Once the holiday season hits, students start to become antsy and are ready for a much needed break. At this time, I always like to make sure that the time leading up to winter break ends on a positive note by incorporating a classroom community activity. All year long we work hard on creating a family. The holiday seasons is a great time to create a little bit of home in the classroom by setting the scene using a fireplace, diy stockings, and backdrop. Students then write positive notes to each other to place in their special stocking. Make sure you download the free writing template here.
To start off this lesson, we reviewed how our classroom is a community and family. We then brainstormed ways that we have shown classroom community throughout the year. We discussed how important it was to go into winter break on a positive note, with our classroom community being stronger than ever. At this time, I brought out the DIY stockings, fireplace, and other materials.
Right away students made connections to the fact that we were going to decorate our "classroom home" just like many students decorate their own homes for the holidays. We discussed how spending time with our family is the most important part of the holidays and that it was important that we enjoy our time together, as well.
We then took a little time to decorate and personalize our own DIY Stockings. To make this go smoothly, I set up one table in my room with materials. Students took turns rotating to the table.
I really wanted each stocking to show my students' individuality, so I let them get to work! My only request was that the stocking was left primarily white to save time. Students used Holiday Buttons, Glitter Glue Pens, Rickrack Trim, and Tiny Pom-Poms to make their stocking unique and special. I love how different each stocking is!
Once the stockings had dried, we hung each stocking on the fireplace by taping the top loop to the back of the Fireplace Cardboard Stand-Up. To "set the scene," I hung a Christmas Barn Wood Backdrop on the dry erase board. Hanging this backdrop was super easy since the material is clingy and it immediately stuck straight to the board. I didn't even have to use tape!
Students then drew a peer's name out of cup. I asked each student to write a positive note to the student whose name they drew but also explained that starting tomorrow, they could write a note to anyone they wanted. At the beginning of each morning, students grabbed their stocking to read their notes.
As an added treat, whenever I felt like my class was working well as a team, I would leave a small treat or trinket in their stockings! My students are huge fans of the Holiday Swirl Lollipops, so I made sure to include one in each stocking.
This was a very engaging activity to ensure that we continued to build our classroom community during the holidays. Students loved leaving notes in each other's stockings!
