December is full of eagerness and anticipation. Your students seem about to burst, filled to the brim with pent-up energy. They may be easily distractible; no matter which holiday(s) they may celebrate, it is impossible to ignore the uptick in excitement levels. And the prospect of a winter break looms large ahead of them.
As a teacher, you may be wrapped up in the holiday delirium as well. But it can be exhausting. The decorating, the meetings, the parties, the end-of-term grading and planning… There aren’t enough peppermint white chocolate mochaccinos in the world to fuel this time period. Winter break can’t come soon enough for you, either.
We’re here to help! We’ve gathered up some fun holiday-themed lessons and activities from our FREEsources library – with the hopes of keeping those restless minds engaged through the busy season. So if you find yourself stuck one day, feel free to grab these ideas and run with them!

Click on the subject link to take you to the full search results, or check out the bullet points below each one for some of our favorites:
Math
- Math Playground - holiday games and activities
- Kwanzaa math - You’ll find ross-curricular unit materials here, so you can find activities to suit other subjects as well!
- Cool Math Games - holiday/winter themed games
ELA
- Hanukkah reading passage
- The Christmas Tree - printable reading comprehension passage
- Creative writing - plan your own holiday
- ESL - vocabulary related to holidays and travel
- Christmas Around the World - printables, activities, lessons
- Chinese New Year lesson plan


Science
- STEM projects - make homemade gifts
- The science of snowflakes (article)
- TED Talk video on snowflakes
For Fun
- Creative activities/lessons
- Holiday Jeopardy
- Holiday puzzle game - ball ornament match
- Fun music videos - great for a dance break
- Countdown to winter break (list of activities)
Remember, our FREEsources are available year-round to help you whenever you may need it!
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