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Hey friends! Welcome back to the Firstieland Podcast. I’m your host, Molly Schwab, and I have a quick episode today where we’re diving into a few ways to make your December morning meeting a little more jolly and magical. We’re going to talk about some games you can play, songs, different morning meeting greetings, and more. So let’s get started!

Morning meeting was always my favorite time of the day. I loved starting out on a positive note with my class. We’d gather together on the carpet and we’d always start our day with a greeting and a good morning song. We’d change them up occasionally, and in December I always liked to add a little holiday spirit.

So today I’ve got nine ideas that you can add to your morning meeting activities that will make it feel just a little more festive for the holiday season.

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Number one is to change up your morning meeting greetings. Kids love anytime you make your greeting a little more fun. The first one is called a Holiday High Five, and this one is really simple. The kids turn to a partner, give each other a high five, and say, “Ho, ho, ho—hello!” It’s a cute one and they love it.

Another one is to teach them Santa’s Secret Hello, which is to jump up and bump bellies and say, “Merry Christmas!” or “Ho, ho, ho!”

The next one is Melting Snowman. In this one, the kids say hello to the person across the circle from them and mimic a snowman melting to the ground as they say hello.

And the last idea is called Grateful Greetings, where kids say hello to the person to the right of them. After they say good morning, they tell that person one thing they’re grateful for that day.

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Okay, idea number two is to add some holiday-themed jokes to your morning meeting. We always had a joke of the day, and in December they were all about Christmas, snowmen, elves—whatever fit the season.

Here are a few examples:
Why did the Christmas tree go to the barber? Because it needed a trim!
What do you get if you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite!
And here’s one more—what do snowmen eat for breakfast? Frosted snowflakes!

Kids love when you tell them these silly jokes, and it’s so cute when you start hearing them repeat them to their friends on the playground or in the cafeteria.

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Idea number three: one of the things we always did during our morning meetings was have a Question of the Day. I had a little cup next to my chair at the carpet with popsicle sticks that had the kids’ names on them. When I did the question of the day, I’d call on two or three kids to answer each day.

In December, you can switch up your questions to be more holiday-themed. For instance, you might ask, “What’s your favorite thing about winter?” Or, “If you could invite one holiday character to dinner, who would it be and why?” They might choose from Santa, an elf, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, Frosty, the Abominable Snowman—whoever they can think of!

Another fun question is, “What’s your favorite thing to do on a snowy day?” Just switching up your questions a little in December to fit the season makes it a little more fun.

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Idea number four is to add a daily scavenger hunt to your morning meeting where kids have to search for a missing puzzle piece each day. You can have a special picture on your board, and every day the kids can add a missing puzzle piece. When it’s complete, it could reveal a prize they’ll earn when the puzzle is finished.

For instance, the picture could be a mug of hot chocolate, and when they find all the pieces, you can make a big crockpot of cocoa as a treat. Or maybe the picture is a bowl of popcorn, and once it’s complete, the kids get popcorn as a snack. It’s just something fun that builds anticipation for something exciting happening in December.

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My fifth idea is to add some holiday read-alouds to your morning meeting. You know I’m not going to let December slip by without suggesting picture books! Grab a cute basket, put a festive ribbon on it for the season, and fill it with your favorite December read-alouds. Read one each morning to your class—they’ll love it.

Holiday books are so magical. The kids will sit there and dream about Santa, the North Pole, or Frosty. Some of my favorites are How Santa Got His Job, The Polar Express, The Gingerbread Baby, Jolly Old Santa Claus, and Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree.

I have a whole list on my blog that you can check out at firstieland.com/decemberbooks
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Idea number six is to make a holiday word search on your board for the kids to do during morning meeting. You can make a word search with words like lights, snow, elf, present, Santa, or Rudolph, and then choose different students to come up and find the words.

Idea number seven is to have a Sight Word Snowball Fight. Write a bunch of sight words on individual sheets of paper ahead of time. During morning meeting, give each student a sheet, have them crumple it into a “snowball,” and when you say “Go!” they all throw them at once.

Then, everyone picks up a snowball, and as you go around the circle, they read their word. You can play a few rounds if you have time. They can crumple up a new word each round and toss it again. They’ll love it! It’s such a fun way to practice sight words—and you can even use it again for your January morning meeting.

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Number eight is to play North Pole Santa Says. Have the kids pretend to be elves while you play the role of Santa. Give them fun prompts like “Touch your pointy ears,” “Wrap a present,” or “Feed the reindeer.” It’s a festive twist on Simon Says and makes a great brain break or morning meeting game in December.

My last idea, number nine, is to add some holiday songs to your morning meeting. It feels like kids don’t really learn Christmas carols and holiday songs anymore.

I remember when I was a little girl, we had a record player in our living room. When my dad came home from work at Christmas time, we’d sit on the couch together with the record album cover that had all the lyrics, and we’d sing Christmas songs together. That’s how I learned all the words to every carol!

So, it’s fun to bring that back into your classroom. You can find adorable animated sing-along videos on YouTube, and your students will love joining in.

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So there you have it—nine ways you can add a little holiday magic to your December morning meeting. No prep. No fuss. Just a little extra fun.

If you want even more ideas, head over to my blog where I have 40 Awesome Ideas for Your December Morning Meeting at firstieland.com/decembermeeting
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Okay friends, I hope you got a few fun ideas this week. Until next time, remember to make learning feel like play. See you next week!

Thanks so much for tuning in! I hope you’re walking away with some great tips you can use right away. Be sure to hit the follow or subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love it if you’d leave a review.

You can find the show notes and links for everything mentioned in this episode at firstieland.com
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See you next week in Firstieland!