Can you see winter break on the horizon? Of course, you can, and I bet your students can, too! This is why it’s important to have winter activities for the classroom to keep everyone focused and engaged in winter, especially in December.
Students (and teachers!) are anticipating their time outside of the classroom walls so the time within the classroom can mean distractions as students think of other places and activities. The goal is to keep everyone mindful and present and one of the best ways to do that is to balance learning with seasonal fun.
Keep reading for a mix of structured winter activities for the classroom, including low-prep options, for your students this winter.
1. Creative Writing Projects
Tapping into students’ creativity can be a bright spot in the darker winter months so creative writing projects are ideal options for winter activities for the classroom.
One option my students love is to create a magazine with this Magazine Writing Unit. This unit ties into media literacy and informative writing and it’s fun around the holidays because many students will dive into things like gift guides, holiday baking magazines, etc.
Another of the winter activities for the classroom to use is this Create a Restaurant Descriptive Writing Unit, which focuses on descriptive writing and figurative language.
You could have students choose any type of restaurant or lean into the holiday/winter theme by having them create a hot chocolate bar, winter café, or a holiday-themed restaurant.
This activity could lead to a pre-winter break or holiday party/celebration before students leave for break. Set up a few ‘stalls’ in the classroom and students bring in the foods from the restaurants they designed and have a restaurant tasting.
2. Seasonal Reading Comprehension
Maybe your students could be best supported with a shift from writing-focused activities to more reading activities.
Improve your students’ comprehension skills by exploring seasonal topics as another option for winter activities for the classroom. Keep things a little more fun and engaging with themes related to New Year’s Eve or different holidays held in December.
This set of reading passages is highly engaging for students and low-prep for teachers as an option for winter activities for the classroom since it includes lesson slides to guide students through each step.
3. Persuasive Holiday Writing
If you’re in a school where focusing on more Christmas-specific options for winter activities for the classroom is possible then this Holiday Elf Job Application Assignment is the one for you! Plus, if time is limited then this is a shorter, simpler activity that can be done in just a few lessons.
This holiday writing activity will get students to fill out “job applications” for the North Pole, and take them through the entire process of writing a persuasive letter to the Elves.
This is a fun and engaging activity where the persuasive option is for students to create a cover letter explaining why they would be the best pick. They get to apply to specific “elf” positions based on their strengths.
There is also a fun drawing page included where they can draw a picture of themselves as an Elf! This would make for an adorable bulletin board in December and a fun activity to bring home.
4. Movie Review
Movie Day! This is always a hit with students. You can have the class vote on which movie to watch.
(Looking for choices? I like to consult Common Sense Media which rates movies and provides information on age guidelines and content.)
If you plan on showing your class a movie but need to tie it back to curriculum, you could have students write a brief review of the movie once it’s complete. Don’t want to do a full review, have students work on summary skills to recap the main points of the plot.
If your school allows, you can provide a popcorn snack or encourage students to bring stuffies and snacks of their own to make it extra cozy!
5. Winter Crafts & STEM Challenges
STEM challenges are a great way to focus on collaboration, problem-solving, and creative and critical thinking. Plus, they are often easy to set up and can encourage all students to participate.
One activity is to have students build a “snow castle” using sugar cubes. Add in a competitive or creative element. For example, challenge students to build the tallest free-standing castle or create the most impressive one. Have students vote on which is most impressive with a brief justification for their choice.
Another option is to build a “snowball catapult” in your classroom. You can use paper snowballs or even marshmallows as the snowballs. Make estimations or predictions for whose will go the farthest then have a contest to see which one works best.
These winter activities for the classroom are great for December as the school holidays approach but they’re also a good option to ease back into things in January, or to fill those little pre-and post-holiday gaps in February when the days are short and the sun rarely makes a long appearance!
For more seasonal activities check out these posts:
