Classroom Games &
Activities:
Candy Cane
Hockey:
Make 2 goals on a table (using jellybeans as goal posts). Take
another jellybean and use candy canes to shoot it into the goals (TP: V:
candy cane, shoot, goal, win, lose, winner, loser, jellybean. F:
giving instructions to play a game).
Candy
Cane Horseshoes: This game is similar to the
throwing horseshoes game. Put up a pole/stick/cone in the
classroom. Students take turns throwing candy canes at it. The object of the game is
to get your candy cane closest, and only throwing underarm. Extra points for getting the hook around the
pole. The winner's prize? To eat all the candy canes! (TP:
V: candy cane, throw, underarm, points, prize).
Candy
Cane Pass (Relay Race): Supplies: 4 candy canes per team (have a few extras due to breakage). How To Play:
The first player holds 4 candy canes between his/her fingers and passes them down the line, teammate to
teammate, without dropping any. (TP: None).
Christmas
Cards:
Supplies: card, colored pens/pencils, glitter. Ss make cards for other
Ss in the class. (TP: V: Christmas
card. F: writing messages).
Christmas
Stocking Relay: Supplies: one stocking for each team, one spoon for each team,
one bowl for each team, some wrapped candy. How To Play: Divide Ss into teams. Have
each team line up at one end of the room. At the other end, hang a Christmas stocking
for each team. Place a bowl of candy and a spoon in front of each team. Each
S takes a turn carrying a candy from the bowl with the spoon across the
room to the stocking. They drop the candy in the stocking and race back to the
next person in line and give them the spoon. First team to fill the stocking wins!
(TP:
V: stocking, candy, spoon, bowl. AA: Before the game you can get the
sts to decorate their stockings with stars, bells, glitter, etc.).
Christmas Tree
Decorate:
Cut out a large tree shape (a triangle with rounded corners) from poster board
and pin to a wall in the classroom. Ss create decorations, ornaments
and wrapped presents from craft paper, and then glue them to the
tree. (TP:
V: decorations (star, bells, etc.), cut, glue).
Freeze:
Supplies: Christmas music (see bottom of this page). How To Play: Begin playing music, everyone moves and dances until
the music stops then they must "freeze" in whatever position they happen to be in.
(TP: None).
Limbo:
Based on the classic beach game of "limbo". Try using a string of twinkle
lights, or a strand of sparkly garland for your limbo stick. For a fun variation on the game,
make it a little more challenging by adding a Santa Stomach to each
student as they take their turn. Have a couple of oversized shirts, and some fluffy pillows on hand.
(TP: None).
Pass
the Christmas Ornament:
Supplies: one straw for each child / ornaments cut out of tissue paper (tree, bell, star, etc.).
How To Play: Divide the class into 2 teams and line up each team.
Sts pass the ornaments down the line, teammate to teammate, by inhaling and exhaling on the straw to hang onto
or release the ornament. No hands! The first team to successfully
pass the ornaments up and down the line wins! (TP:
V: ornament, decoration, tree, bell, star, line up, pass. AA: Before
the game you can get the students to make the tissue ornaments).
Pin The Nose on
Rudolph:
This is a take on 'pin the tail on the donkey'. Put a picture of a
nose-less Rudolf on the wall, blindfold the students, spin them around and
see if they can pin a red nose in the right place. The nearest wins
a prize/points. Click
here for a color Rudolph poster or click
here for a black&white Rudolph poster. (TP: V: Rudolph, reindeer, nose, pin, blindfold, spin. F:
parts of the body. AA: Song 'Rudolph the Red Nose
Reindeer', 'Rudolph Dash' game).
Rudolph
Dash: Supplies: Circles cut out of red construction paper,
Vaseline. How To Play: Using Vaseline have each S put a red circle on their nose.
In teams, relay race to the finish with each new person adding their red nose. If
the nose falls off the S must go back to the bowl and add more Vaseline to
reapply their nose. (TP:
V: circle, red, nose, run, stick. F: shapes, colors, parts of the
body. AA: Song 'Rudolph the Red Nose
Reindeer', 'Pin the Nose on Rudolph' game).
Santa
Says: Same as 'Simon Says': The S up is "Santa".
S says "Santa says hop". All Ss hop. S says "Stop". Ss should
continue hopping on until "Santa" says "Santa says stop". Repeat for
other actions such as jump, run, turn around, sit down, stand up, hands
up/down, star jump, etc. (TP: F:
actions, commands).
Scramble
Christmas Words: Supplies: index cards, paper bags. How To Play: Choose a Christmas word such as: Christmas, Candy Cane,
Santa Claus, Reindeer.... Write each letter of a word on individual index cards.
Put the set in a paper bag. Divide the Ss into teams. Give each team a bag. The first team to decipher what the word in the bag
wins. A variation of the game would be to divide into teams with the same
number of Ss as there are letters in the word. Each S gets a letter and
the team must arrange themselves in the right order to spell the word.
(TP: F: Spelling).
Secret
Santa Gift Exchange: Set this up 2-3 weeks before the class party.
Write each person's name on a slip of paper, then have students draw a name from a hat. They can't get their own name.
Students must buy a present for the person whose name they chose, but set
a (low) price limit. Students bring the wrapped present, with the recipients name on it,
to the party (have a few extra presents on hand if anyone forgets,
or in case of other emergencies so everyone can get one). The
teacher (or Santa!) draws the names from a hat, and the recipient has to guess
who gave them the present. (TP: None).
Snowball Frosty the
Snowman: Draw a snowman on the board with target points (e.g. 10 pts head, 5
pts stomach, etc.). Make wet balls of using tissue. Sts throw the
wet 'snowballs' which stick to the snowman (who also slowly melts!). Ask qus for points.
(TP: V: snowman, snowball, throw, points. F: 'wh'
/ 'yes,no' questions. AA: Song 'Frosty
the Snowman', 'Rudolph Dash' game).
Snowflakes:
Fold a piece of paper until it is quite small. Then cut small holes in
the folded paper. Open up - a snowflake! (TP:
V: Snowflake, paper, fold, cut. F: weather).
Spelling
Banner: Prepare two banners that say whatever you want them to say, ie Merry
Christmas, Seasons Greetings, etc. Also prepare a set of letters for the
same words cut out in two different colors hidden randomly around the room.
Divide the class into 2 teams with two captains--the captains sit and
wait for their teammates to bring the letters for their banner. If a
student is on the "red" team and sees a letter for the "green" team he/she just leaves it alone. The first team to cover their
banner letters wins. (TP: F: spelling).
Who am I Santa?:
Blindfold one student. The other Ss stand in circle around the blindfolded
student. Spin the student around and then stop him/her facing another student.
S says "Ho ho ho. Who am I?". The blindfolded S must guess who that
student is and call out his/her name. (TP:
F: asking people to identify themselves).
Word
Find: Supplies: timer, paper, pens. Divide Ss into teams. Take a Christmas related word such as: Christmas,
candy cane, Santa Claus, etc. and find as many words as possible using the
letters of that word. Give a time limit (e.g. 2 mins). The
team with the most words wins! Example: Christmas 1: (sit, is, his, miss, rat, tar, this, math, chair, rim...),
Example 2: Candy cane (candy, cane, and, dance, day, nay, can, dye, an, any...).
(TP: F: Spelling).
Christmas Songs:
The following Christmas songs links are
provided by 'Christmas
Fun for Kids' (http://www.bethanyroberts.com/Christmasfun.htm).
Clicking on the link will take you to a lyric page that also plays a midi
version of the song.
Santa
Claus is Coming to Town
12
Days of Christmas
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
The
First Noel
The following Christmas songs links are
provided by 'Christmas-Carols.Net' (http://www.christmas-carols.net).
Clicking on the link will take you to a lyric page that also plays a midi
version of the song.
Rudolph
the Red Nose Reindeer
All
I Want For Christmas is my Two Front Teeth
Frosty
the Snowman
Jingle
Bells
Jingle
Bell Rock
Oh
Christmas Tree
Rocking
Around The Christmas Tree
Silent
Night
The
Christmas Song
We
Wish You a Merry Christmas
