Christmas comes at a time when it is important to maintain a strong curriculum, but it is also necessary to give students a breather. Teachers can include homework that uses fun educational Christmas activities and doesn’t have to worry about losing progress. Most teachers take the time to create some of these on their own, others will benefit from purchasing downloadable activities.

Here is a helpful list teachers can use when choosing fun educational holiday activities to create, purchase, or download as printable worksheets or games:

  1. word search puzzle-Create them with programs found online or use graph paper to customize them yourself. Printable puzzles are easily purchased online, downloaded, and saved. Make sure the words used are at the reading level of your students. Increase vocabulary with word search puzzles by including ways students must use words independently.
  2. Complete the blank word puzzles– This kind of fun Christmas activity can be unscramble letters to make words or secret messages that can be solved. Students have another opportunity to build and practice their vocabulary during a class review or recite oral sentences while reviewing their assigned homework in class.
  3. math worksheets– Christmas math worksheets are often just pages decorated with candy canes or stockings and possibly a secret word. Christmas math homework might include something different that needs revision or tweaking like place value, or factors, or order of operations revision. Find quality fun math games and activities to use as fun Christmas homework.
  4. writing messages– Teachers are always looking for a different variety of prompts to use for writing assignments. Motivating writing prompts on festive templates are an essential resource to have on hand for classroom and holiday assignments.
  5. Story starters- Christmas is the perfect time to take advantage of the plot diagram lessons and have children write their own Christmas story, complete with characters, conflict, climax, and a resolution. Using holiday graphic organizers to help plan plot elements ahead of time is a good motivator. This is a perfect long-term assignment, with the story for Christmas week.
  6. Logic puzzles and mazes – Logic puzzles that require students to solve mysteries or plan ahead by making moves to win games are a simple yet effective way to get students to use their problem-solving skills. Mazes are a great form of problem solving activity disguised as fun! Many of these types of tasks are games that can also involve the family.

Christmas comes every year, whether teachers like it or not. As the month of December progresses, it becomes more difficult to keep students focused. Having some fun educational Christmas activities to use as Christmas homework can be the perfect thing to harness their enthusiasm and energy, and hopefully help keep their brains focused on some academic aspects.