BOOKS:

Autry, Gene.  Here Comes Santa Claus.  Illustrated by Bruce Whatley.  HarperCollins, 2002.

    Santa Claus is riding down Santa Claus Lane tonight with toys for all girls and boys. 

 

Frazee, Marla.  Santa Claus:  the World’s Number One Toy Expert.  Illustrated by author.  Harcourt, 2005.

    Santa Claus has his own ways of knowing more about children and toys than anyone else in the world.

 

Greene, Rhonda Gowler.  Santa’s Stuck.  Illustrated by Henry Cole.  Dutton, 2004.

    When Santa becomes stuck in the chimney of a house on Christmas Eve, the dog, the cat, the reindeer, and a mouse try to free him.

 

Kellogg, Steven.  Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.  Illustrated by author.  HarperCollins, 2004.

     The 1930’s song by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie is brought to life. 

 

Numeroff, Laura Joffe.  If You Take a Mouse to the Movies.  Illustrated by Felicia Bond.  HarperCollins, 2000.

    Taking a mouse to the movies can lead to letting him do other things, such as making a snowman, listening to Christmas carols, and decorating the Christmas tree.

 

Snell, Gordon.  Twelve Days: a Christmas Countdown.  Illustrated by Kevin O'Malley.  HarperCollins, 2002.
    In this adaptation of the traditional English folk song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," a child's parents provide an increasing number of items to decorate a little pine tree.

 

Thompson, Lauren.  Mouse’s First Christmas.  Illustrated by author.  Simon & Schuster, 1999.

     While exploring the house on Christmas Eve, a little mouse discovers the tree, a candy cane, a stocking, a jingle bell, and Santa Claus.

 

Wilson, Karma.  Bear Stays Up for Christmas.  Illustrated by Jane Chapman.  McElderry, 2004.

    Bear's friends awaken him the day before Christmas and help him to stay awake as they bake fruitcakes, fill stockings, and sing carols; then, while they sleep, he prepares his own surprise.

 

STORYTELLING:

In the Company of a Star

Santa's Clothes

 

PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES:

Bells on the Sleigh-song

  (sung to “The Wheels on the Bus”)

 

  The bells on the sleigh go ring, ring, ring

    (pretend to ring bells)

  Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring

  The bells on the sleigh go ring, ring, ring

  All through the sky.

 

Continue with:

 

  The toys on the sleigh say “Let’s have fun!”…

    (throw hands into the air)

 

  The reindeer on the sleigh fly way up high…

    (move hands upward in diagonal direction)

 

  The snow on the sleigh falls gently down…

    (flutter fingers and move downward)

 

  The driver on the sleigh says “Ho, ho, ho!”…

    (pretend to drive sleigh, sign “ho, ho, ho in deep voice)

 

                                     --written by Cindy Burchell, Wells County Public Library

 

 

 

 

Does Santa Have a Reindeer?-song

  (original tune)

 

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Prancer?

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Ed?

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Dasher?

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Fred?

 

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Comet?

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Star?

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Cupid

  Or one named Cookie Jar?

 

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Blitzen

  Or one named Lovey Bear?

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Pizza

  Or one named Underwear?

 

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Dancer?

  Does Santa have a reindeer named Moo?

  Does Santa have a reindeer with the very same name

  As any one of you?

Suggested tips:

    Using a puppet with this song seemed to add to the children’s enjoyment.  The puppet would shake his head “no” at the end of each line.  Sometimes I’d have the puppet “look” at me before shaking his head and when we sang about underwear, the puppet hid his face on my shoulder. 

 

 

 

 

Five Little Candy Canes-fingerplay

 

  Five little candy canes

  Hanging on the door.

  Santa ate one.

  Then there were four.

 

  Four little candy canes

  Hanging on the tree.

  Mrs. Claus ate one.

  Then there were three.

 

  Three little candy canes

  Lying by a shoe.

  An elf ate one.

  Then there were two.

 

  Two little candy canes

  Lying in the sun.

  A reindeer ate one.

  Then there was one.

 

  One little candy cane

  By the chimney.

  Santa put it in his bag

  And brought it to me.

 

Suggested tips: 

    There are two pages of patterns provided to create the graphics--page 1, page 2.  Attach Velcro® to the back of the candy canes and to a glove.  Attach magnets to the other pieces.  I put the various characters on the magnetic board as they appeared in the rhyme to help the kids remember the song.

 

 

 

 

Light Bulb Hunt-activity

 

 

 

 

Packing Santa's Sleigh-song

  (sung to “Knees Up Mother Brown”)

 

  The time is finally here

  To load up Santa’s sleigh

  With lots of toys

  For girls and boys

  So let’s all shout hurray!

 

  So if you have a doll

  To load on Santa’s sleigh

  Then quickly pack

  Santa’s sack

  And we’ll shout hurray!

 

Continue with truck, bear and blocks

 

Last verse:

 

  The sleigh is finally full

  And Santa’s on his way.

  So climb in bed and

  Cover up your head

  Then we’ll whisper hurray!

--illustrations by Nancy Carroll Wagner

Suggested tips: 

    Get a bag, preferably canvas.  Copy the patterns to make several of each of the toys and color them so that every child can have one.  When you ask for the different toys, have the children place theirs in the bag..

 

 

 

What Do I Hear?-fingerplay

 

Note: The patterns for this theme are available in pdf files.  If you cannot read the files, you can download Acrobat Reader, which is free software, from the following site:  http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

 

CRAFT:

Reindeer Handprint and Footprint Craft
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/xmas/mrudolf.html

 

* The stories and participation activities, which were written by Susan M. Dailey and Cindy Burchell, can be used freely in programs, but may not be re-posted, reproduced, or sold without prior permission.

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