Christmas is Around the Corner!

Halloween was only a few days ago, but if you step into any store...Christmas is (and has been) coming as fast as lightning!  Poor Thanksgiving...it usually gets one lonely end cap shelf and Christmas explodes into aisles and aisles!

Well, I have a great excuse that I am posting about Christmas today!  I have less than 30 days to get pieces prepped and ready for our Countdown Santas!  They go home with the kids on November 30th so they can countdown to Christmas!  Parents LOVE this activity and I even do it with my 3 and 4 year olds at home!  It is a great visual and even practices counting backwards!  Bonus!

If you are interested in my Countdown Santa, please click on the picture!

Another fun activity I do in December is to make the EASIEST ornaments with my students.  You need sticky back foam (I find it at pretty much any craft store), glitter, sequins, small foam shapes, pieces of pipe cleaner, small pom poms, etc.

Leaving the backing on the sticky foam, cut shapes with a die cut machine.  We have an Ellison Die collection at my school and I usually go with the classic Christmas Tree for this project.

Have the kids peel off the backing to expose the sticky side.  Let them decorate it until their heart is content.  I like to already have their name and year written with a Sharpie on the back side before they start.

Next, sprinkle glitter (doesn't matter which color(s) you choose) all over the child's tree to cover the leftover stickiness.  I like to do this over a paper plate so I can reuse the excess.  Tap off the excess and you are done! 

Sometimes I add a magnet to the back, or a string (after I hole punch a small hole in the top) to complete the project.

Easy and cheap!