#80 - Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin

Summary: 'Twas the day before Christmas and Santa was ill. In the cold winter wind he had caught a bad chill. Will Christmas be canceled? Will it come to that? "Never!" cried Santa. "Let's call Pete the Cat!"

"I'll do it, said Pete, and although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I'll give it my all." The minibus flew just like in a movie. Pete the Cat cried, "This is totally groovy!"

Suggested Activity:  What Time is it Santa Claus?

One player is chosen to be Santa Claus. Santa Claus stands at the opposite end of the playing field from the other players, facing away from them. A call-and-response then takes place: all players except for Santa Claus chant in unison "What's the time, Santa Claus?", and Santa Claus will answer in one of the two ways: 1) Santa Claus may call a clock time (e.g., "3 o'clock"). The other players will then take that many steps out loud as they go ("One, two, three"). Then they ask the question again. 

2) Santa Claus may call "Christmas!" Then Santa Claus will turn and chase the other players back to their starting point. If Santa Claus successfully tags a player, that player becomes the new Santa Claus for the next round.
 
Curriculum Area: Gross Motor Skills (demonstrates basic locomotor skills, shows balance while moving)

Appropriate Age Group: 4 and up