A blog post by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.
With the holiday season approaching, it’s a great time to add some festive flair to the classroom. A little Christmas cheer can go a long way in boosting motivation, engagement, and excitement while keeping learning on track. In today’s blog post, I will describe ten fun and educational Christmas-themed activities to bring the season to life in your high school classroom. So, put on your Santa hat, hang up your stockings, put your feet up, sip a mug of hot chocolate and enjoy today’s article!
#1: Get Creative with Christmas Writing Prompts 🎄
Nothing sparks creativity quite like a holiday story! Give students some festive writing prompts, such as:
- “Tell the story of Christmas from the perspective of an ornament.”
- “Describe a winter holiday in a futuristic, dystopian world.”
These prompts let students flex their storytelling skills while channeling the spirit of the season. Encourage them to share their stories with the class or display them around the room for a festive reading gallery. Journal Buddies has a great website containing 54 Christmas writing prompts that you may wish to use.
#2: Dive Into Holiday Economics 💰
Even if mathematics or economics is not your subject specialism, bringing numeracy into your lessons will help with your students holistic development. With this in mind, it’s important to note that the Christmas season provides a fascinating case study for economics/mathematics/numeracy lessons. Ask students to research topics like the impact of holiday spending on the economy, or the marketing strategies of big brands during the holiday season. For example, they might explore the rise in spending on Black Friday vs. Christmas Eve or compare global holiday traditions and their economic impact. This kind of activity makes economics relevant and relatable by connecting it to topics that students may already find intriguing.
This brilliant article by University of Lincoln lecturers, Davina Bird and Jane Charlesworth, explores how historical economic philosophers, such as Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill, might view modern Christmas spending habits. Articles like this could be used as great resources for group Google Slides presentations in your PSHE lessons, for example.
#3: Crack Some Christmas Mathematics Puzzles 🎅
Add some holiday fun to maths with Christmas-themed puzzles and codebreaking activities. Students can calculate the cost of each gift in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (hello, multiplication and percentages!) or decode holiday-themed messages through basic cryptography. These activities make math hands-on and festive, giving students a fresh perspective on how math applies to real-world (and holiday!) scenarios.
A great resource for Christmas codebreaking activities is Christmas Unplugged Coding Activities for Kids by ourfamilycode.com. The site contains eight brilliant activities that help students to develop their logical reasoning and problem-solving skills, whilst utilizing Christmas themes. It’s well worth a visit!
#4: Secret Santa Book Swap 📚
Spread the gift of reading by organizing a Secret Santa-style book exchange. Each student brings in a book they’ve read and loved, wrapped and labeled with hints instead of a title. Students then choose a book “blindly” based on the hints alone. This activity adds a fun surprise element and might just introduce students to new genres they hadn’t considered before. This may be something that you wish to get the school librarian involved in, too.
#5: Chemistry of Gingerbread Baking Experiment 🧪
Who says chemistry can’t be delicious? Use gingerbread or holiday cookies to teach students about the Maillard reaction (the browning that occurs in baking). Discuss how different ingredients interact and cause chemical reactions. If possible, take it a step further by baking in class: nothing says “hands-on learning” like a classroom that smells of gingerbread!
If you’re keen to do the gingerbread thing with your students, then Science Sparks have created this page that has clear instructions, printouts and loads of ideas. Check it out!
#6: Christmas Traditions Around the World 🌎
Bring global awareness to your holiday festivities with a “Christmas Around the World” presentation project. Assign each student (or group) a country and have them research how it celebrates Christmas or similar winter holidays. Students can share unique customs, foods, and music with the class, providing everyone with a glimpse into different cultures while developing research and presentation skills.
History.com has produced this brilliant site that covers Christmas traditions in fourteen different locations. Perhaps you could use Wheel of Names to assign a country from this list to each group of students?
#7: DIY Christmas Ornaments 🎨
Combine art and science by having students design and make ornaments based on physics concepts like balance and center of gravity. For example, they can make hanging decorations that are symmetrically weighted or create ornaments that stay upright through clever balancing. It’s a creative way to bring physics to life, and you’ll get some unique classroom decorations out of it, too!
Sitter.co.uk have come up with this brilliant blog post that outlines fifteen types of Christmas decorations that kids can make in the classroom, or at home. My personal favourite are the homemade snow globes (number 7).
#8: Historical Christmas Debate 🎤
This is a great one for your Model United Nations club, PSHE, History, English or Drama lessons.
Dive into the origins of Christmas traditions with a lively classroom debate. Students can research topics like “Has Christmas become too commercialized?” or “What are the true origins of Santa Claus?” Not only does this get students talking, but it also encourages critical thinking and research. Plus, debates are a fun way to mix things up and get everyone involved.
ESL Kids Games have got a webpage up that provides some ideas, and instructions, for such a debate.
#9: Christmas Movie Analysis 🍿
Why not bring some holiday classics into the classroom? Choose a Christmas movie or episode of a series and analyze its themes, characters, or symbolism. A Christmas Carol could be an interesting choice, or something like Home Alone for a more contemporary twist. You could even discuss the impact of holiday movies on popular culture. This activity helps students apply literary analysis to popular media, making the skills they’re learning more accessible and relatable.
Marisa Lascala at goodhousekeeping.com has complied an excellent list of 74 Christmas movies that are suitable for kids (i.e., not Die Hard!). Check it out!
#10: A Classroom Charity Project 🤝
Finally, what better way to celebrate the season of giving than with a classroom charity project? Organize a drive to collect canned goods, clothing, or toys for a local shelter. Alternatively, students could make holiday cards for a nursing home or even bake treats to sell, donating the proceeds to a cause they choose. A holiday charity project fosters empathy, encourages teamwork, and shows students the impact they can have on their community.
If you’re struggling to find local charities to donate to, then fear not: Whit Hunter at betterworld.org has written this great piece that provides step-by-step instructions and tools to help you find local organizations that are working with the needy.
Conclusion
These ten activities will bring the spirit of the season into the classroom, creating a festive environment where students can learn, share, and grow together. Whether you’re tackling mathematics problems, analyzing movies, or baking gingerbread, a dash of holiday cheer can make the classroom a magical place. 🎄
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