Christmas

There are many literature options for elementary aged children. Picture books are wonderful at providing opportunities to teach history in creative ways, especially with food connections. This page will explore resources and suggestions for Christmas books and activities.

//Pretzels by the Dozen// by Angela Elwell Hunt

This is a wonderful story that depicts the history of the pretzel through beautiful pictures and short poems. It provides pieces of history that open doorways to explore various countries, holidays and time periods. I place this under Christmas but it also discusses Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. The story is also told with numbers starting each poem so you get a great counting lesson also. A great pretzel recipe is included. It would require some preparation as the dough has to rise but the students could easily learn how to shape the dough and enjoy the yummy treat.

//*there are some religious references which are great history lessons but some content may not be allowed in public schools*//

//Christmas Foods: A world of recipes// by Jenny Vaughan and Penny Beauchamp

This book is for children grades 3-7 and simply and briefly discusses ways people in different countries celebrate Christmas. It talks about traditional Christmas food, lists common ingredients and gives simple instructions for how to make those foods. Children who are interested in how people in other places live would love this book and it can be used as a great tool to show kids how children around the world celebrate Christmas and different kinds of food they eat. [|**Christmas Stuff**] [|**Christmas Trivia**] [|**Christmas Shopping Tips**]

[|Creative Cooking]