Calendar

THEME: Families Provide Food

Dec 17 all-day

Project: Nutrition collage

THEME: Families Teach Manners

Dec 18 all-day

Project: Place mat

THEME: Families Care for Each Other

Dec 19 all-day

Project: Heart cookies

THEME: Families Us Tools and Machinery

Dec 20 all-day

Project: Shape matching

THEME: Families Live in Neighborhoods

Dec 21 all-day

Project: Neighborhood mural

THEME: Closed for Christmas Eve

Dec 24 – Dec 25 all-day

Closed For Christmas

Dec 25 – Dec 26 all-day

THEME: Families Have Fun Together

Dec 26 – Dec 27 all-day

Project: Snow painting

THEME: Celebrating Holidays

Dec 27 – Dec 28 all-day

Project: Playdough ornament

THEME: Gift Giving on Family Holidays

Dec 28 – Dec 29 all-day

Project: Family gifts worksheet

December 2018 Dec 2018

A focus on families and homes will give us lots of opportunities to learn this month! We will count the members of each child’s family and graph the largest and smallest families. We will explore different family relationships and responsibilities, compare different homes and become acquainted with the buildings and people that make up our neighborhoods.

Seasons and holidays provide the spice in our curriculum and December is full of holidays. The Christian religious holiday celebrating the birth of Christ is celebrated on the 25th. Chanukah, the Jewish religious holiday commemorating the miracle of the lasting oil is observed this year from December 2– December 10, Kwanzaa is an African American cultural celebration observed December 26 –January 2. Of course the secular Christmas with Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, the Grinch, candy canes, Christmas trees and gift giving is a combination of fact and fantasy and holiday customs from throughout the world and is celebrated throughout all of December (and November and a good part of October).

Although there is much that is different about the customs and beliefs of these different holiday celebrations, there is also much that is similar. All include generous gift giving, an emphasis on helping others, symbolic candle lighting, and family feasting. It is these similarities in the holidays on which TTLC will focus during the coming month. We hope that you will join us in taking the opportunity to channel some of your child’s enthusiasm into constructive and educational activities. Whether you call it a Christmas tree or a Kwanzaa bush, we will work on identifying colors and shapes as we decorate it. Candles will be counted, and wrapping gifts will provide problem solving experiences as well as challenging fine motor control. This month looks like lots of fun and learning at Toddle Towne!

Beginners: Children will add seasonal words and body part names to their vocabulary. They will lay the foundation for later math by increasing their awareness of numbers and shapes. A lot of practice on stairs, throwing a ball, stringing beads, hopping jumping, and turning somersaults will absorb some of the tremendous energy of our younger group as well as increase their balance and coordination.

Preschool: Children will prepare for future reading skills by practicing recognition of identical pictures, shapes, patterns, letters, and sounds. They will enhance their ability to listen by recognizing everyday sounds without visual clues, and clapping in rhythm to music. Coordination and endurance will improve as they jump and run. Remember it is important to develop all aspects of the child. The physical skills are as important as the academic skills