A Special Gift for My Children

Many years I purchased Santa bottles for the children in my classroom. After we enjoyed our Cokes, I let the children fill their bottles with colored sand, giving them not only a Coke keepsake, but a memento of their First Grade Christmas! Hint: Buying sand to fill 20+ bottles can get expensive - to help cut cost first stuff colored tissue paper in the bottle, then add the sand! Or, color salt with food coloring and use that instead. It works just as well!

Parent Gifts

• Thumbprints -- tag board cut into squares black ink thumbprint, make design out of thumbprint
• Calendar -- make cover on white construction paper: divide into 1/4ths draw 4 seasons, laminate put together in spiral binding, color calendar pages
• Card decorated with Potato prints

Reindeer Activities

• Reindeer Antlers
• Rudolph Sandwiches
• Rudolph bags
• "Who's Who in Santa's Barn"
• Reindeer Food - (oats & glitter)
• Rudolph candy canes
• Rudolph necklaces (clothes pins & beads)
• Rudolph magnets - puzzle pieces

Magic Reindeer Food

Mix oatmeal and glitter, then put cupful in a baggie with the following note:

Just before you go to bed on Christmas Eve, sprinkle this Magic Reindeer Food outside. Santa’s reindeer will smell the oats, Santa will see the sparkle of the glitter and be guided to your door!

Christmas Crafts

• Christmas countdown Yellow star, colored strips to make chain glitter for star
• Birds (white strips) or (white w/walnuts)
• Wreath w/pictures -- Small paper plates, gold circles for center for pics green tissue cut in small squares; red tissue for berries 
• Stockings (red w/white cuffs) (stitching) Red construction paper, stocking patterns white yarn
• Placemats (red w/white strips) (weaving)
• Christmas Trees -- wheel macaroni, dyed green, glued together in shape of tree
• cloth ornaments
• Poinsettia pins, or magnets, made with pumpkin seeds and navy beans.