Step into the enchanting world of December in your first-grade classroom! This magical time of the year calls for a sprinkle of holiday spirit during your Christmas morning meeting activities. There are seven components to morning meeting and these creative and engaging ideas will make your December morning meeting activities more joyful and fun!
In this post, we'll dive into 4 areas of the December morning meeting — Activities, Greetings, Joke of the Day, and Question of the Day—highlighting how these moments can contribute to a joyful learning experience during this special time of year.
Christmas Morning Meeting Activities
Welcoming December into the first-grade classroom is an opportunity to infuse the daily routine with the magic of the holiday season. The December morning meeting is a great time to foster a sense of community, joy, and engagement among young learners. As the winter winds bring in the festive spirit, incorporating creative and themed activities into the morning routine becomes a powerful tool for educators. Changing up your morning meeting and incorporating holiday-themed activities is the perfect way to get kids engaged and excited about the day!
1. Christmas Tree Craft Extravaganza
Add a collaborative Christmas tree to your December and Christmas morning meeting activities. Each day, add a new ornament or decoration crafted by your students, transforming your classroom into a winter wonderland that celebrates togetherness.
2. Interactive Whiteboard Wonderland
Transform your interactive whiteboard into a holiday hub with ready-to-go Google slides featuring festive questions, interactive games, and engaging activities. Your students will look forward to these morning meeting slides activities and the routine will help keep excited students under control.
3. Morning Message Magic
Set a cheerful tone for the day with holiday-themed morning messages that create a sense of excitement and anticipation. The month of December is a great time to add a message from your classroom elf or even Santa Claus! Are your students starting to get out of control? Have a special message from the big man in the red suit reminding them that he's always watching.
4. Scavenger Hunt Spectacular
Add an adventurous twist with holiday-themed scavenger hunts, promoting critical thinking and teamwork. A fun idea is to have a special holiday puzzle that you add a piece to each day. Hide a puzzle piece in the classroom each day and let your students search for it when they enter the room in the morning. Whoever finds it, can have the fun of adding it to the puzzle. When it's complete, enjoy a special treat with your class. Fun activities like this will become some of your favorite December traditions!
5. Holiday Read-Aloud Adventure
Add some Christmas story read-alouds to your December morning meeting. One of our classroom favorites is The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Take your class on a journey aboard the Polar Express, integrating excerpts from the book, clips from the movie, and discussions related to this beloved holiday tale. Make it a themed morning filled with the magic of the North Pole.
CLICK HERE FOR DECEMBER MORNING MEETING SLIDES6. Word Challenges Extravaganza
Engage students with word challenges that incorporate festive vocabulary and holiday-themed word searches or crossword puzzles. Turn your morning meeting educational by making a holiday word search on the board. You can include words like Christmas, lights, Santa, elf, Mrs Claus, and present. Students can help you circle the words they find during your daily morning meeting. Fun classroom games like this can add excitement to your morning meeting time and build your classroom community.
7. Sight Word Snowball Fight
Spice up sight word practice with a snowball fight. Write sight words on paper snowballs and have each student crumple their paper. Then have them toss the snowballs at each other. Students can then open the snowball and read their words. This is a great way to get some practice reading while creating a lively and interactive winter-themed activity that adds a fun twist to learning.
8. Christmas Simon Says
Enjoy a game of Simon Says with a holiday twist called Santa Says. Have your students pretend to be Santa's elves and give them prompts such as Santa Says touch your ears or Santa says to wrap a present. If you don't have time during your Christmas morning meeting time, you can even do activities like this as a brain break throughout the day for a little extra holiday fun.
9. DIY Holiday Cards
One of the best Christmas activities to cultivate kindness and creativity is to have students create their own holiday cards. Whether for classmates, family, or friends, this simple craft spreads holiday joy and teaches the importance of giving, making it a much-anticipated and fun activity. This is also the perfect time to create a special card for a caregiver that students can give to them on Christmas day.
10. Sing Holiday Songs
Embrace the joy of the season by incorporating festive songs into your morning meeting. Singing together promotes a sense of togetherness and celebration, creating a fun and lively atmosphere. Take your class around the building and go caroling to the other classrooms in kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade. Christmas caroling is always a favorite part of our holiday activities each year.
December Morning Meeting Greetings
In the heart of December, the morning meeting greetings in a first-grade classroom take on a special significance, setting the tone for each day with warmth, connection, and festive cheer. Beyond the traditional exchange of greetings, incorporating holiday-themed interactions becomes a powerful tool for teachers to create a positive and inviting atmosphere while helping students improve their social skills.
Unique greetings, from high-fives adorned with holiday wishes to secret handshakes with a festive twist, serve as more than just daily routines—they become moments of shared joy and community building. In this section, we'll delve into the importance of these December morning meeting greetings, exploring how they contribute to a sense of togetherness and cultivate a positive classroom environment.
11. Holiday High-Five
Start your day in a fun way by having students greet each other with holiday high-fives and saying “Ho, Ho, Ho!” This simple act becomes a fun way to foster a sense of community and excitement.
12. Jingle Bell Joviality
Add a delightful and festive touch to greetings by providing each student with a jingle bell. Encourage them to give it a gentle shake as they greet each other, creating a fun atmosphere that sets the tone for the day.
13. Santa's Secret Handshake
Did you know that Santa's secret handshake is bumping bellies and saying “Merry Christmas!”? This morning meeting greeting is so much fun and a special activity that brings joy to each morning.
14. Gingerbread Greetings
Incorporate gingerbread-themed greetings by having students mimic the shape of a gingerbread person with their arms and running in place. Say together ” Good morning! Run, run as fast as you can. you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!”
15. Snowflake Salutations
Transform greetings into a magical experience by asking students to pretend they are delicate snowflakes. Gently twirling and spinning like falling snow as they say good morning to their friends, they create a wintry atmosphere that sets the stage for a fun and festive day.
CLICK HERE FOR DECEMBER MORNING MEETING SLIDES16. Reindeer Roundup
Turn your students into Santa's reindeer during greetings. Encourage them to make reindeer antlers with their hands and wiggle their fingers in a reindeer greeting.
17. Melting Snowman Greetings
Have students stand in a circle and pretend to melt to the ground while they say good morning to their friends.
18. Frosty the Snowman Fist Bump
Students become Frosty the Snowman during greetings, exchanging frosty fist bumps. Kids will love this and it's an awesome way to start the day.
19. Grateful Greetings
Incorporate a gratitude-themed greeting by having students share something they appreciate or are thankful for during the holiday season. This adds a meaningful and positive touch to the morning.
20. Santa Says… Greet!
Play a festive version of “Simon Says” called “Santa Says” during greetings. Santa can give instructions like, “Santa says give your neighbor a holiday high-five,” adding a playful and interactive element to greetings and utilizing your interactive whiteboard.
December Morning Meeting Joke Of The Day
Laughter, as they say, is the best medicine, and in the December morning meetings, the Joke of the Day takes center stage. Beyond being a moment of lightheartedness, incorporating cute and whimsical jokes into the morning routine serves a bigger purpose in a first-grade classroom. The Joke of the Day becomes a daily dose of fun that not only elicits giggles but also nurtures a positive classroom culture.
It's a playful means of promoting engagement, fostering camaraderie among students, and infusing the learning environment with the spirit of the holiday season. In this section, we'll explore why the December morning meeting joke of the day is more than just a moment of humor—it's a catalyst for building connections and creating lasting memories during this magical time of year. Here are 10 cute jokes to add to your Christmas morning meeting activities:
21. Why did the Christmas tree go to the barber?
- Because it needed a trim!
22. What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
- Snowflakes!
23. Why did the gingerbread man go to the doctor?
- He was feeling crumbly!
24. What do you get if you cross a snowman and a vampire?
- Frostbite!
25. What's Santa's favorite type of music?
- Wrap music!
26. What do elves use to take notes in school?
- Jingle bells!
27. Why did the Christmas cookie go to the doctor?
- It was feeling a bit crumby!
28. What do you call a snowman with a six-pack?
- An abdominal snowman!
29. Why was the snowman looking through the carrots?
- He was picking his nose!
30. What do you call an elf who sings?
- A wrapper!
December Morning Meeting Question Of The Day
As December unfolds in the first-grade classroom, the Question of the Day emerges as a valuable tool for creating curiosity, imagination, and meaningful connections among young learners. These carefully crafted questions serve as a gateway to a world of exploration, encouraging students to share their thoughts, dreams, and inspirations.
Your Christmas morning meeting question of the day will spark conversations, nurture a sense of community, and invite students to dive into their imaginations. In this section, we'll delve into the importance of the December Morning Meeting Question of the Day and how it fosters a dynamic and thoughtful learning environment in the December classroom.
31. If you were one of Santa's reindeer, what would your special talent be?
- This question encourages imaginative thinking and allows children to explore different roles within Santa's magical team.
32. What is your favorite thing about winter?
- Explore the joys of the season by asking about their favorite winter activities, whether it's building snowmen, drinking hot cocoa, or ice skating.
33. If you could design your own holiday cookie, what shape and flavor would it be?
- Stimulate creativity by letting children envision their own delicious holiday treats, sparking ideas for both shape and flavor.
34. What do you think your pet or favorite stuffed animal would ask Santa for this year?
- Encourage empathy and imaginative thinking by having children consider what their furry friends might wish for during the holiday season.
35. If you could invite any holiday character to your house for dinner, who would it be and why?
- Explore their favorite holiday characters and encourage them to think about what dinner with Santa, Rudolph, or Frosty might be like.
36. What's your favorite holiday tradition in your family?
- Foster a sense of sharing and community by allowing children to discuss their favorite holiday traditions, creating a sense of connection in the classroom.
37. If you could give a gift to someone in your family, what would it be and why?
- Promote the spirit of giving by encouraging children to think about meaningful gifts for their loved ones.
38. What is your favorite thing to do on a snowy day?
- Embrace the magic of winter by asking about their favorite snowy day activities, whether it's making snow angels, having snowball fights, or building forts.
39. If you could make it snow anything besides snowflakes, what would you choose?
- Spark creativity by allowing children to think outside the box and imagine a world where it snows something entirely different and fun.
40. If you were an elf in Santa's workshop, what job would you want to do?
- Encourage imaginative play and exploration of different roles by asking children to consider what job they would enjoy in Santa's bustling workshop.
If you're looking for a simple way to add a little holiday magic to your classroom, these December morning meeting activities, greetings, jokes, and questions will do the trick! And there's no need for you to search for the perfect activities. These editable December morning meeting slides have everything you need. All you have to do is pop the slide up on your board and you'll be ready to start building your classroom community this holiday season!
Click here to take a closer look at the December morning meeting Google slides.
Looking for other ideas that teachers will love? Click on each picture to check out these posts about morning meeting.
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