10 Fun and Easy Christmas Activities for School and Home
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The holiday season is full of energy and excitement— and everyone feels it! With the countdown to Christmas in full swing and the normal routine out the window, confidently lean into that excitement by adding fun and meaningful activities each day! And the best part? You don’t need to spend a fortune to do so. Find everything you need for these activities at the Dollar Tree. With just a few dollars, you can sprinkle holiday magic into your classroom or home while still working on important academic and social-emotional learning skills, too. Whether you’re looking for Christmas activities for school or home, this list has you covered!
The Benefit of Interactive Activities
When you switch things up during the holidays, you keep learning fun and engaging. Kids already sense the change in routine, so embracing it helps you channel their big feels into meaningful moments that are full of positivity and purpose!
Here’s why choosing interactive activities matters:
Movement-Based Activities
Research shows that when children move as they learn, they’re more likely to retain information.
Multisensory Learning
Hands-on experiences tap into multiple senses, which also helps kids understand and remember skills better.
SEL Skills
Cooperative activities like group games and creative projects give kids opportunities to practice important SEL skills like patience, kindness, problem-solving, teamwork, and flexibility.
10 Christmas Activities for School and Home
Use these 10 super simple (and budget-friendly!) activities with your kids this year!
1. Cookies & Milk Placemat
First up, a craft! Have your kids create a special placemat for Santa’s cookies and milk on Christmas Eve.
They will work on following step-by-step directions as they assemble Santa and a reindeer, and also learn new vocabulary like “holly” and “border” as they use their own fingerprints to decorate the placemat with a festive touch.
Laminate the finished product before sending it home so it can become a precious keepsake to be used again and again for years to come.
2. Holiday Memory Game: “What’s in the Package?”
Next, play “What’s in the Package?”. This game is simple, festive, and great for working on attention skills.
How to Play:
- Place 10-12 holiday items on a tray. (think: candy cane, ornament, bow, bell)
- Give kids 60 seconds to study the tray.
- Cover the tray or have kids pull Santa hats down over their eyes.
- Remove one item from the tray and hide it in a gift box.
- Show the tray to the kids, and let them take turns guessing “What’s in the package”.
*Variation: They can make their guesses out loud or by drawing the missing item on a dry-erase board.
3. Play “Don’t Get the Coal”
Another great Christmas activity for school is “Don’t Get the Coal”!
Use this game to review whatever skills your student(s) are currently learning, like:
- Sight words
- Letters
- Numbers
- Math facts
- Phonics rules
How to Play:
- Write your review items on notecards or print these done-for-you fluency practice cards on red and green cardstock.
- Add a few cards with “coal” written on them.
- Place all of the cards in a stocking, Santa hat, or a decorated holiday gift bag.
- Decide how many rounds you will play or set a timer for 10-15 minutes.
- Kids take turns pulling out cards. If they answer correctly, they keep the card.
- If they pull out a coal card? UH OH– all of their cards have to go back in!
Whoever has the most cards at the end of the game is the winner. You may have a great opportunity to talk about showing respect and kindness to peers, even after a loss!
4. Decorate Christmas Tree Candy Cones
Next up— it’s time for a tasty treat! Turn ice cream cones into mini Christmas trees.
What You Will Need:
- Sugar ice cream cones
- Vanilla icing with green food coloring or premixed green icing
- Sprinkles, candies, and colored sugar
- Paper plates
- Plastic spoons or knives
Have students place a cone upside down on their plate and use a utensil to cover it in green icing. Allow them to decorate their trees with the candies, sprinkles, and sugar.
This festive snack is one of the simplest and most fun Christmas activities for home or school for little ones of all ages!
5. Christmas Math Games
Make math fun during the busy holiday season with these math FREEBIES:
Roll a Christmas Tree
Use this game to practice addition facts and counting while students race to build their own Christmas trees.
Christmas Cookie Bump
This two-player game focuses on addition up to 11. Just print and add dice!
*This post contains some affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
6. Give the Gift of Books
Another great Christmas activity for school or home is books!
Wrap up your holiday-themed children’s books. Each night— or each day in your classroom— let a child unwrap one book to read together.
This fun activity builds positive feelings towards literacy and celebrates generosity in a season where greed can sometimes rear its ugly head.
*Check out some more great winter books for elementary-aged students!
7. Make an Ornament for the Tree
Next, make ornaments with your kids. Holiday wreath picture frame ornaments are an easy choice!
How To:
- Spray paint puzzle pieces green, and let them dry.
- Cut a circular wreath shape out of cardstock paper or cardboard.
- Children glue the green puzzle pieces around the circle, layering them on top of each other to completely cover the cardstock or cardboard.
- Let the glue dry, then add a red ribbon hanger.
- Glue a small picture of each child into the middle of the wreath.
This doubles as a craft and heartfelt gift for families— perfect for Christmas activities for school art projects and home holiday traditions!
8. Holiday Kindness Countdown
Create a Kindness Countdown using an Advent calendar filled with acts of kindness.
You can use a store-bought advent calendar, small envelopes, holiday bags, or gift card boxes. Fill each one with a unique act of kindness to be done that day.
Some ideas for acts of kindness include:
- Make a card for a classmate.
- Open the door for someone today.
- Say something kind to an adult.
- Pick up trash without being asked.
- Help set the table at home.
This activity builds compassion, problem-solving, and communication skills while focusing on the joyful holiday season!
9. Jingle Bell Toss
To play Jingle Bell Toss, gather all your unused plastic holiday cups, mugs, plates, and trays to use as targets.
Label each one with a point value. Use numbers like 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 that are easy to add.
PRO TIP: Write the point value on tape for easy removal!
Then, kids toss jingle bells at the item of their choice. They practice addition as they keep up with their score.
This is a great indoor movement-based activity that works great as a classroom brain break or as one of the fun Christmas activities for home when kids need to burn off some extra energy.
10. Holiday Charades
Last, but certainly not least, play holiday charades!
Create a set of cards with holiday-related prompts, like:
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Decorating a tree
- Wrapping a gift
- Frosty the Snowman
- Santa
Place the cards in a bag or box. Take turns acting out the cards while others guess. This game is sure to bring lots of giggles to your classroom or home!
You don’t need to break the bank making holiday memories with your kids this year. With just a quick trip to the Dollar Tree, you can grab everything you need for these 10 simple Christmas activities for school. If you’re looking for fun Christmas activities for home, they will work great too!
Let me know if you have any questions about anything you see here. Don’t forget to pin this post to refer to it later!
Other posts you may enjoy:
10 PERFECT Winter Books and Activities For the Elementary Classroom
The Transformative Power of Daily Problem Solving Activities in Early Education
5 Fun Classroom Activities to Beat the Winter Blahs
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Free Growth Mindset Punch Cards
The perfect way to start meaningful habits and conversations with your students!
Diane Romo
Thank you for being here! I love sharing ideas with other teachers! If you are looking to enhance your teaching and build a positive classroom community, you have come to the right place!
