The weeks leading up to winter break can be a tricky time in middle school. Students are excited about the holidays and the upcoming break, but we still have reading, writing, and other skills to work on. Fortunately, adding a little holiday fun doesn’t mean putting the curriculum aside.
Over the years, Iโve created a variety of holiday activities for middle school that give students seasonal topics and stories while still keeping the focus on learning. Whether youโre looking for a short story, nonfiction reading, writing activity, or something to use when students return in January, there are plenty of ways to bring the season into your classroom.
Here are some of my favorite options for keeping students learningโand giving them a little holiday funโduring a very busy time of year.
If you’re trying to fit seasonal activities into an already packed curriculum, I’ve also shared some practical ideas for using holiday activities in the middle school classroom without losing instructional time.
Table of Contents
Holiday Reading Activities
Holiday reading activities are an easy way to bring some seasonal fun into ELA without stepping away from the reading skills students are already working on. You can use a classic short story for literary analysis or bring in a nonfiction text that gives students something new to learn about the season.
The Elves and the Shoemaker
The Elves and the Shoemaker is a classic story that works well during the weeks before winter break. Students can enjoy a familiar holiday story while continuing to work with skills such as comprehension, vocabulary, and literary analysis.
The Elves and the Shoemaker short story unit includes the story along with activities students can complete during class, making it an easy option when you want something seasonal that still has an academic focus.
A Kidnapped Santa Claus
For something a little different, A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum gives students a classic holiday story with plenty to discuss and analyze. The story works for guided reading, whole-class instruction, or independent work while giving students opportunities to work with vocabulary, plot, comprehension, and discussion.
The A Kidnapped Santa Claus short story unit provides the text and supporting activities, so it can work as a complete seasonal reading lesson.
Holiday Nonfiction Reading
Not every holiday reading activity has to be a holiday story. Nonfiction can give students an opportunity to investigate the history behind traditions they see every December.
The History of the Poinsettia explores how the plant became associated with the holiday season, while The History of Holiday Lights gives students the history behind another familiar December tradition. Both give students seasonal topics while keeping the focus on informational reading and comprehension.
Holiday Writing Activities
December can also be a great time to change up the kind of writing students are doing. Seasonal prompts give students something different to write about while they continue practicing brainstorming, developing ideas, and putting those ideas into writing.
Holiday Picture Writing Activity
The Holiday Picture Writing Prompts give students seasonal images they can use as inspiration for their writing. Students can choose a picture, brainstorm ideas, and develop a story based on what they notice and imagine.
Creative Writing Holiday Prompts
The Holiday Journal Writing Prompts give students a variety of seasonal topics for shorter writing opportunities throughout December. They can work well for warm-ups, independent writing time, or those days when you need something flexible before winter break.
Holiday Traditions Activity
Holiday traditions can be a natural way to connect the season to what students are learning while also giving them a chance to think about the customs and traditions that are part of different families and cultures. This type of activity can fit easily into either ELA or Social Studies, depending on how you choose to use it.
Holiday Traditions Reading and Writing Activity
The Holiday Traditions Reading and Writing Activity introduces students to the idea of traditions before giving them an opportunity to explore and write about a tradition of their own. Students begin with a short reading and then apply what they’ve learned through the activity.
New Yearโs Activities
The return from winter break gives us another opportunity to use seasonal topics without stepping away from academics. Students can explore the history behind a familiar New Yearโs tradition with the History of New Yearโs Eve in Times Square, or take some time to look back and think ahead with the New Year Reflection and Goal Setting Activity. One gives students a nonfiction reading opportunity, while the other provides a chance to reflect, set goals, and contribute to a collaborative classroom poster.
Holiday Activities for Middle School That Keep Students Learning
The weeks around winter break can feel a little different in the classroom, but that doesnโt mean the learning has to stop. A seasonal short story, nonfiction reading, writing activity, or lesson about holiday traditions can give students something different to work on while still keeping the focus on the skills we need to teach.
You donโt need to fill December with holiday activities, either. Sometimes one well-placed activity is enough to acknowledge the season, give students a change of pace, and make those last few weeks before winter break a little more enjoyable for everyone.
And when January rolls around, New Yearโs activities can help ease students back into the classroom with opportunities to learn, reflect, and start thinking about what comes next.