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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.
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