Tot School: Gabriela’s Christmas

This is a 2-part post.  The first part focuses on the Christmas activities Gabriela did prior to Christmas break.  I just never got around to posting about them.  I actually didn’t get to do everything I wanted because she came down with a nasty cold and was too miserable to do anything the last few weeks.  This meant that she watched Polar Express repeatedly.  I love that movie, but I’m SO tired of it!  The second part will show you what Gabriela got for Christmas!  Thankfully, all of us were well and healthy on Christmas, and the kids were excited and very happy.  Since New Year’s Day, both girls have had the flu.  Moriah is better, but Gabriela is still a bit poorly.  So I’m not sure what this week’s Tot School will be like!

Part 1:  Tot School (the week before Christmas break)

1.  Ballet and Baby Doll…at the same time…yeah.

2.  Funny…I don’t remember giving her this activity.  I think I took the photo!  She’s playing with Isaac’s mini train set and hooking the cars together.

3.  We were given this growing Christmas tree.  You put it in water, and it grows over a period of several days.  Gabriela really enjoyed this.  She begged to see her tree in the water several times a day.  This is what it looked like when we finally stopped.  It was much smaller before. 

4.  Gabriela was a little angel in our church’s nativity play.  Her main role was carrying a star on a stick down the aisle for the wisemen to follow.  When nothing else was going on, she sat by Mary (her sister) in the stable.  

5.  Making gingerbread men.  We didn’t go overboard with the decorating because we didn’t have much to decorate with except raisins.  I frosted them and let the kids put sugar sprinkles on.  We made other things from the gingerbread, too, including bears, horses, houses, angels, Christmas trees, and even an airplane.

6.  We played “Find the Gingerbread Baby” with Gabriela.  We hid him, and Gabriela had to find him.  Do you see him in the first picture???

7.  Watched this YouTube video of the Gingerbread Man story/record I remember as a child.

8.  Playdough Christmas Tree.  I got this wonderful idea from Mari-Ann at Counting Coconuts.  The play-doh is peppermint scented and has glitter in it.  We used buttons and sequins to decorate the trees.  I really wish we could have used beads, but I didn’t have any.  Sequins don’t stay on as well.  You can find the playdough recipe at My Montessori Journey.  All 3 of my kids did this activity, and all 3 of them LOVED it!

 

9.  After they got tired of decorating trees, I let them use Christmas cookie cutters with the playdough.

Part 2:  The Christmas Presents

1.  Woodlands Wonders:  Woodland Stores (strawberry-shaped store)—she loves these little animals.

2.  Fisher-Price Cash Register.  My cousins had one of these when we were little.  My aunt and uncle still have it at their house, and my kids played with it when we were there last.  It was always my favorite toy when I visited them as a child!  My only complaint with this newer version is that it doesn’t seem as sturdy, and the coins frequently end up “standing” inside the drawer, and the drawer jams.  You can wedge your finger in and wiggle the coin until it goes down, but it’s very annoying.

3.  Dora the Explorer:  A set of 5 small board books and a new DVD.  These are definite favorites so far!

4.  A toy hair set in a case.  It includes a blow dryer that makes a blow dryer sound if we ever get batteries put in it.  It also includes a mirror, diffuser, brush, comb, hair clips, and pretend lipstick. 

5.  Popping Polly (parts are interchangeable, so you can create different characters)

6.  Pair Bears game

7.  Kitten lunch bag—we go on a lot of picnics when the weather is nice, and she’s wanted her own lunch bag.

8.  Octons building set—a charity shop find

She got a lot of little things too…I won’t list them all!

For more Tot School posts, visit 1+1+1=1.