As the holiday season approaches, it’s a wonderful opportunity to incorporate festive, hands-on activities that engage young language learners. These activities not only promote language skills but also encourage creativity and cultural awareness. Here are top ten fun and interactive Christmas activities perfect for K-6 foreign language classrooms.
1. Vocabulary Christmas Trees 🎄
Instead of just making a standard Christmas tree, have students create a Vocabulary Christmas Tree! This activity helps reinforce vocabulary while allowing students to be creative and practice speaking.
Provide each student with a tree outline (or have them cut one out from green paper). Give students small paper shapes (stars, circles, snowflakes) to use as decorations for their tree.
On each decoration, students write a word they've learned in the target language. These can be holiday-related vocabulary (e.g., 圣诞树 shèng dàn shù; "Christmas tree," 雪花 xuě huā; "snowflake," or 礼物 lǐ wù; "gift"), or any vocabulary they’ve been practising. As students glue the decorations onto their tree, encourage them to say the word out loud and use it in a simple sentence, like "我的雪花是白色的" (wǒ de xuě huā shì bái sè de; "My snowflake is white").
Bonus Tip: You can also turn this into a show-and-tell activity where students describe their tree and the vocabulary they used: “我的树上有三个雪花和五颗星星” (wǒ de shù shàng yǒu sān gè xuě huā hé wǔ kē xīng xīng; "My tree has three snowflakes and five stars"). This allows for both speaking and listening practice in a fun, interactive way.
2. Christmas Postcard
Students create festive postcards to send warm holiday greetings to friends or family. This activity encourages students to practice writing simple sentences in the target language, such as “节日快乐” (jiérì kuàilè; Happy Holidays) or “祝你假期愉快” (zhù nǐ jià qī yú kuài; Wishing you a wonderful holiday). As they design their postcards, students can also discuss the imagery and colours they choose, reinforcing vocabulary related to winter and festivities.
Extra Tip: You can have students design postcards with vocabulary or characters they've learned this semester, giving the project a personalised touch!
3. Christmas Bracelets
Students can create festive Christmas bracelets using strips of paper, sequins, glitter, and recycled wrapping paper.
As they make their bracelets, encourage students to describe what they are doing using simple sentences in the target language, such as “我在做手链” (wǒ zài zuò shǒuliàn; “I am making a bracelet”). This reinforces vocabulary related to colours, materials, and actions.
4. Christmas Card Making
Students create Christmas cards for their families to show appreciation.
This activity allows students to practise writing simple messages or greetings in the target language. They can use phrases like, “圣诞快乐” (shèng dàn kuài lè; Merry Christmas). or “祝你圣诞快乐” (zhù nǐ shèng dàn kuài lè; Wishing you a Merry Christmas).
Why it's great for language learners: Creating cards lets students combine creativity with language skills, strengthening their ability to write and convey meaningful messages in the target language.
5. Letters to Santa 🎅🏻
Set up a writing station for students to write letters to Santa Claus.
Provide templates for students to fill out their letters, practising their writing skills. Encourage them to express their wishes and thoughts, using sentences like “亲爱的圣诞老人” (qīn’ài de shèngdàn lǎorén; “Dear Santa”).
Tip for younger students: Instead of writing full sentences, younger learners can draw pictures of what they want for Christmas and label them in the target language.
6. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Organise a Christmas-themed scavenger hunt in the classroom or outdoors.
Create a list of holiday-related items or vocabulary words for students to find. For example, items could include a red ornament, a snowflake, or a Santa hat. As students locate each item, they can practise saying the corresponding word or phrase in the target language, such as “这是一个装饰品” (zhè shì yī gè zhuāngshìpǐn; “This is an ornament”).
Pro Tip: Use a timer for an extra challenge, or make it a pair activity where students work together and share their findings in the target language.
7. Christmas Hat
Have students design and create their own festive Christmas hats.
As students craft their hats, encourage them to practise vocabulary related to colours, patterns, and holiday symbols. They can describe their hats using sentences like “我的帽子是红色的” (wǒ de mào zi shì hóng sè de; “My hat is red”) or “我喜欢这个星星” (wǒ xǐ huān zhè ge xīng xing; “I like this star”).
This hands-on activity fosters creativity while reinforcing language skills through descriptive phrases and group discussions about their festive creations.
8. DIY Christmas Ornaments
Let students create their own Christmas ornaments using craft materials.
While making ornaments, students can describe their creations and the materials they are using, practicing relevant vocabulary. For example, “这是圣诞老人” (zhè shì shèng dàn lǎo rén; “This is santa”).
Combine this with character recognition by discussing traditional Christmas ornaments and their significance. Have students decorate an ornament by writing a Chinese character that represents a positive attribute (e.g., “爱” (ài; "love")).
Bonus: Hang the finished ornaments in the classroom or send them home as gifts. It’s a great way to tie language learning with personal meaning!
9. Make a Wish List
Invite students to create a wishlist for Christmas, focusing on sentence structures like “我想要” (wǒ xiǎng yào; “I want”), “我的愿望” (wǒ de yuànwàng; “My wish”), or “给...的礼物” (gěi ... de lǐ wù; “Gift for ...”).
To make the activity more engaging, download our “All I Want for Christmas” activity sheet where students can draw or write their wishes for family, friends, and even the world. For example, they might write "我想要一个玩具" (wǒ xiǎng yào yī gè wán jù; "I want a toy") or "我的愿望是世界和平" (wǒ de yuàn wàng shì shì jiè hé píng; "My wish is for world peace").
This activity not only encourages sentence building but also gives students a chance to practise expressing their desires in the target language. It’s a fun, creative way for them to focus on vocabulary related to gifts, wishes, and the holiday season, while reinforcing important sentence structures.
NB: Click the image to download the template for FREE.
10. Christmas Song and Dance 🎶
Teach students a popular Christmas song in the target language, and add some simple, fun dance moves to go along with it!
Singing helps with pronunciation and fluency, while the dance adds an extra element of excitement and engagement. You can use the song as a way to teach key Christmas-related vocabulary. After singing, have a discussion about the song’s meaning to reinforce both listening and speaking skills. Songs like "铃儿响叮当" (Jingle Bells) and "我们祝你圣诞快乐" (We Wish You a Merry Christmas) are great ways to get your students into the holiday spirit while reinforcing language skills in a fun and interactive way. Let the music and dance bring joy and energy to your classroom this Christmas! 🎄✨
These 10 hands-on Christmas activities are not only engaging but also provide excellent opportunities for language learning in a festive setting. By incorporating creativity and fun into your lessons, you can create a memorable holiday experience that enhances language skills and fosters a love for learning. Embrace the holiday spirit and let creativity flow in your classroom this Christmas!
Happy teaching and Merry Christmas! 🎄
Check out our latest collection of Christmas-themed teaching materials designed to inspire your students and make language learning both fun and meaningful this holiday season!
At YEAH CHINESE, we’re dedicated to helping you bring dynamic, interactive, and effective language lessons to your classroom. Want more creative ideas, resources, and community support? Subscribe to our newsletter today to join a growing community of language teachers and get access to even more tools, tips, and activities designed to make learning exciting for your students. ❤️
Comentários