Christmas activities for Elementary Students. Ideas include scavenger hunt literacy activities, crafts banners, number sense activities, reading literacy activities, digital research activities and documenting research in flipbooks on how Christmas is celebrated around the world. Christmas freebie at the end of the post.
Christmas is by far the happiest time of the year! You hear catchy Christmas carols, see the halls decked with holly, and have the chance to ease up on the teaching to make learning fun with Christmas activities, printables and games for your elementary students.
So, what are some fun Christmas activities for Elementary Students?
There are many fun activities, not just printables, but also digital that your students can do this Christmas holiday season. Last month, I shared a round-up of activities on Thanksgiving. I hope you were able to do a couple with your students.
In this blog post, I’ll share the many fun activities for Christmas, like:
- going on a scavenger hunt for how Christmas is celebrated around the world
- playing a game of Christmas scoot and building number sense skills
- reading sight words activities with a Christmas theme
- documenting research in both print and digital templates
- crafting a Christmas facts flipbook
- letter recognition activities
- and even reviewing for the ELA standardized tests.
So, let’s look briefly at each of these fun Christmas activities. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll pick a couple to do with your students.
1. Christmas Printable Activities
i) A Scavenger Hunt For Facts
One of many fun Christmas activities for elementary students is a Scavenger Hunt for facts. Students learn all about the history and tradition of Christmas by going on a hunt around the classroom for fact cards. This is especially useful if you’re doing a unit on how Christmas is celebrated around the world.
For added excitement, be sure to hide the cards in the most difficult-to-find places in your classroom. Students will find and read the information on each card. They will then respond to the question on their recording sheet.
The learning goal for this activity is quite obvious – students comprehend information and apply key reading strategies. This is a vital skill that all students need to possess in order to ace any English Language Arts standardized test. From the collection of 13 countries, this bundle offers, you can give students a choice to choose the country they would like to know how Christmas is celebrated in.
After the Hunt, students will reflect on their learning by writing about the facts they found the most interesting. In my own classroom, this compilation of students’ reflections makes a hall-stopping display.
ii) Christmas Printable Activities – Research Flipbook
Researching the history and origin of Christmas could also be added to your list of Christmas activities for elementary students. The editable Christmas Flipbook can help scaffold and document your students’ report writing process.
Furthermore, writing in a flipbook would also motivate your students who are writing challenged, as each section of the flipbook scaffolds the writing process.
Besides the flipbook also serves the purpose of
- collating information
- writing a draft
- self-editing and peer editing prior to publishing
- making an impressive bulletin board display.
Once again, your students can choose the country to research on from a choice of 13 other countries.
Imagine the end result – an impressive display of students’ research flipbooks on a bulletin board. Now wouldn’t that be the highlight of whole-school Christmas fun activities!
iii) Christmas Printable Activities – Math Number Sense Scoot
Christmas activities for elementary students may also involve number sense activities, like the game of Scoot with a Christmas theme. This can surely make learning all the more fun.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills can all be reviewed in the context of this festive season.
a) Christmas Addition Scoot
In the Addition Scoot Cards pack, students practice the below number sense skills:
- relating addition to multiplication
- working with arrays
- identifying the missing addends in addition facts.
- working out the sum of two given numbers
- writing an addition sentence for a given illustration
- problem-solving using illustrations
b) Christmas Subtraction Scoot
The Subtraction Scoot Cards review the following skills:
- subtraction facts and number bonds
- working with arrays
- identifying the minuend, subtrahend and difference in a subtraction sentence
- solving subtraction problems
- writing a subtraction sentence for a given illustration
- problem-solving using illustrations
c) Christmas Multiplication Scoot
With the Multiplication Scoot Cards, students will review:
- multiplication facts and addition number sentences
- arrays
- missing factors
- the product of two given numbers
- multiplication sentences for given illustrations (group, collection)
- filling in the blanks with numbers next in sequence
- relating multiplication and addition
- completing the multiplication facts for illustrations
- problem-solving using illustrations
d) Christmas Division Scoot
And finally, the Division Scoot Cards facilitate students to:
- relate division facts for multiplication sentences
- write a division fact for a given array
- identify the missing number in a division fact
- find the quotient of two given numbers
- know the dividend and divisor in a division sentence
- express a division fact for a given illustration
- problem-solve using illustrations
How to Prepare For a Game of Scoot
To play the Christmas Scoot Games, choose to practice one number operation at a time.
I personally like to attach the 32 cards to the walls using some blu-tack rather than leaving them on students’ desks. This prevents cards from flying off in all the fun and getting lost.
Students can then start at any card, read the problem, and write their answers on the recording sheet.
iv) Christmas Printable Activities – An Alternative to Scoot
The Place Value Scavenger Hunt is also one of many Christmas activities and is similar to the Scoot game. There is an added element of fun as students need to find the answer to a question on their card – on another card.
It’s kind of a looping activity and brings the student back to the first card they started with. Feedback is instant and this activity is self-grading, which makes it all the more endearing.
The ratio and proportions task card set will also have your students solving all types of Christmas-themed problems.
v) Christmas Printable Activities – Reading Sight Words
Christmas activities can also involve reading practice in the elementary classroom. Teaching students to read is fundamental in a phonics program. Integrate it with a festive theme like Christmas – and it becomes fun.
In these reading wheels, students will turn the wheel to read 179 Dolch Sight Words.
vi) Christmas Initial Letter Recognition
Having a good grasp of the initial consonants is key to building phonemic awareness skills. If you teach Kindergarten or Foundation, all you need to do is to print out these 26 cards and have students peg the initial letter. You would need to help students identify the Christmas themed image if necessary.
vii) Christmas Craft Display Banners
What better way to introduce all the fun Christmas activities, games, and crafts in your elementary classroom than with an eye-catching decorative banner!
Another reason to create a hall-stopping bulletin board display with your students’ work.
2. Christmas Activities That Are Digital And Printable
Christmas activities can also feature digital activities. Other than the printable version of the Scavenger Hunt Cards for Christmas facts, you can also assign digital versions that can also be printed.
The digital alternatives are:
i) Digital Boom Cards At Boom Learning
Like the printable fact cards, these digital cards have the same information. The only difference is that the questions are multiple-choice and do not require a written response. Most students prefer this format of responding and this medium is a winner.
And for students who find reading particularly challenging, an option to turn on the audio reading of the information is at hand. They can then have a go at reading themselves.
And at the end of each reading deck, students are rewarded. They get to build a snowman, an elf or even create a nativity scene. How fun to add this resource to your collection of Christmas activities!
ii) Christmas Activities With Digital QR Codes
Have you incorporated QR codes in your Christmas activities? The fun aspect of the use of QR codes come into play when students go on a hunt to scan the QR code and reveal the answer to the question. For the activity to be truly productive, you need to remind students to make an educated guess prior to scanning. Interestingly, they are still learning as they think, read, and write their responses on the recording sheets.
My students simply love moving around and scanning the codes!
iii) Christmas Activities With Digital Google Forms
Have you ever assigned your students Christmas activities that prepare them for the ELA standardized tests?
In this activity, students will read each fact card in a Google Form and respond to the grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, or spelling question by selecting the correct option.
That’s subtle learning in practice.
Students receive instant feedback after the submission of the form with this fun Christmas-themed ELA Test Prep activity, and an instant score is provided in addition to written feedback for specific incorrect responses. You can also analyze each student’s response to further dictate teaching and learning.
iv) Digital Research Flipbook
Like the paper version, this digital flipbook documents research. This makes the whole process of presenting content information easier. Students simply type onto the digital template and have the option to share the completed flipbook with the class.
No cutting, pasting and assembly are needed. Less mess overall.
vi) Christmas Digital Activities – Reading Sight Words
This digital version of the printable reading word wheels involves an interactive slideshow complete with cool animations and transitions. Simply present each slide and have students practice reading the sight words.
I love to use this all-year-round, especially, to settle students down after recess, or just before ‘hometime’ when students are seated on the floor with their bags ready for that last bell to ring.
vii) Christmas Digital Activities – Letter Recognition
Students receive instant feedback after the submission of the form with this fun Christmas-themed ELA Test Prep activity, and an instant score is provided in addition to written feedback for specific incorrect responses.You can also analyze each student’s response to further dictate teaching and learning.
Christmas activities for your kindergarteners could also involve identifying the letter names and sounds of the alphabet is key to building phonics and phonemic awareness skills. This fun digital letter name and letter sound Boom Deck activity can help reinforce learning.
Students drag and drop the letter image representing the letter name or letter sound they hear. This could no doubt be added to your collection of phonics Christmas fun activities.
Free Christmas Activities Print & Digital
I hope you get to use a couple of these Christmas activities both printable and digital listed in this post with your elementary students.
The primary goal is to make happy learning memories that will stay with the kids for a long time.
Here’s a free Christmas print and digital activity to use with your students. It features Scavenger Hunt printable cards, recording sheets, a flipbook to document research, and 34 boom digital cards (with audio).
It’s all about how Christmas is celebrated in the Netherlands and is best suited for students in grades 3-6.
Also included are the printable Christmas banners mentioned in this post.
Look out for my next post on New Year Activities to start your New Year with more learning fun!
Access Christmas in the Netherlands or click on the image link below.
Here’s to your students enjoying memorable fun Christmas activities in your elementary classroom!
