The holiday season is a magical time in the classroom, but it can also be overwhelming for teachers. Between grading, classroom management, and planning holiday events, it’s important to have fun and festive activities that require minimal prep. Here are some low-prep and no-prep Christmas activities that will keep your students engaged while saving you time and energy!
1. Christmas Bingo
Materials Needed: Printable bingo cards (search for free templates online) and small markers (like buttons or paper scraps).
How to Play: Print out bingo cards with Christmas-themed pictures (e.g., candy canes, Santa, stockings). Call out items as students cover them on their cards. The first student to get five in a row wins!
Why It Works: Easy to set up, promotes listening skills, and is a guaranteed hit with all ages.
Christmas Bingo Sheets: https://bingobaker.com/cards/holidays/christmas
2. Holiday Read-Alouds
Materials Needed: A favorite holiday book (e.g., The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg or How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss).
How to Play: Read the book aloud to your class, then follow up with a quick discussion or let students draw their favorite scene.
Why It Works: A cozy, no-prep way to incorporate literacy and holiday cheer.
YouTube Read-Aloud for The Polar Express:
YouTube Read-Aloud for How the Grinch Stole Christmas: https://youtu.be/ZVgHGodD5wY?si=nrJDwf_PEX4qvXim
3. "Would You Rather: Christmas Edition"
Materials Needed: A list of holiday-themed "Would You Rather" questions (e.g., “Would you rather live in a gingerbread house or at the North Pole?”).
How to Play: Read questions aloud and let students vote or share their answers.
Why It Works: Encourages critical thinking and sparks fun conversations with zero preparation.
Would You Rather Christmas Edition:
4. Christmas Drawing Challenge
Materials Needed: Whiteboards, markers, or plain paper and crayons.
How to Play: Call out holiday-themed items (e.g., reindeer, Christmas tree, snowman), and give students 5-10 minutes to draw them. Share creations with the class. If your struggling to come up with Christmas themed words have your students create the "word bank" on the big whiteboard at the front of your classroom before you begin.
Why It Works: Fun, creative, and requires nothing more than basic classroom supplies.
5. Classroom Carol Karaoke
Materials Needed: Access to YouTube or pre-downloaded karaoke versions of Christmas songs.
How to Play: Play the karaoke versions of popular Christmas songs and let students sing along. Bonus: Let small groups perform for the class.
Why It Works: Brings holiday spirit, promotes teamwork, and requires minimal prep time.
YouTube Link to Christmas Sing-a-longs:
May contain religious songs, use with caution.
6. Christmas Word Search or Crossword
Materials Needed: Printable holiday-themed word searches or crosswords (available for free online).
How to Play: Hand out the puzzles and let students work independently or in pairs.
Why It Works: Perfect for keeping students busy while practicing spelling and vocabulary skills.
Link to Christmas Themed Word Search:
7. Christmas Mad Libs
Materials Needed: Printable Christmas-themed Mad Libs (free templates available online).
How to Play: Have students fill in the blanks with nouns, verbs, and adjectives, then read the silly stories aloud.
Why It Works: Encourages creativity and reinforces parts of speech, all while making everyone laugh.
Link to printable Mad Libs: https://woojr.com/christmas-ad-libs/
8. Holiday 20 Questions
Materials Needed: None!
How to Play: Think of a holiday-themed person, place, or thing (e.g., Santa, snowflake). Students ask yes-or-no questions to guess what it is within 20 tries. Use the list from the "Christmas Drawing Challenge" if you're struggling to come up with Christmas words.
Why It Works: Requires no materials and is great for critical thinking and teamwork.
9. Holiday Pictionary
Materials Needed: Whiteboard and markers or large paper.
How to Play: Write Christmas-themed words (e.g., sleigh, candy cane, Rudolph) on slips of paper. Students take turns drawing while their teammates guess. Again use the list from the "Christmas Drawing Challenge" if you're struggling to come up with Christmas words.
Why It Works: A classic game with minimal setup that sparks creativity and teamwork.
10. Gratitude Garland
Materials Needed: Strips of construction paper, markers, and tape.
How to Play: Have students write something they are thankful for or love about the holiday season on a strip of paper. Loop the strips together to create a garland to hang in the classroom.
Why It Works: A meaningful and simple way to focus on gratitude.
These low-prep and no-prep activities are perfect for bringing holiday cheer into your classroom without adding to your to-do list. Pick your favorites, relax, and enjoy the festive season with your students!
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