Christmas is just around the corner, and most teachers want to be ready for a smooth December. Here are some fun and easy ideas and Christmas activities for the elementary classroom.
Fill a Stocking
Christmas is the giving season, and a time for helping others. Discuss the traditions of giving at Christmastime. Ask students, “What would you put in a stocking for someone in need?” Talk about what might be put into a stocking for someone who is homeless, hungry, a newcomer to the country, sick, elderly and alone, etc. Besides the usual items, what might someone in need appreciate?
Then, ask students to create an art project, filling a paper stocking with different things that those in need may welcome. Students can cut out images, draw, or paint. Create a paper fireplace and display them on a bulletin board.
As a class, you could fill a real stocking by asking for donations, making cards with messages of hope, etc. and donate to a local mission, food bank, shelter, neighbor, or organization who needs your support.
Candy Cane Crafts
Candy canes are great for teaching patterning! Make some out of beads to develop fine motor skills with younger students. Make the patterns simple (AB) or more complex (ABBC) by using more colors or shapes of beads. Once they are finished, students can take them home to hang on their trees.
Christmas Charades
When students are restless right before the holidays, or you just want to have some fun, play a game! These FREE Christmas and Winter Charades are perfect to have on hand for some holiday fun! Encourage students to use their body, facial expressions, and add sounds to their charade performances.
This activity can be done in pairs, small groups, or with the whole class. You may want to draw a card and ask the class to perform the action all at once. Make it a competition and vote on who has the funniest, or most elaborate movements.
Make a Christmas Cookie Sheet
Looking for a way to decorate your classroom door, wall, or bulletin board? Each student can create and decorate their own paper cookie and add them to a giant cookie sheet made from aluminum foil. Encourage students to create their favourite cookie but also to get imaginative and invent something totally new!
In addition to the art activity, students can research some of the ingredients or baking instructions, and then write words or short recipes. Together as a class, you may want to talk about and write out the ingredient list or baking instructions for a simple cookie recipe (sugar cookie, gingerbread, etc.) If you have access to a kitchen and supplies, perhaps you would like to get learners baking and following the recipe themselves.
Christmas Writing
There are lots of opportunities to write around Christmastime. Whether it be making Christmas cards or writing letters to Santa, students can practice their penmanship skills!
Now would be a great time to teach the 5 parts of the friendly letter and have students use the letter format to write to Santa. Here is a FREE letter writing template you can download directly and use right away!
You could also encourage students think about some of their favourite Christmas activities and write about them! You can provide sentence starters or writing prompts like these Christmas Writing Prompts.
After writing, students can exchange their papers for peer editing and follow-up questions. They may want to include drawings from their writing or read their stories aloud to the class.
Christmas Word Work
Make a list of Christmas words on the board and have students put them into alphabetical order. Or check out these Christmas ABC Order Worksheets for your early finishers!
A Cup of Hot Chocolate
Keep encouraging the giving spirit and have students make cups of hot chocolate for each other. Make sure you have all the supplies ready. Together, create an ingredient list and write down each step in making hot chocolate. See if any students can summarize all instructions without looking at their paper.
After that, go ahead and make the hot chocolate together, assisting with pouring the boiled water. After mixing, each student chooses another classmate to gift their cup of hot chocolate to, and practices politely offering extra toppings. “Would you like milk? marshmallows? cinnamon? whipped cream? sprinkles?” etc. Allow them to serve the other, and everyone enjoys a warm cup of hot chocolate together!
Christmas Math Activities
You're probably still teaching addition and subtraction throughout the Christmas season. You might like to have some premade centers on hand for the month of December! This Christmas Addition & Subtraction Math Center focuses on finding sums and differences under 20!
Or if you're working on fractions, grab these free Fractions Christmas Trees Worksheets!
Maybe you're still working on number sense. These Christmas Number Mats can help students compose and compare numbers!
If you are looking for more fun Christmas activities to add to your holiday centers, you can check out this Christmas Math & Literacy Bundle! There are 4 math and 3 literacy activities included.
For winter-themed activities, you might also want to read my blog post Winter Teaching Ideas & Resources.