Twas The Night Before Christmas Homeschool Activities

Notice: rest_validate_value_from_schema was called incorrectly. The "type" schema keyword for list can only be one of the built-in types: array, object, string, number, integer, boolean, and null. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 5.5.0.) in /home4/sjmasek95/homeschoollounge.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5313

Notice: rest_validate_value_from_schema was called incorrectly. The "type" schema keyword for list can only be one of the built-in types: array, object, string, number, integer, boolean, and null. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 5.5.0.) in /home4/sjmasek95/homeschoollounge.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5313

Notice: rest_validate_value_from_schema was called incorrectly. The "type" schema keyword for list can only be one of the built-in types: array, object, string, number, integer, boolean, and null. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 5.5.0.) in /home4/sjmasek95/homeschoollounge.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5313

Notice: rest_validate_value_from_schema was called incorrectly. The "type" schema keyword for list can only be one of the built-in types: array, object, string, number, integer, boolean, and null. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 5.5.0.) in /home4/sjmasek95/homeschoollounge.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5313

Notice: rest_validate_value_from_schema was called incorrectly. The "type" schema keyword for list can only be one of the built-in types: array, object, string, number, integer, boolean, and null. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 5.5.0.) in /home4/sjmasek95/homeschoollounge.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5313

Notice: rest_validate_value_from_schema was called incorrectly. The "type" schema keyword for list can only be one of the built-in types: array, object, string, number, integer, boolean, and null. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 5.5.0.) in /home4/sjmasek95/homeschoollounge.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5313

One of our most favorite Christmas stories is “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. It's about the hope that Santa Claus will come with his reindeer and place toys and goodies under the tree. The boys would try their very best to be extra good starting right after Thanksgiving dinner.

Clement Clark penned this famous poem to amuse his children. He first called it “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”. A friend made a copy and sent it to the Troy Sentinel, based in New York. Many other writers claimed it as their since the copy was not signed!

But as it became more and more popular Clark stepped up and acknowledged it as his work. Children ever since have fallen in love with the figure of the plump, bearded, red-suited St. Nicholas we know today.

I rounded up some excellent learning resources and homeschool activities to teach your children while you enjoy the many ways this poem has been used since it was written.

Goals and Objectives

It's Christmastime but if you must, include these things to learn in your lesson plan:

Identify descriptive details in the poem

After reading the story to your child, ask them what words painted a picture in their head. You're looking to see how many of these they can recall:

Write a news story about the events in the poem

Help the children pretend to be news reporters sent to do a live report at the scene of the crime. Use the following grid to complete the short story. Choose words, or phrases, to complete the sentences. Remember, just the facts, please!

1. On __________ ,
2. at the __________ household,
3. a man known as __________
4. arrived in a __________
5. pulled by eight tiny __________.
6. St. Nick was described as __________,
7. with __________
8. and __________.
9. He had come to the house to deliver __________.
10. The owner of the house, Mr. Moore, said St. Nick was very pleasant and as he drove away said, “__________.”

Supplements to The Lesson

Books To Read

There are beautifully illustrated books. And quite unexpected characters in some of the books. Below you will find the original lyrics to “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, though.

Use the poem for copywork! Here are all the words.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house 
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. 
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, 
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there. 
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, 
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their head. 
Mom in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, 
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap. 
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, 
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. 
Away to the window I flew like a flash, 
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. 
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow 
Gave a lustre of mid-day to objects below. 
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, 
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer. 
With a little old driver, so lively and quick, 
Well I knew in a moment it must be St Nick. 
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, 
And he whistled, and shouted, and he called them by name! 
"On, Dasher! O, Dancer! 
On, Prancer and Vixen! 
On, Comet! On, Cupid! 
On, Donner and Blitzen! 
To the top of the porch! 
To the top of the wall! 
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!" 
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, 
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. 
So up to the roof-top the coursers they flew, 
With the sleigh full of toys, and St Nicholas too. 
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof 
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. 
As I drew in my head, and was turning around, 
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound. 
He was dressed all in furs, from his head to his foot, 
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. 
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, 
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack. 
His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! 
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! 
His droll little mouth was drawn up in a bow, 
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. 
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, 
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. 
He had a broad face and a little round belly, 
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly! 
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, 
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! 
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, 
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. 
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, 
And he filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. 
And laying his finger to the side of his nose, 
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose! 
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, 
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. 
But I heard him exclaim, ‘as he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all, good-night!"

Videos to Watch

This is a cartoony, 3D'ish, version of the poem. And anything that comes out of Michael Buble's mouth is just going to be dreamy… uh! I mean, nice to listen to. Yeah.

Online Games to Play

Worksheets to Complete

CONCLUSION

The boys and I would take the entire month of December off as our Christmas vacation. There was just too much to do! There was charity work, and cleaning, and baking, and present buying, and eating, and so on. But I did find a way to sneak some learning into each day.

All About Spelling: A Complete Review (with videos)

Three Little Kittens Activities

9 Tips for Teaching an Older Child to Read – when nothing seems to be working

One Two Buckle My Shoe Activities