The Wolfe Pack {Reviews~Resources~Suggestions~Support for the Discerning Homeschool Mom}

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The Arctic: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live!

 

Day Four: THE ARCTIC

Confession time!  Other than the fact that POLAR BEARS lived there while penguins didn’t, I knew very little else about THE ARCTIC before doing some research for this UNIT STUDY.  I’m not going to lie and say I want to choose it for my next vacation, but it sure does offer some fun and interesting learning opportunities! 

READ:  Cozy by Jan Brett is a fairly new book and so stinking cute! She always does a great job of weaving tidbits of animal facts into the cuteness of fiction, and this book manages that for several types of ARCTIC animals. It’s super cute! And it also highlights the fact that THE ARCTIC is really very cold while also subtly exposing the reader to the beauty of the Northern Lights. My library did not have it so I ordered it from Amazon, but even though I have only a teenager at home, I decided this book was worthy of a purchase. And, there are a couple of comprehension pages you can grab from the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK. 

WRITE: With its lions and hippos, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear by Eric Carle might seem like an odd choice for an ARCTIC book but it’s a great book to turn into an ARCTIC writing project! Just print it out from this FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITIES PACK and your kiddos can make a super cute book all on their own. Not only will they need to write in the names of each ARCTIC animal, they will also need to come up with a verb for each animal too! 

 

For a more challenging writing project, this activity asks the student to create a new ARCTIC animal and write about how it adapts to the cold. You can also find it in the FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITIES PACK. 

CREATE:  Arctic White by Danna Smith is a really simple but beautiful way to introduce your kids to the Northern Lights. After reading it, this Northern Lights for Kids by Taming Little Monsters would be the perfect art project to create! It looks lovely and fairly simple. Plus, the only supplies needed are black paper, pastels, a toothpick and glue. And while the glue is drying, be sure to assess your kids’ comprehension of the book with the pages found in the FREE mini Book Companion Pack {same place to find the pages for Cozy.}

 

EXPLORE:  My son just watched and thoroughly enjoyed the series, Hostile Planet, on Disney Plus {it’s also on Amazon Prime for a small fee.} There are six episodes, with Polar being the final episode. I have NOT watched it myself because I am a total baby when it comes to “the circle of life” and all that stuff. But, he learned a ton from it. Check it out at your own risk though….apparently, the title is not misleading. According to my son’s recounting, the hostility that the wildlife endures from one another and the changing climate change is not white-washed at all. 

There is also an entire docu-series about the polar regions from the BBC, Frozen Planet. We have not watched it….but I am sure it’s similar to the above-mentioned Polar episode, just with a lot more information spread out over an entire series. 

Arctic Dogs is a full-length animated movie that is probably pretty pointless when it comes to education but it’s way more my style than real polar bears eating real seals so I’m including it! It’s rated PG. 

ENJOY: This Marshmallow Igloo from Mombrite is not only easy to make and cute,  it’s also fully edible! And, all you need is an apple, some peanut butter and a bunch of mini-marshmallows! 

Or you could go the more challenging route with toothpicks and marshmallows like this one from Lemon Lime Adventures. 

Either way, you’ll need to stock up on mini-marshmallows! 

LEARN: As I said above, I knew next-to-nothing about THE ARCTIC so everything I learned while researching this topic was extra interesting to me. Like, Matthew Henson! Do you know about him? He’s a remarkable African American that was with Robert Peary on several expeditions to the North Pole. You can read all about him in the WINTER-THEMED INFORMATIONAL TEXT AND WRITING PROMPTS. Just be sure to use code 12DAYSofWINTERWOLFe so you can download the pack for FREE. 

READ MORE: You’ll find a good mix of additional books below, both fiction and non-fiction. Keep On! is a good book about Matthew Henson that you may want to check out! And, I sure wish my library had Arctic Tundra or Living in the Arctic on the shelf! 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

I hope you found at least some of these suggestions in this ARCTIC UNIT STUDY as interesting as I did!

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Next up: EVERGREEN TREES

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Polar Bears: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Welcome to the series

 THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES

For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out the page: THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES.  You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT STUDY will go live! 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

 

Day Three: POLAR BEARS

POLAR BEARS are often associated with winter because of their beautiful white coats and the fact that they seem to live in a perpetual winter-wonderland way up north. But, did you know that they actually have black fur and their coats are not really white? Use this POLAR BEAR UNIT STUDY to teach your kiddos all about the largest land carnivore on earth! 

READ: If you use any of my other UNIT STUDIES, you’ll know that I am a total fan of Jan Brett. There’s just something about her Nordic-inspired artwork that I adore and the way she shares hints from one page to the next is so clever! And there is usually enough factual information mixed in that it opens up several teaching avenues. 

The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett is no exception. It is modeled after the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears but it adds a POLAR BEAR twist. It also incorporates sled dogs and igloos so is a great segue for THE ARCTIC UNIT STUDY {that will be released tomorrow.} It’s a sweet piece of literature and if you utilize the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK, your child can work on comprehension and sequencing skills too. 

CREATE: There are so many cute POLAR BEAR crafts! So,  stock up on white paint and blue/black/white cardstock {or construction paper} and check out these cute ideas!  

I’m not sure if painting with plastic forks is new or if I just somehow missed the trend until now, but I keep finding these super cute ideas that use paint and forks! And, this FORK-PAINTED POLAR BEAR is one of them! All it takes is a fork, some white paint, colored paper {blue, black, white, grey} and googly eyes {optional}. With its simplicity and basic supply list, it’s my kind of craft!

As cute as the Fork-Painted Polar Bear is, I think this NEWSPAPER POLAR BEAR is even cuter! Plus, the fact that it highlights the fact that POLAR BEARS do not have pure white bodies by using black and white newspaper print just makes it extra! All you need is newspaper, blue/white/black paper, googly eyes {optional}, hole punch, scissors and glue. Now, I gotta confess….I HATE HATE HATE newspaper print on my hands, clothes, table…anywhere but I think this craft would be worth the inky mess! 

Another craft that shows off the realistic fact that POLAR BEARS have black skin is this COTTON BALL POLAR BEAR! This guy is not only realistic and cute, he’s fuzzy too! For this, you’ll need blue/black/white paper, white paint, cotton balls, glue and googly eyes. 

I also love this 3D POLAR BEAR! The video instructions at that link make it look super simple but it’s unique because the POLAR BEAR face actually pops out of the page! It’s cute but also stylish enough to hang up as decor! And, all it takes is some blue/white paper, white paint, a cotton swab, a glue stick and scissors. 

EXPLORE: Here is a cool four-minute video of POLAR BEARS hunting seals. It does a great job of showing their immense size and incredible patience. And, don’t worry…..it doesn’t show any cute and chubby seals dying. 

And, here is a trailer for a 40-minute documentary about a POLAR BEAR mama and her two cubs, To the Arctic. It is rated G but does cover “real life” amongst the animals in the changing climate of the earth. So, it’s not all warm and fuzzy {or cold and fuzzy, ha ha!}

For a funny future-length movie about POLAR BEARS, you might want to consider Norm of the North. It’s rated PG so please bear that in mind when deciding whether it’s appropriate for your kids. You can watch the trailer at that link to get a pretty good idea of the content. 

ENJOY:  This super simple and crazy cute Blueberry and Banana Polar Bear Yogurt Snack would be a great way to start the day AND your POLAR BEAR UNIT STUDY. All you need is vanilla yogurt, a banana and a few blueberries. That’s it! Seriously, go look at how cute it is!

And for a fun afternoon snack, check out this uberly adorable Edible Polar Bear Marshmallow Snack {from Darcy and Brian}.  It just takes two sizes of marshmallows, a few toothpicks and a teeny bit of blue food coloring. They look super quick and easy to make…and yummy too!

LEARN: There are a few great options for non-fiction books about POLAR BEARS but I chose Polar Bears Are Awesome by Jacylyn Jaycox because it’s an easy read, was available at my library and only cost a wee bit on Amazon {if you’re lazy like me and prefer to shop Prime instead of heading downtown!} And, of course, there are three helpful pages in the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK {Non-Fiction}. The three pages include multiple-choice, true/false and short answer questions to check for comprehension. 

You can also use the POLAR BEAR pages in the WINTER-THEMED INFORMATIONAL TEXT and WRITING PROMPTS PACK. Just be sure to use discount code 12DAYSofWINTERWOLFe so you can snag it for FREE! 

WRITE: The FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITIES PACK includes two POLAR BEAR options. One is this simple labeling activity. 

And the other is this more involved activity where the child is asked to draw a picture of what the POLAR BEAR is waiting to eat and then write about it too. It can be realistic {seal} or silly {hamburger}!

READ MORE: There are several more POLAR BEAR books, both fiction and non-fiction, that are worthy of checking out! 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN! 

I hope you found some helpful stuff in this POLAR BEARS UNIT STUDY PACK!

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Next up: THE ARCTIC

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Nutcrackers: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live! 

 

Day Two: NUTCRACKERS

Surely, your kids have seen NUTCRACKERS somewhere during the holidays. Maybe you’ve even taken them to see The Nutcracker Ballet. But do they know what NUTCRACKERS are and how they came to be associated with Christmas? Use this UNIT STUDY to equip you with some fun tools to teach your kids all about NUTCRACKERS!

READ: Confession! I did not realize that the ballet was based on a book. I thought the books were expanded forms of the ballet. But, nope! It’s the other way around. The story was written long before Tchaikovsky took a piece of it and turned it into a ballet!

There are several versions of Nutcracker available to read. Depending on ages, I would suggest the unabridged version of the original story, Nutcracker by E.T.A Hoffman. There are numerous editions of this book with various illustrations put out by different publishers but if it’s by E.T.A Hoffman, it will stick to the original storyline. The one listed below is one of my favorites because it was illustrated by Maurice Sendak, famous for Where the Wild Things Are. Plus, you can snag a FREE mini Book Companion Pack to go along with the book. 

There are also abridged versions of E.T.A. Hoffman’s story, along with a myriad of other adaptations by dozens of other authors. Additionally, there are books based on the famous ballet, which, of course, cut out much of the original story but do serve as a helpful tool to prep kids who are going to see the ballet for Christmas. You can find several other suggestions at the bottom of this post. 

CREATE: There are several NUTCRACKER crafts, though, much to my disappointment, I could not find any that actually crack nuts, haha!  But, I’m not sure how I imagined I had the skill set to create something handy and hardy enough to crack a nut… In any case, here are a few NUTCRACKER crafts that I could manage and, therefore, suggest…..

This Craft Stick Nutcracker Ornament Craft uses only craft sticks, acrylic paint, a hot glue gun and whatever decorative items you want to use for embellishment {feathers, sequins, buttons, glitter, etc}. I’m faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from being considered “crafty”  but even my craft box contains those items. So, this would be an easy choice for me!

This  Jar of Nutcracker Spoons is unique and super cute! But the supplies list would require me to wait for Amazon Prime to deliver as it includes wooden spoons, polymer clay, mod podge and felt. But, it seems simple enough so it might be worth the wait for 2 Day Shipping. 

If you have an artist on your hands, these How To Draw a Nutcracker Step-by-Step instructions seem adaptable to both the beginner and more advanced art students. And all you need is paper, pencils and whatever medium you want to use for color! I could totally do this one! 

And for the easiest nutcracker “craft”, try these Nutcracker Coloring Pages. Print and done!

EXPLORE: There is actually a small NUTCRACKER museum in Washington state. Not only do they have a museum, but they also have a gift shop and a couple of websites. If you go to the main page at Nutcrackermuseum.com, you’ll find a short video that includes some interesting NUTCRACKER history. It’s also an advertisement for the museum but the owner is a super cute 95-year-old woman who just wants to spread her love of NUTCRACKERS with the world! It’s definitely worth checking out! 

ENJOY: These Nutcracker Wafer Cookies are super cute and even my own kitchen skills could manage them. But they’re not the kind of snack I could whip up in ten minutes to accompany a read aloud.

For that, I would probably go for these Nutcracker Juice Box Treats. They require just a couple of juice boxes, some candy, a few apple sauce cups and a wee bit of construction paper. Not only are they cute, they manage to squeeze in a couple of food groups too….kinda. 

Or, if you’re short on patience and skill but like to plan ahead, NUTCRACKER shaped candies are easy to find during the holidays. I think Reeses even has a NUTCRACKER version! 

I’d be remiss if I did not suggest the hands-on approach for a NUTCRACKER snack….get your hands on an actual NUTCRACKER and crack some nuts!

Or, if you are wanting the easiest of ways to enjoy a NUTCRACKER snack, pop open a can of mixed nuts and enjoy while watching this seven-minute video from a walnut-cracking company in Turkey!

LEARN: Apparently, a non-fiction look at NUTCRACKERS is not the hottest topic in the publishing world as I was only able to find one book. But the one I did find, The Art and Character of Nutcrackers happens to have been written by none other than the super cute 95-year-old museum owner mentioned above. Unfortunately, my library did not have the book and it’s about $30 on Amazon but it does look like a very informative coffee-table book so might be worth checking out if you have a real fan of  NUTCRACKERS on your hands. 

But for a short history of NUTCRACKERS, you can grab this WINTER-THEMED INFORMATIONAL TEXT and WRITING PROMPTS PACK for free with code 12DAYSofWINTERWOLFe. It also includes comprehension questions and writing prompts! 

Another way to expand learning on the topic of NUTCRACKERS is to study the man behind the ballet. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers: Tchaikovsky by Mike Venezia offers a thorough but digestible look at Peter Tchaikovksy. We love the entire series of Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers {they also have a series on artists} and if you decide to use this book, there is also a FREE mini Book Companion Pack to go with it!

WRITE: And, once you’ve learned all about NUTCRACKERS, here is a fun little writing activity that kids of all ages will enjoy! It’s FREE in the Writing Activities Pack: Winter Unit Studies. 

Here’s my ridiculous sample! 

There is also an option for kids who want to write more. This assignment asks the student to write a persuasive paragraph from the perspective of the NUTCRACKER. 

READ MORE: Check out these additional books on NUTCRACKERS! Chances are, your library also has great options too! 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

 

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

I hope this NUTCRACKER UNIT STUDY PACK gave you a few fun ideas of how to teach something new this winter!

Be sure to check out the others as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Next up: POLAR BEARS

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Gingerbread: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live! 

 

Day One: GINGERBREAD

Whether it’s cookies, cakes, lattes or candle scents, your kids have surely been exposed to GINGERBREAD in one form or another. But do they know anything about what it is or why it’s part of our Christmas traditions? Let this UNIT STUDY help YOU teach your kids all about GINGERBREAD! 

READ: Chances are, you’ve read one or two versions of the Gingerbread Boy over the years. They all seem to follow the same concept where he is trying to run away and the crowd who follows grows and grows. It’s a fun concept that has loads of potential for literacy fun along the way!

I chose Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett to start because it follows the same pattern as the others only the baby does not die in the end! That’s my kind of story for sure! 

Another fun option is The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires. This one has a southwest flair so it’s much less “Christmassy” but the desert animals add a nice twist to to the whole thing. But, be prepared…this cookie does not survive the ordeal!

Oh, and be sure to check out the FREE FICTION mini BOOK COMPANION PACK. It includes a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast the two stories! 

WRITE: In the FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITIES PACK, you’ll find two GINGERBREAD options. One is this cute little guy that needs to be dressed up in a new persona. And, with that, he needs a new statement too! 

Here’s my silly attempt at a GINGERBREAD REINDEER. It doesn’t need to make sense for learning to take place…as a matter of fact, I think the sillier, the better! {I realize now that my poor reindeer has no ears, oops!}

There is also an option for kids who can/like to write more.  This activity asks the student to create an escape plan for the  GINGERBREAD Man!

CREATE: The two most obvious suggestions for a hands-on GINGERBREAD experience would be to bake cookies or build houses. Pinterest has a plethora of those options and, chances are, you’ve got experience with those already {though, if that’s not the case, I really do recommend both of those activities!} But, let me show you a few other ideas…

These Scented Gingerbread Ornaments are made out of sandpaper and are seriously the cutest GINGERBREAD craft of all! They look super easy to make with fairly common supplies, depending on whether you are married to a handyman or not {that would be a “no” for me. Sandpaper would be something I’d have to pick up for this craft.}

This Gingerbread Play-dough looks fairly quick and easy to make, though I’d be tempted to take an even easier route and just add some GINGERBREAD scent to store-bought Play-Doh and call it a day. Either way, I’m sure the littles would get a kick out of this hands-on way to explore the scent of GINGERBREAD while making an army of malleable GINGERBREAD boys and girls. 

There are also these easy-to-make Stuffed Gingerbread Boys and Girls that take no unusual supplies and can be decorated very simply with crayons or full-on with glitter and baubles. 

EXPLORE: Watch this quick, one-minute video on Pepperkakebyen, The World’s Largest Gingerbread Town. 

Or check out this much longer, but highly informative 44-minute long Gingerbread Journeys that is free on Amazon Prime. 

Gingerbread Journeys

ENJOY: Finding GINGERBREAD things to eat is super easy during the holiday season. Cookies, bread, cake, drinks, creamer, pancakes, hot cocoa….if there was a Pumpkin Spice option in November, there is a GINGERBREAD option now. But, if serving up something sweet is not your desire, you could just as easily light a scented candle to enjoy while reading a good GINGERBREAD book! 

LEARN: I looked far and wide for an informative non-fiction book about GINGERBREAD, but I failed. I checked out our local library but came up empty! Then I tried Amazon and found nothing! {There’s an untapped market for any budding authors!} But, this WINTER-THEMED INFORMATIONAL TEXT and WRITING PROMPTS PACK does include a couple of pages about GINGERBREAD. Be sure to use code 12DAYSofWINTERWOLFe to get the entire pack for free! 

READ MORE: Below you’ll find a great selection of GINGERBREAD stories. Ninja. Girls. Patriots. Mice. Dogs. And more! 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN! 

I hope you found at least a wee bit of something helpful in this GINGERBREAD UNIT STUDY PACK!

Be sure to check out the others as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Next up: NUTCRACKERS

 

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Classic Board Games with a Christmas Twist

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

If you’re anything like our family, you have quite a collection of BOARD GAMES taking up space in your basement cupboards.

We love BOARD GAMES so much that I tend to buy too many. So many, in fact, that there are several that have not seen the light of day in years. And, just like with many things in life, it’s the old, classic versions that get neglected while the hip, cool versions get played.

So, in an effort to make space for new BOARD GAMES during the upcoming gift-giving season, I’ve been going through our game cupboard. 

But, much to my neat-freak husband’s disappointment,  instead of finding some to get rid of, I’ve found new ways to reinvigorate some of the old classics for this holiday season!

And we had so much fun with these CHRISTMAS-TWISTED BOARD GAMES that I wanted to share with y’all! 

ONE: UNO

UNO is such a great game for several reasons, not the least of which is it’s easy for all ages to play! And, it turns out that UNO  has nearly endless possibilities of ways to give it a fun CHRISTMAS-TWIST. 

Here are just a few suggestions:

  • Play a red card =  get a red M&M
  • Play a green card = get a green M&M
  • Play a 2 on top of a 5 {25} = get a Hershey Kiss
  • Play a red card on top of a green card = get a mini candy cane
  • Play a green card on top of a red card = take a sip of hot cocoa 

Or if sweets are not your style:

  • Play a red card =  sing Rudolph
  • Play a green card = wear the Santa Hat until somebody else plays a wild card
  • Play a 2 on top of a 5 = speak in an elf-voice for the rest of the game
  • Play a red card on top of a green card = move an ornament on the tree
  • Play a green card on top of a red card = act like a snowman melting in the sun 

TWO: SCRABBLE 

SCRABBLE is a staple in most homes but it is probably often over-looked as too educational {aka: boring} for some. But, with this CHRISTMAS-TWIST, everybody will be asking to break out SCRABBLE this holiday season! 

Play SCRABBLE like you normally do but every time a word is played, the player needs to use that word in a CHRISTMAS-TWISTED sentence. Your family can decide if the sentences need to make sense or not {personally, we like nonsensical things around here but we do expect the parts of speech to be used appropriately.} You can come up with your own sentences or use these suggestions:

  • For Christmas, I really hope Santa brings me a ____.
  • It’s so cold outside that I am ____.
  • The Christmas carolers are ____ on our porch!
  • ____ will be our new Christmas tradition. 
  • Oh my gosh! Look! Santa stuffed your stocking with a ____.
  • All I want for Christmas is a/an/the ____.
  • Rudolph, with your nose so bright, will you ____ my sleigh tonight?
  • This Christmas, we’re only going to hang ____ on the tree. 
  • For Christmas morning, we are going to eat ____.
  • I’m going to leave Santa some milk and ____. 
  • Instead of a tree, let’s hang ornaments on a ____. 
  • Frosty, the ____ man was a jolly, happy soul. 
  • Jingle ____, jingle ____, jingle all the way! 
  • Santa put your present ____ the tree. 
  • Oh, we wish you a ____ Christmas!
  • I wrapped all of the presents with ____. 

THREE: PICTIONARY

Whether you have the classic version or the new one that includes small whiteboards, using CHRISTMAS-TWISTED PICTIONARY cards is an easy and fun way to rejuvenate this classic game for the holiday season.

You can snag a CHRISTMAS-TWISTED PICTIONARY PACK here for FREE. The cards are color-coded to work with all versions of PICTIONARY but can also be used with your own family’s homemade version of the classic picture-drawing game. 

FOUR: TWISTER

TWISTER is never boring, that’s for sure, but with these CHRISTMAS-TWISTED ideas, your family will surely enjoy the game like never before!

  • Play the entire game with knit gloves on!
  • Everybody has to wear a Santa hat and keep it on their head or they’re out!
  • Or everybody has to wear a Santa hat but it doesn’t matter WHERE you wear it!
  • If you are touching a red spot, you must sing Frosty the Snowman until you move from that spot.
  • If you are touching a green spot, you must sing  Jingle Bells until you move from that spot. 
  • If you are on a green and red spot at the same time, you must say “ho ho ho ho ho” until you move from one of the colors

FIVE: HEADBANZ

If your family doesn’t own HEDBANZ, you should seriously consider getting it! My son has outgrown the original intent of the game but we still use it for spelling and vocabulary review all the time {with our own words}.

And with the CHRISTMAS-TWISTED HEDBANZ PACK, it’s super easy and FREE to turn this silly game into a great option for the holidays. You can grab the CHRISTMAS-TWISTED HEDBANZ PACK here.

So, whether you decide to try out CHRISTMAS-TWISTED 

UNO, 

SCRABBLE, 

PICTIONARY, 

TWISTER

or

HEDBANZ, 

your family is sure to enjoy making some new memories with some old games! 

And for some other great CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES, check out these posts from some of my amazing fellow homeschool blogging mamas…

1. Don’t let your learning stop over the holidays. My teenage kid will DEFINITELY be doing some of these Holiday-Themed Science Projects from Homeschool On the Range! 2. And, here’s a GREAT math printable for the littles! Christmas Cakes One More One Less Printable Worksheet from The Art Kit. 3. I collect natitivies so this might be TOO CUTE to eat but we definitely want to make one of these Gingerbread Nativities from Hess Un-Academy! 4. We use our fireplace ALL THE TIME during fall and winter so I really hope my teenager wants to make me some of these DIY Firestarter Gifts from Making Room 4 One More. 5. I LOVE grapevine wreaths and have many sizes to use for different seasons. And after seeing this craft, I want to get some teeny ones to add to my collection! Such a cute ornament from Woodland Birds Ornament from Heart and Soul Homeschooling! 6. Whether you NEED new Christmas traditions because 2020 just ain’t allowing for your norm or you WANT to add something new, you should consider this Cultural Family Night: Christmas edition from Stand Up, Reach Out! 7. Are you BIG stocking stuffer people? We are! My husband often wonders if we spend more on stuffing stockings than we do stocking the pantry for the holidays, but it’s so hard NOT to scoop up all the cute little things! This year I plan to use some of these ideas for Easy, Cheap, Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids from Julie Naturally! 8. I’m always looking for cute, personalized ornaments but this year, I think I will MAKE them. Check out how stinkin’ cute these are! Scrabble Tile Christmas Ornament from I Choose Joy! 9. I’m one of those moms who takes the easy way out and buys the expensive Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar each year but I REALLY WISH I could make the switch to something like this Simple Christmas Family Traditions: An Advent Tree from Whole Child Homeschool! 10. Here’s another SUPER CUTE handmade ornament to hang on your tree this year! Handprint Candy Cane Ornament from Homegrown Motherhood 11. If you live in a cold-weather climate, here are some great ideas for how you can STILL get your family outside! Outdoor Christmas Activities for the Whole Family from An Off Grid Life 12. I collect nativities, and they’re not always cheap nor CHILD-FRIENDLY, so I really wish I had known of this option when my kid was little! Nativity Set for Kids to Make and Play With from Orison Orchards 13. If you love all of the creative and clever ideas to make the holidays happy and bright but you are short on TIME, check out this great list of Simple Christmas Activities for Busy Working Homeschool Moms from Thrive at Home! 14. How about THIS for an original yet meaningful craft!?!?!? How to make a fork painted manger set from Our Crazy Adventures In Autismland 15. Again with the TOO CUTE nativities! This one is not only cute, it’s easy to make and you probably have every single item sitting in your craft tub right now! Heart Nativity Paper Craft from My Joy-Filled Life

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