Our Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments from around the world. Some presents are already under the tree. I’ve been busy baking Christmas cookies and plan to bake some more today. Why? On Christmas Eve, we always leave cookies and milk for Santa.
Even though our children are grown up, we continue to believe in the magic of Christmas. This is one of the traditions that lingers in our lives.
So, here’s the song I wrote to celebrate this.
It’s to the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. To thank you for your support through the years, I’m including a complimentary music track of this song from my CD entitled Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays.
Here are some suggestions for movements for this song.
Santa’s Cookies and Milk Words by Kathleen Kampa and Charles Vilina
Spoken: Dear Santa, Welcome to my house. I’ve been very good this year.
Sung: Have some cookies. (gesture with one hand to the side)
Have some milk. (gesture with the other hand)
Christmas cookies and a glass of milk. (Twist hands like twinkling Christmas stars for the words “Christmas cookies” and then make the shape of a glass for the word “milk.”)
Eat the cookies. 1-2-3 (gesture eating cookies, then fingers 1-2-3)
Drink the milk. It’s from me. (gesture drinking milk, then point to self)
Have some cookies. (gesture with one hand to the side)
Have some milk. (gesture with the other hand)
Christmas cookies and a glass of milk. (Twist hands like twinkling Christmas stars for the words “Christmas cookies” and then make the shape of a glass for the word “milk.”)
Spoken: Thanks Santa! Have a good night! Good-bye!
For more tips on performances, see this blog post.
Music and movement are one way for students to learn new words and phrases in English. Art projects are another way.
Yoko Matsui created this simple project for her students. They made plates with cookies and milk. Your students could write a little note, too.
If you’re looking for more craft ideas for Christmas, I’ve gathered a bunch of them on my Pinterest page for Christmas.
We wish you all the best for Christmas and throughout the year from our family to yours. May the magic of Christmas remain in your hearts.
Kathy Kampa is a passionate educator of young learners. She seeks to nurture children’s imaginations and spark creativity through fun and engaging activities. Kathy believes that music and movement should be a part of every young child’s learning.
Kathy is the co-author of Magic Time, Everybody Up, Oxford Discover, Beehive and Buzz (published by Oxford University Press). She has taught young learners in Tokyo, Japan for over 30 years. Kathy is also active as a teacher trainer, inspiring teachers around the world. She has currently returned to her home state of Minnesota in the US.