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Christmas is right around the corner, and Benjamin Monkey is here with a new Dear Santa Christmas book with free printables. Find all the bonus material including the Free printable Dear Santa letter with dottles lines for your child to fill out below. Your preschooler will love hearing you read this book to them.
We've also included additional free printables so you can make it a family activity. Also here, you'll find engaging questions and ideas for dramatic play and arts and crafts. You can take all this bonus material and create a lesson plan for the week. Check it out and enjoy.
About Dear Santa Christmas Book
Benjamin Monkey and Noah Panda are best friends. They love to play together all day long. But when they write their letter to Santa this year, they both ask for the same thing...a Jonny Hawk skateboard! What will happen if only one of them gets it? Will they still be friends? This book is perfect for fans of Benjamin Monkey and children ages 2-5.
Dear Santa Read Aloud Tips
Dear Santa Christmas Book Lesson Plan
When you get a new book, it is exciting to read and discover what the story will be about. As parents, we try to find books that are age-appropriate for our children and also ones that they will enjoy. We've included lots of bonus material to easily make a lesson plan for the week. The key thing for making a lesson plan is to know the focus of the story.
The focus of this book is that Benjamin and Noah are friends, but sometimes they have different interests. We recommend that you start out by reading the book to your child because it helps them visualize what's happening in the story as well as builds comprehension skills for children ages three through five years old. Aim to keep the activities simple and short so that your child doesn't get overwhelmed. Lastly, you know your child best so feel free to substitute activities that work best for what your child enjoys.
Dear Santa Questions
Asking questions while reading to your preschooler is a fun way to engage them in the story. You can ask questions that will help your child build comprehension skills as well as assess what they already know about a topic. Here are some questions for this book to get you going.
- Cover: What do you think will happen in this story?
- Have you ever written a letter to Santa?
- PG. 2: What do you think Noah is thinking?
- PG. 5: What do you think Benjamin is thinking?
- Have you ever been on a skateboard?
- What does Benjamin think of his Jonny Hawk skateboard?
- Would it make you upset if your best friend received something you wanted?
- Would it make you feel better if they gave it to you instead or maybe try sharing with them?
- PG. 8: Why is Benjamin writing Santa a new letter?
- PG. 8: Is that a nice thing to do?
- PG. 19: Has anyone ever broken one of your toys?
- How did you feel about it?
- How do you feel when you get upset?
- When someone is sad, what should we do to help them feel better?
- How do you think the story will end?
- After reading: What was your favorite part of the story? Why did it make you laugh or smile?
Free Dear Santa Christmas Worksheets
Free Dear Santa Printable Letter
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This printable letter is perfect for getting preschoolers excited about sending a letter to Santa. They can practice writing their name and use the dotted line to help write out their letter. You can help them with their list and have them trace over the letters with their fingers. It's the perfect way to get them in the holiday spirit!
Dear Santa Find the Difference
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Have you ever noticed how much fun it is to play a find differences game? He's in a 2-panel spread of Benjamin Monkey? Can your child find the difference. These printables are perfect for preschoolers just learning to identify things that are different about two very similar pictures. Be sure to help them with the first few even if they seem to be having a bit of trouble.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt
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The holidays are a special time for families, and what better way to celebrate than by going on a scavenger hunt together? This printable list is perfect for preschoolers, as it features common holiday items found in the neighborhood. With this activity, kids will have fun while learning about their surroundings and the Christmas season.
Letter Trace Christmas Tree
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This printable is perfect for preschoolers who are practicing their letters and get into the Christmas spirit at the same time! The tree are has all capital letters of the alphabet that they can trace and practice their letter writing. They can also just trace the letters with their fingers.
Sharing Coloring Sheet
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Download this color page of Noah and Benjamin sharing a toy. This is a great visual prompt for teaching children about the importance of sharing. At the bottom of the page they can practice their letter writing or a parent can trace over the letters with their fingers together with their child.
Imaginative Play Ideas for Dear Santa
Children learn best through play, so it's important to provide opportunities for them to do so. When kids play make-believe, they are using their creativity and imagination to pretend to be someone or something else. This can help with problem-solving, social skills, and emotional development. Here are some ideas for how you can use this book in your dramatic play area:
- Setting up a toy mailbox where children can drop off their letters to Santa
- Create a toy workshop in your home with materials to make new toys (felt, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, etc.)
- Create a toy store in your home with felt prices and purchase toys for children to play with. Work on math skills by adding up the price of each item before they make their purchases.
Craft Ideas for Dear Santa
A great way to develop your preschooler's fine motor skills while also having fun is by doing arts and crafts. Getting them to use their fingers for activities not only helps them learn how to manage their pens and pencils but also strengthens the muscles in their hands. Here are some ideas for arts and crafts that will go along with this book:
- Making Christmas ornaments out of construction paper, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, etc.
- Make a Christmas tree of their own with pipe cleaners and googly eyes
- Have them make an ornament for your real or imaginary tree. They can use pipe cleaners, colorful paper, stickers, and any other craft supplies you may have.
- Make a wreath out of pipe cleaners and colorful ribbon. Hang it on your door or around your home.
- Create candy cane puppets out of pipe cleaners
Other Books Benjamin Monkey Books
We're Bored
Read about Benjamin Monkey and his pal Noah in the book We're Bored where they struggle to overcome boredom. With charming illustrations and a delightful story, this book will keep kids entertained and engaged until the end. Click to check out the bonus material included with this book about boredom.
