Christmas is a special time, not only for adults, but also for children. This is undoubtedly the favorite holiday of every child. Is the child able to resist the magic of colorful baubles, bright lights, first snow and, of course, gifts under the Christmas tree? Often we are not even aware of what we can do to make the coming holidays even more special. The answer is very simple - do not be afraid to prepare together with the children and invite our children to celebrate Christmas together.
Introducing a few interesting and creative ideas to ordinary, everyday activities will make Christmas preparations not tiring for adults, and the preschooler will not remain in the background. Spending time with the child in such a way will have a positive impact on their emotional, social and educational development. These moments will take on a special character, and the joint preparations will not lose the family atmosphere and Christmas spirit.
Time before Christmas
The concept of "passing of time" is difficult for many children to understand. Looking
in the calendar are not able to fully determine when the long-awaited Holidays will actually come? Parents can easily introduce the preschooler, which means that Christmas will be in a month. A great option is to create a calendar on which characteristic activities performed before Christmas will be marked. Marking the next days may be not only in the form of stickers or colored magnets. A child can mark a specific date in the calendar with a drawing made with his / her own hands, e.g. with a picture of himself during cleaning or baking gingerbread cookies.
Christmas is getting closer ...
We often do not even realize what delight and joy the possibility of cleaning together in the pre-holiday season can cause in our child. Including the toddler in housekeeping activities will not only relieve the parent, but also make the child feel needed and appreciated. Praising for the work done, we will significantly affect his self-esteem. Don't be afraid to give a 3-year-old a cloth or let a 4-year-old "dust" his room. By purchasing a children's cleaning kit, we will contribute to the toddler's even greater involvement in helping to clean the house, without losing fun and fun.
Most preschoolers would also like and are able to help their parents in the kitchen. Parent! - let your toddler pour flour into a bowl, beat egg whites, stick, roll the dough into gingerbread. Do not be afraid of a dirty table top and clothes, because playing together in the kitchen not only connects you emotionally, but also affects many areas of a child's development. Kneading, kneading, rolling, forming are nothing more than fine motor skills, which will pay off in the subsequent learning of writing. Joint product adding can be combined with math and language education. Counting the poured glasses of flour or spoons of sugar improves children's counting skills, and word puzzles (dividing words into syllables, sounds, guessing the first letter in a given ingredient) have a positive effect on linguistic development. In the form of play, we can also influence the child's articulation apparatus. We can smell a baked cake, a sliced salad, we can blow it, try to "magically" turn our tongue into a cloth and use it to clean our teeth, mouth and cheeks after eaten delicacies. In this way, many eaters will become a gourmet of many dishes.
Christmas time
What we put our heart into is the most valuable. Let's try to replace the gifts we buy with self-made gifts. A salt dough angel, a colorful photo frame are gifts that have sentimental value and will make everyone smile.
Decorating the Christmas tree is an important and favorite Christmas element of every family member, both older and younger. In order to introduce the children to the tradition of decorating the tree each year, let them make Christmas decorations. Gluing chains of colored papers, silverware or ribbons will not only bring great fun to the whole family, but also improve the toddler's ability to use various tools, e.g. scissors, punch, paper clips. Threading the cut ribbons and creating unique, colorful baubles by sprinkling them with glitter, plasticine balls or torn paper will develop the imagination, improve visual and motor coordination and exercise the child's fingers. We also provide Malc with new tactile experiences, which are an integral part of proper sensory development.
On Christmas Eve, when you are in the heat of work, do not forget about the festive mood. Let's try not to get upset when the children keep asking the question: Mom ?? Dad ?? When will the gifts be ?! Let us involve them in the preparation of Christmas Eve dinner, let them set the table, arrange hay or put out a tablecloth. This will help the parents and raise the children's appreciation. On this day, let's not forget about the most important ... the resounding sounds of carols, smiles from ear to ear and looking for the first star.
Sonia Skubalska, Joanna Kowalska
teachers in Kindergartens Orange Train
