Sheet Protectors

Sheet protectors are my new favorite thing.  I used them in college for my music, but never used them to their full potential, which is with worksheets.  Slip a worksheet in a sheet protector and then use a dry erase marker with it.  If you write on the sheet protector with the dry erase marker the marks will magically wipe away, letting you use the sheet over and over again.  Then I can pop the sheet back in a three ring binder for easy storage.  My students love using the markers.  I have different colors and a retractable marker which is their favorite. 


Here is a link to the retractable markers


Here is a link to the sheet protectors

Chirstmas Teaching Songs

Here are some great songs that are fun for

Christmas that also teach core concepts.

Five Little Bells
Five little bells hanging in a row.


The first one said, "Ring me slow."

The second one said, "Ring me fast."

The third one said, "Ring me last."

The fourth one said, "I'm a chime."

The fifth one said, "Ring me at Christmas time."

The sixth one said, "Ring me with the others."

The seventh one said, "Ring me for the mothers."

The eighth one said, "Ring me with a song."


The ninth one said, "Ring me all day long." 

Idea #1: Make bells with the ordinal numbers on them

Idea #2: Let students hold the bell and have the statement written on the back of the bell for the student to read.

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Christmas Bells Sung to: "The Muffin Man"



Oh, do you hear the Christmas bells,

The Christmas bells, the Christmas bells?


Oh, do you hear the Christmas bells


I'm glad Christmas is here

Oh, can you see our Christmas tree,

Our Christmas tree, our Christmas tree?

Oh, can you see our Christmas tree?

I'm glad Christmas is here.

Oh, do you smell the gingerbread,


The gingerbread, the gingerbread?

Oh, do you smell the gingerbread?


I'm glad Christmas is here.

Oh do you taste the candy cane?

The candy cane, the candy cane?

Oh do you taste the candy cane?

I'm glad Christmas is here.

Oh do you feel the soft stocking,

the soft stocking, the soft stocking?

Oh do you feel the soft stocking?

I'm glad Christmas is here.

Idea #1: Have students point to the body part the use for that sense

Idea #2: Have examples of gingerbread to smell, stocking to feel, bell to hear, candy cane and tree.

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S-A-N-T-A Sung to: "BINGO"



I know a man with a long white beard

And Santa is his name-o

S-A-N-T-A, 
S-A-N-T-A,
 S-A-N-T-A


And Santa is his name-o

He slides down the chimney with a pack on his back

And Santa is his name-o

*-A-N-T-A
, *-A-N-T-A, 
*-A-N-T-A


And Santa is his name-o

Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh

And Santa is his name-o


*-*-N-T-A, 
*-*-N-T-A, 
*-*-N-T-A

And Santa is his name-o

He wears red from his head to his toe

And Santa is his name-o

*-*-*-T-A, 
*-*-*-T-A, 
*-*-*-T-A

And Santa is his name-o

He's making his list and checking it twice

And Santa is his name-o

*-*-*-*-A, 
*-*-*-*-A, 
*-*-*-*-A

And Santa is his name-o

He likes to eat milk and cookies

And Santa is his name-o

*-*-*-*-*, 
*-*-*-*-*, 
*-*-*-*-*

And Santa is his name-o  

Idea #1: Write the letters on a whiteboard.  Each time you sing replace a letter with a clap.  I put a star in place of the letter to represent the clap.

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5 Little Christmas Trees
5 little Christmas Trees

Standing all alone

Their hearts were very sad


Cause they hadn't found a home.


Then chop went the ax (pretend to chop)

And down fell the tree


And off they went with a happy family!


(continue from 4-1 Christmas Trees)


No little Christmas Trees


Standing all alone


Their hearts were very happy


Cause they all found a home!!!

Idea #1: Have the students hold a tree and countdown as the trees go home.

Recommended Reading

1. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Jane Chapman

2. When Santa Turned Green by Victoria Perla

3. Santa's Reindeer by Rod Green

More Christmas Songs

Christmas Interval Worksheet

Here is an interval worksheet with a Christmas theme.  Help Santa get the presents to the right house by matching the intervals to the present.

Present Intervals

Fun Christmas Songs

Here are some fun Christmas songs to sing with the children

Toys on the Christmas Tree Sung to: "This Old Man



This little drum--on the tree


Santa put it there for me


With a boom-boom, rat-a-tat (pretend to play drum)

Rummy-tummy-tum (roll hands over each other)

Christmas Day is so much fun!

This little train--on the tree


Santa put it there for me


With a chug-chug, choo-choo (pretend to pull the horn)

Rummy-tummy-tum (roll hands over each other)

Christmas Day is so much fun!

This little doll--on the tree

Santa put it there for me

With a Ma-ma, Ma-ma
 (pretend to rock baby)

Rummy-tummy-tum
 (roll hands over each other)

Christmas Day is so much fun! 

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Let's All Sung to: "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"



Let's all do a little clapping,

Let's all do a little clapping,


Let's all do a little clapping and spread Christmas cheer.

You can change the clapping to other activities.


2.Jumping

3.Twirling

4.Stretching

5.Bending Ask the kids for other ideas. 

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Old St. Nicholas Sung to: "Old McDonald Had a Farm"

Old St. Nicholas had a tree (form tree with arms)

Ho, ho ho ho ho!
 (hold stomach)

And on that tree he had some horns (blow horns)


Ho ho ho ho ho
 (hold stomach)

With a toot toot here and a toot toot there

Here a toot There a toot
Every where a toot toot


Old St. Nicholas had a tree

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

continue....

lights-------flash flash


candy canes-------yum-yum

drums-------boom-boom

bells---------ring ring

birds------peep peep


stars------twinkle twinkle


snowflakes-------flutter flutter 

Idea #1: Have a paper tree and add the items listed to the tree
Idea #2: Have children think of things that can go on the tree

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Santa  Sung to: "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain"
He'll be driving eight brown reindeer when he comes, (Yee Haw)

He'll be driving eight brown reindeer when he comes.


He'll be driving eight brown reindeer,


He'll be driving eight brown reindeer,

He'll be driving eight brown reindeer when he comes.

He'll be piled up with toys when he comes, (Oh, Boy!)

He'll be piled up with toys when he comes,


He'll be piled up with toys,


For all the girls and boys.

He'll be piled up with toys when he comes.

He'll be dressed all in red when he comes, (Ho, ho, ho)

He'll be dressed all in red when he comes.


He'll be dressed all in red,


From his toes up to his head,


He'll be dressed all in red when he comes! 

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The Lights on the Tree  Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus" 


The lights on the tree go blink, blink, blink (open and shut hands on 'blink')

Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink. 


The lights on the tree go blink, blink, blink

All Christmas Day.

Other Verses:


The presents at the house go rattle, rattle, rattle (shake hands on 'rattle)

The mom at the house goes bake, bake, bake (clap hands on 'bake')

The dad at the house goes snore, snore, snore
(pretend to sleep on 'snore')
The grandpa at the house goes hug, hug, hug 
(pretend to hug on 'hug')
The grandma at the house goes kiss, kiss, kiss(pretend to kiss on 'kiss')

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The Reindeer Pokey (to the tune of The Hokey Pokey)
You put your antlers in.


You put your antlers out.

You put you antlers in,

And you shake them all about.


You do the Reindeer Pokey,


And you turn yourself around.


That's what it's all about!

You put your hooves in....


You put your red nose in....


You put your fluffy tail in...


You put your reindeer body in…

I wear some reindeer ears I found at the dollar store for this one.


More Christmas Songs

Bell Game

This is a matching game for notes on the staff and key signatures.  The bear is trying to find his bell.  Help him by matching the correct letter with the correct note or key.  You could play a memory game with the bear and bell cards.  I might spread the bell cards out in a grid and have the children pick a bear card and match the bear to the bell.  There are many ways to use these cards, so have fun!

Bell Game

Recital Programs

My Christmas Recital is this Saturday and I like to brighten up my Christmas program by using Christmas Stationary.  I find one with a border that can go horizontal and then I copy my recital program on them.  There are plenty to choose from this time of year and it looks very professional. See below

Christmas Songs

Here are some songs on the true meaning of Christmas.

The Baby in the Manger (tune of "Wheels on the Bus)
The cow in the manger went moo-moo-moo,

Moo-moo-moo, moo-moo-moo,

The cow in the manger went moo-moo-moo,

All through the night.

The hay on the ground went crunch-crunch-crunch,

Crunch-crunch-crunch, crunch-crunch-crunch,

The hay on the ground went crunch-crunch-crunch,

All through the night.

The baby in the manger went waa-waa-waa,

Waa-waa-waa, waa-waa-waa,

The baby in the manger went waa-waa-waa,

All through the night.

His mother Mary went shh-shh-shh,

Shh-shh-shh, shh-shh-shh,

His mother Mary went shh-shh-shh,

All through the night

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Mary Had A Baby Boy Sung to "Mary Had A Little Lamb"

Mary had a baby boy

Baby boy Baby boy


Mary had a baby boy

And she named Him Jesus

He was born in a manger

In a manger 
In a manger

He was born in a manger


Among all the hay

The Shepard's came to visit him

Visit him, Visit him.
The Shepard's came to visit him

Because the angle told them.

The three wise men brought him gifts,

Brought him gifts, Brought him gifts.
The three wise men brought him gifts.

Frankincense, gold and myrrh.

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Mary Had A Baby Sung to "The More We Get Together"

Mary had a baby, a baby, a baby,

Mary had a baby One glorious night.
One glorious night, with the stars shining bright,

Mary had a baby, one glorious night.

She named the baby Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

She named the baby Jesus, Cause God told her to.
Cause God told her to, Cause God told her to,

She named the baby Jesus, Cause God told her to.

The shepherds came to worship,

Worship, Worship,

The shepherds came to worship The newborn king.
The newborn king, The newborn king,

The Shepherds came to worship The newborn king.

The wise men brought him presents,

Presents, presents,

The wise men brought him presents

Gold, Frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold, Frankincense, and myrrh

Gold, Frankincense, and myrrh,

The wise men brought him presents

Gold, Frankincense, and myrrh.

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Christmas, Christmas Sung To: "Praise Him, Praise Him All Ye Little Children"

Christmas, Christmas;  Now it’s time for Christmas.
Jesus came, Jesus came.
Christmas, Christmas;  Now it’s time for Christmas.
Jesus came, Jesus came!

Substitute for "Jesus came";
Stanza 2. Angels sang
Stanza 3. I’m so glad
Stanza 4. Praise His Name

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Ring those bless Sung to "Jimmy Crack Corn"

Ring those bells and turn around,

Ring those bells and turn around,

Ring those bells and turn around,

Jesus Christ is born

Substitute 'turn around' for stomp your feet, jump up high, bend your knees, etc . . .

Recommended Books

1. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa T. Bergren

2. Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck

3. What is Christmas? by Michelle Medlock Adams

4. Who is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate