The week before winter break doesn’t have to feel like survival mode. If you’ve taught elementary school for even one year, you know exactly what that mode feels like. Students are excited. Schedules are different. Assemblies pop up out of nowhere. More than half your class is talking about presents instead of paying attention. It’s SO tempting to throw on holiday movies and simply survive until break, but I’ve found that the week before winter break actually goes much smoother when students stay busy with meaningful, hands-on activities.
The good news? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or spend hours on Pinterest gathering ideas. A handful of engaging, low-prep activities can keep your classroom calm, festive, and learning all week long. Keep reading to check out ten of my favorites!
1. Holiday Read Alouds with Simple Response Activities
One of my favorite activities to keep students engaged the week before winter break is to pair a holiday picture book with one simple extension activity.
Some of my favorite mentor texts include:
- Snowmen at Night
- Bear Stays Up for Christmas
- The Gingerbread Baby
- The Last Christmas Tree
- The Polar Express
Instead of complicated projects, keep it simple with:
- partner discussions
- quick writing responses
- drawing activities
- sequencing
- comprehension games
Students stay focused because everything connects back to a great story. Your lesson plans also revolve around themed mentor texts each day, making it easy to keep learning purposeful while still feeling festive.
2. Turn Learning Into Holiday-Themed Stations
Students LOVE stations filled with fun activities during the week before winter break. The key is keeping your normal academic skills but wrapping them in fun holiday themes.
Some ideas include:
- Gingerbread Day Stations
- Reindeer Day Stations
- Snow Day Stations
- North Pole Stations
- Hot Cocoa Stations
Students feel like they’re celebrating, but they’re still practicing reading, math, writing, and problem-solving all week long. Your week rotates through themed station days that keep routines familiar while adding excitement. A total win for everyone!
3. Add Movement Activities Every Single Day the Week Before Winter Break
The more students move, the better they behave. This goes for every day but even more so this crucial week of the school year. I purposely build movement throughout the week with activities like:
- Find a Friend
- Read and Race
- Four Corners
- Would You Rather
- Collaborative Puzzles
- Pass the Present
These quick brain breaks help students get their wiggles out without completely losing instructional time.
4. Explore Holidays Around the World
One of my students’ favorite traditions every December is having students engaged in learning how people celebrate around the world. Students create passports, complete crafts, compare traditions, make presentations, and explore different cultures.
It’s engaging, meaningful, and naturally integrates reading, writing, geography, and social studies into your holiday plans. And since it’s so comprehensive, it might take students a few days or more to finish which is the perfect activity to stretch learning the weeks before winter break. Read more about it HERE!
5. Make Small Gifts for Families
Students absolutely beam with pride when they make something to take home.
Simple handmade gifts become meaningful keepsakes without requiring hours of prep.
Even better?
They naturally weave in writing, following directions, fine motor practice, and creativity while giving students something special to share with their families. Several days can include family gift-making so the projects are spread throughout the week instead of crammed into one afternoon.
6. Holiday Writing Crafts Students Actually Want to Complete
December is the perfect time to sneak in extra writing.
Try themed writing prompts like:
- Gingerbread Writing
- Reindeer Writing
- Snow Globe Writing
- Santa Writing
- How to Make Hot Cocoa
Students are much more motivated to write when the topic feels fun and seasonal. And speaking of fun, directed draws are just that! Art plus writing is always a win-win.
Grab your FREE reindeer directed draw using the link below!
7. Mix in STEM Challenges
Hands-on STEM activities are perfect for those high-energy afternoons. There are all kinds of challenges you can create for students. Some ideas include building a snowman challenge using baking soda and shaving cream to create instant snow, building a sleigh challenge to have students construct Santa’s sleigh that can fly in the air for at least 3 seconds, or marshmallow towers to withstand weight from their textbooks. This is such a great week to get creative and challenge students to use all they’ve learned the first half of the school year. Students stay engaged while practicing problem solving, measurement, along with math and science skills in meaningful ways the weeks before winter break.
8. Celebrate with Theme Days
One thing that makes the week feel extra special is giving each day its own theme.
Ideas include:
- Gingerbread Day
- Reindeer Day
- Snow Day
- North Pole Day
- Hot Cocoa Day
Students can dress up, cater all your read alouds and activities to be centered around the theme, while creating a week they’ll always remember. The goal is to ensure students look forward to each day because there’s something new to experience, all while your classroom routines stay consistent.
9. End Each Day with Something Special
Even if you create themed days all throughout the week, please don’t confuse this with thinking you need an elaborate celebration every afternoon. Sometimes the simplest traditions become the most memorable.
Ideas you can implement the weeks before winter break include:
- Flashlight Reading
- Drinking Hot Cocoa during Independent Reading Time
- Holiday Book Exchange
- Goodbye to the Year Gallery Walk
- Holiday Movie Time
These activities help students wind down while creating lasting classroom memories.
10. Plan Everything Before Winter Break Even Starts
This may be my biggest tip.
The week before winter break gets busy FAST. The more decisions make ahead of time, the more you actually get to enjoy your students. I always recommend organizing everything into one “Before Break Box” with your books, copies, crafts, games, and lesson plans ready to go. That way, each morning you simply grab what you need instead of scrambling to find materials. It’s a literal GAMECHANGER!
Want Your Entire Week Before Winter Break Planned for You?
If planning the week before winter break feels overwhelming every year, I created my Week Before Break Kit to take the stress out of December.
Instead of piecing activities together from dozens of websites, everything is already organized for you, including:
- five days of editable lesson plans
- themed daily activities
- holiday read aloud connections
- literacy and math activities
- movement breaks
- writing crafts
- STEM challenges
- holidays around the world lessons
- family gift ideas
- prep checklists so you know exactly what to print each day
I designed it to help you spend less time planning and more time making memories with your students. The kit intentionally includes an abundance of activities, editable lesson plans, and daily preparation checklists so you can choose what works best for your classroom. It’s the perfect resource to create that Before Break Box you can use year after year. Grab it HERE!
I really hope you enjoyed learning about some fun and easy activities for the week before winter break! Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list! Not only will you get the most up to date tips, tricks, and classroom projects… and of course more fun FREEBIES including the Reindeer Directed Draw FREEBIE! You will also have exclusive access to tons of digital how to videos! If you would like to learn about this and other things happening in my classroom follow me @sweetnsauerfirsties on Instagram.
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