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Holiday and Winter Classroom Ideas

Discover festive classroom activities for winter and the holidays. Explore creative ideas to engage students and bring seasonal cheer to learning.

Tinsel, Tabs, and Tech: Holiday Browser Extensions

by Sara Qualls December 12, 2024

written by Sara Qualls

As the holidays approach, we could all use a little extra sparkle — especially when most of us are spending hours online. Whether you’re counting down to winter break, dreaming of snow (or just pretending it exists in Texas), or looking for a pick-me-up, these holiday browser extensions and festive Chrome add-ons bring the spirit of the season right to your Chrome browser. From countdowns to cozy vibes, here are 10 cheerful extensions to try this season.

Browser Bells and Whistles: Holiday Browser Extensions You’ll Love

Add Some Festive Fun with Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift Browser Extension

Need a festive brain break? The Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift extension brings the classic puzzle game to your browser with a seasonal twist. Featuring Om Nom, the adorable candy-loving monster, this holiday version is packed with snowy scenes, jingle bell sound effects, and loads of fun challenges.

Why You’ll Love It:

Perfect Quick Escape: Take a breather between grading papers or lesson planning with one of the best holiday browser extensions for festive gaming fun.
Holiday Vibes: Snowy levels and festive music make this version feel like a cozy holiday treat.
Boost Problem-Solving Skills: It’s a sneaky way to keep your brain sharp while you unwind.

Whether you’re looking to de-stress or need an interactive reward for your students, this holiday edition of Cut the Rope is sure to deliver some seasonal joy. Just don’t be surprised if “one quick level” turns into a full-on gaming session.

Countdown and Relax with Christmas Countdown and Relaxing Music

Need a little serenity this holiday season? The Christmas Countdown and Relaxing Music extension combines a festive countdown to December 25 with peaceful holiday tunes to keep you calm and in the spirit. It’s like having a cozy fireplace for your browser—minus the firewood.

Why You’ll Love It:

Dual Purpose: Countdown the days until Christmas while enjoying relaxing holiday music in the background.
Stress Relief: Perfect for unwinding after a busy day of lesson planning or tackling your holiday to-do list.
Customizable Vibes: Adjust the music and visuals to fit your mood or workspace.

Whether you’re creating a cozy atmosphere for your students or need some background music to stay sane during the chaos, this extension helps you stay grounded while looking forward to the holidays. Bonus: it pairs perfectly with a warm cup of cocoa.

Send Seasonal Cheer with eCards for Gmail by CloudHQ

Tired of boring emails? The eCards for Gmail by CloudHQ extension makes it easy to send festive eCards directly from your inbox. Whether it’s for a holiday greeting, winter well-wishes, or just a cheerful hello, this extension lets you create beautifully designed eCards in seconds—no stamps required.

Why You’ll Love It:

Holiday Variety: Choose from a wide selection of seasonal designs, perfect for any holiday or winter celebration.
Customizable Messages: Add your own heartfelt note to make it personal and meaningful.
Quick and Easy: Just click the icon next to the “Send” button in Gmail, choose a card from their library, and it places it right into your email. You can even customize the text to make it uniquely yours.

Whether you’re sending a thank-you to coworkers, a holiday greeting to parents, or a bit of cheer to friends, this extension adds a thoughtful touch to your emails. Bonus: it’s a great way to spread kindness without cluttering up desks with paper cards.

Add a Dash of Personality with Cursor Helper

Want to give your browser a festive twist or just make clicking around more fun? The Cursor Helper extension lets you swap your standard cursor for something a bit more exciting. While it’s not strictly holiday-themed, the options are endless—from Hanukkah symbols to wintery snowflakes, candy canes, or even a sparkly unicorn (because why not?).

Why You’ll Love It:

Customizable Options: Choose from a variety of cursor designs, including seasonal and wintery symbols.
Perfect for Any Mood: Switch it up whenever you want—holidays, winter vibes, or just because.
Fun and Functional: Adds a little flair to your screen without distracting from your work.

Whether you’re decking out your desktop for the holidays or just need a little extra personality in your browser, it is a playful way to make your browsing experience a bit more magical. Bonus: your students will love seeing a snowflake or candy cane zipping across the screen during a lesson!

Unleash Creativity with the AI Coloring Page Generator

While this extension isn’t specifically holiday-themed, I think we can all agree the holiday season is the perfect time to unwind, relax, and let a little creativity flow. The AI Coloring Page Generator lets you design personalized, printable coloring pages in seconds. Whether it’s festive holiday scenes, custom doodles, or educational themes, this extension brings your ideas to life with just a few clicks.

I gave it a whirl and asked it to create a coloring page of an Anatolian shepherd dog (because my dog, Penelope, is clearly a star in need of her own artwork). The result? Spot-on! Once it’s done, you can download its creation instantly.

Why You’ll Love It:

Holiday-Themed or Not: Create festive pages or anything else your heart desires—this is about fun and relaxation.
Customizable Designs: Input your ideas, and the AI generates unique pages tailored to your classroom needs.
Perfect for All Ages: Great for calming activities, holiday crafts, or a little stress relief for you, too.

This extension is a lifesaver for educators looking to combine creativity and relaxation quickly. Use it to add a personal touch to your holiday activities or simply to wind down during a busy season.

Stay Festive and Focused with Xmas Blocker

Love the holidays but not all the flashy ads and commercial clutter? The Xmas Blocker extension is here to save your sanity by letting you filter out unnecessary holiday chaos while keeping the festive vibes intact.

How It Works:

Choose What to Block: Decide whether you want to hide images, text, or both.
Pick Your Style: Blur the content for a subtle effect or remove it completely—your call!
Let It Do Its Thing: Once set up, the extension works its magic, clearing the noise so you can browse in peace.

Why You’ll Love It:

Less Holiday Noise: Filters out over-the-top ads and content without taking away your seasonal joy.
Customizable Filters: Tailor it to your preferences—keep what you like and block the rest.
Made with ❤️: Designed by holiday lovers who want you to enjoy the season without the overload.

Perfect for educators who want to focus on what matters—lesson planning, holiday crafts, or just a quiet moment online—without being bombarded by holiday sales pitches. With Xmas Blocker, you can keep the cheer while skipping the chaos.

New Tab, New Holiday Vibe

Stay Organized and Inspired with Homey – Productivity New Tab

Looking for a start page that’s more than just a pretty wallpaper? The Homey – Productivity New Tab extension is the perfect combo of cozy visuals and powerful organization tools. It’s more than just a pretty wallpaper—it’s a whole vibe. It’s one of the most versatile browser tools for the holiday season even letting you choose your favorite wintery images or videos to alternate.

I tried it out and picked some winter favorites: dogs playing in the snow, glowing fireplaces, and beautifully decorated trees. Every time I open a new tab, it feels like I’m stepping into a Hallmark movie—minus the predictable plot twist.

Why You’ll Love It:

Customizable Backgrounds: Choose from their collection of stunning images and videos or upload your own for that personal touch.
Built-In Productivity Tools: Keep your to-do lists, bookmarks, and notes right on your start page, so everything you need is at your fingertips.
Dynamic Displays: Rotate your chosen images or videos for a fresh, inspiring feel every time you open a tab.

Whether you’re juggling lesson plans or just trying to survive the holiday chaos, Homey makes staying organized a little more magical. Trust me, it’s like having a Pinterest board come to life—complete with snowflakes and dogs.

Let It Snow with Snow for Google Chrome

If you’ve ever wished for a white winter—right on your screen—this extension is here to deliver. Snow for Google Chrome sprinkles your browser with gentle snowfall that cascades across every webpage you visit. It’s like a mini snow globe for your screen, bringing cozy vibes without the frostbite.

Why You’ll Love It:

Customizable Snowfall: Adjust speed, size, and density to create your perfect snow day.
Mood Booster: Instantly adds a touch of holiday magic to even the most mundane tasks.
On-Demand Cheer: Easily toggle the effect on or off when you need a quick change.

The best part? You’re in control! Customize your snowflakes to fall faster or slower, adjust their size, or even toggle the effect on and off depending on your mood (or your patience with snowflakes). It’s simple, festive, and guaranteed to make your browser feel as magical as a snowy December morning.

Turn Your Browser into a Winter Wonderland

The Christmas Tree in Town Live Wallpaper turns your browser into a peaceful holiday escape. Featuring a glowing tree in a snowy town square, it’s like stepping into a holiday postcard every time you open a tab.

Why You’ll Love It:

Soothing Animation: The gentle snowfall and glowing Christmas tree create a calming atmosphere perfect for the holiday hustle.
Festive Focus: Keeps you in the holiday spirit while you tackle your to-do list.
Minimalist but Memorable: It’s festive without being over-the-top, so it won’t distract you from what you’re working on.

Perfect for educators tackling their to-do list, this holiday browser extension adds a festive, calming vibe without being over-the-top. Pair it with holiday music for max cozy points.

Add Some Holiday Whimsy with Christmas Cat Live Wallpaper

Need a smile? The Christmas Cat Live Wallpaper brings joy to your new tab page with an adorable cat dressed in seasonal gear. It’s the perfect mix of cozy and quirky.

Why You’ll Love It:

Adorable Holiday Fun: Brighten your day with a cheerful feline every time you open a new tab.
Stress Relief: Who can resist smiling at a holiday cat while juggling tasks?
Customizable Themes: Switch up the background for even more seasonal charm.

If you love your cat as much as Taylor Swift loves hers (I see you, Olivia Benson), this extension is practically made for you. The only downside? It’s the same cat every time—but with the snow falling and how cute it is, it still makes me smile every time I open a new tab. Whether you’re managing lesson plans or just need a cheerful pick-me-up, this is a purr-fect way to get a quick dopamine boost.

Wrap-Up: Browser Bliss, Holiday Style

Let’s be real—teaching during the holiday season is like juggling snowflakes while riding a reindeer. But with these holiday browser extensions, you can add festive cheer to your screen and make your day a little brighter. Whether you’re unwinding with a game, counting down the days until winter break, or just needing a dose of cute (I’m looking at you, Christmas Cat), these festive add-ons are here to make your browser the coziest place on the internet. Happy holidays, and may your virtual snowflakes always fall in the right direction!

December 12, 2024 0 comment

Holiday and Winter Classroom Ideas

2024 Winter Activities for the Classroom

by Peggy Reimers December 6, 2024

written by Peggy Reimers

Winter is here and it’s finally time to bring some frosty fun into your classroom! I’ve prepared three NEW winter-themed and two Christmas-themed activities for your use.

A collection of winter idioms and phrases
Two 16-word classification games (think NYT Connections game)
A two-part activity featuring Winter Celebrations Around the World
- A Canva presentation
- A Flippity Virtual Breakout (different from my usual Google Site and Google Form breakouts)
A Christmas-themed Would You Rather?
Red, Green, or Both? (a new spin on Christmas colors)

These engaging activities are designed to spark joy and learning during the chilly months. For even more winter-themed educational fun, don’t forget to check out my previous blog post with additional activities you can use throughout December, January, and February.

Wintry Words

Introducing “Wintery Words,” a frosty new addition to my winter activity collection! This Canva slide deck is designed to chill your vocabulary and warm up your creativity. The deck is divided into three sections, each featuring eight words or phrases containing either “ice,” “cold,” or “snow”. Whether you’re looking to break the ice with a new group, add some cool factor to your language arts lessons, or simply enjoy some snowy wordplay, “Wintry Words” is sure to bring a flurry of fun.

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Connections Game with Flippity

My new favorite tool in Flippity.Net is the Group Game maker, so I have to use it every time I get a chance. Below you can try out two winter themed “NYT-esque Connections” games. If you need more detail about how to use Connections in the classroom – check it out here. I also have a blog that gives you plenty of details about this new Flippity tool.

Winter 1

Winter 2

Celebrating Cultural Diversity: “Winter Celebrations Around the World”

In our increasingly interconnected world, understanding and appreciating diverse cultural traditions is more important than ever. To foster this awareness, I’ve developed a Canva presentation that provides general information and highlights the time of year when each celebration occurs:

Kwanzaa
Saint Nicholas Day
Hanukkah
Three Kings Day
Santa Lucia Day
Christmas
Winter Solstice

To complement the Canva presentation, I created a Flippity Virtual Breakout with seven locks, each tied to a celebration. This digital escape room challenges students to apply their knowledge, solving puzzles to “unlock” the celebration. I have always wanted to try this Flippity feature – hope you like it!

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Winter Celebrations Breakout Locks

Christmas Would You Rather?

All new on this year’s activity list is the Christmas Would You Rather. If you are not familiar with Would You Rather, it is a fun activity where you’re presented with two hypothetical situations and asked to choose one. It’s a great way to spark conversations, test your preferences, and learn about your students’ thoughts and opinions. The resources has 22 WYR questions.

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Red, Green, or Both

Color up your classroom this holiday season with a festive and Christmas activity that’s sure to delight all ages. This versatile game centers around items that are either red, green, or a combination of both – the classic Christmas colors. Players, whether competing as teams, small groups, or individuals, are challenged to identify and identify these objects. The flexibility of the game allows teachers to easily adapt it to various class sizes and learning objectives. It’s an excellent way to reinforce color recognition for younger students, practice descriptive language for English learners, or even incorporate subject-specific content for older grades. This activity not only brings holiday cheer to your classroom but also promotes teamwork, quick thinking, and observational skills. It’s a perfect addition to your repertoire of seasonal educational games that seamlessly blend fun and learning.

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Need more?

But that’s not all! For even more educational entertainment, check out my last year’s blog post. It’s filled with additional winter activities you can use throughout the cold months. Below you will find short descriptions but for links and the deets, check out this blog.

Winter Trivia: A Canva presentation featuring 12 winter-themed trivia questions with bright graphics and answers.
Vanishing Vowels – Winter Edition: A word recognition activity presenting 20 winter-related words without vowels, followed by the complete word and an image.
Winter Syllacrostic Puzzle: An 18-word puzzle where players combine syllables to form winter-related words based on given hints.
Holidays Jeopardy: A Flippity-based quiz show with six categories including holiday trivia and cheese.
The Winter Digital Breakout: A beginner-level digital escape room with five locks, designed to be an easier challenge.
The Snowstorm Stumper Digital Breakout: A more advanced digital escape room featuring four locks and hidden clues.
Unscramble the Christmas Carols: An activity where 18 classic Christmas songs are given new titles using similar words or synonyms for players to unscramble.
Putting a New Spin on The Twelve Days of Christmas: A creative activity using Emoji Kitchen to generate unique animals and characters for a personalized version of the classic song.

Eight Winter Activities

As the winter winds blow and snowflakes fall, let these activities bring warmth and cheer to your classroom. From frosty phrases to global celebrations, there’s something here for every curious mind. Whether you’re breaking the ice with “Wintry Words” or embarking on a celebratory journey around the world, I hope these activities spark joy and learning during the chilly months.

Raise a glass of eggnog and cheers to a season of frosty fun learning experiences.

Happy holidays – Peggy

December 6, 2024 0 comment

4 Gratitude Boosters Every Educator Should Try

Holiday and Winter Classroom Ideas Social-Emotional Learning Thanksgiving Classroom Activities Writing

Gratitude Practices to Try: Four Simple Ideas for Educators

by Sara Qualls November 26, 2024

written by Sara Qualls

Being an educator is the easiest job in the world, right? Just juggle lesson plans, handle behavior challenges, stretch a non-existent budget, and tackle an endless to-do list—piece of cake! (Kidding, of course.) Let’s be real: the constant demands, both professional and personal, often push gratitude to the back burner.

But as we wrap up National Gratitude Month and head into the final stretch of 2024, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect—not just for yourself, but with your students and colleagues. Gratitude isn’t just a warm fuzzy feeling; it’s a necessity. Research shows it helps us stay connected to our purpose, supports mental health, and boosts job satisfaction. Whether you’re sparking curiosity in the classroom, guiding peers as an instructional coach, finding creative solutions in the library, or keeping everything running smoothly as a principal, gratitude can be your antidote to burnout and frustration.

Let me be clear: this isn’t about forcing a smile and pretending everything’s fine (toxic positivity, I see you). It’s about practicing genuine gratitude—the kind that uplifts you and those around you. Here are a few simple ways to bring gratitude into your daily routine with students and colleagues, even when the challenges feel overwhelming.

A Minute of Gratitude, a Day of Joy

Want to be happier? Of course, you do. Practicing gratitude can boost your happiness by 25% and cut symptoms of depression by 35%. Pretty incredible life hack, right? But here’s the catch—the effects fade after three to six months. That’s why building a regular gratitude habit matters.

So how do you make it stick? Keep it simple. Mornings might feel like a mad dash—coffee in one hand, keys in the other—but before the chaos kicks in, take a moment to think of one thing you’re grateful for. Maybe it’s a struggling student’s lightbulb moment, a coworker who had your back, or the calm of your home after a long day.

For me, it’s my dog, Penelope, flashing her goofy grin like I’m the best thing ever. (Yes, this is an excellent excuse to include a photo timeline of her—but honestly, we should all aim to love like dogs do.)

These small moments set the tone for a better day. They remind us that even when life feels chaotic, there’s always something to appreciate. It doesn’t need to be grand—those tiny, everyday joys add up to a happier, more grounded life. And let’s be real: who couldn’t use more of that?

Gratitude Journaling: Tiny Habit, Big Payoff

Just five minutes a day of gratitude journaling can boost your long-term well-being by 10%. It’s proven to increase optimism by 5-15% and improve sleep quality by up to 25%. Small habit, big impact!

Writing down what you’re grateful for isn’t just a feel-good exercise—it’s a tiny habit with big results. Studies show it can improve sleep, increase happiness, and even cut down on sick days. Best of all, it works for everyone, making it a great activity to share with your students.

Gratitude journaling is about noticing the little things—a lesson plan that clicked, a thank-you from a student, or that rare calm moment in the classroom. For students, small wins count too—like solving a tricky math problem, getting a “W” in the chat (they’ll totally get it 😂), or feeling included at lunch. The goal is to show them gratitude isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about appreciating the everyday joys.

Want to start this habit as a bellringer or daily brain break? Try a 28-day gratitude journal template on Canva or mix it up with Thnx4.org for an easy digital option.

Gratitude journaling doesn’t need to be overly complicated . A sentence or two a day clears the mind, fosters connection, and helps create a more positive classroom environment. This tiny habit packs a huge punch—it encourages growth, appreciation, and a happier, more positive classroom environment.

Gratitude Notes: A Simple Way to Make Someone’s Day

88% of people say that expressing gratitude to colleagues makes them feel happier and more fulfilled.

One of the hardest parts of being an educator—whether you’re a librarian, paraprofessional, or special ed teacher—is feeling unseen or unsupported. Juggling tough behaviors, heavy workloads, or limited resources can leave anyone feeling isolated. It’s easy to forget we’re all in this together.

Here’s a simple way to flip that: leave an anonymous note of appreciation for a coworker. A quick, heartfelt message can work wonders for building connections and creating a supportive culture. In fact, 88% of people say that expressing gratitude to colleagues makes them feel happier and more fulfilled. Who wouldn’t love finding a surprise note that says, “I see you, and I think you’re doing awesome”? (So much better than a “Can you cover my class?” email, right?)

Want to kick this off? Leave a stack of sticky notes in the staff lounge or around the school for people to pick up and write a quick message. Keep it simple—a sentence or two is enough to thank someone, recognize their effort, or remind them, “This place is better because of you.”

Bonus: These notes always seem to show up at the perfect time. Whether someone’s having a tough day or just needs a little encouragement, your words can truly make all the difference.

Gratitude Jars: Small Idea, Big Impact

Research shows that grateful students thrive: Better grades, feel more joy, and build purposeful and fulfilling futures.

It’s never too early to practice gratitude. Psychologist and researcher Jeffrey Froh found that teaching gratitude to students aged 8 to 11 led to lasting increases in appreciation, positive emotions, and grateful thinking. A simple gratitude jar in your classroom can nurture those habits and help create a culture of kindness in your school.

Whether you’re a teacher, principal, or librarian, setting up a gratitude jar in your classroom, school, or workspace is an easy win. Encourage everyone—students, co-workers, and even parents—to jot down what they’re thankful for. Maybe it’s a kind gesture from a colleague, getting through your intended lesson plan for the day, or discovering a great new book. Or let’s be real, it could just be the copy machine actually working for once or nailing a surprise observation.

You can even try this at home with your family! At the end of the month, read the notes aloud to reflect and remind everyone that, even on tough days, there’s always something to be grateful for.

Real Support, Real Impact: A Call to Leaders

How K-12 Teachers Feel About Their Jobs: 1 in 3 teachers plan to leave the profession within five years.
77% say their job is stressful.
68% feel overwhelmed.
70% report their school is understaffed.
Over 50% wouldn’t recommend teaching as a career.

Gratitude at work is rare—shockingly rare. Only 15% of us regularly express gratitude on the job, and 35% say their leadership never thanks them at all. In education, the stakes are even greater. Nearly a third of teachers see themselves leaving the profession within five years.

Here’s how public K-12 teachers are feeling about their jobs today:

77% say their job is frequently stressful.
68% say it’s overwhelming.
70% report their school is understaffed.
Over half wouldn’t advise a young person to become a teacher.

For women especially, recognition is essential—it can reduce burnout by an incredible 63% when they feel appreciated. Pause for a moment and think about all those numbers I just shared with you. With so many teachers feeling overworked and unseen, it’s no surprise burnout is at an all-time high.

Leaders, this one’s for you. Set the tone. Whether it’s giving a teacher an extra hour of prep time, stepping in to support a librarian during peak hours (because, yes, they’re doing way more than checking out books), or sending your newest teachers to the TCEA Convention (shameless plug), small gestures show your team you value their work and remind them they’re not in this alone.

Side Note: Watching educators connect at the convention is one of my favorite moments every year. Their eyes light up as they discover tools that will cut their prep time in half and give them back their evenings. It’s more than professional development—it’s a chance to rediscover their spark and fall back in love with teaching.

Here’s the truth: you never know what someone is going through. A heartfelt thank you, unexpected support, or stepping in to lighten their load can make all the difference. It says: you’re valued, your work matters, and we’re all in this together.

Gratitude may not solve everything, but it’s the foundation for connection and renewal. Some days, just getting through feels like a win, but focusing on the good reminds us that every small victory matters.

Closing Out the Year with Gratitude

Gratitude is more than a moment; it’s a mindset. It’s in the small, everyday actions: a heartfelt “thank you,” a kind note left on a desk, a quick entry in a gratitude journal, or a quiet acknowledgment of someone’s effort. These moments remind us that even in the midst of challenges, there’s always something—and someone—to be grateful for.

As we close out 2024 and step into 2025, let’s make intentional gratitude a daily habit in our lives and school culture. Focusing on the positive and showing appreciation boosts well-being and fosters communities where everyone feels valued, supported, and ready to thrive. Kindness, connection, and gratitude shouldn’t just be ideals—they should be everyday practices that inspire growth and positivity. Gratitude may not solve everything, but it’s the foundation for connection and renewal. Some days, just getting through feels like a win, but focusing on the good reminds us that every small victory matters.

November 26, 2024 0 comment

Good Teaching Holiday and Winter Classroom Ideas

Keep Your Students Focused During the Holiday Season

by Macee Hall October 31, 2024

written by Macee Hall

Happy Halloween! For many educators, today kicks off that spooky (and exciting) part of the year where the holiday season makes time seem to hasten and attention spans… well… shorten. But fear not — we’ve compiled a list of tricks and treats to get you through the end of the semester in one piece! Check out these strategies to help you keep your students focused during the holiday season.

Holiday Season Tips to Keep Your Students Focused

Set clear goals and expectations for what needs to be accomplished before the break.

As with any good goal, the process you develop to keep your students focused throughout the holiday months should start with setting clear parameters around what needs done prior to winter break. Take a moment to identify any goals or benchmarks you have for your classroom, and then brainstorm some ways to meet them with your students. Getting your students involved with this process gives them a sense of responsibility during the process and will help them prioritize and set goals of their own, in the future!

Maintain regular routines and schedules as much as possible.

Scheduling during the later “‘ber” months can get difficult, what with all the holiday breaks and various travel plans. After you’ve set your goals and decided how to help your students meet them, it’s important to stick to that plan as much as possible and to maintain a sense of normalcy through the continuation of a set classroom routine. The goal is to find ways to engage students without distracting from or derailing their studies entirely.

Communicate with parents about maintaining routines and expectations at home.

Students spend the vast majority of their time in the classroom and at home with their families. With the holiday season just beginning, now is the time to send home a letter or handout asking families to help keep students on-task and regulated throughout the next few months. We all know that it takes a village… Now’s the time to band together and model good goal-focused habits!

Incorporate holiday-themed activities and content into lessons to engage students.

It’s understandable why our seasonal activity blogs are always a hit within the TCEA community… Students and educators, alike, love a seasonal activity! Engage students with holiday-themed activities to keep them learning while also providing them space to get excited in anticipation of the coming celebrations. You might choose to use seasonal themes for writing prompts, math word problems, or even science experiments. But remember to keep things inclusive — with so many holidays and cultures to represent, it’s often safest to stick with winter imagery and examples, as opposed to honing in on a specific holiday.

This is also a great chance to introduce a variety of cultural holidays through inclusive, hands-on activities! Just make sure to check with your school or district leadership, first.

NOTE: We’re collecting and developing exciting Thanksgiving and winter holiday activities, and will share them as blog posts in the near future! In the meantime, check out these past examples to get your inspiration flowing.

Re-energize students with short movement breaks.

One of the best ways to combat student jitters is to actually let them move! Incorporate a fun game of “Simon Says” and lead students through some basic stretches while turning their listening ears back on. Or, turn on some energizing music and have a 30-second dance party — it works wonders (even for me when I get overwhelmed at my desk)! View more movement break ideas here.

Use choice boards to give students more autonomy.

Students of all ages benefit from a little autonomy and trust within their own education. An easy way to give them a choice while still keeping them on-par with your classroom benchmarks is to utilize choice boards in your lesson plan. Plus, these choice boards provide an opportunity for differentiated learning and for students to help each other stay on task.

How do you keep your students on task during the holiday season?

Let us know what tactics or techniques you use in your own classroom in the comments below!

*List created with the help of Perplexity.AI. Edits provided by Macee Hall, Communications Specialist at TCEA.

October 31, 2024 0 comment

Holiday and Winter Classroom Ideas

Access 8 Ready-to-Use Winter Activities

by Peggy Reimers December 6, 2023

written by Peggy Reimers

1. Winter Trivia

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2. Vanishing Vowels

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3. Winter Syllacrostic Puzzle

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4. Holidays Quiz Show

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5. Winter Digital Breakout

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6. The Snowstorm Stumper Digital Breakout

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7. Unscramble the Christmas Carols

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8. Putting a New Spin on The 12 Days of Christmas

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December 6, 2023 0 comment

Holiday and Winter Classroom Ideas

Eight Winter Activities and Games for the Classroom

by Peggy Reimers December 6, 2023

written by Peggy Reimers

Here is my curated collection of winter activities! I hope they will make this season merry and bright in your classroom. Whether you’re celebrating the magic of the winter solstice or indulging in holiday festivities, these engaging ideas are designed to bring joy, laughter, and a sprinkle of cheery warmth to your December, January, and February days.

1. Winter Trivia

Four different trivia questions including, what happens to some birds in the winter? Answer: they migrate to warmer climates.

This Canva presentation is the newest addition to my winter activities lineup. Fifteen trivia questions with bright, winter-colored graphics are featured. And after each question, the answer follows. You are welcome to edit the presentation template to customize it for your particular audience.

2. Vanishing Vowels

Four selections of vanishing vowels including blizzard, ice skating, flannel and the new year.

Vanishing Vowels: Winter Edition is also hot off the press. The fall version had thousands of views, so I thought a winter edition would be a good follow-up. Vanishing Vowels focuses on words related to a particular season. In this winter activity, 20 words are presented without any vowels. Students need to figure out what the word is! Each slide with missing vowels is immediately followed by the complete word and an image representation of the word.

Two ways to use this winter-themed activity:

Use it as an individual or group exercise where students work together to decipher the words based on consonants. This encourages teamwork, builds class community, and also incorporates word recognition into the mix.
Use it as a creative spelling activity where students add the appropriate vowels back in to spell the winter words. This activity enhances students’ word recognition skills and offers an opportunity to reinforce spelling proficiency in a fun and interactive manner.

3. Winter Syllacrostic Puzzle

The box of syllables for the syllacrostic puzzle.

Are you looking for a fun word game to play as a winter activity? Give this 18-word syllacrostic puzzle a try! Here’s a quick overview if you aren’t familiar with syllacrostic puzzles. You’ll be given a box filled with various syllables. Then, you need to use those syllables to solve a list of related words. For each word, you’ll get three hints:

An associated phrase or word related to the solution
The number of syllables in the solution
The number of letters in the solution

Your task is to combine the given syllables into words that fit the length and syllable criteria.

4. Holidays Quiz Show

Flippity is a fantastic online generator of many tools. It has been around for several years and is created and maintained by one talented guy, Steve. I wish I could buy this guy a hot chocolate topped with many thanks. His user-friendly interface provides teachers with 28 customizable templates and games for the classroom.

One of the tools is the Quiz Show (think Jeopardy). Check out the Holidays Quiz Show with these categories: symbols, food, action, clothing, and traditions. It’s a fantastic winter activity for the whole class! If you get tired of holiday trivia, check out the cheese category.

5. Winter Digital Breakout

The image used forthe winter breakout that includes, trees, candy canes and a snowman.

If you follow my blogs, you know digital breakouts are my passion projects, so I made one to be a winter activity. The seasonal Winter Breakout is a beginner-level digital breakout. It has five locks: a word, five-color, four-number, five-direction, and eight-letter lock. It is the easiest of the two digital breakouts I’m sharing today. Now, you might be asking, how is it easier?

There are only two sections available for clues.
The locks give an example.
I included only one obvious distractor. (The distractor for the WInter breakout is the little birds in the trees.)
There are no commas used in lock answers.
Enter colors and numbers in the order they appear in the breakout, not in alphabetical or number order. These are not mixed up in any way.

6. The Snowstorm Stumper Digital Breakout

The snowstorm stumper breakout header for the Google Site.

The Snowstorm Stumper digital breakout has four locks: a six-color, five-direction, four-number, and four-letter. Whether you are new to my breakouts or a breakout fanatic, here are a couple of insider tips. I always try to include one or two hidden links for lock answers. I rarely use links to outside websites as I never know when the link might break or inappropriate content could pop up. I never mix up the order of colors or numbers. Enter them as you see them in the breakout, but letters might be scrambled. Enjoy this winter breakout activity!

Tips for the brand new breaker-outer!

If your class has never solved a breakout, I would solve a breakout for them and model your thought process first.

Then, try solving one as a whole-class activity.

If that goes well, try it in small groups!

Teach students to look at the locks on the Google Form and read through them first to get a heads-up on what they are looking for. (For example, if one of the locks is a four-color lock, look on the page for a group of four colors.)

Teach them to write down the combinations they have tried to keep from trying the same answer over and over.

7. Unscramble the Christmas Carols

A sample which includes the small percussionist lad is the little drummer boy.

Engage in the festive fun of unscrambling Christmas carols with this entertaining winter activity. I’ve given 18 classic Christmas songs new titles using similar words or synonyms. For example, “The Tiny Percussionist Lad” becomes my version of “The Little Drummer Boy.” You’ll see the synonym title immediately followed by its correct title. Explore the slide deck to test your carol knowledge or customize the activity for your classroom or as a staff icebreaker. Enjoy the merry task of unscrambling and spreading holiday cheer, whether solo or with a group!

8. Putting a New Spin on The Twelve Days of Christmas

Peggy's 12 Days of Christmas which starts off with 1 llama under a rainbow, 2 turtles surfing, etc.

In this winter activity, leverage Emoji Kitchen to put a creative twist on The Twelve Days of Christmas. Use Emoji Kitchen to generate unique animals and characters for your personalized rendition of the song. Teachers, you can make a copy of the slide deck or use the Canva template to aid you in updating the twelve days of Christmas.

Access 8 Ready-to-Use Winter Activities

Hoping that one or more of these activities can be tailored for the snowy season or, if you are in Texas, at least the cooler part of the year. As always, teachers, if you need any assistance or the answers for the breakouts, please email me, Peggy, at preimers@tcea.org. Happy holidays!

December 6, 2023 20 comments