As the holiday season approaches and excitement builds, it’s natural for students to have a harder time focusing and staying motivated in the classroom (though it still drives us crazy, nonetheless). And as a teacher, you’re probably also feeling the stress of the holiday season and finding less time (and motivation) to plan meaningful or festive lessons. Guess what? It’s okay! There are plenty of subtle ways to bring the holiday spirit into your classroom while prioritizing learning, keeping engagement high, and keeping your sanity in check.
I’ve rounded up eight tried-and-true holiday activities you can incorporate in December to keep your students challenged up until the jingle of the final bell. Grab a cup of hot cocoa (or coffee) and check out some of my favorite festive Christmas activities for middle school ELA classrooms below.
Read O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”
O. Henry’s classic and timeless story, “The Gift of the Magi,” is my first and favorite recommendation. It’s a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and the true meaning of giving, and it is the perfect way to get your middle school students ready for the holiday season. Pair the story with a mini-lesson on types of literary irony, then spend a day or two analyzing Della & Jim and O. Henry’s masterful use of irony to really send the message home. If you have another day or two before break, queue up Sesame Street’s or Mickey & Minnie’s “Gift of the Magi” episode and compare/contrast them.
With these activities, your students will not only explore literary elements but also engage in meaningful discussions about selflessness and generosity at a time when it’s most needed. Find everything you need to bring this story to life and create a memorable learning experience here.
Start Class with Holiday-Themed Quick Writes
Quick writes are one of my favorite ways to kick off a writing block. They’re low-pressure, low-prep, and give students a predictable way to settle in at the start of class. Instead of worrying about structure, grammar, and everything else, students get five minutes to play with ideas and build writing fluency. Some of those seeds will grow into full stories later, but the real benefit is that they’re putting words on the page every single day.
In December, I love using themed quick writes to spiral different types of writing with a holiday twist: Manic Monday (narrative prompts), Tell All Tuesday (informative), Word Play Wednesday (poetry and figurative language prompts), Think About It Thursday (opinion & argument prompts), and Free Write Friday. Here are a few examples:
- Manic Monday: All I wanted to do was stay inside by the fire. But then a knock came… Write what happens next!
- Tell All Tuesday: What would your ultimate winter holiday bucket list include? Think about the place you would visit, activities you would do, or foods/desserts you want to taste. Create your holiday list!
- Word Play Wednesday: Holiday Haiku: Cookies on the tray / Sugar sprinkles dust my hands / Sweet holiday smells. Write your own haiku!
- Think About It Thursday: A 2023 survey found that 45% of teens feel overwhelmed by the pressure to post content that will get a lot of likes and comments. Do you think this impacts teens’ mental health around the holidays? Why or why not?
If you’d like this all mapped out for you, I have a set of December quick writes with ready-to-display prompts for each day of the week. See more here.
Grinch vs. Scrooge Compare/Contrast Activity
If you have a week or longer, I’ve got an idea that you won’t hate, double hate, or loathe entirely. This activity compares and contrasts two classic Christmas villains: the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge. Read or watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “A Christmas Carol” with your students to get started. Then, have your students complete a compare and contrast activity like a Venn diagram or a T Chart in which they analyze both characters. Next, encourage students to compare the growth each villain experienced throughout the story. Wrap it up with an argument writing piece, a WANTED poster, a mock trial, an ugly sweater, or even a one-pager (always a hit). And when you settle down to sip on your eggnog that night (after school, of course), watch “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and decide how Cousin Eddie measures up, ha!
Christmas Color-by-Code
You know what doesn’t get enough love in ELA? Analogies. I love using analogies because they require students to use critical thinking skills and they create amazing neural connections with vocabulary. Several years ago, I created some Christmas-themed coloring pictures, and I’ve loved them every year since! Students work with six different types of analogies to color-by-code and complete a Christmas-themed coloring picture. Here’s an example:
North Pole : South Pole :: December : ___________.
Joyful : Merry :: Coal : ___________.
Interested in adding this one to your wish list? Click here to learn more.
Not Your Typical Ugly Sweater Party
Every Christmas season, you can count on an ugly sweater party. I’d bet your school even has a spirit day for it. Why not put a twist on the ugly sweater idea and have your students design ugly Christmas sweaters for a character they are reading about? This activity is a fun and creative way for students to think about their characters’ direct and indirect development. As they design their ugly sweater, they will have to think critically about the character’s personality and what details, quotes, or symbols are most important to include. This activity is perfect for that last day before break. Plus, who doesn’t secretly love a good ugly sweater?
Play Figurative Language Jeopardy with Popular Christmas Songs
If you’re looking for a fun, low-prep activity for that last day before break, a figurative language Jeopardy game built around Christmas songs is usually a huge hit. Students are already very familiar with songs like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, which makes it much easier for them to spot devices like hyperbole, imagery, and metaphor in the lyrics. Add those skills to a Jeopardy game, and suddenly mastering figurative language is for the cool kids!
I set up my game with five categories: Figurative Language, Imagery, Literal Translations, Sound Devices, and General Trivia. Since some of these skills might be a little rusty, I give each team a “cheat sheet” with definitions (especially if it’s been a minute since they’ve heard alliteration or onomatopoeia!).
Tying in holiday songs means students must answer questions like:
- In the line ‘All the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names’, which type of figurative language is used?”
- “If the line ‘Let your heart be light’ were taken literally, what would it mean?”
The Jeopardy game format taps into students’ competitive streak while still keeping the focus on essential skills. This ready-to-play version simply requires you to form teams and hit play!
Muppet Christmas Carol
Sometimes, you need to pop in a movie while you get stuff done… and I’m not here to judge. Why not consider showing your students “The Muppet’s Christmas Carol“? This classic holiday movie is a solid choice for the classroom because it’s suitable for all ages, and you can feel confident that it won’t bring up any inappropriate content, themes, or comments. Hand out candy canes and invite your students to kick back, relax, and enjoy the movie. If that won’t fly, you can have your students analyze the development of Scrooge and the other Muppet characters, complete an ugly sweater, or discuss the film using one of these thinking routines.
Learn About Snowflakes: A Secular Activity
If you find yourself in a situation where you want to bring in some holly jolly but need it to be suitable for all students, regardless of their cultural or religious background, consider doing a mini-study on snowflakes! Invite students to learn about the science of snowflakes using this TED-Ed video, read about the original snowflake photographer Wilson Bentley, and create their own snowflake. This option is a great way to channel their excitement toward the winter season while learning about something new. Plus, what better way to incorporate some hands-on learning into your classroom in a festive way? Check out my done-for-you snowflake unit here.
I hope these ideas have given you new ways to bring Christmas activities into your ELA classroom. Whether you have your students color analogies, compare and contrast Christmas villains, design ugly sweaters, or create paper snowflakes, there are plenty of festive and educational ways to celebrate the holiday season in the classroom. Crank the Christmas playlist and enjoy the magic of the season with your students. Happy teaching!
