I love the holiday season! I feel an awakening with its wonderment. The spirit of giving and family togetherness makes my heart sing. The enjoyment of gift giving fits the times. Looking for the perfect present for those we love and feeling the excitement when we finally find it! Then, tucking it away until the moment we can finally present it to those we care for and feeling joy and warmth within ourselves. There are so many lessons of the holidays. My favorite? Gratitude!

Introduction to the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a truly special time in elementary school, filled with excitement, anticipation, and opportunities for meaningful learning. As the days grow shorter and winter approaches, students look forward to a variety of special holidays and events that bring a sense of wonder and joy to the classroom. For teachers, this is the perfect moment to plan ahead and design lesson plans that capture the spirit of the season. By weaving holiday themes into your lessons, you can create a fun and engaging environment that keeps kids motivated and eager to learn, even as the winter break draws near. The holiday season also offers a unique chance to introduce students to traditions from around the world, helping them appreciate the rich diversity of cultures and celebrations that make this time of year so magical. With thoughtful planning, you can turn the holidays into a time of joy, discovery, and lasting memories for your students.

Holiday Traditions and Activities

Holiday traditions and activities are at the heart of what makes the holiday season so memorable for kids in the classroom. From decorating with handmade snowflakes and playful reindeer crafts to singing festive songs, there are endless ways to spark excitement and creativity. Teachers can use holiday-themed art projects to encourage students to express themselves and bring a festive touch to the classroom. PowerPoint presentations are a fantastic tool for introducing students to holiday customs and celebrations from different countries, helping them see how families around the world mark this special time of year. With Google Drive, it’s easy to access and share a wide variety of holiday resources, including worksheets, lesson plans, and fun activities that make planning a breeze. By exploring these traditions and activities together, students not only have fun but also build important skills like comprehension

Gratitude: The Best Holiday Lesson

The magic of the holidays is there because of gratitude! You see, gratitude isn’t just about saying “thank you.” It’s a way of looking at the world that changes not just how we feel, but how we interact with others. A grateful heart notices the beauty in small moments – like laughter at a family dinner, the sparkle in our grandchild’s eyes as they open a gift, the warm hug from an old friend. A light and grateful heart dissolves the stress that sometimes shadows our holiday cheer.

Studies have shown that gratitude can actually lead to better relationships. Like a cozy fire on a winter’s night, gratitude brings comfort and closeness. Did you know that grateful people have 13 percent fewer arguments? Imagine that! We could all use less squabbles over the holidays and more room for understanding and joy.

How to Cultivate Holiday Gratitude This Season

1. Start and End Your Day with Gratitude: Do you journal? If not, this is a great reason to start. Begin every day by jotting down thoughts of what you are grateful for. At bedtime, guide your mind to reflect on positive happenings from the day as you doze off. This helps to prime your mind for holiday positivity.
2. Pause for a Heartfelt Thank You: Make it a habit to pause and sincerely thank someone while looking them in the eye. While you’re at it, make sure you share a “thank-you” with yourself!
3. Savor the Moment: Whether it’s a meal, a view, or a conversation, savor your experiences during the day and acknowledge the people who made each moment possible, whether its family or strangers.
4. Write Thank-You Notes: When I was young, my mother taught me the importance of writing thank you notes, and it’s something I still do. Thank you notes make recipients feel appreciated and boosts your sense of connection.
5. Create a Gratitude Jar: Keep a jar where you and your visiting friends and family can drop notes of gratitude. This visual expression of thankfulness will become a cherished holiday tradition.
6. Acknowledge Gratitude from Others: When grandchildren, girlfriends, strangers, or other family members express gratitude, always acknowledge it. This reinforces the importance of thankfulness and keeps the cycle of gratitude going​.

Lessons of the Holidays

This is a time to teach our children and grandchildren that giving a gift is more important than getting a gift. It is called generosity of spirit! We can help our posterity learn gratitude this holiday and every day.

I live in downtown Chicago and am surrounded by the beauty of tree-lined streets lit with white lights, all aglow and sparkling like twinkling stars. People young and old walk arm-in-arm with friends and family, rushing down the street, laughing with brightly colored packages filled with loving gifts. The ringing bells of the Salvation Army folks, the Santas and the apartment building’s decorated lobbies add to my wonderment. I am a package of happiness during the holiday season.

Teachers can use a variety of resources to create engaging holiday lesson plans for their class. Kids love activities that include songs, pictures, and interactive tasks, such as singing a holiday song, playing games, or working in groups. Special holidays like Thanksgiving in November, Earth Day in April, and other spring celebrations can be incorporated into the school calendar and lesson planning, helping students connect with different seasons and special events throughout the year. Teaching the history behind each special holiday allows students to learn about the important person or people associated with these events. Teachers can find free resources and ideas for holiday lessons on educational websites, with links to pages offering lesson plans, worksheets, and activity packs. Organizing students into groups for listening and play activities, such as practicing grammar, answering comprehension questions, and reviewing holiday vocabulary, helps students focus and develop listening, speaking, and writing skills through engaging classroom tasks. Lessons can include examples, pictures, and opportunities for students to express their preferences for holiday destinations or activities, explaining their choices. The beginning and middle of a lesson can feature fun activities, like marching to a holiday song or playing games, to keep students excited and help them become familiar with new content. Teachers can use a holiday calendar to plan special events and track progress throughout the week or season. For more ideas and resources, teachers are encouraged to visit educational websites, explore helpful links, and share their own answers and experiences with holiday teaching in online communities.

I love the religious part of the holidays, too. Christmas and Hanukkah, the beautiful wreaths on the front doors, church bells ringing, Christmas trees and Menorahs lit in homes across the world, decorated by family members sharing traditions of their faith with their families. By now you can sense that the holidays are my happiest time of the year! So happy, in fact, that I chose to be married on December 22! I love the holiday season and the feelings of generosity and gratitude that comes with it.

Creating Engaging Holiday Lesson Plans

Gratitude, Pass it On

This season, I encourage you to cultivate holiday gratitude. Are you noticing the small joys? Do you feel wonder? I hope so. But don’t stop there – Darling, share this gift of gratitude with others. Show your appreciation for those around you, model the beauty of saying “thank you”, and let your heartfelt gratitude light up your life, and also the lives of those you touch.

In doing so, you’ll find that the true magic of the holidays lies not just in the twinkling lights and festive gatherings, but in loving, thankful connections.

I am Grateful for YOU

And so at this time, I want to wish the Honey Good community of women and their families a very happy holiday season! I appreciate each and every one of you! And, I want to end this story with my holiday wish for you: may your days over this holiday be merry and bright!

Did your mother teach you to send thank-you cards? Do you still send them?

Lets discuss in the comments!

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