Reposting this Holiday Calendar from last year!
Direct Link to the calendar is https://www.pafa.net/holidays/index.htm
(from 2017 post)Â
I wasn’t planning to do anything for Hour of Code this year, but today I found a fun holiday calendar project to tinker with and I managed to tweak the code to make it work! Reassurance that my coding brain cells are still vaguely intact. (Thanks to Mita Williams for mentioning her calendar from a few years ago.)
So I’ve created Cool Tools Holiday Calendar of fun winter holiday activities and things I’m finding for our Cool Tools for School Workshop. I’ll need to catch up, it’s already December 12! I’ll list all the content here too and update as the month goes along.
Day 1 – Santa Letter from Big Huge Labs
Big Huge Labs has a template to fill out that will create a personalized printable letter from Santa. You can also type your own letter as well. Explore lots of other great creative projects while you’re there.
Day 2 – End of Year Sharalike Video
Gather up your favorite photos from the year and set them to music for a slideshow video to share with family and friends. Upload your photos and videos, then choose from a limited number of slide show styles and transitions speeds. Music can also be added. Key feature is its simplicity. Free. (iPad, Android, Web)  TIP: If you need images with captions or other text, use Google Slides or Powerpoint first to add text and other effects to your photos. Then save/export the slides as regular jpg files to use in your Sharalike video.
Day 3 – Create a Snowman with Google Slides
What a fun way to build a snowman. Write a message, then take a screenshot to email your pictures to a friend. Or how about printing it out as a holiday card. Clever use of Google slides! You could create projects like this for other holidays and activities.
Day 4 – Emojify the Holidays
Create an emoji and learn a bit of coding with Made With Code’s Emojify the Holiday project. Explore the whole collection of coding projects.
Day 5 – Storybird Poetry
Choose a piece of artwork from Storybird’s beautiful collection and create your own poem inspired by artwork, refrigerator magnet style.
Day 6 – Peace Crane Project
Learn to fold origami peace cranes and learn the meaning of the Peace Crane project. Printable coloring pages for younger kids. Sign up your classroom or group to participate in a crane exchange with another student group. Lots of global connection possibilities here.Use your cranes to decorate packages, create greeting cards or string a bunch together to decorate for the holidays.
Day 7 -Â Empathy Books for Kids Widget
Books for kids on Empathy, Diversity and the Immigrant Experience. Use this LibraryThing book widget on your own website. If you have a librarything account, try your had at creating your own book widget.
Day 8 – Google Slides Holiday Cards
Choose from a selection of colorful holiday card designs. Then customize them and download for sharing and printing.
Day 9 – Light Up Christmas CardsÂ
Make Rudolph’s nose light up! Or light up a Christmas tree with these fun paper circuit holiday card templates. Copper tape circuit supplies are available through Amazon and maybe your local craft stores.
Day 10 – Day by Day Early Literacy Calendars
A daily selection of early literacy resources for families. Spanish and English versions.
Day 11 – Google Santa Tracker
Learn about holiday traditions, play games, some simple fun coding games. And of course, the Santa Tracker on Dec 24.
Day 12 – Paper Circuit Menorah
What a cool science project! Create your own light-up menorah with copper tape circuits. Copper tape circuit supplies are available through Amazon and maybe your local craft stores.
Day 13 – Dreidel Launcher
Not getting enough spin on your dreidel? Make this simple launcher and watch it spin, spin, spin.
Day 14 -Â Polar Express Activity Calendar
25 Days of The Polar Express: a variety of fun Polar Express-themed games and activities for every day in December up to the 25th!
Day 15 – Winter Magnetic Poetry
Have fun with Winter Magnetic Poetry created with Google Slides. Just click on the USE TEMPLATE button at top right to make your own copy of it. Move the words around on Slide 1, check slides 2 and 3 for word lists. Thanks to Kasey Bell of Shake Up Learning for this fun activity. I bet you can figure out how to make one of your own with different words and a different scene!
Day 16 – Holiday Lights
Have fun decorating the houses with colorful twinkling lights.
Day 17 – Hanukkah Word Search
Choice of an easy (small) or hard (big) word search puzzle.
Day 18 – #K2CanToo Holiday Creative Fun Collection
“Looking for some fun holiday activity options for your little learners in these last days before vacation? Check out this Holiday Fun Collection designed with young students in mind!” from Susan Stewart
Day 19 – 30 Apps to Spread and Enjoy Some Holiday Cheer
Check out all the fun apps that Shelly Terrell has gathered in this post. Creating gifts, augmented reality, holiday fun and games, and more!
Day 20 – Holiday Lights Writing
Scroll down to the bottom of Eric Curts’ fun holiday post to find the directions for making your Google Doc text light up with holiday colors! How to spice up your family holiday letter! 🙂
Day 21 – Holiday Photo Ornament
 A quick and easy last minute craft project for kids. Perfect little giftie for grandparents. (And your great-auntie as well! That would be me!)
Day 22 – Star Wars Snowflakes
Print out these intricate patterns and may the force be with you.
Day 23 – Pixabay Puzzle eCards
Pick one of Pixabay’s colorful holiday images and select how many puzzle pieces you want. Write a message on the back of the puzzle, then share the link with your friends and family. When they solve the puzzle, they can read your greeting.
Day 24 – Christmas Word Search
Choice of an easy (small) or hard (big) word search puzzle.
