I'm a tad late on starting my North Pole friend in our classroom but HEY better late than never!
In our classroom we don't do an Elf on the Shelf, but rather we write a letter to the North Pole and just ask our friends up there to send us any friend to watch over us to ensure we are all being good boys and girls :) The North Pole has sent us a GINGERBREAD GIRL this year! Yippeee!!!
Monday will be our first day and I am so excited for our "Winter Wonderland Welcome Party" that all my firsties will walk in to tomorrow. If you haven't started a North Pole friend yet, IT'S NOT TOO LATE! The 2 weeks before winter break seem to be a tad more...challenging per say in regards to behavior so this gingerbread girl is going to solve all of my problems ;)
Below is a calendar I made for these next 2 weeks before we get out for winter break, PLEASE print it out and use it if you need any ideas on things for your guy/gal to do in the classroom! On the calendar you will also find that I tried to list the items you would need for each day. If you would like a further explanation on each day keep reading...
WEEK ONE:
Dec 8: "Winter Wonderland Welcome Party"-This is the first day our friend from the North Pole arrives so we have to do it BIG! Above the classroom door will be a banner that says "Hi Kids" that I have made and hung, and fake snow will be on the floor leading them into the classroom. On each table pod there will be a "snowman" (I made these by taking a tooth pick and putting two large marshmallows on it, draw on a face with a Sharpie and VOILA- snowman). I will also have our gingerbread girl sitting on my back table with a letter from the North Pole introducing her along with some "treats" she brought straight from Gladys, Gingerbread Mama, up in the North Pole. PS the treats are mini marshmallows that I will put in a Ziploc bag for each kiddo to take home and enjoy with mom and dad...IF they have been good, of course ;)
Dec. 9: Shelf Reading-We have built in shelves in our classrooms (you cold do this on any book shelf though), so our Gingerbread Girl will be sitting on a stack of Christmas/winter books and on top there she will be reading my favorite How the Grinch Stole Christmas By: Dr. Seuss. I will have a little index card note that says "To Mrs. Uselton's Class Love: The North Pole" and there will be a wrapped present. Inside will be a new Christmas/winter book for our classroom library that we get to read at the end of the day :)
Dec. 10: "Be Good"-In our classroom is a large student work wall so today our friend will take down all the student work and replace it with a big sign that says BE GOOD LOVE, ______. Our classroom flag poles are right above this wall so I will place the Gingerbread Girl up on top with a Sharpie marker...very guilty :)
Dec. 11: "Bananas for Band aids"-How much do your students love to put band aids on?!?! I sure hope it's not just my class! Well, today Gingerbread girl found the band aid bucket and will be sitting right inside/next to it and she will have band aids all over her and I will put some around the surrounding area with the wrappers every where *GASP*
Dec. 12: "Stick with Me"-We have a small little treasure box in our classroom that houses all of our fun stickers that the students earn. Today, Gingerbread Girl will be sitting INSIDE and have stickers all over her and (if I can remember haha) will have a new pack of Christmas/winter stickers for each kiddo in the class!
WEEK TWO:
Dec. 15: "Sweet" Friend-Today Gingerbread Girl will be on the back counter in the classroom with an empty bag of Christmas color M&Ms and she will have spelled out "be good" (or any message you choose) in the M&Ms.
Dec. 16: "Let it Snow"-In Texas, we RARELY see snow {unless it is a Christmas miracle} so Gingerbread Girl will bring it to us! For today you will need to have made snowflakes using q-tips. I use 3 q-tips and just hot glue in the center, make an X with 2 of them and then glue the 3rd going horizontally across...snow flake! I will put some random q tips around her because it is always more fun when she makes a little mess ;)
Dec. 17: Spying is Tiring-Gingerbread Girl is worn out from all of her spying and flying back and forth from the North Pole each night, so she needs a nap. Gingerbread Girl will be stuffed inside the tissue box and you can make a little pillow out of tissues for your friend too :) *P.S. A tip for noise control today..."Sh...Gingerbread Girl is sleeping we need to make sure we are using our whisper voices today ;)
Dec. 18: Sack Race-EEEK! This is a first time for me to do this and if all goes as planned, this may just be my favorite! I have little stuffed animals in my classroom sitting on the window sills so I plan to pick a few of my faves, along with Gingerbread Girl, and each friend will be put in a brown paper lunch sack on my back counter. I am going to scatter them in a horizontal line as if they got bored during the night time/after the students left and had a SACK RACE! I think the students are just going to die over this one...so is their teacher!!! :)
Dec. 19: "Sweet Treat before I go..."-Today is our last day before we get out for winter break so it is Gingerbread Girl's last day with us. Today we will have a letter from her that reads "Dear 1st Graders, Today's my last day, I must say goodbye. Tonight I must go, to the North Pole I'll fly. But Santa will be here with gifts and good cheer, And I will be back the same time next year. So be a good boy and girl, And smile with joy. Remember the fun times with __{insert North Pole friends name}__, OH BOY! I will miss you! Love, ____"
Gingerbread Girl will have an empty box of candy canes and a note taped on it that says "I brought you a candy cane before I go...but you have to find it :)" You can tape these all over the room and students can go and find one for each of them to take home!
Wow!! SO much fun!! I hope you and your class have the best time with your friend from the North Pole!!! I would love to see/hear any ideas you use in your classroom! You can e-mail me at keluseltonATgmailDOTcom.
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