From Holiday Craft to Meaningful Learning

Here’s a fun winter lesson I want to share because I’m really proud of how it turned out.

It started as a simple art project making holiday light bulbs using laminating plastic, a paper outline, and pieces of tissue paper. I had seen this idea shared among first-grade teachers, with many similar versions available on Teachers Pay Teachers and other sites. It’s a cute, engaging project, and I can see why it’s popular.

The light bulb shape is familiar to kids and easy to work with, but the learning does not have to stop at one holiday.

As I looked at it more closely, I started wondering how I could expand the idea beyond art by making it more connected to learning, offering students more choice, and ensuring it felt inclusive for all the families in our classroom. The original versions often focused on Christmas, and I wanted to keep the joy of the project while broadening its purpose.

That reflection led to a lesson that wove together science, social studies, and student voice, while still keeping the hands-on creativity kids love. Students explored how light works by learning about transparent, translucent, and opaque materials, and they learned how different cultures and traditions use light to represent hope, warmth, and togetherness. The kids were engaged, creative, and genuinely excited.

This lesson connected to Minnesota science standards, social studies standards, and social justice standards by centering inclusion, representation, and meaningful student choice. It felt like a good example of equitable winter learning that was joyful, educational, and not centered on a single holiday.

I’m sharing this because I enjoy thinking out loud about teaching. I’m not an expert, and much of what I share can always be improved, but when something works and feels good for kids, I want to pass it along in case it’s helpful to someone else.

I’ll link the slides and lesson plan below for anyone who wants to take a closer look or adapt the idea.

Lesson Slides - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_FgCg-CIK2du9gwym1oYh3vOCiaIk7a1LmA5Bg-7kic/edit?usp=sharing.

Lesson Plan - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vj5KnUDmRUAmroLmmx2nFYGcv9I4eA3uquiR3dR92K4/edit?usp=sharing