The invisible candy cane stripes

A fun story and activity to explore candy canes in preschool!

I want to tell you about how Ms. Lauren introduced the children to their very own invisible candy canes stripes.

Introducing a Story

Ms. Lauren began the morning by reading the story titled, “How the Candy Cane Got its Stripes” by Scott Casperson to our Pre-K class as part of our study on candy canes. This book was a little bit longer than most of the stories we read to the children, but the children loved it and listened to the entire reading. It is about a candy cane that does not have any stripes and all that happens in the quest to be like all the other candy canes.

After reading the story, Ms. Lauren handed each child one of our white felt lap boards and told them that on their board was a candy cane. The children looked down and didn’t see anything. Ms. Lauren went on to tell them that she had a candy cane on her board too only it was invisible. The children were certain that Ms. Lauren did not have a candy cane on her board and there wasn’t one on their boards either.

Ms. Lauren told the children that she would make the candy cane appear on her board but first, they had to close their eyes. Everyone closed their eyes and when they opened them, there was indeed a candy cane on Ms. Lauren’s board.  The children were excited at the possibility of making their own invisible candy canes appear but first, they told Ms. Lauren that she had to close her eyes.

Making their own Candy Canes

While Ms. Lauren kept her eyes closed, the children went to work adding stripes to their boards. Before long, all types of candy canes started to appear.

Enjoying the Process

The children took their time to line the stripes to their boards exactly in the place they wanted. Ms. Lauren’s introduction to this process inspired the children to take their time, to be thoughtful, and to be intentional in setting out their stripes. When the children were done, Ms. Lauren was invited to look at what the children had accomplished. And what an accomplishment it truly was!

This book is available on Amazon

If you would like your own copy of this book or the materials similar to what we used, I have added Amazon affiliate links below.

More to Grow On!

Candy Cane Play all Around the Classroom!

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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