Christmas Classroom Activities: Festive, Inclusive Ideas for K–5

Festive Pickers and Games That Light Up Routines

You don’t need new lessons to make December feel special. Give the tools you already use a holiday look, and everyday moments like choosing a helper become part of the fun.

1. Festive Christmas wheel. Switch the Wheel of Names to the Festive Christmas theme for red, green and gold slices on a night-blue stage with snowflakes falling. Each winner is announced with “Ho ho ho! The wheel picked” and red, green and gold confetti, plus jingle bells when sound is on.
2. Festive Christmas Magic Hat. In the Magic Name Hat, the Festive Christmas theme brings out a Reindeer, a Snowman or a Penguin in a Santa hat with each name. Choose “Surprise me” for a different friend every draw.
3. Holiday duck race. Set the Duck Race to the Christmas duck style and the racers dress up as Santa, a reindeer, an elf, a snowman, a gingerbread duck and a tree. Race with numbers or student names, up to 30 ducks.
4. Tree or snowflake coin. The Coin Flipper has a Festive Christmas coin with a tree on heads and a snowflake on tails. Use it to pick which team goes first or for a quick probability lesson.
5. Spin for a party game. Switch the wheel to Custom list and type in your choices, like freeze dance, winter charades, four corners and paper snowball toss.

Christmas Literacy Activities and a Ready-to-Copy Word List

The word tools don’t have holiday presets, but each one takes your own list. Copy the words below and paste them one per line.

Winter and holiday word list (20 words)

• snowflake
• snowman
• mittens
• scarf
• sled
• icicle
• frost
• penguin
• reindeer
• sleigh
• evergreen
• pinecone
• candy cane
• gingerbread
• cocoa
• wreath
• ornament
• present
• December
• winter

• Word search. Paste the list into the Word Search Generator. All 20 words fit under its 30-word limit. Choose the Medium or Large grid, because the Small grid is too narrow for “gingerbread.”
• Word scramble with clues. The Word Scramble Generator takes up to 12 words. Add a hint after a spaced dash, like “icicle - Frozen water that hangs from a roof.”
• Holiday bingo. In the Bingo Card Generator, a 3 × 3 card needs 9 words, so this list works as is. For 5 × 5 cards, add the winter words from the last section to reach the 24 you need.
• Five-senses winter writing. Students describe a snowy day or a cup of cocoa: what they see, hear, smell, taste and feel.
• How-to writing. Students write the steps for building a snowman or wrapping a present, then a partner acts out the steps exactly as written.
• Kindness cards. Each student writes a short note to a classmate or school helper using at least two words from the list.

For more ways to practice new words, see vocabulary practice activities.

Christmas Math Activities and Review Game Questions

Holiday math works best when the theme is the hook and the skill is the point.

• Snowman skip counting. Each snowman is made of 3 snowballs. How many snowballs make 5 snowmen? (5 × 3 = 15.) Younger students can draw and count; older students write the matching division fact.
• Ornament patterns. Kindergartners build AB, ABB and ABC patterns with paper ornaments in two or three colors, then extend a partner’s pattern.
• Gift box measuring. Students measure the sides of small boxes with rulers and find the perimeter. Older students find the area of each side.
• Countdown calendar. Use a December calendar to count how many days are left until winter break, or until Friday, December 25.
• Tree or snowflake probability. Flip the Festive Christmas coin 20 times and tally trees and snowflakes. Was it exactly 10 and 10? The Coin Flipper’s probability tracker shows the running percentages.
• Early-finisher practice. Print a Math Worksheet with addition, subtraction, multiplication or division at the right number range. It comes with an answer key, so students can check their own work.

Sample winter and holiday review game questions

1. Most snowflakes have how many sides or arms? 6
2. At what temperature does water freeze, in degrees Fahrenheit? 32°F
3. Some animals, like groundhogs, spend the winter in a long, deep sleep. What is it called? Hibernation
4. Do most wild penguins live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? The Southern Hemisphere
5. In North America, wild reindeer have another name. What is it? Caribou
6. A tree that stays green all year is called an ___ tree. Evergreen
7. How many mittens are in 6 pairs? 12
8. Each snowman has 3 snowballs. How many snowballs do you need for 4 snowmen? 12
9. How many days are in December? 31
10. Mix blue and yellow paint. What color do you get? Green

Want tips for keeping every student thinking during the game? See review games students love.

A Classroom Christmas Party Plan Built on Timers

A party feels calm when students know what comes next. Short, timed rotations keep the energy moving and leave less time for things to fall apart.

1. Welcome (5 minutes). Review the schedule and two or three expectations, like walking feet and kind words.
2. Make groups (2 minutes). In the Group Maker, choose Custom group names and type Snowflakes, Penguins, Pinecones and Mittens.
3. Station rotations (4 × 10 minutes). Try a word search station, a craft station, a snowman math station and a story corner. Rotate when the 10-minute preset on the Classroom Timer ends (more in visual timers in the classroom).
4. Snack and a story (10 minutes). Read a gentle winter picture book while students eat. Check your school’s food policy and any allergies first.
5. Whole-class game (10 minutes). Spin the wheel for a party game, or play quick rounds of “name five winter words” with a 30 sec countdown on the Bomb Timer.
6. Cleanup race (3 minutes). Set the Duck Race to 3 minutes; the room should be tidy before the winning duck crosses the finish line.

Calm-Down Strategies for the Excited Last Week

The last week before break mixes excitement with schedule changes, and for some students, worry about time away from school. Keep your normal routines where you can and plan calm moments ahead instead of waiting until the room gets loud.

• Move first, then focus. Spin the brain breaks wheel for a quick movement break like freeze dance or jumping jacks, or play an Active Brain Breaks video from the SEL Videos & Brain Breaks hub.
• Breathe after the busy parts. Use an Emotion Regulation & Mindfulness video right after the party or an assembly.
• Show the voice level. Set the dashboard’s Voice Level widget before each activity, from Silent to Table Talk, so students know the expectation.
• Keep a quiet spot. A corner with books and a visual timer gives overwhelmed students a place to reset.
• Notice who is struggling. Not every student is looking forward to break. Keep prompts about the season and kindness rather than gifts or travel plans.

If the room still gets too loud, classroom noise management has more strategies that work on any busy day.

Inclusive Winter Alternatives for Students Who Don’t Celebrate

Not every family celebrates Christmas. Some celebrate other December holidays, such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, and some don’t celebrate holidays at all. A winter theme lets everyone share the same fun without anyone sitting out. Check your school’s policy on holiday celebrations before you plan.

• Call it a winter celebration. Snow, penguins, mittens, pinecones and cocoa fit a theme that every family can feel good about.
• Pick a neutral look. Use the Rainbow theme on the Wheel of Names and Magic Hat. In the hat you can still choose the Snowman critter under any theme. On the dashboard, try the Night Sky or Sky background.
• Race everyday ducks. Set the Duck Race to the Everyday style for hats and colors instead of holiday costumes, and switch the Coin Flipper to Classic Gold or Silver Coin.
• Invite, don’t assign. If you learn about other traditions, invite families to share if they’d like. Don’t ask one student to speak for a whole culture or religion, and avoid describing another holiday as “their Christmas.”
• Let families know ahead of time. Share the plan so parents can tell you about any activity their child should skip, and make sure that child has a meaningful activity rather than busywork.

Winter word list (10 words)

• snowball
• blizzard
• igloo
• hibernate
• ice skates
• snow boots
• earmuffs
• cardinal
• snow fort
• solstice

For a winter-only puzzle, combine these with the non-holiday words from the first list, like snowflake, mittens, icicle and penguin. Or add all 10 to the holiday list to reach 30 words for 5 × 5 bingo. Planning other seasons? See Halloween classroom activities and Thanksgiving classroom activities.

Frequently asked questions