Bring the Magic of Christmas Around the World to Your Classroom!
As the holiday season approaches, your may be looking for unique ways to celebrate and teach about Christmas and other winter holidays around the world. Exploring traditions from different cultures can broaden students’ understanding, foster inclusion, and keep classroom energy high as winter break draws near. This “Christmas Around the World” blog post is packed with free activities, a printable vocabulary packet for engaging word-based exercises, and plenty of options for easy differentiation.
Whether you need ideas for lesson planning, holiday fun, or emergency sub plans, this blog post has you covered!
Why Teach Christmas Around the World?
Learning about global holiday traditions isn’t just fun for students; it helps them develop empathy and curiosity about other cultures. When students see how people in other countries celebrate, they gain new perspectives and are exposed to traditions that may be similar or different from their own. This topic is also a perfect cross-curricular fit, incorporating geography, vocabulary, social studies, and more!
Christmas Around the World Vocabulary Activities
Before you continue reading the 10 Christmas Around the World activity ideas described below, you may wish to have your students begin with this no prep vocabulary packet from my TPT store. It is no prep and ready to use today!
Students can create paper ornaments representing different countries' holiday symbols. For example, they might make a poinsettia for Mexico or a Christmas nisse for Norway. Hang these on a classroom tree or on a world map to show the diverse ways people celebrate!
2. Interactive Holiday Timeline
Make a classroom timeline with dates marking holiday celebrations around the world, like St. Lucia Day (December 13 in Sweden) or Epiphany (January 6 in Italy). This visual helps students connect celebrations across cultures to the same season.
3. Holiday Word of the Day Booklet
Challenge students to expand their holiday vocabulary by introducing a new festive word each day, like "wassail" or "yuletide." For each word, students write a definition, its origin, and a sentence using it.
4. Festive Greeting Cards in Multiple Languages
Students can create holiday cards with greetings in different languages, such as "Feliz Navidad" or "Buon Natale." It’s a great way for them to practice new vocabulary and connect with how children in other countries celebrate.
5. Christmas Traditions Research Journal
This journal activity encourages students to "dig deeper" into holiday traditions, similar to the “dig deeper” graphic organizer in the vocabulary packet. They can write short entries about La Befana in Italy or the Winter Solstice in Norway, learning facts about each culture.
6. DIY Holiday Passport
Students can “travel” from country to country, recording facts about each location’s holiday traditions. Each page features a different country's tradition and students can add stamps or stickers for each place they visit.
7. Holiday Traditions Flipbook
Create a flipbook where students can record facts about each country’s holiday traditions and illustrate a symbol or write a fun fact on each tab.
8. Christmas Around the World Quiz or Trivia Game
After covering the unit, test students’ knowledge with a fun quiz game! Use vocabulary from the packet as review questions or let students create questions based on what they’ve learned.
9. Holiday Music Exploration
Share holiday music from different cultures, like carols from England, “Feliz Navidad” from Spain, or traditional folk songs. Let students write a sentence describing how each song sounds or makes them feel.
10. Holiday Tradition Bingo
Bingo boards are filled with words and symbols associated with holiday traditions, like "dreidel," "mistletoe," or "menorah." Students mark off squares as they learn about each symbol.
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We can begin honoring Veterans Day in our classrooms by teaching kids facts and history of the holiday. This video is approximately two minutes long and gives students a nice overview of the holiday.
Activity 1:
After the video, ask students to summarize the video in 20 words or less on their paper and/or draw a picture that represents Veterans Day.
You may guide the students in a discussion with the following questions:
Activity 2:
(Scroll down for 30 printable task cards, which include these questions and more.)
Questions:
When is Veterans Day?
Who are we honoring?
What was this holiday originally called?
What did the holiday commemorate?
When was Armistice Day first celebrated?
What were some ways in which it was celebrated?
What happens at 11 AM every Veterans Day?
When was the name changed?
Has Veterans Day always been in November?
What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?
Approximately how many living Veterans are there in the US?
What fact or event stood out to you from this video?
Answers:
November 11
Men and women who have served or are serving in the US Armed Forces, including unknown soldiers
Armistice Day
Truce between the Allies and Germany in WWI on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
On November 11, 1919
Businesses closed, parades, gatherings
A Color Guard ceremony for all branches of the military and Tomb of Unknown Soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery
1954 to honoring all veterans, not just those in WWI
No, for a short time 1968-1975 it was moved to October for more vacation time
Memorial Day is for those who have died, and Veterans Day is for all those who have or currently are serving.
Approximately 21 million
Answers vary
Activity 3:
Students may complete a free printable Veterans Day puzzle activity.
Have students read classroom resources or conduct their own research to write their own "Top 5 Facts about Veterans Day". This free printable sign is an example.
Veterans Day Assembly: Organize a school-wide assembly where veterans can share their experiences with students.
Activity 6:
Thank You Cards: Have students create handmade thank you cards for veterans in the community. Encourage students to write letters of support to troops serving overseas.
Activity 7:
Veterans Day Art: Encourage students to create patriotic artwork, such as flags, eagles, and stars.
Activity 8:
Veterans Day Poetry: Have students write poems about veterans and their contributions.
Activity 9:
History Lesson: Teach students about the history and significance of Veterans Day. Read books about veterans and their experiences, followed by discussions.
Activity 10:
Guest Speakers: Invite veterans to speak to the class and answer students' questions.
Activity 11:
Service Project: Organize a service project, like collecting items for care packages to send to active-duty troops.
Activity 12:
Storytelling: Have students interview family members who are veterans and share their stories. Record video interviews with veterans and watch them in class.
Activity 13:
Musical Performance: Practice and perform patriotic songs or have a musical assembly.
Activity 14:
Flag Coloring Contest: Hold a flag coloring contest, with prizes for the most creative designs.
Activity 15:
Community Parade: Participate in or watch a local Veterans Day parade.
Activity 16:
Soldier Silhouettes: Create life-sized soldier silhouettes for a hallway display.
Activity 17:
Flag Ceremony: Conduct a flag-raising or flag-lowering ceremony with the Pledge of Allegiance. Teach students about proper flag folding, etiquette, and display.
Activity 18:
Veterans Day Quizzes: Organize fun quizzes or trivia games related to Veterans Day.
Activity 19:
Collage of Heroes: Create a classroom collage featuring photos and information about different veterans. Display with pictures and stories of family members who are veterans.
Activity 20:
Soldier's Care Packages: As a class, assemble care packages for deployed troops.
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You may also like the following paid resources from our TpT store:
Foldable Veterans Day Thank You Card for Kids to Make
Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find valuable resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!
