Silver Bell Ornament ~ Book-Inspired & Kid-Made

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We combined one of my favorite Christmas picture books with a Silver Bell Ornament craft that was simple enough for my youngest preschoolers to make completely on their own, but intricate enough that my older kids wanted to join in too!



The Polar Express is a Christmas picture book that I still find magical -- every time I read it I feel like I'm inviting a little bit of Christmas sparkle into our storytime. This time, when I read it, I pulled out the "silver bell" ornament (that I made in advance) when we reached the part of the story where the main character sees the bells on the reindeer for the first time. When Santa gave the child a bell, we each took a turn ringing my bell ornament.

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When the story was over, we talked about why the bell was magical. I invited the kids to make their own "silver bell ornaments," and they all jumped at the chance!



I simply put out pipecleaners, beads, and a silver bell for each child, and they figured out their own design. Each kid-made ornament was a little different, which made them each feel a little special.



This is fantastic fine motor exercise too!


We had one insist that her "silver bell" was a bracelet:


Now, every time we read The Polar Express, each kiddo pulls out their own magic silver bell.  jingle! jingle!





We are sharing this book-based ornament craft as part of the 10 Days of a Kid-Made Christmas at Mama Miss! 


This is the 4th year Melissa's hosted the kid-made ornament celebration, and we are happy to join in! Hop on over there and check out the dozens and dozens of other book-based ornament ideas!

Other blogs sharing ideas today include Mama Miss, Adventures in Wunderland, Heart of Deborah, and Castle View Academy!




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Happy Educating,
Carla








I may share at any of these parties!




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