Christmas Card Writing Center

Christmas cards are definitely a fading trend but they make a super fun and engaging center for kids of many ages!

First you need some Christmas cards!  Each year about this time I start requesting old holiday cards from my students.  Maybe they saved the cards from last year and I definitely want them to save this years cards for me so I can use them with next year's students. Here is a flyer to get those cards collected for next year.  (I also hit all my family up to save their cards.  I can usually get about 100 from just them along.)

Then when I have my cards I pull and Auntie Terri and I cut the back part of the card off.  Basically - I cut along the fold and throw the part with the saying away.  Students then will write on the back of the cards.

I will put these in a writing center and allow my students to pick one card during their session at that center. They can make a card for a friend, a family member, or whomever.  I will give them writing prompts such as "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas."

When you are collecting cards there are a few things I have learned to watch for.  First, take anything with any religious meanings out.  Even if the students select it, I am not comfortable sending those home from school because I am providing them with the students.  Second, the brighter the colors, the cuter the card, the more likely is a student will select it.

I like to save one card for each student to use for our parent gifts.  This makes wrapping SUPER easy.  Students just pick the card they like and I staple it to the brown lunch bag.  No decorating needed!

Both the flyer and the prompts for the back of the cards are in my Simply Kinder Random Freebie Files!