Early Explorers began preparing for Christmas by learning about the story of St Nicholas (who is believed to be the same as Santa Claus in some countries) and talking about how December is a special month for giving and receiving – not just about presents but about giving kindness, our time, our attention to others etc.
They loved decorating the Christmas tree together, dancing and singing. They learnt about symbols and customs associated with Christmas and about why people go to church – to remember a special baby called Jesus.
They learnt vocabulary associated with this festival and played games with letter sounds to spell these words. Everyone in Early Explorers was very enthusiastic about the story for their show with Rainbows – The Magic of Christmas – and they chose their own characters: trees, family members, narrators, candy canes, Father Frost and St Nicholas. December was also a month with lots of crafts – they made a St Nicholas craft, candy canes, snowflakes, Christmas trees, angels and Christmas cards.
