The Nutcracker Resource Page
Here you will find activities and resources to enhance your experience learning The Nutcracker.
What is a nutcracker?
A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. There are many retellings and versions of The Nutcracker, but in them all, a young girl is given a nutcracker as a gift, who later turns alive, leading to many adventures.
INTERACTIVE: Kids, what kind of nuts can you name below? Hover over the image to view the answer.
Peanuts
Walnuts
Pistachios
Pecans
Almonds
Cashews
Macadamia Nuts
Tchaikovsky
Have you heard the music?
The beautiful and identifiable holiday music in this ballet was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Drawing inspiration from E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” the ballet wasn’t originally successful. Now it is one of the most well known ballets around the world.
Listen to a playlist of the music on YouTube here.
We are starting to use these songs in class:
INTERACTIVE: Parents, play a few of these songs and ask your child which tunes he or she recognizes from class. Which songs does she or he like?
Create your own Nutcracker
Materials:
Either two toilet paper rolls (you can connect them with paper or ribbon) or one kitchen towel tube cut down 3/4 of the way
Paints or Markers
Pens for faces
Stickers, ribbon, and other embellishments
Glue
Scissors
Step One:
Add basic block colors. Top: hair; Middle: skin; Bottom: uniform color
Step Two:
Wait to dry and then add stickers and other embellishments.
Step Three:
Draw a face.
Take a look below at professional dancers performing versions of The Nutcracker.
Sugar Plum Fairy and Soldier
The Hip Hop Nutcracker
Toy Doll
Mouse King and Mice
Look at all of the versions of The Nutcracker!
Which have you read?
Read Alouds to Listen to with your Family
