The beloved Christmas book, Mooseltoe, is a heartwarming classic written by Margie Palatini. It’s full of silly moments sure to elicit plenty of giggles from young readers. It also makes for a great book to use with a variety of engaging and interactive activities such as vocabulary cards, a cute craftivity, STEM challenges, literacy, or math activities. Infuse your Mooseltoe lessons with fun and plenty of learning opportunities with these 20 inventive and dynamic activities.
1. Math Coloring and Counting Activity
This color-by-number activity is a fun way to practice number recognition and coloring skills. The practice is based on a 120-number chart and rewards students with a cute picture when they finish.
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2. Mooseltoe Craftivity
Pair an entertaining activity with this compelling story! Students can make this fun craft using construction paper and glue before adding their own designs to the moose antlers. Finally, they can glue their finished moose and decorations to a piece of construction paper to showcase their unique works of art!
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3. Mooseltoe Writing
This adorable moose craft is perfect to incorporate with writing prompts or just to use with a free writing activity. This is a fun activity to use in a lesson that also incorporates creativity and self-expression. Students can enhance their creations with a string of yarn and some colorful paper Christmas ornaments as well.
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4. Problem and Solution Activity
Mooseltoe is a great option for teaching kids how to identify the problem and solution within a story of events. The solution found for the missing Christmas tree is a memorable and silly one, and sure to help kids grasp this important literacy concept.
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5. Connections to Text
Making connections with the text they are reading is an important literacy skill to cultivate. Making connections to other texts and to themselves is a great way for students to explore their own thoughts and connections to literature.
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6. STEM Activity
STEM activities are wonderful ways to make cross-curricular connections that allow students to make connections between literature and hands-on activities. This challenging STEM activity is a fun way for students to build as they progress through a process of problem-solving and critical thinking.
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7. Beginning, Middle, and End Activity
Another great way to analyze this text is by having children analyze the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Helping students learn to break down the sequence and properly structure the order will be easier if you use this simple graphic organizer to document the details.
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8. Story Map
Using a story map sheet is a great way to dissect this story and help students understand the overarching plot. They can also identify the characters and set before determining the problem and solution.
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9. Summary and Reflection
This is a great activity for teaching kids how to summarize. Students can begin by drawing the main events of the story before adding a written description. Finally, they can share their connections and reflections on the story.
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10. Rhyming Activity
Rhyming practice is a great skill to practice with younger students who are building their foundational reading skills. This printable and low-prep activity gives students a chance to read or listen to words before coloring them to match.
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11. Read and Respond
A simple read-and-respond activity makes for a great educational option! Have students read the picture book and respond to the story through writing. You can give them prompts to answer or allow them to free write based on their own inspiration.
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12. Beginning Sounds Craft
This little paper moose is an easy and adorable craft to make. Add a foam letter to its side and have students practice naming each letter and sound. Then, give students some practice with beginning sounds by naming words that begin with each sound. Switch out the letters for a variety of sounds to practice with.
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13. Decorate Moose’s Mustache
Let your students get creative by decorating their own mustaches! They can use this printable template, adding bright stickers or gluing small, colorful pictures onto it. What a fun and creative way to get them into the Christmas spirit!
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14. Sequencing Activity
This sequencing activity is perfect for a holiday fun day or an activity idea for a substitute teacher. After reading the story aloud, talk to students about the order of events before having them rebuild the sequence of events by gluing them in the right order.
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15. Addition and Subtraction Equations
This Mooseltoe-themed Christmas craft is also ideal for kindergarten math practice. Provide kids with stickers to place on the mustache and then have them write sentences to show what they have added. Then, have students write an addition equation to represent the sticker’s representation.
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16. Mooseltoe Christmas Ornament
If you need a festive bulletin board idea, try this one! This is a fun craft kids can make with just a few supplies. Use a template to cut out the moose’s head, ears, and antlers. Then, add black yarn and colorful pom poms to represent the Christmas tree lights. Finish it all off by adding some wiggly eyes and Voila! An adorable Christmas moose!
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17. Character Traits Activity
After students draw a portrait of Mooseltoe, have them create small Christmas ornaments to hang on his mustache. Then, have students think about his character traits before writing these descriptive words on the Christmas ornaments.
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18. Mooseltoe Make Ten Activity
This is a great teaching idea to help students practice addition with numbers up to 10. Have students add a pipe cleaner through the nose of this Moosletoe template before letting them string on colorful beads to create a visual representation of each of their additional facts.
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19. Handprint Mooseltoe Ornament
This adorable moose handprint ornament is ideal for Christmas time and makes a natural extension to the Mooseltoe story. Using paint, have kids form a handprint in the center of the wooden board before adding some bright, colorful lights, wiggly eyes, and a red pom pom nose.
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20. Character Analysis
Have students complete a character analysis of the protagonist in this beloved book. They can use the accompanying graphic organizer to draw a picture before writing descriptive details, applying their inferring skills to analyze each of the character traits.
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