The holidays are nearly here, and I think we’re all in need of a little celebrating! Many families are already putting up their holiday decorations because they love the extra weeks of cheer. And you’re probably wondering how you’re going to do a holiday classroom celebration this year. Cooking decorating and Pin the Carrot on the Snowman are certainly out. But we’ve got you covered! Whether your classroom is online or practicing social-distancing, these alternatives to the traditional holiday classroom parties will have your students in a festive mood in no time!
Encourage holiday attire
Whether it’s wearing pajamas and fuzzy slippers, their holiday colors, or a festive reindeer headband, encourage your students to come to class or show up on Zoom in their favorite attire. It might even be a holiday mask! You’ll set the tone for the rest of the event.
Create a snowman glyph
This activity is easy enough to print and do in the classroom or send home. At the end of the activity, have students share their snowmen with the class! They’ll enjoy all the unique drawings.
Learn More: Coffee and Carpool
Go on a holiday scavenger hunt
This one is perfect for distance learning. Create a list of several holiday-themed items you think students will have access to at home. Show the list as a slide on the screen, and then give students a specific amount of time to search their house and bring them back to show their fellow classmates!
Learn More: Museum Hack
Play “Freeze” Dance
Play some holiday-themed music like Baby, It’s Cold Outside or Jingle Bells. Have the children groove to the beat (either next to their desks or at home). Hit stop on the video and see who freezes the fastest!
Get moving with a Winter Dance & Brain Break
Another fun video option that gets students out of their seats, this winter brain break encourages lots of movement as the song progresses.
Read a holiday book
We have a huge list of favorite Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas Books for kids. If you don’t want to do the reading, have the author read it for you! Jan Brett’s winter books are stunning to look at, and we particularly love this read aloud of Cozy.
Color holiday bookmarks
These free printable bookmarks are an easy craft to do at school or at home. They can be laminated and used as gifts as well! Have students color, paint, or embellish their bookmarks and share their ideas with the class.
Learn More: Real Life at Home
Play holiday Bingo
Print these for students in the classroom or send them electronically to those at home to print. Students can use checkers, LEGOs, or even holiday M&Ms as their markers!
Learn More: Easy Teaching Tools
Guess how many!
Fill a glass jar with holiday candies or ornaments. Have the students guess how many, and the one that guesses closest without going over gets the jar (or a special gift).
Complete a Holiday Mad Libs
Print out a Mad Libs for kids to do on their own, in pairs (while still socially distanced), or in breakout rooms!
Learn More: Woo! Jr
Draw a snowman without looking
This is a fun and simple activity for kids to do at home or in the classroom. All you need are white paper plates and a writing utensil! Have students place the plate on their head and attempt to draw a snowman without looking. Have students share the hilarious results to the class!
Learn More: Housing a Forest
Play a Zoom game!
Check out our list of Zoom games for kids! There are so many games available that you can play with a holiday-themed element. Take a look at Mystery Bag and Story Chain and 20 Questions and add a holiday bent.
Watch a winter video
Celebrate what’s best about the season by sharing these charming winter videos for kids. They are educational and fun!
What are your favorite alternatives to holiday classroom parties during remote and socially-distanced learning? Share in the comments below. Also, for other articles like this, make sure to sign up for our newsletters!
