Objective

By the end of this lesson, the 2-year-old student will have a basic understanding of Wassailing and will have participated in fun activities related to the tradition.

Materials and Prep

• A bowl or cup
• Pretend fruits or small toy fruits
• A toy musical instrument (optional)
• A small piece of paper or card

No prior knowledge or preparation is required for this lesson.

Activities

• Wassail Bowl Pretend Play: Fill a bowl or cup with pretend fruits or small toy fruits. Encourage the student to pretend to drink from the bowl and share the fruits with their stuffed animals or toys.
• Sing and Dance: Teach the student a simple wassailing song and dance. You can make up your own lyrics or use traditional ones like "Here we come a-wassailing, among the leaves so green..." Encourage the student to move their body and clap along to the rhythm.
• Make a Wassail Wish: Help the student write or draw their wassail wish on a small piece of paper or card. This can be something they hope for or a kind wish for someone else. Explain that wassailing is also about spreading joy and goodwill.

Talking Points

• "Wassailing is a fun tradition where people go from house to house singing and wishing good luck."
• "Wassail is a special drink that people share during the tradition. It is often made with apples and spices."
• "When we pretend to drink from the wassail bowl, it's like we are joining in the tradition and sharing happiness."
• "When we sing and dance, we are celebrating and having fun just like people do during wassailing."
• "Writing or drawing a wassail wish helps us think about what we want and also reminds us to be kind to others."