register, pretend money, etc.
• Chefs: chef hats, aprons, pots and pans, oven mitts, cookie sheets.

Manipulation:

• Memory game related to the theme using educatall.com picture game or a store-bought game.
• Puzzles related to the theme.
• Soft bread modeling dough (see creative recipes).
• Printed food items for lacing.
• Pots and pans, kitchen utensils, various instruments that can be observed and manipulated.
• Colourful dry pasta for making bracelets and necklaces.
• Fruits and vegetables that can be sorted by size and color or used to create patterns.

Pre-reading:

• Books about food, baking, culinary whims, etc.
• Recipe cards or recipe books children can use to create a Christmas feast simply by looking at the pictures.
• Sequential stories about baking.

Pre-writing:

• Hunt and seek games involving Christmas baking scenes.
• Various activity sheets related to the theme.
• Games with educatall.com word flashcards.
• Tracing and maze activities involving Christmas baking and cooking.
• Connect the dot activities for drawing food items.

Motor skills:

• A relay race involving a spoon and an egg (real egg or plastic egg).
• A treasure hunt throughout which children must find and collect the ingredients required to prepare a Christmas recipe.

Sensory bins:

• Cereal bin with measuring spoons, kitchen utensils, measuring cups, etc.
• Colourful pasta or rice bin with kitchen utensils.
• Water table to which you have added a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Children can wash your plastic dishes.
• A bin filled with a variety of dried legumes.
• The possibilities are endless for this theme, use your imagination and provide children with the opportunity to explore foods they may be less familiar with.

Science:

• Magnifying glasses and containers filled with different types of grains that can be used to make bread.
• Various vegetable seeds for observing and associating them with the vegetables they will grow into.
• Plant a small indoor garden and watch it grow (beans, carrots, peas, etc.).
• A kitchen scale with real food items. Children will enjoy comparing, for example, the weight of an apple and the weight of a banana or discovering whether flour or sugar is heavier.
• Children will enjoy cutting an apple to observe a star and a butterfly.
• Explore hot (oven) and cold (refrigerator or freezer).
• Add a celery stalk to a glass filled with water and food coloring and watch what happens.

Kitchen:

• Different types of fun recipes can be integrated in this theme (a cake, cookies, fruit salad, etc.). Ideally, pick a recipe that requires several ingredients so that each child has the chance to participate and add ingredients.
• Christmas log.
• Use a juice extractor to prepare apple juice.
• Prepare a platter containing foods children are familiar with and foods that may be new to them and have fun tasting them one by one.
• Make milkshakes.
• Gingerbread recipes.
• Use gingerbread cookies to create gingerbread houses.

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

The flashcards may be used during circle time to spark a conversation with the group or in your reading and writing area. They may also be used to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Christmas-Baking) (Open giant word flashcards-Chrismas-Baking) apron, hat, cookie cutters, rolling pin, Christmas cookies, Mrs. Claus, meat pie, flour, candy, gingerbread, decorations, donut

Let’s chat

(Open word flashcards-Christmas-Baking) (Open giant word flashcards-Christmas-Baking) Print and laminate the word flashcards. Have each child pick a word and present it to the group (ex. flour). Ask them questions to see what they know about the theme.

Picture clue story-Christmas-Baking

(Open picture clue story-Christmas-baking) Print. Sit in a circle with your group. Begin reading the story. Every time you reach a picture clue, pause to give children the chance to identify the missing word.

Scene-Christmas-Baking

(Open scene-Christmas-Baking) Print, laminate, and cut out the pieces. Children use them to create different scenes.

Story and memory game-Christmas-Baking

(Open story and memory game-Christmas-Baking) Print, laminate, and cut out the cards. Place them upside down on the floor or table. Children take turns picking three cards and using the illustrated items as inspiration to create a story. Trick: To solidify the cards, stick them on the top of frozen juice cans.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Gingerbread path

(Open educa-decorate-Gingerbread) Print and arrange the illustrations on the floor to create a path leading to different areas frequently visited by the children in your group each day.

Picture clue story-Gingerbread

(Open picture clue story-Gingerbread) Print. Sit in a circle with your group. Begin reading the story. Every time you reach a picture clue, pause to give children the chance to identify the missing word.

Clean hands bin

Fill a container with various items related to the theme. The only rule: children can only explore the contents of the bin once they have washed their hands.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES-THEMATIC LETTER-CHRISTMAS-BAKING

The educatall team has prepared a series of Christmas-themed activities. Present them as a theme or pick and choose the activities you prefer to surprise children. You may print the thematic letters we have created and explore the corresponding activities with your group.

Mrs. Claus puppet

(Open puppets-Mrs. Claus) Print the puppet and use it to present the letters to your group.

Mailbox-Christmas-Baking

Prepare a special mailbox you can deposit the thematic letters in. Every morning, read the latest letter to your group to introduce the daily challenge or activity.

Ideas for your mailbox:

• Purchase the mailbox available on the educatall online store and decorate it for the theme.
• Use a cardboard box (shoebox, cereal box, large box, etc.) and decorate it with Christmas-themed stickers and arts & crafts materials.
• Recycle an empty metal coffee can. Wrap it with Christmas wrapping paper and decorate it to represent a mailbox.
• Hang a Christmas gift bag from a hook or door handle and identify it as being your Christmas mailbox.

THEMATIC LETTERS-CHRISTMAS-BAKING

MONDAY

Thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 1

(Open thematic letter-Christams-Baking-Day 1) Print the letter and place it in your mailbox. During circle time, invite children to check if they have received mail. Read the letter to introduce your special week of activities in Mrs. Claus’ kitchen.

Hello my friends,

Welcome to the North Pole’s kitchen. Throughout the week, I will suggest different activities. Every day, (early childhood educator’s name) will read you a letter. Each letter will include a task that we regularly enjoy executing at the North Pole Culinary Academy. I love Christmas cookies and I know you like them too. Today, we will bake Christmas cookies. I have left a box for you in the kitchen. (Early childhood educator’s name) will provide any missing ingredients so you will have everything you need to bake the best Christmas cookies ever.

I hope you will have a lot of fun. It’s time to bake!

Mrs. Claus who can’t wait to see you again

Memo for the early childhood educator: Fill a box with surprises and ingredients that can be used to decorate Christmas cookies. Set it in the kitchen and let children explore its contents.

TUESDAY

Thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 2

(Open thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 2) Print the letter and place it inside your mailbox.

Welcome to the North Pole’s bakery!

At the North Pole Culinary Academy, we are lucky to have some of the best bakers in the world. Here, we prepare the most impressive desserts, cookies, and cakes throughout the year. Today, the bakers have left a few surprises with your early childhood educator. I promise you are going to have a great deal of fun!

It’s time to get to work my little bakers!

Mrs. Claus who can’t wait to see you again

Memo for the early childhood educator: Transform your modeling dough workshop to make it look like a bakery. Provide modeling dough children can use to prepare cookies and cakes. Add a flour bin to make the activity seem real. Provide kitchen utensils and tools, small boxes for cookies, and pretty ribbon. To prolong the activity, set up a “store area” children can play in together.

WEDNESDAY

Thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 3

(Open thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 3) Print the letter and place it inside your mailbox along with a box containing a gingerbread house kit.

Hello my little chefs,

Today, you will enjoy one of my favorite activities. You will decorate a gingerbread house with icing and candy pieces. I have left everything you need to create a beautiful edible Christmas-themed masterpiece.

I look forward to seeing your gingerbread house!

Mrs. Claus who can’t wait to see you again

Memo for the early childhood educator: Purchase a gingerbread house kit at the grocery store (or bake your own if you prefer, you will find a gingerbread recipe within this theme). Children must assemble the gingerbread house and decorate it with icing and candy pieces, licorice, and jujubes.

THURSDAY

Thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 4

(Open thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 4) Print the letter and place it inside your mailbox.

Hello all,

Welcome to the North Pole Culinary Academy’s classrooms. Before becoming great chefs, you must attend my classes. Becoming an apprentice chef requires learning many specific techniques that must be taken vary seriously. Future chefs must know these techniques and be very good at following instructions. Are you wondering what these techniques may be? I have left a few important exercises with your early childhood educator. Have fun discovering some of the techniques I teach at the Academy.

Enjoy!

Mrs. Claus who can’t wait to see you again

Memo for the early childhood educator: Fill several bins with rice, flour, sugar, salt, brown sugar, etc. Add measuring cups, kitchen utensils, and containers (different sizes). Set a few empty containers on the table and place a rubber band on each one to indicate the level to which children must fill them. Once all the containers have been filled, have them place them in order, from the emptiest to the fullest. Let children have fun measuring, manipulating, and pouring. Variation: With older children, you may also choose to explore liquids.

FRIDAY

Thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 5

(Open thematic letter-Christmas-Baking-Day 5) Print the letter and leave it inside your mailbox along with a surprise for each child.

Hello my friends,

The week is already coming to an end. I had a lot of fun with you, but I must get back to the North Pole to prepare a Christmas feast with my team of chefs. The North Pole Culinary Academy needs me. Before I leave, I wanted to surprise you. I prepared my mystery snack just for you. Have fun finding your snack…I hid it throughout your daycare.

Goodbye my little chefs!

Mrs. Claus who wishes you a delicious Christmas

Memo for the early childhood educator: Place children’s morning snack (ex. dry cereal) in clear Christmas-themed boxes or gift bags and hide them throughout the daycare. Children will have fun searching for them and discovering their snack.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Edible treasure hunt

(Open edible treasure hunt) Hide 20 pictures throughout your yard. When you give the signal, children must find them to get the treasure. The treasure can consist of gingerbread cookies, a modeling dough recipe, and cookie cutters or special candy pieces.

Christmas baker’s hat

Have children sit in a circle. Have one child wear a Christmas hat. Play music. While the music plays, children must pass the hat around the circle. When the music stops, the child who has the hat must pick a Christmas song for the group to sing. Note that each child must set the hat on his head before handing it to the child sitting next to him.

1, 2, 3…chef in training

Select a child who will pretend to be a “chef in training”. Have him stand with his back against the wall. The other children stand with their back against the other wall, at the opposite end of the daycare. The chef in training turns and taps the wall three times, saying “1, 2, 3…chef in training.” The other players move towards the chef in training, but stop as soon as he finishes his sentence and turns back around. If the chef in training sees another child move, the child must go back to the starting point. The first child who reaches the other end of the daycare becomes the chef in training for the next round.

The baker’s apron

Tie an apron to a child’s waist. Children move around within your playing area, trying to steal the baker’s apron. The child who succeeds ties the apron to his waist and the game continues. The winner is the first child who steals the apron three times.

Baker’s obstacle course

Create a maze-like course and add a variety of obstacles such as a rope that children must crawl under. Set a large pot on a chair with a ladle and tell children they must stop to stir the contents of the pot. Incorporate whatever you have on hand. For example, you may have children wear a baker’s hat and apron to complete the course. Let children help you build the obstacle course. Try to incorporate different motor skills. For example, you can have children jump, spin around, hop in hula hoops, crawl, etc. Use your imagination.

The bakery

Transform your modeling dough workshop to make it look like a bakery. Provide modeling dough children can use to prepare cookies and cakes. Add a flour bin to make the activity seem real. Provide kitchen utensils and tools, small boxes for cookies, and pretty ribbon.

You can’t catch me, I am the gingerbread man!

(Open characters-Gingerbread) Print and laminate the characters. Set up an obstacle course and set the characters along the course, in the order they appear in the gingerbread man story. Every time children reach a character, they must stop and say, “Run, run, as fast you can (name the character). You can’t catch me, I am the gingerbread man!”

Toothpicks in the kitchen

Set a few boxes of red, green, and white toothpicks in the centre of the table. Give each child a red, a green, and a white container. Ask children to pick up one toothpick at a time using their thumb and index finger and sort them in the container of the corresponding color. Use a kitchen timer or an hourglass to measure the time. After a pre-determined period, count how many toothpicks each child sorted.

Transferring water

Fill several bins with water. Add a variety of exploration materials such as spoons, measuring cups, funnels, etc. Let children use them to practice transferring water from one container to another.

Kitchen sounds

Provide different kitchen items that children can use to make music. For example, they will enjoy tapping pots with wooden spoons as if they were drums or tapping water-filled glasses with a metal spoon to create more delicate sounds.

Surprise snack

Place a surprise snack in a box and wrap it using several layers of adhesive tape. Sit in a circle with your group. Set oven mitts in the centre of the circle. Children take turns rolling a die. Every time the die lands on the “1”, the child who rolled it must put the oven mitts on and begin unwrapping the box until another child rolls a “1”. The game ends when the box is completely unwrapped. Children may then enjoy their snack.

Necklaces

Provide different types of dry pasta that children can easily thread onto a string. Invite them to create necklaces. If you wish, you can color the pasta by placing it in a Ziploc bag with a few drops of poster paint. Shake well and spread the pasta out on a baking sheet to dry.

The gingerbread man says…

Just like in “Simon says…”, give children instructions they must execute only if you say, “The gingerbread man says…” first. Otherwise, they must remain perfectly still.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Educ-math-Christmas-Baking

(Open educ-math-Christmas-Baking) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must count the items in each rectangle and circle the correct number.

Hunt and seek-Christmas-Baking

(Open hunt and seek-Christmas-Baking) Print and laminate. Children pick a card and search for the item in the scene.

Recipe books

Collect old recipe books, magazines, or recipe cards. Children can use them to pretend they are baking.

Recipe book-Christmas baking

(Open recipe book-Christmas) Print several copies. Invite each family to share one of their favorite Christmas recipes. Once you have received a recipe from each family, make the necessary number of photocopies and use the recipes to create a special recipe book. Send a copy of the recipe book home with each child.

Educ-pattern-Gingerbread

(Open educ-pattern-Gingerbread) Print and laminate. Children must complete the patterns by sticking the cards in the correct squares using Velcro or adhesive putty.

Educ-association-Gingerbread

(Open educ-association-Gingerbread) Print the pages and assemble them in a file folder. Children must associate the illustrations. Once they have found the correct associations, they must stick the cards in the correct squares using Velcro or adhesive putty.

Lacing-Gingerbread

(Open lacing-Gingerbread) Print, trace on cardboard, and cut out the shapes. Punch holes around the contour of each one and provide shoelaces children can lace through the holes.

Giant gingerbread man

(Open giant gingerbread man) Print, laminate, and cut out each piece. Children assemble the pieces on the floor to complete a giant gingerbread man.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Baker’s costume

You will need a white plastic garbage bag for each child. Cut each bag so it’s open on the sides to create a baker’s smock. Use a second bag to create a chef’s hat for each child by stapling it to a construction paper headband.

I am baking Christmas

Set up a special baking corner that includes accessories that can be used to bake and decorate Christmas cookies. For example, provide a rolling pin, a cookie sheet, cookie cutters, plastic knives, and of course, a large quantity of modeling dough.

Sweet and salty

Explain how our tongue tastes different flavors (salty, sweet, bitter, acidic). Give examples of foods associated with each flavor. Encourage them to taste sugar, salt, cocoa, and vinegar. Have them describe each flavor in their own words. Variation: If you wish, blindfold children and have them taste and identify the different food items.

Sous-chef

Throughout the theme, invite a different child to act as your sous-chef each day. As sous-chef, children can serve their friends during meal or snack time. At the end of the week, print a diploma for each child. (Open diploma-Future chef)

My menu

Provide several grocery store flyers. Fold a sheet of construction paper in half for each child. Have children cut out food items and glue them on their paper to represent a menu that includes things they like to eat. Variation: (Open menu-Sugar shack day) Print and let children use this menu in your role play area.

EARLY SCIENCE AND MANIPULATION

Colourful Christmas-themed rice bin

Hide Christmas-themed items in your colourful rice bin (or other sensory bin) and ask children to find them.

Creative recipe-Gingerbread modeling dough

(Open creative recipe-Gingerbread modeling dough)

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour

½ cup of salt

2 tablespoons of cream of tartar

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of a variety of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, ground cloves, allspice)

Food coloring to obtain a brownish color (optional)

Steps:

1. Combine all dry ingredients and add spices until you obtain the desired scent.
2. Mix water and oil together and slowly add dry ingredients.
3. Pour mixture in a pot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium/low heat, stirring constantly until dough begins to form a ball.
4. Knead dough until it is homogeneous and softened.
5. Allow to cool and store in an airtight bag or container.
6. Use like traditional modeling dough.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Christmas buffet

Prepare a cold buffet for lunch with your group. Use a Christmas tablecloth or placemats decorated by your group. Add elf spices (colourful sugar or Christmas-themed cake decorating items) here and there to decorate plates and platters. Add a few drops of red or green food coloring to each child’s glass of milk. Play Christmas music as you eat. Hang Christmas lights throughout your daycare to set the mood. Variation: You could organize a potluck lunch and invite each child to share his favorite food with the group.

Punch

Set a large punch bowl in the centre of the table. Fill it with fruit punch or grape juice. Set a frozen fruit platter nearby and let children take turns adding a piece of fruit to your bowl. Give everyone a turn to stir the punch. Serve the punch in plastic champagne glasses.

Jell-O bin

Let children play in a bin filled with Jell-O. Add plastic kitchen utensils to the bottom of the bin. Children will have to plunge their hands in the Jell-O to find them.

Homemade chocolate

Purchase chocolate moulds in a big-box store and use them to make chocolates. Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or in the microwave). Pour a small amount of melted chocolate in a disposable drinking glass for each child and let them pour the chocolate in the moulds. Wait for the chocolate to set before popping the shapes out of the moulds. Enjoy!

Gingerbread cookie recipe

Bake different sizes of gingerbread men with your group.

Ingredients:

¼ cup of softened butter or margarine

¼ cup of white sugar

1 egg

¼ cup of molasses

1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of cloves

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of ginger

Candy pieces to decorate

Steps:

1. In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until texture is smooth. Incorporate the egg and the molasses.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together and add them to the creamy mixture. Stir well.
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is approximately ¼ inch thick.
5. Use cookie cutters to cut cookie shapes out of the dough. Deposit them on a lightly greased baking sheet.
6. Bake on top rack of oven (preheated to 350 °F) for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are firm and golden. Let cool on wire rack.
7. Let children decorate the cookies.

Variation: For a simpler version, purchase a package of Pillsbury dough.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Finger puppets-Mrs. Claus

(Open finger puppets-Mrs. Claus) Print the models on heavy paper. Have children cut them out and decorate them with various arts & crafts materials. Show children how they can insert their fingers in the holes to move the puppets.

My gingerbread house

(Open gingerbread house) Print for each child. Have them add crumpled pieces of newspaper to a brown paper lunch bag until it is half full. Fold the top down and staple along the fold to create a roof. Encourage children to color and cut out the windows and door and glue them on the house when they are done. Finally, they can decorate their gingerbread house by gluing the candy pieces on it.

Creative recipe-Cinnamon modeling dough

(Open creative recipe-Cinnamon modeling dough)

Ingredients

½ cup ground cinnamon

½ cup applesauce

1 Ziploc bag

1 drinking straw

Cookie cutters

Ribbon

Steps:

1. Deposit the cinnamon and applesauce in the Ziploc bag.
2. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and knead the contents until dough forms.
3. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin.
4. Use cookie cutters to cut Christmas shapes or let children create original shapes.
5. With the drinking straw, make a hole at the top of each shape (so you can thread ribbon through when you are done).
6. Let dry for approximately 24 hours (the shapes must be really hard).
7. Thread ribbon through the hole at the top of each shape and hang them in your Christmas tree. The shapes will add a cinnamon scent to your tree for several weeks.

My miniature gingerbread man

(Open miniature gingerbread man) Print, cut out, and color. Glue the pieces on an empty toilet paper roll to create a miniature gingerbread man. Hang from the ceiling or in your Christmas tree.

Baker’s hats

(Open educa-decorate-Christmas-Baking) Print and use the items to decorate two strips of white cardboard for each child. Measure the circumference of each child’s head and staple the strips together to form a headband. Staple a white plastic garbage bag all the way around the headband to complete the hats.

Chef aprons

Cut an apron outline out of cardboard or a brown paper grocery bag for each child. Let children decorate their apron as they wish. Use clothespins to attach a piece of yarn to the top of each child’s apron, on either side. Help children put their apron on over their head. Attach two other pieces of yarn to either side of their apron, at the waist, and use them to tie their apron behind their back.

Tiny bakers

Give each child a wooden spoon. Provide poster paint, crayons, rice, yarn, felt, ribbon, pipe cleaners, etc. Let children use the items to represent a baker.

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme-Christmas-Baking) Print for each child.

SONGS & RHYMES

(Open songs & rhymes-Christmas-Baking)

By: Patricia Morrison - Sung to: Row, row, row your boat

Christmas feast

Bake, bake, bake a feast

Packed with Christmas treats

Delicious, delicious, delicious, delicious

Baked by you and me

Have fun!

The educatall team