Let’s sing together our song “Rise and Shine – Welcome to School Today” by Dr. Jean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyAD2OoFuoY and our greeting song “Hello to all the children of the world”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nYjGy_ZUG8

My favorite Closing Song sung on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” tune with movement:

Twinkle, twinkle little stars! Time is over and we say goodbye. (Open and close hands)
We had fun with all our friends. Let’s come back and do it again! (Arm moved up and back)
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars! What a wonderful bunch you are! (Blow kisses)

For the writing/reading process, have your child trace or copy (advanced skill) daily his/her name on paper/dry eraser board/ mini blackboard (kindergarten handwriting page) starting at the top of each letter (you could draw 🙂) either in all uppercase letters or just first letter in capital/uppercase and the rest in lowercase. If your child is starting to write on paper, you can write your child’s name with a highlighter and your child can use a crayon to trace it.

I realize that you might have to survey other members of your family for the question of the day so that your child have enough tally marks to count or have your child put more than one tally mark.

What are latkes?
CHOCOLATE CHIPS COOKIE 🍪/ POTATO PANCAKE 🥞/ ICE CREAM 🍦/ BAGEL 🥯

If you have My First School Book from Handwriting Without Tears methodology https://www.lwtears.com/hwt. Have your child complete page 44 and 45.

A whole week activity:
For the phonetic part, have a big yogurt container with a lid filled with small objects or pictures that start with the letter J (Jacquet, jam, January, jar, jaw, jelly, jigsaw, job, jog, joke, jolly, journey, joy, jug, juggle, juice, July, jump, jumper, June, jungle, just.) You might want to add a picture of an Snake, so that your child can say that Snake does not start with J! Here is a book of J word pictures: https://twistynoodle.com/j-minibook/ and https://www.first-school.ws/t.asp?t=http://www.first-school.ws/images/alpha/ap1/j.gif Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter J every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.

Kitchen Science

How to make yummy latkes? For making latkes, you need (1) 2 large potatoes, (2) half a small onion, (3) grater, (4) 3 eggs, (5) 2 tbsp. all purpose four, (6) 1 1/2 tsp. salt, (7) oil (adult), (8) dish towel, (9) bowl and spoon, (10) a pan, and (11) paper towel.
Directions:
1. Peel and grate 2 large potatoes and half small onion.
2. Put potatoes and onion grated in dish towel and wring out as much moisture as possible.
3. Beat 3 eggs together and mix potatoes, 3 eggs beaten, onions, flour and salt together.
4. (For adults) heat about 2 tbsp. of oil in pan, drop a big spoon of mixture in oil.
5. Press mixture down with back of spoon to make a pancake.
6. Flip pancake until both sides are golden brown.
7. Once cooked in oil, put pancakes on paper towels to absorb surplus of oil.
8. Eat with applesauce, sour cream and green onions. Yummy!

Science

On the tune of “Oh, my Darling Clementine”, we can sing: what’s the weather, what’s the weather, what’s the weather like today? Is it cloudy, is it rainy, is it sunny, is it cold? (You can also change the weather words).
Let your child check the weather and tell you about it. You might want to ask your child to do a weather drawing that you can label. Some activities will be repetitive to create a routine that brings comfort to your child.

Language Arts

Hanukkah Literature:
1. This is the Dreidel by Abby Levine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7vGcqKdpFs
2. The Night Before Hanukkah by Natasha Wing (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlKrj1PXfEA
3. The Story of Hanukkah by David A. Adler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYiTm6fbOLs
4. Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah by Norman Bridwell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpqz6-ECBuk

After viewing a book, help your child sequence the story: what happened first, next,… at the end. The major theme of Hanukkah is part of the Jewish Tradition. Brainstorm with your child what and how your family celebrates your tradition.

“Twinkle, Twinkle Hanukkah Light” Song (“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” tune)
Twinkle, twinkle, Hanukkah light,
Shining brightly for 8 nights.
See the dreidel spin around.
Eat some latkes crisp and brown.
Twinkle, twinkle, Hanukkah light
Shining brightly for 8 nights.

”I have been Lighting all the Candles” Song (“I have been Working on the Railroad” tune)
Oh, I have been lighting all the candles,
On this Hanukkah night.
Oh, I have been lighting all the candles,
Just to see them shining bright.
Flicker, flicker little candles!
Fill me with your light.
Now, it’s time for you to count the show.
Ready, so let’s go!

“Nine Little Candles” Fingerplay
One little, two little, three little candles,
Four little, five little, six little candles,
Seven little, eight little, nine little candles.
Nine little bright miracle lights!

Math

Fun playing with dreidels! Here is a dreidel template: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/kids-activities-and-printables/printables/construct-paper-dreidel-hanukkah.html
First, let’s sing The Dreidel Song:
I have a little dreidel.
I made it out of clay.
And when it’s dry and ready,
Oh, dreidel I shall play.
Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready. Oh, dreidel I will play.

For the Dreidel Game, you need (1) a dreidel and (2) 12 chocolate coins/raisins/beans for each player. Each player puts first 1 coin in the middle of players’ circle and takes turn spinning the top. If the player spins:
(Nun)—player does nothing.
(Gimel)—player takes all the coins in the middle.
(Hei)—player takes half the coins in the middle.
(Shin)—player adds a coin to the middle.

If there is only 1 coin in the middle, each player puts a coin in the middle. The game is over when 1 player has all the coins!

December is here now! The calendar is a daily activity to do with your child that develop number and pattern recognition. Here is the link to print a calendar to update daily with your child. The set has a weather component, if you like. https://www.themailbox.com/magazines/december-calendar-set/december-calendar-set-2

Daily counting of tally marks and show your child a number card or write the number down to show your child. The numbers of the tallies will be different every day. Extend the concept by comparing numbers: which has more? Which has fewer? Which are the same? How many more (count with fingers)?

Art

For Handprint Menorah Art Project, you need (1) white construction paper, (2) blue and yellow tempera paint with brush, and (3) a blue marker.
Directions:
1. Take white construction paper horizontally..
2. Paint your child’s both hands in blue leaving the finger tips to paint in yellow.
3. Print your child’s both hands with thumbs together on white paper. Your menorah with 4 candles on each side of the helper candle (thumbs)!
4. Write “Happy Hanukkah!” With blue marker.

For the Star of David Ornament Art Project, you need (1) 6 wooden popsicle sticks, (2) glue/hot glue (adult), (3) blue tempera paint and brush/sponge, (4) glitter/dark blue sand in a shaker, and (5) a piece of blue ribbon/yarn.
Directions:
1. Build a Star of David with popsicle sticks and glue together. Here is a model https://twistynoodle.com/star-of-david-coloring-page/.
2. Paint the star with blue tempera paint and brush or sponge.
3. Shake glitter/dark blue sand on wet paint and let dry.
4. Loop a blue piece of ribbon/yarn for hanging.
5. For further fun, use blue masking tape to build your Star of David on blue construction paper, cover the star and around it with white tempera paint, and detach the masking tape to see a blue star do David!

Small Motor Skills

Happy Hanukkah Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/happy-chanukah-6-coloring-page/
Color the Presents https://twistynoodle.com/color-the-presents-coloring-page/
Present Dot Painting https://twistynoodle.com/present-dot-painting-coloring-page/

Gross Motor Skills

Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.

Hanukkah Fitness Fun! Spin like a Dreidel with Yo-yo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAMDdZmiqj0