Five Favorite December Read-Alouds and Book Picks

During the month of December, I LOVE to bring out all the winter and Christmas-themed books. It just brings me so much joy and helps make the crazy season more predictable and festive. I'm going to share five of my favorite December books for upper elementary. 

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

Themes: Generosity, Forgiveness, and Healing Through Friendship

Summary: A young widow and her son move to a new town. They have lost their precious nativity set. The widow finds a widowed woodcarver who begrudging agrees to carve a new one, but does not promise to have it done before Christmas. The woodcarver, harsh from the wounds of the death of his own wife and child, is gruff and hard to deal with. But over the days and weeks as the widow and her her son visit him while he carves, the woodcarver slowly begins to heal and soften. 

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Theme: Hope, Faith, Community

Summary: A stranger arrives in town. The townspeople each have their own ideas of who he is and what his work is. The children hope he works with candy. One brave girl, goes to see him and is allowed to help him open boxes and crates and fill jars with...candy! As they unpack together, she stumbles upon a new candy she has never before seen...it is a curved candy with red and white stripes. The man patiently shows her the secrets behind the candy and the spiritual ties it has. He tells her that they must tell everyone about the message behind the candy. So, together they go to each house in town passing out candy canes and telling the story of Christ.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Themes: Change, Christmas, Redemption

Summary: One of the churches in town has a beautiful Christmas pageant every year that is put on by the children. It's predictable and comfortable. The same lady directs the play each year, but this year, due to an accident, she is unable. When the new leader takes over, things begin to go from bad to worse. The Herdman family shows up on the scene. Every kid in the church is afraid of the Herdmans. They are infamous for their bad behavior. They waltz into the church and take over, stealing the prize roles of Mary, Joseph, and the wisemen. It seems to be an unholy alliance and people in town are up in arms over the whole ordeal. But change comes to the Herdmans, as they practice and perfect their roles. And in the end, everyone says it was truly the best Christmas pageant ever. 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (with novel or picture book options)

Theme: Triumph of Good Over Evil, Gift Giving, Hospitality, and Redemption

Summary: To escape the effects of the war, a family of four children are sent away to stay with a relative in his big house. While playing one day, one of them stumbles into the wardrobe and into a magical land. Upon returning to the house, no one believes that she went to another world until they too unwittingly discover it for themselves. In this land, Narnia, it is perpetually winter, a curse from the white witch. The children find themselves in all sorts of adventures, including their youngest brother being kidnapped by the witch. They team up with the other creatures to win him back, but that involves sacrifice...the ultimate sacrifice. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Theme: Jealousy, Community, Materialism, Transformation

Summary: In a magical land on a tiny snowflake live the Whos. In the town of Whoville, Christmas is a time of gluttony, showing off, and thinking of ones self. The Grinch, who lives on the outskirts of town, was ostracized as a child and now keeps to himself most of the time, only coming out occasionally to terrorize the town. Cindy Lou Who begins asking questions about the Grinch and winds up feeling sorry for him. After the Grinch steals Christmas, the other Whos are upset at Cindy for being to friendly with the him. Cindy sets off to confront the Grinch, helping him and the other Whos realize what is really important isn't things. It is community and friendship.  

What books are on your Christmas reading list this year? 

Christmas Gift-Giving in the Classroom

Favorite Ideas From Student Another Student

One of my all-time favorite gift ideas is for a special gift exchange that doubles as an easy class party. My students love to exchange gifts, but we have all been in classrooms where, (gasp) someone gets the worst gift ever. One year I hosted a totally open gift exchange and one kid brought deodorant. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when another student chose that gift, but thankfully, the kid was super-excited...it was apparently a rite of passage moment. He had graduated into the deodorant-wearing realm and so all ended well....but...it could have ended quite poorly.      

Last year was the year of my favorite gift exchange. I had student bring a new, wrapped board game. It was great for many reasons. 

• It doubled as the perfect classroom party. After presents, we played board games for probably about an hour. Students were laughing and having a great time with friends.
• It gets students off of devices. It is my hope that they will have so much fun with their game that they will play at home with friends and family too.
• It is highly interactive. Board games require interacting with others. It is a great way to foster relationships in and out of the classroom, a skill that devices have greatly hindered.

Favorite Ideas From Teachers to Students

I have done many different gifts over the years for the students in my classroom, but one of the easiest and most budget-friendly is a small gift bag. I purchase an item like a set of Uno cards from Dollar Tree, add a Christmas Pencil, eraser, and some candy. The kids are thrilled with that. 

This year I am doing a spin on this idea, except I am changing out the cards for a can of putty. I was at Target the other day and found these great cans of putty marked down from six dollars to just $2.50. I could not leave them behind. I selected several different kinds, enough for each child in my class. I created a little tag that says, "You're Putty Awesome! Merry Christmas," and I am adding some other small items like pencils and candy. I know my students will be excited about the putty. It was super easy to put together, and it was within the budget that I wanted to spend.

Favorite Ideas From Students to Teachers

My all-time favorite teacher gift was given to two team teachers in my building and put together by their room parents. It was absolutely amazing! I have never personally received this, but it would be perfect. It was a gift card wreath. The room parents asked all the parents to donate gift cards. I am not sure how they did this, but I think it would be even more perfect if they had created a form for the teacher to fill out about favorite stores, restaurants, etc. Then parents could purchase from their list of favorites. 

As a teacher, I love to save my gift cards to do fun outings during summer vacation with my kids. It means a lot that I don't have to spend the money, and it is a gift that keeps on giving.  

STEM Challenges with a Holiday Twist: Make December Magical in Your Classroom

December in the classroom can feel like a bit of a whirlwind - students are buzzing with excitement, schedules are packed, you are juggling lessons and Christmas programs, while trying to insert some holiday fun. So how do you keep learning meaningful without losing the festive spirit? Enter holiday-themed STEM challenges! These hands-on activities are the perfect way to use that energy for creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) isn't just about equations or experiments. It is also about critical thinking and innovating. What better time to spark curiosity than during the most magical season of the year? 

 Why does Holiday STEM work?

• It Keeps students engaged during a time when attention spans are short.
• It encourages collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving
• It brings joy to learning - because who doesn't love building something festive?

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STEM Challenge Idea: Build a Christmas Tree

This one is a favorite of mine because it combines engineering with holiday cheer. Here’s how easy it is set up:

The Challenge

With your team, build the tallest Christmas tree possible using only the supplies provided. 

Materials

• Large green popsicle sticks
• Clothes pins
• Colorful pom-poms or bells

Steps

1. Ask and Imagine: How will you add height to your tree? How will you make it stand on its        own? How will you make it hold the decorations?

2. Plan: Sketch a quick design. Add details. 

3. Create: Start building your tree! Students should test to make sure it can stand and make        adjustments as they go.

4. Improve:  How can they make it sturdier? Stronger? Add ornaments for fun!

Learning Connections

• Engineering: Balance and structure
• Math: Measuring height
• Science: Stability and gravity

Want to add more challenge? Up the competition - whose tree can hold the most weight (like small bells) without falling?

If you would like a unit, all about Christmas trees, that includes this STEM challenge, you can find it right here or click on the cover page below.

Math Block Series: Christmas Came a Little Early

Is it too early to begin thinking about and planning for Christmas in the classroom? I would say, absolutely not! Christmas is just around the corner and I know how busy things are between Halloween and Christmas, so no, it is not too early. I am already thinking about spicing up my math centers with some Christmas-themed games. Here's a sneak peek at one of them. 

An Up Close look at my Division Game

Practicing division is much sweeter when it is a candy/cookie themed game. I call this game Oh Christmas Tree. I created it for math centers. It can be played with partners or even with a small group of up to 4. Simple to prep, this game gets cut out and if you choose to laminate, it can be a game you have your students play from year-to-year. You could even have a parent volunteer do the cutting for you. 

How to Play the Game

The game is easy to play and can be taught to students quickly. To start, each player will take a tree cookie board and some pom-poms. You could definitely use other counters if you do not have poms. Place the round candy cards upside down, or in a bag where you cannot see them. Take turns drawing a candy card (without looking). If a student draws an equation, they will simply solve the equation and if they are correct, they will place a pom-pom over one of the dots on their tree. If they do not get it correct, their turn ends without adding a pom-pom. If a student draws a solid candy card, they will read and follow the directions on it. Some cards say remove one pom-pom. They will take one off their own card. If they draw a card that says remove one pom-pom from another player, they will choose another player who will then remove a pom-pom. If they draw a card that says add one pom-pom, they will add a pom-pom to your tree. 

Be sure to check it out over here!

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Christmas Reading Comprehension Activities

It's the most wonderful time of the year....and also one of the craziest. Can you really get any teaching done between Thanksgiving, Christmas breaks? My answer to you is yes, but you have to be strategic and play to the interests of the students....and what could be better than to using Christmas activities as the basis of your learning? I love to help my students learn about the traditions of the holidays. I find that sprinkling a bit of learning with a Christmas theme provides a bit of excitement and keeps them engaged in the crazy weeks leading into the holidays. 

Let me share with you what I mean. First, I think about different traditions for the holidays. I use those as the basis of learning activities. For example, I created a magazine-style reading booklet that covered different traditions surrounding Christmas trees. Inside I researched and wrote seven articles, enough for seven days of learning! Another booklet I created is all about gingerbread, a favorite around this time of year. With each set of reading articles, I included a set of comprehension worksheets. I also love to extend learning through additional fun activities. For the Christmas tree pack, we do a S.T.E.M. project where students build their own trees. We also do many other activities along the way. In the gingerbread activity pack, students create their own gingerbread houses using a template that looks like a gingerbread house and opens up to reveal a piece of writing about a Christmas memory or tradition. These are super cute for a bulletin board display too!

I love doing these for every holiday I can.  I these reading activity backs for many different holidays, not just Christmas. I have a set for New Year's that is updated with the new year each year. I have one for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, April Fool's Day, and Thanksgiving. They are so fun, and I love all the learning my students do. By the end of the holiday, they know why we have the traditions we do. 

If you are interested in checking any of theses out, you can find them by clicking on each picture below. 

12 Days of Christmas Day 8: Family Time

For me, the biggest joy of the holiday season is spending time with family and friends. It is my self-care. I love hanging out with people I love. There are so many magical and special things to do this season. Here are a few things we love doing as a family this time of year.

1. Decorating cookies and gingerbread houses: OK, so not everyone participates in the baking, but everyone definitely gets in on eating the cookies. This is a super simple tradition that my kids love. This year, my son chose to make some M&M cookies that he took to his classroom party. My daughter made chocolate chip ones for her teacher. We have more baking to do for our family Christmas get-together. 

Every year, we also decorate a gingerbread house. We get one and our two kids decorate it together. I think they eat more candy then ends up on the house itself, but they look forward to this every year.

2. Look at Christmas lights. We love driving around looking at lights. There's another place in our town that we love to go walking along the river while enjoying the lights. Another fun thing is to print out a free light scavenger hunt and turn it into a game. Lights are a fun tradition for our family!

3.  Walk-Thru-Bethlehem: 

We love to celebrate the reason for the season each year at Christmas. One tradition we love is to find a Walk-thru-Bethlehem. These are not just your typical living nativity, but an entire walk-thru program where you get the sights, sounds, and feels of Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. Where we live, these are all over the place and easy to find. We missed this one this year...for some reason the season has just been so busy and they were over and done with before we even thought about them. 

4. Sprinkles of Fun:

There are so many fun activities to participate in this time of year and we usually try to do some of them. One year we took our kids to ICE. Everything in the exhibit is made from ice. There are colored ice displays and crystal clear ice displays....usually surrounding a certain theme. There are even fun ice slides at the very end. If you have never gone, this is super fun.

Another fun activity is going sledding. Whenever we get the chance, we definitely do this as a family. 

Something else we look forward to is taking a carriage ride through some of the lights in our area. It is so magical and fun with Christmas tunes playing and the lights changing colors. 

Whatever your traditions and whatever you do for fun, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas Day 7: Teacher Gift Ideas

Sometimes it can be hard to find the right gift for your teacher. You only know them inside the classroom and do their likes and dislikes may not be something you are totally familiar with. Here are a few ideas to spread some holiday cheer at Christmas. 

1. A Drink and Snack: Find out what type of hot drink your teacher likes. Bring a cup of peppermint hot chocolate or some other tasty drink from Starbucks along with a treat and card. It is simple, but also something that will put a smile on their face right away. I'm sure it will relieve some of their holiday stress and help them make it through the most crazy time of the year.

2. Handmade gift: Teachers love kids, I mean that is why they teach in the first place. Handmade gifts can be a meaningful option because teachers realize the time that went into it. I have had students paint things for me, make me a keychain with my name on it, and many other things. It is so sweet knowing that my student spent time thinking about me and making me something special. They are always super proud of their gift when they were involved in making it. 

3. Favorites: Have your teacher fill out a sheet that lists out their favorites. You can ask what their favorite drink is, color, snack, restaurant, store, etc. Then you can purchase one or more items from the list that tie into their favorites list. 

4. Gift Card: Some think a gift card is not personal, but personally from my experience, teachers love this option. A gift card allows teachers to use it to purchase something they would like. You can be sure it is a gift that teachers love.

5. Class Gift: Sometimes, a room parent or other parent in the class gets the students to all go in together for a bigger gift. Once a couple parents in my room pulled their resources together and sent me to a spa for a facial....it was my one and only facial and I appreciated getting pampered with something I never would have done for myself. At my old school, one of the other room parents had all the parents send in money or a gift card. The room parent put them all together on a wreath and presented the gift card wreath to the teacher. I thought that was a really fun idea. 

However you choose to treat your child's teacher, they will most definitely appreciate the love and thought behind it. 

Happy gifting! 

12 Days of Christmas Day 6: Classroom Giving

Gift giving can be so fun. It is fun to see the excitement of my students when I give them a gift, no matter how small. This year was no exception. Lately, I have been doing a small gift bag. This year's bag included a candy cane, some candy, a tube of hashtag blocks, and a pack of silly putty. Even though it is super small and simple, the kids were ecstatic over it. They have mentioned before in class that they wished they could keep some hashtag blocks, so I thought this would be just the thing for them this year. 

Some other fun things I have given over the years have been books. I love to find dollar chapter books at Scholastic and gift one to each student. 

One year I have students a large Peanuts Look and Find book with a Peanuts character 10 color pen. 

Also this year, as I have been doing every year, I gave my students a pack of coupons that allows them to have certain privileges within the classroom like a day with no shoes, skip an assignment, be line leader for the day, etc. I know it has become something they look forward to because I was asked if they were going to get a coupon book this year. An added bonus is that it is completely free. 

You do not have to spend a lot of money or even any money at all to show your class how special they are, but they will appreciate your efforts and be excited about it no matter what. 

12 Days of Christmas Day 5: Christmas Art

I love doing special art projects during Christmastime. One of my favorites is to give my students a long sheet of white paper cut in half length-wise. It is tall and skinny and the perfect size to create their very own nutcrackers. Nutcrackers are a staple of Christmas. You literally see them all over the place. They come in so many different styles, so students can be super creative. 

It is fun to see how each individual child in my classroom puts their own spin on it. These two are from my own children when they were in my class. My daughter was in my class when I taught 3rd grade. I taught my son for three years, but he was in second when he drew the one on the left. Both of my kids are now in middle and high school, but these are among their treasured papers from each grade that I keep in a box for them. 

For this art project, we used Art for Kids Hub's video. It is a draw along step-by-step video and I just pause it frequently so the students can have more time. Then each student gets to decorate it in their own way. You can check out the video we use here. 

What art projects do you do each year at Christmastime?