Week two of Christmas Around the World had us looking at the tradition of the Christmas Tree.  According to my sources, the Christmas tree tradition originated in Germany, making it a perfect topic for Passport Pals! Here are the plans that I used:

Passport Pals: Christmas Around the World

The Christmas Tree

Play Christmas Around the World (Wiggles #7) while kids come in and let the kids join in with shakers.

Welcome to our second week of Christmas Around the World! Remember, we are all around the world this month. Can anyone say all 7 of the continents with me? Let’s do our Continent Cheer!

Continent Cheer (GGM #3)

Now, what do you think is in my suitcase this week? Suitcase: Christmas decorations, lights?, small tree? (I actually had a small Christmas tree that I hid behind a bookshelf. Then I put a note in the suitcase that said, “Look behind the bookshelf for a surprise!” I took the note out of the suitcase and read it to the kids, then looked behind the shelf and brought out the tiny Christmas tree, which I plugged into the wall and it was a part of our storytime for the day.)

Today we are going to talk about the CHRISTMAS TREE! This is a tradition that started in the country of Germany! (Find Germany on a map).

Read “O Christmas Tree!” by Ron Berry.

(This is a book that has a button that you can push and it plays the song. I  ordered this from another library and, when it came, I didn’t think the music would play when I pushed the button because a lot of times library copies get worn out quickly. Imagine my surprise when, not only did it play, but it played very loudly!!!  So there I was, sitting at the Youth Services Desk in a library that (at this time) was pretty quiet with a book that was BLARING the song “O Christmas Tree!”  Anyway, the kids LOVED it when I pushed the button after reading it during Passport Pals and they all wanted a turn pushing the button. I eventually had to hide the book because I had kids come up during the rest of storytime and push the button to start the song!  Let’s hope the copy that you get ahold of plays the song, too!!!)

Fingerplay: (I had five felt Christmas trees with velcro that I put up on the board. I then chose kids to come and take the Christmas trees away one at a time as I read the poem.)

5 little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their hearts were very sad
‘Cause they hadn’t found a home.
Then chop went the ax
And down fell a tree
And off he went with a happy family!
(continue from 4-1 Christmas Trees)
No little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their hearts were very happy
‘Cause they all found a home!!!

Read: Merry Christmas, Merry Crow by Kathi Appelt

Song: Decorate the Tree (Wiggles #12)

Read:  Christmas Cricket by Eve Bunting.

Craft: Make a Christmas tree craft.  Play Christmas Wiggles while they work.

The craft I did was a Christmas tree paper plate craft. I cut a paper plate into sections and then painted each section green ahead of time. Then the kids put the sections together to make a tree. I also had some colorful circles (ornaments), brown rectangles (for the bottom of the tree) and stars cut out that they were able to glue on the tree.

Stamp Passport