Advent Calendar: 15 Festive Activities to Do Before the Holiday Break

The holidays are a time of togetherness and sharing. Why not learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in different languages to spread Christmas cheer to as many people as possible? Plus, this fun and educational activity will help your students improve certain language skills.

Did you know that every child in Canada can send a letter to Santa Claus for free? This activity allows students to have fun writing their holiday wish lists and helps develop an interest in writing. Click here to see our letter template! Note that the deadline for mailing letters is December 6, 2024.

Origami is a fun craft that combines art and geometry. To prepare for this activity, you can ask your students to bring in pieces of scrap paper, old wrapping paper, construction paper, old paper folders, etc., to cut down on waste. Simply decorate the paper before folding. You can use this activity to discuss concepts such as solids and constructing the net of a solid, as students will be folding octahedrons (one of the five platonic solids they will be studying in high school) to make their ornaments.

Find a step-by-step origami guide and other DIY ideas in this article. You can decorate your classroom with crafts made by your students: Christmas wreaths, stockings, a nature-inspired Christmas garland, or tree ornaments.

To keep with the theme of classroom decorations, why not have your students make garlands full of inspiring or positive words? Print out these banners and ask your students to colour them in and add a wish, a dream, an inspiring phrase, etc. Then, string them together and hang your garland in your classroom. 

Potager en péril, our game for practising French lexical categories, has also received a holiday makeover. Students will discover a new festive tunnel and a special Christmas outfit for their carrot!

What better time than December to dive into a book about winter holiday traditions? As a complement to the lesson, ask students to share their own families’ holiday traditions.

Do you prefer story books? We’ve also put together a list of our favourite stories on the wintery themes of snow, the cold, friendship, and more. Check out our story book recommendations for the classroom.

The holiday season offers an excellent opportunity for students to show off their literary creativity by creating original stories. To spark their imagination and their desire to learn while exploring the theme of the holidays, you can invite them to write a brand-new Christmas story.

Learning songs is a great way to stimulate your students’ memory, develop their language skills and sense of rhythm, and foster a sense of belonging. Whether it’s “Jingle Bells” or “Silent Night,” any Christmas song will do! You can even try writing your own song together as a class.

Here are some key steps to memorizing a song:

1. Listen to the song several times.
2. Hum the melody.
3. Memorize the chorus.
4. Write out the song several times.
5. Learn the lyrics as if they were a poem.
6. Play the song on repeat.
7. Associate mental images with the words.

Exploring traditions from around the world is a great way to broaden students’ horizons and expand their cultural knowledge. There is a great deal of cultural diversity right here in Quebec: people of Haitian, Latin American, Greek, and Italian origins, among others, also celebrate Christmas in their own ways. To learn a little more about these traditions, check out our calendar of winter celebrations from around the world. As a complementary activity, have your students talk about their own family traditions or draw them out to share with the class.

What better time than December to dive into a book about winter holiday traditions? As a complement to the lesson, ask students to share their own families’ holiday traditions.

Do you prefer story books? We’ve also put together a list of our favourite stories on the wintery themes of snow, the cold, friendship, and more. Check out our story book recommendations for the classroom.

Everyone loves getting Christmas cards, whether they are sent by regular mail or email. To add a fun twist to this writing activity, suggest that your students write their cards in a particular style—humorous, poetic, etc. Download the postcard template here.

Are you more into technology? Encourage your students to record video messages for their loved ones. You can make them extra special by using Flo’s winter-themed wallpapers!

Our wide range of printable colouring pages has something for every interest and level! Colouring is a classic school activity for the holidays, as it provides a moment of calm while working students’ fine motor skills and concentration.

Check out our downloadable and printable colouring pages.

The holiday break is coming up soon, so what better time to get in the Christmas spirit? This article shares a sleighful of fun holiday competitions to do in your classroom. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of the benefits of active breaks at school. 
 

Bingo is a classic game loved by people of all ages. Christmas Bingo in particular is a fun way to get into the holiday spirit while practising vocabulary words. Download it here. Giggles guaranteed!

The holidays are a great time to break out the board games, and educational board games are an excellent way to keep students engaged in class. On the Alloprof website, you will find a wide selection of printable games for use in the classroom. These include our holiday-themed game, The Sled Race, which is inspired by the classic game of the goose; Allomarket, which helps students learn how to count money; and Think fast!, which helps students develop their impulse control.

If your students have a lot of energy and prefer quick games that get them moving, you can print out our Active Breaks with Flo cards.