Joyful Learning: Christmas Activities at Our Preschool in Colorado Springs

The Christmas holiday season is such a magical time at our Preschool in Colorado Springs. From decorating our classrooms with lights and garlands to doing fun Christmas-themed activities, our students get into the holiday spirit while continuing to learn and grow. In this blog, we will highlight some of the joyful Christmas activities we did at our preschool this December. 

Decorating Our Classrooms 

One of the first things we did to kick off the Christmas season was decorating our preschool classrooms. The toddlers, pre-k students, and teachers all worked together to: 

• Put up strings of colorful Christmas lights around the rooms 
• Hang stockings on our bulletin boards with each student’s name 
• Make paper snowflake decorations to tape up on the windows 
• Build miniature Christmas trees out of craft supplies to display student art projects

It was so sweet to see the kids proudly show their parents around our festive classrooms during drop-off and pickup. They literally lit up seeing their creations displayed for all to enjoy. 

Making Ornaments 

Ornament-making has become a beloved annual tradition at our Preschool. This year, some of the Christmas crafts our students made included: 

Snowman Ornaments 

Our two-year-olds had fun making these snowman ornaments out of basic craft supplies: 

• White paint and clear plastic balls to create the snowman’s head 
• Orange triangle cut-outs for the nose 
• Black buttons glued on for the mouth and eyes 
• A red or green ribbon to hang the ornament 

As teachers helped guide the process, the toddlers learned about shapes and colors while unleashing their creativity in decorating their snowmen. 

Popsicle Stick Frame Ornaments 

Our pre-k students challenged their fine motor skills to make precious family photo ornaments. Using popsicle sticks, glue, and a bit of glitter, they created mini frames to hold their favorite family photos. These special keepsakes now hang proudly on the families’ Christmas trees.  

Tasty Treats for the Holidays 

In addition to making ornaments, our kids had fun enjoying some tasty holiday treats to eat at our Christmas celebration. Throughout these holidays, we offered tasty treats to our kids. Some of these delights include:  

• The North Pole Breakfast Cereal was a big hit – it featured colorful fruit loops mixed with marshmallows and milk to create a sweet and festive breakfast treat.  
• Emily’s Spaghetti provided a savory option, made with noodles, vegetables, and elf juice instead of tomato sauce.  
• And you can’t have a proper Christmas party without cookies – our swirly twirly yogurt cup cookies were decorated with sprinkles and icing to look like Santa hats and Christmas trees. 

With the yummy cuisine, it’s no wonder everyone left with full bellies and big smiles! 

Crafting Up Some Holiday Cheer 

In the week leading up to our Christmas sing-along, students worked on creating some festive crafts as part of their daily lessons. 

Painted Wine Glasses 

Our four-year-olds practiced holding a paintbrush properly to decorate red and green wine glasses for their parents. This physical activity worked on their fine motor control and dexterity.  

• Supplies: wine glasses, red/green paint, paint brushes, stickers 
• Skills learned: fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, dexterity, grip 

Decorative Coasters 

The students folded colored construction paper into four squares and used scissors to trim the edges to make Christmas trees, snowflakes, and star-shaped coasters. We laminated them so families can use them year after year! 

• Supplies: construction paper, child safety scissors, laminator 
• Skills learned: shape recognition, cutting, following instructions

Our Annual Christmas Sing-Along  

The highlight of December at our preschool is always our special Christmas sing-along event. Teachers and students do musical performances together. Every year, we pick famous Christmas kids’ songs, and everyone stands up to sing together. After these special musical performances, the children had a special visit from you-know-who…Santa Claus! 

A Visit from Santa Claus 

Once the performances finished, we dimmed the lights and jingled sleigh bells to announce a surprise guest. Ho, ho, ho! In walked Santa Claus to speak to the children and give them a small early Christmas gift as a thank you for doing such great sing-along performances. 

The looks of joy and wonder in the children’s eyes reminded all parents and teachers why the holiday season is so magical, especially for little ones. Santa visited and congratulated each classroom, wishing everyone a very merry Christmas before dashing off to finish preparations for the big night! 

Dressing Up on Grinch Day 

During December’s cheerful activities, our preschool held a delightful “Grinch Day” event where students dressed up as characters from the classic Dr. Seuss book. Some students embodied the Grinch by wearing all-green outfits and crazy hair. We had a few Cindy Lou Who lookalikes in sparkly dresses and matching hairdos.  

One toddler came as the adorable Max the Dog, complete with a Santa hat. And many kids showed up in colorful Christmas pajamas just like the sweet Who-ville residents. Also, there was a day when children wore jammies in which they looked super cute.  

The smiles and laughter during the costume parade down the halls were priceless. We are so pleased Grinch Day was a hit this year. Seeing the kids dress up and take part in holiday fun is now one of our favorite preschool traditions!  

Reading Christmas Stories 

In the days leading up to our winter break, teachers read a variety of Christmas-themed stories to the students. In addition to classic tales like “The Night Before Christmas,” we try to incorporate other messages and traditions. 

The teachers supplement these read-alouds with lessons about vocabulary words, guided discussions on the themes, and related coloring sheets or puzzles to enhance comprehension.  

Christmas Fun and Games 

On the last few days before our winter break, we organized several holiday-themed games and activities to let the children have festive fun with their classmates. 

Snowball Fight 

The students wadded up white yarn into balls and divided into teams for a silly indoor snowball fight! Instead of throwing them, each child had to race across while balancing their snowball on a little plastic sled. Laughter filled the classroom, taking the edge off before the big break. 

Find the Elf  

Teachers hid a mini plastic elf around the classroom and created clues for students to try to locate it. This encouraged them to work together while getting in some movement after all the holiday treats and excitement. 

Spreading Holiday Cheer – Donations for Struggling Families 

For the fifth year in a row, our preschool partnered with the Colorado Springs Christmas Tree Project (CSCTP) to help spread cheer to less fortunate families during the holidays. CSCTP donates Christmas trees to struggling families not just in Colorado Springs but all over the state. 

In the spirit of giving, our kids worked together to create over 700 handmade ornaments to donate to these families. Teachers guided the students in transforming craft supplies into cheerful decorations like snowflakes, paper Christmas trees, etc. The delighted faces of students putting the finishing touches on each unique ornament was truly heartwarming. 

We strive to teach young children the importance of kindness and generosity through community service projects like this. Partnering with the CSCTP allows our students to experience the intrinsic rewards that come from creating something with their own hands for someone else. We hope the handmade ornaments help spread some holiday magic and cheer to Colorado families facing hardship this Christmas season. 

Farewell Party  

On the final day before winter break, we ended our Christmas fun with a mini farewell party for the students. We served hot chocolate and holiday cookies, and students exchanged custom holiday cards. 

It was a wonderfully festive way for all the students to celebrate the season and enjoy one last holiday hoorah before saying goodbye for winter break! 

As you can see, December was filled with so much Christmas fun and learning here at our preschool. Our staff aims to make it a truly joyful life experience for the students, getting them excited about the magic of the season. We look forward to dreaming up even more festive activities for the next holiday season! 

Call Young Scholars Academy 

See firsthand the engaging, cultural holiday fun we create at Young Scholars Academy in Colorado Springs. Schedule a tour at our award-winning early learning center today!  

Give your child the gift of hands-on, playful learning this Christmas season. Enroll now!  

Frequently Asked Questions 

How long has your preschool been serving families in Colorado Springs? 

As one of the best preschools Colorado Springs has to offer, our preschool has been proudly educating kids in the Colorado Springs community since first opening our doors in 1995. We have built longstanding relationships with local families during that time. 

What fun activities do students participate in at your preschool program in Colorado Springs? 

At our top Colorado Springs preschool, children enjoy various fun activities. For instance, we offer art, language lessons, holiday events, sports lessons, and play at outdoor playgrounds. We aim to provide a well-rounded early childhood education experience. We keep our students engaged in joyful learning all year long. 

Why should parents consider your preschool the best option among preschools in Colorado Springs? 

Parents looking for premium preschools in Colorado Springs for their kids should consider our preschool. We offer low student-teacher ratios, a custom curriculum focused on hands-on learning, qualified and trained teaching staff, and an inclusive environment. 

What fine motor skills do the preschoolers practice when they paint wine glasses and make coasters? 

The preschoolers work on properly holding paintbrushes and controlling brush strokes as they paint wine glasses. Making shaped coasters allows the children to use scissors to improve their skills. 

What Christmas story books can preschool teachers read to teach important holiday lessons? 

The teachers can read stories like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to teach about holiday values beyond materialism.  Likewise, other cultural books about Christmas festivals can be discussed with kids to make them aware of the importance of this festive event.