Making wreaths

There are about a thousand ways for the kids to make Christmas wreaths in preschool.  Each one has different learning objectives involved and can help teach and scaffold different skills.  I knew I wanted the kids to make one - but I wasn't sure which one.  In the end I decided that I wanted this activity to have creativity, problem solving (it took a lot of glue in just the right places), but above all else I wanted this activity to be exciting and feel "real".  I wanted them to create a "real" Christmas decoration.

I bouth a long garland at the dollar store, I cut it into 7 pieces.  The children made them into circles and wrapped the wires together at the top.  I had bought a bunch of christmas flowers at the dollar store and had cut the flowers, leaves, and berries off with wire cutters (next year I want to add pine cones).  I had done a "test run" the previous week, I wanted to know if Elmer's glue would hold the decorations onto the wreath.  I found out that it did - you just had to add a lot.  I love talking to the chirlen about how to decide when to use a lot of glue and when to use just a little, when you need a puddle, and when you need a line, or just a dot.  Becasue they are all apporopriate, but all at different times. 

They loved creating their wreathes, and they all came out different and unique.  Some made patterns, some used the same flower for the whole wreath, some covered the whole thing, some only covered the top or the bottom.  They could not wait to take them home and hang them on their door.  I hope my parents keep them and put them up every year - I know i am keeping my girls'.

Note: They took about 24 hours to dry.  The next day I shook them around a little and if anything was loose I fixed it with a hot glue gun.