Here Comes Santa Claus: Part A: Week 14: December 6-December 12

Here Comes Santa Claus: Part A

Crafts:

• Rice Wreath Ornament: Uncooked Rice, Green Food Coloring, Red Construction Paper, Red Yarn, Hair Pin, Glue, Hole Puncher, Small Margarine Tub With A Lid, Scissors

1. Pour three drops of green food coloring into 1/4 cup of glue and mix until the glue is evenly colored.  
2. Pour 1/2 cup of rice into the margarine tub, add the glue, and mix until the rice is completely coated with the green glue.
3. Spoon the rice mixture onto the margarine tub lid and shape it into a wreath.  Push a hairpin into the edge of the wreath for a hanger and let the wreath dry overnight.
4. With a hole punch, punch berries from red construction paper and glue them on the wreath.  
5. Tie a yarn bow and glue it to the top of the wreath.

• Ornament Necklace: Pry-Off Bottle Cap, Red Nail Polish, Small Metal Nut, Hairpin, Red Construction Paper, Thin Green Ribbon, Gold Rick Rack, Glue, Scissors

1. Paint the outside of the bottle cap with red nail polish and let it dry.
2. Slide the metal nut over the top of the hairpin so that it looks like the hook on the top of a real ornament.  Fill the inside of the bottle cap with white glue and bend the ends of the hairpin to fit inside the cap, with the nut and the top of the hairpin sticking out of the edge of the cap.
3. Cover the glue in the cap with a circle of red construction paper.  Let it dry overnight.
4. Cut a piece of gold rickrack or other trim you might have and glue it across the front of the ornament.
5. Cut a piece of green ribbon the length you would like your necklace to be and thread it through the hairpin.  Tie the two ends together to form a necklace.

• Train Garland: Small Cardboard Tubes (about 6), Ruler, Colored Paper(Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Yellow), Glue, Crafting Foam Scraps Or Plastic Lids For Wheels, Wooden Stars, 2 Crafts Sticks, Scissors, Wooden Spools or Beads, 9-oz. Plastic Cups, Cord, Darning Needle

1. Wrap each section of tube with a 4 1/2 -inch strip of colored paper.  Secure with glue stick.  Trace around the bottom of tube onto the foam to make circles for the wheels.  Cut the wheels and glue the tops to the sides of the paper-covered tubes.  The wheels will hang down below the tubes.  Glue two additional smaller wheels to each side of the train engine tube.  
2. Glue wooden stars to the center of all the wheels.  Glue a craft stick across both sets of wheels on the engine.
3. Make two folds in a 4x2-inch rectangle of colored paper to make the engine cab.  Cut a window in the two outer sections and then glue either side to the top of the engine car.  Glue a spool funnel in front of the cab.  Decorate the other cars with colored paper rectangles and stripes.
4. Cut the bottom off the plastic cups.  They will make the end caps to each train car.  Carefully punch a hole in the center of the bottoms.  Thread cord onto a darning needle and then string a cup bottom, paper tube, another cup bottom, and a spool.  Repeat the process until all cars are strung.  If you push the cup bottoms onto the train cars, they'll fit tightly.

• Jeweled Tree: Green Craft Foam, Jewels, Red Ribbon, Glue

1. Cut out a christmas tree out of green foam
2. Glue pieces of ribbon across the tree at an angle.
3. Let your child glue jewels onto the red ribbon.
4. Glue a piece of ribbon on the back of the tree to hang up.

• Wooden Candy Cane:  8 small wooden spools, 7 small wooden beads, Red and White Paint, Red Pipe Cleaner

1. Paint the spools red and let them dry.
2. Paint the beads white and let them dry.
3. Twist the end of the pipe cleaner so the spools wont fall off when you place them on.
4. Starting with a red spool, then a bead, then spool, bead, etc.
5. Bend down the top to make a candy cane.

• Christmas Tree Chains: Red and Green Construction Paper, Glue

1. Cut strips out the both the red and green paper.  About an 1 inch thick and 6 inches long.
2. Start out by making a loop and glueing it together.
3. Then put another strip through the loop and make a loop and glue.  
4. Keep this up until it's the length you want it.

• Button Wreath Ornament: Red and Green Felt, Red Ribbon, Red and White Button, Glue

1. Cut out a wavy circle out of the red felt to look like wreath. Cut out a little circle out of the middle.
2. Cut out a smaller wavy circle out the of the green felt, to fit into the red circle. Cut out a little bit bigger circle out of the middle. Glue on top of the red circle.
3. Glue buttons all round the green circle.
4. Make a bow out of the red ribbon and glue on top of the wreath.

• Tissue Paper Candy Cane: Tissue Paper(Green, White and Red), Glue, Cardboard, Pencil

1. Cut out a candy cane shape out of the cardboard.
2. Cut 1 inch squares out of the tissue paper.
3. Have your child take a square and place a pencil in the middle of it and wrap it around the pencil.  Then glue to the cardboard.
4. The green paper is for the bow of the candy cane.

• Foam Stocking: 2 Pieces Of Red Foam Craft, Red Yarn, Plastic Needle, White Foam Craft, Christmas Foam Stickers, Glitter, 

1. Cut out 2 stocking shapes out of red foam.  Make sure they are the same.  You may want to make a template first to trace out the stocking.
2. Punch out holes all around the stockings, except on top. Make sure the holes on both stockings stay lined up. 
3. Thread the needle with red yarn and began sewing the two stockings together.
4. Cut out 2 white strips for the top of the stocking and glue on top.
5. Have your child decorate their stocking now.

• Treat Tree: 3 Egg Cartons, Ruler, 14-inch-by-17-inch piece of cardboard, gift wrap, white paper, foil, glue, Pipe Cleaner Garland, Small Box, Ribbon, Candy

1. Lay the bottoms of three egg cartons side by side.  With a ruler, draw a triangular shape that goes from the top middle of the first carton down to the bottom of the third carton.  Cut out the tree shape, glue the three pieces together, and paint them green.
2. Wrap a 14-inch-by-17-inch piece of cardboard with gift wrap.  From white paper, cut a triangle that's slightly larger than the tree.  Glue it to the cardboard, leaving room for a trunk.
3. Add chenille-stick garland.  Glue the tree onto the white triangle made in step 2.
4. Cut off the bottom of a small box.  Paint it brown.  Glue it to the tree bottom.
5. Crumble a square of aluminum foil.  Unfold it, cut out a star shape, and glue it to the top of the tree.  Poke a hole at either side of the tree top.  Tie a loop of ribbon through the holes to hang.
6. Fill the tree's trunk with candy.

• Craft-Stick Christmas Tree: 9 Craft Sticks, Green and Black Paint, Glue, Construction Paper, Pom Poms, Glitter, Yarn or Thread

1. Paint two craft sticks black and seven craft sticks green on both sides.
2. Glue the black trunk sticks end to end.
3. Glue the green branch sticks along the trunk.
4. Glue on construction paper shapes, beads, pom poms, or other decorations.
5. Tie thread to the top branch to hang.

• Pipe Cleaner Tree: Green Pipe Cleaner, Red and White Pony Beads, Red Ribbon, Yellow Star Bead, Small Metal Bell

1. Thread a metal bell onto the pipe cleaner, in the center.
2. Thread a red and white bead onto the tree on each side of bell.  Bend up the pipe cleaner on both sides.
3. Then Thread 4 more beads on each side. 
4. Attach the ends together  and string on a yellow star.  Then make a loop with the green pipe cleaner and push back into the star for hanging.

• Christmas Tree Pencil Topper: Green Foam Craft, Red and Green Ribbon, Hole Puncher, Multiple Foam Colors, Glue

1. Cut out 2 green christmas trees out of the green foam.
2. Glue the tree together except by the trunk.  Let dry.
3. Punch out little circle for the ornaments on the tree and glue them on.
4. Place a pencil into the tree and tie an ribbon around the pencil and place it just below the tree.

• Pom Pom Christmas Tree: Green and Yellow Foam Craft, Tinsel Pom Pom(Green, Red, White), Red Ribbon

1. Cut out a christmas tree out of green foam craft.
2. Glue pom poms onto the tree. Let dry
3. Cut out a star out of the yellow foam and glue on top of tree
4. Glue a piece of ribbon, in a loop on the back of the tree for hanging.

• Christmas Tree Bookmark: Green Felt, Paper Clip, Multi Colored Sequins or Jewels, Glue, Yellow Star

1. Cut out 2 triangle shaped trees.  
2. Glue a paper clip on the back of the trees.  Glue the other tree on top of the paper clip.
3. Glue the jewels or sequins onto the tree.
4. Glue a star on top.

• Little Drummer Boy or Girl: Tin or Cardboard Cylinder Boxes(Coffee Cans, Oatmeal Containers), Paper, Glue,  Collage Materials(Styrofoam Peanuts, Glitter, Cotton, Paper Scraps)

1. Read the Little Drummer Boy or watch the Little Drummer Boy
2. Wrap  and glue the paper around the tin or boxes.  Let Dry.
3. Have your child decorate the their drum.  
4. Play "The Little Drummer Boy" song and have your child play their drums when they hear the sounds "par-rum-pum-pum-pum"

• Christmas Collage: Pictures of Christmas Items, Glue, Card Stock or Cardboard

1. Take pictures of christmas items and glue them all over a piece of card stock or cardboard.  
2. Could also make it into a shape of a stocking and they can glue the items they want Santa to bring them.

Activities : 

• Stocking Game: Long Sock, Tall Cardboard Potato Chip Can, Cotton Balls Or Fiberfill, Hole Puncher, 18-inch Piece of Red Yarn, Drinking Glass that fits only part of the way into the can, Scissors

1. Stuff the foot of the sock, leaving the heel portion empty.  Push the can into the sock so that the bottom of the can fills the heel portion of the foot.  Pull the sock up over the can as far as it will go and trim the top of the sock so that about 1 1/2 inches of it extends over the top of the can.
2. Rub glue around the inside of the rim of the can and fold the extra sock material over the rim to the inside of the can.  Slide the drinking glass into the top of the can to hold the sock in place until the glue dries, then remove the glass.
3. Punch a hole in the top of the can.  Tie one end of the yarn through the hole.  Tie a small toy to the other end of the yarn.
4. The object of the game is to hold the bottom of the can and try to flip the toy into the stocking.  You can make the game harder by using a longer string and easier by using a shorter string.  You might also want to tie on more than one toy to try to flip into the sock.

• Hotter and Colder Christmas Game

1. Hide a christmas item in the house.  
2. Have your child to try to find the item.  When they get close to the item they are getting hotter.  When they get farther away from the item they are cold. The farther they get away the colder they get.  The closer they get the hotter they get.

• Memory Christmas Game: Pictures Of Christmas Items, Cardboard or Card Stock, Glue

1. Cut out pictures of christmas items,must have 2 of the same items and glue them on squares of cardboard of card stock.
2. Flip the cards over and let your child find the matching items.  Like 2 santas, 2 candy canes, 2 elves, 2 dolls, 2 reindeer, 2 sleighs, etc.  The pictures don't have to match just be the same item.

• Christmas Checkers or Tic Tac Toe:  Use Green and Red Peppermints

• Fill The Stocking: Sock, Spoon, Bucket and Candy 

1. Have two teams.  
2. On each team they have a stocking to fill on one end, while they stand on the other end.  You can hang the stocking on the back of a chair.
3. Each team has a bucket of candy and a spoon.  They must place a piece of candy on the spoon, using only the spoon.  Then race the candy down on the spoon, without dropping it, otherwise they have to start over at the start with their piece of candy. The first to fill the stocking wins.

• Ho-Ho-Ho Game: 1 Red and Green Poster Board, Black Marker, Scissors, Christmas Stickers and Buckets

1. Cut the red posterboard into 16 equal squares. Write the letters H - O - H -O - H - O on six of the squares. Place a Christmas sticker on each of the remaining 10 squares. Repeat with the green posterboard. Put the red squares in one basket and the green squares in the other.
   
   Game Play
   
   Divide into two groups. One side draws from the red basket and the other draws from the green. Alternating between each group, let a child draw a square from the basket. If the child draws a letter square, he places it on the floor. The first team to spell out HO HO HO wins!
   
   Game was found on www.about.com
   

•  All About Santa: Construction Paper, Blank Paper, Scissors, Glue, Crayons, Markers, Glitter, Glue

1. Have your child draw or make Santa, trees, elves, reindeer, ornaments, anything to do with christmas

• Decorate The Tree
• How Many Words Are In Merry Christmas
• Printable Christmas Bingo:  Click Here
• Christmas Coloring Pages and Activities: Click Here

• Christmas Balloon Game: Red and Green Balloons, Pieces of Paper

1. Write Funny things to do or to guess what I am on pieces of paper like: jumping jacks, funny faces, flying reindeer, christmas tree, elves.
2. Place the paper in balloons.  Then blow them up and tie them.
3. Each team gets either red or green balloons.  
4. Which ever team goes first red or green pops their balloons and does what i says on the piece of paper. If that teams cant get it the other team guesses. When all the balloons are popped the team with the most points wins.

• Make Christmas Cards and Mail Them

Food:

• Red and Green Christmas Chips and Salsa
• Christmas Crackers 
• Red and Green Apples
• Red and Green Grapes
• Christmas Cookies
• Hot Chocolate: Hy-Vee has different flavor packets 
• Tomato Soup with Green Goldfish Crackers
• Ice Cream with Strawberry Syrup and Green Sprinkles
• Pepperoni and Green Olive Pizza (Christmas Colors)
• Star Sandwiches: Star Cookie Cutter, Bread, Cheese and Meat
• Rice Crispy Treat Present: Treat and Licorice String

• Santa Cookies:  Nutter Butter Cookies, White Icing, Red Sprinkles,  Coconut, 2 Chocolate Chips, 1 Red Hot

1. Put icing on each end of the cookie.  On one end dip the iced cookie into coconut to make santa's beard.  Then on the other end of the iced cookie, sprinkle the red sprinkles on for the hat.
2. Place the chips on with icing for the eyes and the red hot for the nose.

Books: 

• When Christmas Came By Eileen Spinelli
• The Christmas Troll By Eugene H. Peterson
• Gingerbread Friends By Jan Brett
• Christmas Farm By Mary Lyn Ray
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bell By Lucille Colandro
• The Mitten By Jan Brett
• Legend Of The Christmas Stocking By Rick Osborne
• Humphrey's First Christmas By Carol Heyer
• Bear Stays Up For Christmas By Karma Wilson
• How The Grinch Stole Christmas By Dr. Seuss 
• Snowmen At Christmas By Caralyn Buehner

Movies and TV Shows:

• Nick Jr has New Christmas TV Shows Starting Saturday
• ABC Family Channel has Christmas Shows Every Night
• Disney Channel Christmas Shows Starting Saturday
• A Dog Who Saved Christmas on Saturday, December 12 on ABC Family

Some of Things on this page were found on Oriental Trading; The Giant Encyclopedia of Circle Time and Group Activities; Highlights presents Get Set for the Holidays; Crafts To Make In The Winter By Kathy Ross; One Hour Holiday Crafts For Kids By Cindy Groom Harry; Local Schools and Libraries

Here Comes Santa Claus: Part A: Week 14: December 6-December 12