Create Your Own Holiday Window | A Balloons Over Broadway Thanksgiving Activity
Create Your Own Holiday Window | A Balloons Over Broadway Thanksgiving Activity
✨ Create Your Own Holiday Window Display! – Art & Writing Activity Inspired by Balloons Over Broadway ✨
Grades 2–5 | Reading, Writing, Art | Perfect for Holidays & Winter Units
Bring the magic of historic department-store window displays—and the creativity of Tony Sarg—right into your classroom! Before Tony Sarg became famous for designing the giant balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, he delighted crowds with his animated holiday windows. This activity helps students explore that history while designing a stunning window display of their own.
This engaging art-and-writing project pairs beautifully with Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet, but can also stand alone as a festive holiday activity. Students learn a bit of history, brainstorm a creative concept, sketch a rough draft, design a final window display, and write the story behind their scene—just like Sarg!
⭐ What’s Included
✔ A teacher-friendly handout introducing Tony Sarg and the history of holiday window displays
✔ Step-by-step student directions (Brainstorm → Rough Draft → Final Display → Writing → Assembly)
✔ Window Display Template (large, simple, and ready for students to draw in)
✔ Two versions of decorative lined writing paper for students’ final paragraphs
✔ Space for rough draft sketching
✔ Quote from Tony Sarg to inspire creativity
⭐ Skills Covered
- Creative thinking & planning
- Narrative writing (5–6 sentence paragraph)
- Visual storytelling
- Design & illustration
- Historical literacy (connection to early Macy’s displays)
⭐ Perfect For
- Art class
- Literacy centers
- Writing workshop
- Holiday celebrations
- Sub plans
- Early finishers
- STEAM enrichment
- Balloons Over Broadway companion activity
A read-aloud copy of Balloons Over Broadway is recommended but not included, a link is provided within.
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© The Bewitched Teacher. For single-classroom use. Please purchase additional licenses for sharing with colleagues.