Countdown to Christmas: Activities that will Help Motivate Students to Make it to Winter Break!

What!?! It's December already? I'll be heading back to school on Monday and need a few tricks to keep my second graders motivated to keep learning till Winter Break. 

I'm sure you've seen the posts on Pinterest for the end of the school year where teachers place rolled-up pieces with activities in balloons for students to pop. And, if you're like me, you love those little Advent calendars, but can't use them because you're in a public school {I always miss my private school days during the holidays}. 
During my latest trip to the craft store, I got a 'light bulb' and decided to combine the two ideas to make a countdown to winter break board! 

Read on to see what I made, and to snag a freebie to create a countdown board of your own! 

Materials: 
~ Tag Board $3
~ Scrapbook Numbered Paper $.69
~ Burlap Sac Garland $10
~ Mini Clothespins $2

Here's a peak at the completed board (I seriously need to find my camera... the iPhone just doesn't cut it!). I love the burlap sac garland! My plan is to reuse the burlap garland over and over again. Inside will be the pieces of paper with end-of-the-day activities for students to participate in... if they have a productive day, that is!

Here's how it will work:

In the afternoon, the most challenging part of the day, I will call on a special student to pull out the piece of paper from the garland. They will read the activity to the class, and I will post it on my whiteboard. If the class is successfully able to finish our daily objectives and clean-up the classroom, I will set aside 15 minutes at the E.O.D for my second graders to do a fun holiday themed activity. 

Click on the photos below to get a copy of these fun activities for your classroom! The photos will take you to a Google Doc. I also included some blanks for you to write your own activities if the ones I have don't work for your students.