Festive Classroom Activities for TEFL Teachers

The holiday season is one of the most exciting times to be a TEFL teacher. Classrooms feel lighter, students are buzzing with energy, and you get the chance to bring a little magic into your lessons. Whether your students celebrate Christmas or not, December is the perfect excuse to introduce new vocabulary, explore global traditions, and have some fun before the winter break.

To help you make the most of the season, here are Christmas-themed classroom activities that genuinely work—engaging, easy to prep, and adaptable for every level.

1. Christmas Vocabulary Relay

Let’s start with something energetic. December can make students restless, so channel that energy into learning.

Split the class into teams and flash Christmas words on the board—snowman, reindeer, sleigh, chimney, and so on. Call out a word; the first student to run up and circle it wins a point. You can even challenge them to use the word in a sentence for bonus points.

It’s fast, fun, and a great way to reinforce vocabulary without anyone realizing they’re studying.

2.  “What’s in the Stocking?” Guessing Game

Few things excite students more than a mystery. Fill a stocking with a few small items—bells, candy canes, toys, or classroom objects. Students take turns asking yes/no questions to figure out what’s inside.

Suddenly, grammar isn’t grammar… it’s detective work.

This activity is brilliant for practicing question structures and descriptive vocabulary, and it works for literally any age group.

3. Christmas Around the World Presentations

Not every country celebrates Christmas in the same way—and some don’t celebrate it at all. This makes December a perfect opportunity for cultural exploration.

Assign each group a country and have them research local holiday traditions. Japan’s Christmas KFC tradition? Germany’s Christmas markets? The Philippines’ giant lantern festival? Your students will love discovering these.

Students present their findings to the class and teach one vocabulary word from their country’s tradition. It’s educational, global, and creates great discussion.

4. Write a Letter to Santa

A classic—but for good reason. For younger learners, create a simple structure they can follow:

• Dear Santa…
• This year I have…
• For Christmas, I would like…

For older or higher-level learners, turn it into persuasive writing:
Convince Santa why you deserve your gift.
This leads to hilarious, creative results and excellent language practice.

5. Christmas Story Gap-Fill

A cozy storytelling activity that works beautifully on snowy (or rainy) December days.

Choose a short Christmas story and remove key words. Students listen carefully as you read and fill in the gaps. You can use classics like The Grinch or write a simple story tailored to your class level.

This activity quietly improves listening skills, comprehension, and grammar—wrapped in a festive bow.

6. Christmas Song Jumble

Music transforms a classroom instantly.

Give students cut-up lyrics from a popular Christmas song. Play the song and let them race to reorder the lines correctly. You’ll see teamwork, concentration, and plenty of singing—voluntary or not.

It’s also a playful way to improve pronunciation and listening skills.

7. Christmas Market Role-Play

If you’re teaching teens or adults, this one is a hit.

Set up a “Christmas market” scenario and assign roles: vendors, tourists, food sellers, gift shoppers. Students must negotiate prices, ask questions, give recommendations, and “shop” around the market.

It’s festive, functional, and fantastic for fluency.

8. Make a Classroom Christmas Tree

For younger students, this is a holiday highlight.

Draw or project a big Christmas tree on the board. Students create paper ornaments and decorate them with vocabulary you’re working on—family words, adjectives, verbs, anything.

They then present their ornament and add it to the tree.
It’s hands-on, calming, and surprisingly effective for vocabulary recall.

9. Secret Santa Adjectives

A wholesome way to practice descriptive language.

Each student secretly receives a classmate’s name and must describe them using only adjectives. The rest of the class guesses who it is. It’s simple, fun, and helps build a warm classroom atmosphere—perfect for the holidays.

10. Christmas New Vocabulary Bingo

Bingo never fails. Create bingo sheets filled with Christmas words. Instead of calling out the words directly, describe them:

• You build it outside using snow.
• You hang it on the tree.
• A man who delivers presents.

The class must guess the correct word before marking it off.

It’s adaptable for any level and can be as calm or competitive as you want it to be.

Final Thoughts

Christmas lessons don’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. The festive season is already magical—your classroom activities simply help bring that excitement into the learning process.

Whether you want something active, creative, cultural, or cozy, these activities will help your students have fun while still learning English (even if they’re already mentally on holiday!).

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