December, 2009 - Tis You! - The Best Gifts

We are so busy trying to give children the things we didn’t have that we are failing to give them what we did have!

We are under the illusion that if we buy something, then it is valuable. If you think back on your own childhood, most of your memories are about experiences and relationships, not material objects. I hope you create lots of smiles on children’s faces with these simple gifts! If you click here, you will go to a page where I have three gifts, including a downloadable song, for you. They will be here only for the month of December.

Children are like little miracles changing right before our eyes! We live in such a fast-paced world that is trying to rush them and push them. We need to slow down and give children what they want and need most…time, attention, and love! These are the same things children have craved from adults for hundreds of years. Remember, it’s not the STUFF or things children want or need…tis you!!!

I hope teachers as well as parents will visit my website this month. You’ll find simple ideas for having fun with children in the classroom or at home. From cooking and science experiments, to art projects and games, I hope you’ll find a new idea or two. Most of the activities can be done without any prep time or complicated materials. In fact, many are made from recycled objects. This is what you will find:

Download the Activity Cards using the Downloads button in the menu at the left.

Cards 1-20 Let’s Make Something! (Art Projects and Homemade Toys) Let’s Mix Up Some Magic! (Mixtures and Dough)	Cards 21-40 Let’s Cook Something! (Recipes for Kids to Cook and Eat) Let’s Play a Game! (Short Games Where Everyone Wins)
Cards 41-60 Let’s Experiment! (Simple Science Projects) Let’s Read and Talk (Books to Make)

The activities can be downloaded like cards and wrapped up as a gift to give to children. Or, copy them and give them to a friend who is a teacher.

You will find many suggestions and ideas on the following pages. Check out every one of them and choose the ones that you know your students will enjoy.

Downloads for December - We have several downloadable files for you this month. Be sure to check them all. All of the gift activities are available as printable cards. You will also find some printable books with color and grayscale versions. They are designed as booklets so that you can print them two-sided if you wish. You can also use the Downloads button in the menu to the top left. You can see some pictures below. Click on a picture to view a larger image.

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