A Holiday Tradition & Mini Lesson
Photo by Chris Briggs on Unsplash
Many of you have a family tradition of going to the Nutcracker during the holiday season. This is a lovely tradition and often brings together generations to attend this enchanting ballet. I bring you a virtual mini-lesson to do in an afternoon with a hands-on activity lesson ideas, for the full unit lesson hit the button below! I have hunted and procured several sources to use as a jumping-off point for your holiday festivities this year. To get into the spirit of things, click on this audio and you are sure to be transported into the Nutcracker’s sugary, snow-flaked, land of the Sugar Plum Fairies.
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Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
The Nutcracker Ballet was inspired by the novella called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T. Hoffmann. Hoffmann was a German Romantic writer of fantasy and Gothic horror stories in Prussia, around the 1780s. His story ignites Tchaikovsky’s musical imagination and Marius Ivanovich Petipa's magical choreography into this famous holiday tradition celebrated today. Enjoy learning more about the History of the Nutcracker according to a great article written by BBC Culture.
Create
How about spending some time creating a fun DIY kit that you could make for yourself or give as a wonderful gift. The Nutcracker Ballet Play Dough Kit like this one or create a cut and paste a fun wintery Nutcracker scene using this PDF. If you sign up for my email list this month, I have a wonderful Nutcracker PDF gift for you to paint or color. As a subscriber, you automatically get this wonderful page to download and print as well!
Movie Watching
Spend an evening watching this movie from Amazon HERE or this one HERE
Read A Story
How about reading the story The Nutcracker for yourself? Here is a really fun idea, a book countdown like the one HERE but with different versions of the Nutcracker! Here is a couple to get you started HERE and HERE. The original story was called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King HERE and get the Amazon Kindle free version HERE
Eat, Drink, and be Merry
To honor this production’s Russian roots, get in the kitchen and make some Russian Tea Cake Cookies, which you can serve with Hot Russian Tea.
May you have a wonderful Christmas holiday and remember the true reason we celebrate Christmas!