8th December 2023

The festive season in the classroom

The festive season is one that we all know and love, but getting creative around this time of year can be exhausting when trying to wrap-up for the end of term. It’s important to note that each classroom is different, and celebrating Christmas isn’t something that all of your students will do. Being inclusive should be your priority this year, and we’ve put together a list of things that you can do that are festive, inclusive, and fun!

Decorate the classroom

String lights: Festive decorations aren’t complete with sparkling lights adorning your classroom. Get your students involved in putting up string lights – it’s a great learning exercise, and they will feel included in the festive decoration process.

Paper chains: In the spirit of being inclusive, it’s important to recognise that tinsel and other Christmas-themed decorations can sometimes leave children feeling left out of the festivities. Paper chains are a great way to still create themed decorations, whilst also giving students free rein to make it Christmas-themed should they wish to do so! They can draw on the paper chains or pick different colours, whatever works for you and your students. 

Christmas trees and other festive decorations: Naturally, there will still be a majority of children within the classroom who will celebrate Christmas, so you shouldn’t shy away from putting up a Christmas tree in your classroom.

The idea with decorations is to make them inclusive, so all students can get involved. Some students may not be comfortable with putting up Christmas-themed decorations or making them, so offering other options is a great way to keep things fair, festive, and positive!

Food and drinks

Hot chocolate and marshmallows: Who doesn’t love hot chocolate and marshmallows? Take the time to teach your class how to make the *perfect* hot chocolate and marshmallows for the festive season.

Festive food around the world: Educate your classroom on festive food that can be found all around the world, bonus points if you can make it personalised to the kids that are already in your classroom. Create a quiz and a delicious prize for the winning team! Another option is to get different students to volunteer to talk about their chosen festive food and present it to the classroom. It’s a great learning opportunity and also an interactive and interesting way to share cultures.

Activities

Scavenger hunt: Plan a candy cane scavenger hunt! Pick a name out of the hat to be your chosen “elf” who will hide all of the candy canes. Then, have your students find them. You can do different themed scavenger hunts throughout the festive period, so students get more than one opportunity to be a potential elf.

Wall of positivity: The festive period can sometimes be a difficult time for some students. If they have difficulties at home, struggle socially, or simply don’t like this time of year. It’s important to recognise that it’s not always going to be a happy time for people! So, create a “wall of positivity” where students can submit to you anonymously (in a box) positive things about themselves or others in the class. You can select them and have them displayed on a wall in your classroom. These are lovely positive affirmations that will give your students a confidence boost!

Festive reading: Pick a book to read in class (ideally one that is shorter, or even a collection of short stories) and use this as an opportunity to hone students’ reading abilities, whilst also sharing lovely stories over the festive period.

Do you have any festive ideas that you want to share with other teachers? or want to show us what you’ve been up to this festive period? Email us here