Holiday Celebrations In The Classroom!
Do you celebrate holidays in the classroom? Even the slightest celebration? I know all schools and districts have different policies about celebrations and that is okay. I do believe, whether you are allowed to celebrate or not, teaching about the holiday is an important skill! Today I am talking about holiday celebrations in the classroom.
Tips for a Successful Celebration
Here are a few tips to help you address holiday celebrations in the classroom.
- Introduce the holiday BEFORE the holiday. It seems obvious and simple enough, but we all know how busy it gets and how days pass by! When I was in the classroom I was able to successfully remember to introduce the holiday ONLY because I had some social stories ready to go. I could think about it the day before, open the file or bin and BAM, I’m prepared! I would either 1) project the story on my smart board and introduce the holiday or 2) read the social story book to the whole class/small group during work centers.
- Start the holiday day off with a little something special during Morning Meeting. I always started my day off with morning meeting because it allowed for announcements and any pre-teaching skills needed to help my kids throughout the day, whether it be a holiday, assembly day or field trip day.
- Incorporate some fun holiday activities into your academic work centers. Just because it is fun, it does not mean it is not academic!
- Facilitate communication activities around the holiday traditions to build natural communication skills in a fun one! Talking is talking, no matter what they are talking about!
I will be creating a blog series for holidays in the classroom to share some fun holiday activities throughout the year. This will hopefully make holidays in the classroom fun, easy and successful in the classroom as well as cut down on the prep work/thinking on your end! I will be sharing some of my favorite videos, songs, crafts, communication activities, sensory activities and much more. I will have a blog post here for you one month before each holiday to give you time to plan and prep as needed! Be sure to come back and check in for some fun holiday planning!
Resources to Help With Holiday Celebrations
Want to get some prep work done ahead of time? You can grab the social story bundle at a discounted price. Not sure if the format works for you? I have a FREE birthday social story bundle for you to try out, simply click HERE.
Grab your communication board for holidays ahead of time too to have your bundle prepped and ready to go! Not sure if the format works for you? You can grab a FREE birthday communication board here!
