The December Crafts are of the "PR" Variety (Pretzels and Reindeer Activities)!

Pretzels are great for relieving stress (that crunchy chewing) and can be a great addition to your classroom activities for December (or any month)!  The standard thin pretzels are great for teaching spelling words or alphabet letters, as well as working on pincher grasp and controlling hand strength.  Give the child some pretzels and ask them to break them into letters (straight pretzel sticks are great for forming the stick letters).  This involves motor planning and tends to reinforce the concepts of  letter formation and recognition.  The letters/words can be eaten after the task, or glued onto construction paper or cardboard and saved for a name plate or bulletin board art work.

Reindeer Ornament




Materials Needed:

Thread covered 2" Styrofoam ornament
Googly eyes (you can vary the size)
Felt or craft foam (cut into antlers and triangle ears)
1" pom-pom
1/4 or 1/2" pom-pom
4" piece of garland
Tacky glue
Q-Tip to apply tacky glue


Directions:

1.  Put glue on bottom of ornament and coil garland onto glue to form base (neck) of reindeer.
2.  Glue googly eyes in place.
3.  Glue 1" pom-pom where nose would go.
4.  Glue smaller pom-pom onto 1" pom-pom for tip of nose.
5.  Fold last 1/4 inch of antlers and ears and glue these "tabs" where the antlers and ears would go.
6.  Let dry.  These can be used as place cards  or table decorations, or add a ribbon to hang the ornament.

Pretzel Wreath




Materials Needed:

Waxed paper
Magic Marker
Thick Pretzels
44"- 46" length of ribbon
Tacky Glue

Directions:

1.  Draw a 6" circle on a piece of waxed paper with the magic marker.
2.  Lay pretzels down with rounded edges to the outside (double loop side to the inside).  This should take 7 pretzels and will make an 8" wreath. Make sure that the sides of the pretzels touch one another.
3.  Use tacky glue and glue the pretzels together letting the glue drip down between the pretzels.  Let dry for 24 hours.  (The glue will dry clear).
4.  Weave ribbon length in and out of the double loops of the pretzels and tie ends into a bow.
5. Hang.  (After the holidays, if you hang the wreath outside the birds will enjoy the pretzels as a great winter treat)!
*  To send home, have the children bring in an empty medium size pizza box.  Line with tissue paper, lay in wreath, close and send home.  The boxes can be painted with tempera and decorated if desired!