Blog Archive

Christmas Unit with Free Printables

The Christmas season is here and all our activities reflect that!

There's no better way to keep kiddos learning during the holiday season, than to bring the excitement of Christmas to them.  

Our Christmas unit with free printables does just that!  

All of their favorite aspects of the holiday are included in one activity or more.

Christmas Activities for Kids

Let's take a look at the Christmas activities on our shelves!

Christmas Unit with Free Printables


Christmas Synonyms


Christmas Synonyms

Christmas provides great opportunities to learn new vocabulary and synonyms.  

Kiddos will match synonym cards using the pictures as a control.  

They have really enjoyed this activity and have even attempted to use new words in conversation outside of the classroom.

Source: Jason and I created the printable for this activity as part of our Christmas Unit Printable Pack 1.  For your free copy, click on the link at the bottom of this post.

Christmas Picture and Sentence Match Up with Grammar Analysis


Christmas Picture and Sentence Match Up

I love that all three older kiddos can now read.  Creating activities like this are so much more fun.  

The kiddos will match pictures and sentences, using the control strips provided if necessary.  

Once sentences are matched, the kiddos will analyze sentences and place the correct grammar symbols over each word.

Source:  Jason and I created the printable for this activity as part of our Christmas Unit Printable Pack 1. For your free copy, click on the link at the bottom of this post.

Decorating the Tree Using Prepositions


Christmas Tree Decorating Prepositions.

The kiddos love to decorate their mini Christmas tree as we've done in years past.  

This year I've added a twist to the activity.  

They'll be reviewing preposition words using the instruction cards provided.  

I've also added a strand of mini lights to the activity which adds a little fine motor challenge for the kiddos.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of our Christmas Unit Printable Pack 1.  For your free copy, click on the link at the bottom of this post.

Christmas Addition and Subtraction Word Problems


Christmas addition and subtraction word problem

This Christmas themed word problem activity is fabulous for reviewing addition and subtraction facts.  It's also helping the kiddos remember key words for addition and subtraction word problems.  

The kiddos read each problem and mark the answer using the red and green glass beads provided.

Source:  Jason and I created the printable for this activity as part of our Christmas Unit Math Printable Pack 1. For your free copy, click on the link at the bottom of this post.

Skip Counting Christmas Stamp Activity


Christmas Skip Counting

The kiddos now know how to skip count by numbers through ten.  This activity is to help them review all they've learned.  

They will select a stamp and ink pad and skip count by a number of their choice.  Once finished, they will select a second stamp and the other ink pad, skip counting by another number.

They love finding patterns as they go along.  I enjoy listening to them sing the skip counting songs we've learned as they complete their work.

Source: The free printable for this activity can be found at The Pinay Homeschooler.

Stocking Stuffer Division


Stocking stuffer division

The kiddos are doing fabulous with addition, subtraction, and multiplication, but are still struggling a little bit with division.  

For this activity they will divide gifts among stockings provided to find the answer to each problem listed on the clip cards provided.

At first we were putting gifts inside the stockings, but realized that ribbons were falling off, so instead we've been putting the gifts on top of each stocking.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of our Christmas Unit Math Printable Pack 1. For your free copy, click on the link at the bottom of this post.

Christmas Sink or Float Experiment


Christmas sink or float activity

We've done many sink or float experiments in the past, but this one is Christmas themed and has a prediction sheet to go along with the activity.  

Now that the kiddos are all writing, I'm trying to incorporate as much writing into activities as possible. 

I'm also trying to teach the kiddos about the process of science experiments and how we record them.

The kiddos will fill out the form writing in object names and predicting whether objects will sink or float.  They will then begin the experiment and record results as they go along.  

For this activity we used small Christmas objects we had at home.

Source: The free printable for this activity can be found at The Measured Mom.

Candy Cane Experiment


Candy Cane Experiment

Through this experiment the kiddos will learn what happens to candy canes in vinegar, cool water, and warm water.  

They will record their predictions and results using the printables provided.  

As this activity remains on our shelves, they will also test out results using other liquids we have around the house.

Source: I first saw the idea for this activity at Lemon Lime Adventures.  You can find directions there.  The free printable used in this activity can be found at First Grade Wow.

Christmas STEM Challenge


Christmas STEM Challenge

I must confess, my kiddos have never done a STEM challenge before.  For those who don't know STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  The experience has been quite interesting.

The first day they attempted a challenge Dinomite melted down for about 20 minutes because he couldn't figure out how to make things work.  

Princess tried copying the ideas of others and then ended up melting down for 30 minutes because she couldn't get anything to work right.  

Bulldozer went right to town.  When one of his plans wouldn't work, he had a plan B.  He did amazingly well.

Dinomite eventually calmed down when I told him he could create anything he'd like, rather than the task he had selected.  

Princess had a hard time calming down, until she decided she was going to draft out a plan with steps as to how she could succeed the next day.

I still can't figure out if we need to do more STEM activities in our classroom, or if I should avoid them, because of the turmoil this one created, but I'd like think the process is worth it as it's teaching the kiddos problem solving skills.  

And Bulldozer is in heaven.  

He has always been my little engineer.  

Instead of making one Christmas tree, he makes a forest.

The object of this activity is to use any or all of the materials provided to complete a task card selected. 

Each kiddo selects a different task card each day.  Items used to complete tasks were Christmas items we had at home.



Source:  The idea for this activity came from STEM Activities for Kids.  I created the printable for this activity as part of my Christmas Unit Science Printable Pack 1. For your free copy, click on the link at the bottom of this post.

Christmas Magnetic Sensory Bin


Christmas Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are crucial to our classroom during the holiday season as they help to keep senses regulated and reduce anxieties.  This sensory bin is particularly fun because magnets are involved!  The boys can't get enough of it!

Source:  The idea for this sensory bin came from Little Bins for Little Hands.  You can find details and directions there.

Creating Christmas activities and free printable for kids is so much fun for us. 

I know I've said it before, but it's amazing what a unifying theme them can do to help motivate kiddos to learn.  

We find that the Christmas season is particularly stressful and anxiety ridden for the kiddos as they're preparing for the big day.  

Christmas activities tend to help them relax a bit and enjoy the moment.

For those who are interested in more holiday activities and printables, be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter by clicking the link below.


Don't forget your free printables!


If you enjoyed these activities, you may also enjoy the following ideas.

Nutcracker Unit 2 Bell Activities for Tots & Preschoolers   Montessori-inspired Christmas Botany Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Christmas Themed Language Bundle Montessori-inspired Christmas Themed Language Bundle in Cursive Montessori-inspired Botany Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Religious Christmas Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Gingerbread Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Nutcracker Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Deer Printable Pack          


Read More »

Gift Ideas for Dad

Read More »

Christmas Movies for Kids

We love Christmas! One of our favorite holiday traditions is our Christmas movie countdown. We all watch one holiday movie each night leading up to Christmas Eve. It has been fun to observe our kiddos as they become enamored with some of the movies we loved as kids. 

Take a look at our favorite Christmas movies for kids!
Christmas movies
This post contains affiliate links.
The Original Christmas Classics Gift Set is the best way to jump start a children's Christmas movie collection.  Included in this set are all-time favorites:
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,
  • Frosty the Snowman
  • Santa Claus is Coming to Town
  • Frosty Returns
  • Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
  • The Cricket on the Hearth
  • The Little Drummer Boy
If you had to choose only one movie collection for your kiddos to watch during the holidays, this is would be it..  

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the classic 1967 animated special, adapted from the story book with the same name. The kiddos have watched this dozens of times over the years, and still enjoy it as much as ever.  It makes a great companion to the live-action version with Jim Carrey.

The Polar Express is a highly imaginative, visually striking film that tells the simple story of a boy who begins to question if Santa is real.  He gets a chance to ride to the North Pole on the Polar Express to discover the truth. Whether you are a fan of the book or or have never even heard of it, there is a lot to like about The Polar Express.

 A Charlie Brown Christmas is as much a part of Christmas time as tinsel and candy canes. Highlights include one of the greatest soundtracks of any holiday special (performed by the fantastic Vince Guaraldi Trio), as well as Linus' famous speech about the true meaning of Christmas.  Both children and adults have plenty to look forward to with this one, year after year.

Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas is unique among our kiddos' favorites.  It is a collection of three fun little stories, full of the usual laughs, pratfalls and spills, with a nice moral built into the narrative. If you prefer children's entertainment that teaches values as well as keeps the kiddos' attention, this is a great title to add to your collection.

Mickey's Christmas Carol is exactly what is sound like: a retelling of Charles Dickens' classic tale, with Mickey and the gang playing the parts of Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim, etc.  For parents who love the story, this is a great way to introduce the kiddos to the story and characters, before inviting them to watch the more grown-up versions with you.

Sesame Street - Christmas Eve on Sesame Street is a personal choice, since there are some very warm, precious childhood memories of watching this every year around Christmas time for Renae. It's the perfect movie to help little ones get into the spirit!

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas is a huge favorite of all of our kids, especially our youngest. This holiday episode from the show is one of the best. Who doesn't love Curious George?

Arthur Christmas is a very clever story from the producers of Chicken Run and the Wallace and Grommit films that addresses the question of how Santa builds and delivers ALL of those toys. Jason is a big Wallace and Grommit fan.  Anyone who enjoys those films will love this one.

Frozen is not a Christmas film in the strict sense. However, it is to us. Our daughter Princess has PTSD from early childhood trauma she experienced before we adopted her. Most of her triggers are related to Santa Claus, reindeer, etc, so it was necessary to find an alternative to movies with those themes for her to enjoy during the holidays without going into PTSD episodes. This one is perfect for Princess, for numerous reasons.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy the posts below: 

A Christmas Movie CountdownFamily Christmas Traditions5 Christmas Dinner and a Movie Ideas for FamiliesChristmas Tree Activities for TotsChristmas Activities and Free PrintablesBell Activities for Tots and Preschoolers
Christmas movies for kids
Read More »