For several ideas to creatively interact with literature this month, click this link.
In December, we love to find ways for students to spend extra time creating arts and crafts, and what better way to do this than with a literature themed idea! We added a link for 20 classic Christmas themed short stories. Authors such as Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Andersen, and Beatrix Potter wrote wonderful short stories that speak of all things holiday related. We want to share a couple of fun ideas to capture a memory from the reading of these stories. Of course your family does not need to read all 20 stories to create the crafts. However, you may find hours of wonderful literary content to keep your children asking for more!
https://teaandinksociety.com/classic-christmas-short-stories-read-online/
Salt dough ornaments: Recipe below
If you have never used salt dough, let me assure you that it is very simple to make, requires just 3 ingredients, and can help children and adults create a handmade ornament that will potentially last many years. We encourage your family to read a story together; this may require parents to read the text aloud, or it could be a great opportunity to have students of varied ages and reading abilities take turns reading aloud. The grand idea is that each child would choose some sort of symbol to form out of the salt dough. It may be a candy cane, a ballet slipper, a tree, a baby, a scarf; the ideas seem limitless. With salt dough, children can use whichever medium desired to add color. It works well to use crayons, markers, or paint. You may even dye the dough with simple food coloring. The dough can be rolled flat, and cut with cookie cutter shapes, or it can be molded like a clay sculpture. To hang the ornament, either create a hole at the top to pass a string or hook through and secure, or tie the hanging string around the ornament. The salt dough can either air dry, or be baked to harden, which makes it a versatile crafting material.
Create a picture:
Have children create a picture that they imagine from the story. With many options to create pictures, children may enjoy exploring an art medium that they have not yet tried, such as paints, clay, or various beans and pastas with glue. A simple search on Pinterest often leads to more ideas than I can manage!
Write about it:
After reading short stories, children may enjoy writing their own short stories, or they may choose to write about some aspect of the story that they appreciated, or even disliked. No matter the writing task chosen, encourage children to think about the classic stories read together, and try to refer back to the stories in their own writing. This can be fun and helpful for parents and home educators as they notice the particular manner each child engages with the characters, events, or morals of each classic tale. Very young students will benefit from simply narrating the story back, remembering the details that resonated in their little minds.
No matter the creative outlet your family chooses to respond to these wonderful holiday themed literature selections, we believe everyone can find a creative way to express themselves. Above all, talk about these lovely pieces of history. You may even establish a new family tradition!
Salt dough recipe:
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and salt.
Slowly add water, stirring and mixing as you go to form a so dough similar to the texture and feel of play-dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and knead for approximately 5-10 minutes, adding a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky or a bit more water if it’s too dry. You should be able to roll a ball of dough in your hands without it sticking, but not crumbling apart.
One option: Roll dough on a flat surface with a rolling pin and cut shapes with cutters or plastic knives.
Another option: Shape or sculpt the dough with hands and fingers to create the desired shape.
Make sure to pierce the ornament to allow you to thread string or a hook for hanging AFTER baking or drying.
Bake thin ornaments for 30-60 minutes in a warm oven (180°-200° F). For best results, air dry any sculptures thicker than 1⁄4 inch overnight before baking. Some larger sculptures will puff when baked, so air drying for 2-3 days will be sufficient without the need to bake.
Add the string, ribbon, or wire to hang your dried ornaments!
