Christmas is a magical time of year for children of all ages. However, there is something special about celebrating the holidays through fun preschool Christmas activities with young kids!
However magical the season may be though, sometimes that magic can become a bit of distraction in the classroom. Not to mention, you as the teacher may even feel a bit distracted.
December is a busy month both inside and outside of the classroom. Therefore, even as the teacher you may find yourself more interested in getting into the spirit of decorating your tree at home instead of your classroom.
That is OKAY! In fact, we think it is pretty normal!
During our time in the classroom we always felt pulled in several directions during the holiday months. It was a fine balance of creating content that was fun, seasonal, AND educational! Not to mention, not taking too much time away from our lives outside of school to create this content.
Over time though we eventually found the perfect balance. We created a resource that provides the perfect balance of fun and learning. Find out why our 12 Days of Christmas in the Classroom resource is the perfect Christmas activity for keeping students engaged and giving you a break from planning.
12 Days of Christmas Activities for Prek and Kindergarten
Before we dive into why this is the perfect set of Christmas activities for preschoolers, here is a quick history of the original 12 Days of Christmas in the Classroom.
If you have been teaching for at least a year then you know the two weeks leading up to a holiday break can be – difficult. Not only because students are excited for the break, but because of the disruptions to the school schedule.
Often there are several disruptions to a school day leading up to a break. This may include assemblies, field trips, short days, and even testing. Combine these changes with the excitement of little kids and it can make teaching educational content feel impossible!
This disruption to the school day can also feel frustrating. We remember how frustrating it was to put all of our time and effort into creating an amazing lesson and then – it bombs. Not because it wasn’t great content, but how it was delivered.
During December and other times of the year, like the last few weeks of school, delivery is key! Activities must be engaging. One great way to do this is to use themes around that time of year. However, this doesn’t mean just doing crafts. Students can still learn amidst the distractions! They just need several shorter activities that keep them engaged throughout the day.
It was our goal to do just that – engage students all day long with seasonal activities that were fun and educational. Plus, activities we could use year after year!
The result was our first 12 Days of Christmas in the Classroom!
Preschool and Kindergarten December Activities
Our first 12 Days of Christmas in the Classroom was made for first and second graders. With all of the amazing success we saw in our own classrooms, plus the amazing feedback from other teachers, we created a version for kindergarten and now for preschool!
All of the 12 Days of Christmas in the Classroom resources follow the same format. However, the activities for each grade level are modified to be grade appropriate.
12 Days of Christmas Themed Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten
Day 1: Christmas Tree Day
Day 2: Candy Cane Day
Day 3: Elf Day
Day 4: Gingerbread Man Day
Day 5: Snow Day
Day 6: Santa Claus Day
Day 7: Stocking Day
Day 8: Kindness Day
Day 9: Christmas Cookie Day
Day 10: Christmas Carol Day
Day 11: Reindeer Day
Day 12: Polar Express Day
Both the prek pack and the kindergarten December Activities pack follow the days above. Each of the themed days includes several grade specific activities for a full day of learning. Yay!
These activities go beyond crafts (however, those are still included!) and engage students in meaningful learning. Students will engage in reading and writing activities related to each day’s theme AND math and science! That’s right, each day provides a December activity for math or science to help you cover core concepts up until the final day before break.
December lesson for Preschoolers
Check out Day 2: Candy Cane Day to see an example of all the amazing activities included for each day:
- Legend of the Candy Cane – Reading Activity
- Candy Cane Graphing – Math Activity
- Candy Cane Sorting Center
- Describe a Candy Cane – Writing Activity
- Candy Cane Exchange
- Literature Read-Aloud
- Candy Cane Science Experiment – Science Activity
- Candy Cane Crafts
- Build a Candy Cane with linking cubes
Every themed day follows a similar format as the one above. All the activities are provided with detailed instructions. Moreover, you can follow the exact outline for all 12 days or modify it to fit your classroom!
You can easily change the order of the days and even eliminate days! This gives you complete control so you can use this resource in the best possible way for your classroom.
Whether you use all 12 days or choose your favorites, we hope you enjoy it as much as all the teachers before you! It truly is the best resource for December activities.You will enjoy being at school AND leaving school at school, knowing you can enjoy the season without needing to plan anything outside the classroom.
