聖誕快樂！Merry Xmas!

在德國，聖誕節是一年中最期待的節日。家庭參加各種的聖誕聚餐，一家人一起烤餅乾，逛聖誕市集。在聖誕市集上，大人喝上熱呼呼的聖誕紅酒，小朋友在攤位上玩著各種遊戲，或者坐上小火車。每個週末，都是很好的家庭親子日。

每年"聖誕月"的慶祝是從當年的12月24日前四周的首個禮拜日開始。聖誕月前，家裡通常都準備好聖誕花圈，聖誕月的第一個禮拜日，點上第一根蠟燭，當點上第四根蠟燭，就是聖誕節那天。很多家庭也是從聖誕月的第一個禮拜日開始，一家人一起烤聖誕餅乾。在聖誕月，爸爸媽媽通常也會為孩子準備所謂的"聖誕24天日曆"，孩子從12月1日開始，可以每天打開一個日曆去獲得一個"禮物"，然後拆到24號那天就是聖誕節了。12月5日當晚，爸爸媽媽也會為孩子再準備一份禮物放在孩子的鞋子裡面，第二天12月6日"聖尼古拉斯日"當天，孩子起床就看到"聖尼古拉斯日"給自己留下的禮物。總之，孩子對於聖誕節的到來，是充滿期待。

雖然蒙特梭利教育建議，在孩子0-6歲階段，讓孩子認識真實的事物而不是虛構的，因為孩子還是在認知階段，還無法分辨真假。但是我們還是可以把聖誕這個傳統節日，用蒙特梭利教育的方式傳達給我們的孩子，讓孩子去體驗聖誕節。

在這里，我們準備了3-4個小小的"聖誕節"活動，爸爸媽媽可以和孩子們一起"親子工作"：

• 聖誕罐製作

材料準備：

• 一個可以扭蓋子的玻璃瓶

• 一個聖誕人物的小模型

• 一些假的雪花粉，一些閃粉，一些裝飾

• 玻璃瓶2/3刻度的水

• 甘油

• 膠水

工作方式：

爸爸媽媽可以把材料，用小瓶子裝起來，然後用托盤呈現。爸爸媽媽需要幫忙把聖誕人物的小模型用膠水黏在玻璃瓶內部的蓋子上。 然後讓孩子自己把水倒進玻璃瓶裡，然後打開瓶子再分別加上水加雪花粉，閃粉和裝飾，最後再加甘油。完成後，爸爸媽媽可以幫忙用膠水把瓶子蓋黏住黏緊。再通過搖搖搖，聖誕球就完成了。

孩子通過這個活動，可以訓練精細動作，如：倒，扭轉，擠和搖的動作。

材料準備

• 50g糖

• 200g奶油

• 370g麵粉

• 1隻雞蛋

• 一點鹽

• 1茶匙的香草糖漿

工作方式：

爸爸媽媽可以把材料，用相關大小的瓶子或者碗裝起，然後讓孩子把材料各自倒入到一個大的容器裡，再攪拌均勻，揉成一個麵團。揉好的麵團需要放在冰箱一個小時置冷。如果孩子年齡還小，爸爸媽媽可以先準備好麵團。

然後邀請孩子一起來把置冷後的麵團揉成扁平（約26cm厚）的，再壓下餅乾的模型，然後放進180c度預熱好的烤箱再以180c烤15-20分鐘。

孩子通過這個活動，可以訓練大肢體動作，如：倒，揉，滾麵團的滾動作，和壓餅乾模型的"壓"動作。

• 佈置聖誕樹或者一起準備聖誕節晚餐

爸爸媽媽可以邀請孩子一起佈置聖誕樹，點亮燈飾。 又或者邀請孩子一起來做聖誕節晚餐。

不管選擇哪個活動，最重要的是爸爸媽媽用心，在當下的陪伴孩子。讓孩子一起參與到家庭生活活動中。

In Germany, Christmas is the most anticipated holiday of the year. Families will bake Christmas cookies as family-activity or visit the Christmas market together. Adults can drink hot Christmas mull wine while children can play multiple games at the Christmas market's market stalls. Every weekend is a good family day.

The celebration of "Christmas Month" every year starts on the first Sunday of the four weeks before December 24 of that year. Before Christmas month, Christmas wreaths are usually prepared at home. On the first Sunday of Christmas month, the first candle is lit, and when the fourth candle is lit, it is Christmas Day. Many families also start baking Christmas cookies together on the first Sunday of Christmas month. During the Christmas month, parents usually prepare the so-called "Advent Calendar" for their children. It is a 24-boxes calendar from December 1 to December 24; children can open one box per day. Starting from December 1, children can open the first calendar box to get a "gift." when children open the last box, it will be Christmas on the 24th. On the night of December 5, parents will also prepare a gift for their children and put them in their shoes. The next day, on the day of "St. Nicholas Day" on December 6, the children will check whether "St. Nicholas" brings them gifts when they wake up. In short, children are very much looking forward to Christmas.

Although Montessori education recommends letting children (between 0-6 years old) know real things instead of fiction, children are still in the cognitive stage. They cannot distinguish between true and false. But we can even convey the traditional holiday of Christmas to our children from the Montessori prospect so that they can experience Christmas.

Here, we have prepared 3-4 small "Christmas" activities where parent and children can work together:

Making Christmas jar

Material preparation:

• A glass jar with a twistable lid

• A miniature Christmas figure

• Some fake snowflake powder, some glitter, some decoration

• Glass bottle with 2/3 mark of water

• Glycerin

• Glue

Way of working:

Parents can put the materials in small bottles/jars and present them on trays. Parents need to help glue the miniature Christmas figure to the lid inside the glass bottle. Then let the child pour the water into the glass jar by himself, then open the bottle and add snowflake powder, glitter, and decoration, and finally add glycerin. After finishing, parents can help to stick the bottle cap tightly with glue. By shaking again, the Christmas ball is complete.

Through this activity, children can train their fine-motor movements, such as inverting, twisting, squeezing, and shaking motions.

Baking cookies

Material preparation

• 50g sugar

• 200g cream

• 370g flour

• 1 egg

• A little salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla syrup

Way of working:

Parents can put the ingredients in bowls of suitable sizes. Then, let the children pour all ingredients into a large container and then mix them evenly to knead a dough. The kneaded dough needs to be placed in the refrigerator for an hour to chill. If the child is still young, parents can prepare the dough first.

Then invite the children to knead the cold dough into a flat shape(about 26cm thick), press the biscuit model, and then put it in a preheated oven (180c) and bake at 180c for 15-20 minutes.

Through this activity, children can train their large body movements, such as pour, knead, roll the dough, and "press" the cookie model.

Decorate the Christmas tree or prepare Christmas dinner together

Parents can invite their children to decorate the Christmas tree and light up the lights. Or invite the children to join in preparing for Christmas dinner.

No matter which activity you choose, the most important thing is that parents are attentive to accompany their children at the moment. Let the children participate in family life activities together.