December – It’s Cold Out There!

Are you looking for something fun and educational to do at home?
Check out these library recommended STEAM activities, programs, podcasts and more! Click the links to visit activities and books.

Mitten Tree Day – Dec 6th

Activities:

Great Gloves and Marvelous Mittens: A STEM Challenge – School Aged Mitten Warmth Experiment – Pre-K The Mitten Tree – Book Activities – School Aged

Books to Read:

The Mitten – A Ukrainian Folktale – Brett, Jan Snowy Mittens – Grant, Shauntay The Mitten Tree – Christiansen, Candice

Mitten Tree Day:

Mitten Tree Day is a great holiday for school aged children. Mittens are the central theme of the day. Classroom activities are centered around mittens. In art class, the students can draw pictures of colorful and decorative mittens. Counting games are created for younger students using mittens. Teachers can educate children about how they are made.

International Children’s Day – Dec 10th

Activities:

I Am Remarkable Fingerprint Writing Activity – All Ages Celebrate Yourself – All Ages 12 Games for Kids to Play Alone – Elementary

Books to Read:

International Day of the Girl – Humphreys, Jessica Dee Book Fiesta! – Mora, Pat (Spanish) The 100th Day of School – DVD

International Children’s Day:

The second Sunday in December. This is a joint initiative between UNICEF and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It’s a day when broadcasters “tune in to kids”.

Activities:

Popsicle Stick LED Flashlight – Middle School Flashlight Constellations – Elementary Building a Flashlight – Middle School

Books to Read:

Flashlight – Boyd, Lizi Flashlight Night – Hasselbeck, Elisabeth Luminous – Things That Light Up the Night – Kuo, Julia

National Flashlight Day:

Don’t be left in the dark on National Flashlight Day. The basic requirement for this holiday, is a flashlight and good batteries. Flick the switch, and you can put anything into your spotlight. We’d like to shed a little light on this special day. National Flashlight Day arrives on Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day…and longest night…. of the year. “Watt” means, is that there’s lots and lots of darkness. With all of those dark hours, your flashlight is apt to get a good workout.

Make Cutout Snowflakes Days – Dec 27st

Activities:

Build a Snowflake – PreK Q-Tip Snowflakes – Ages 5 – 9 DIY Geoboard Snowflake Activity – Ages 7 – 11

Books to Read:

Snowflakes – Creative Paper Cutouts, by Higham, Cindy The Snowflake, by Davies, Benji The Secret Life of a Snowflake, by Libbrecht, Kenneth George

Make Cutout Snowflakes Day:

Here’s a day to show your crafty skills, as you make paper snowflakes. Cutting out snowflakes is a great project for kids. However, you don’t have to be a kid, to have fun making paper snowflakes. It’s a skill that is practiced by many people. They say no two snowflakes are alike. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, that there are seemingly countless different snowflake designs.

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