‘Tis the Season: No-prep Christmas Lesson Plans

Ah, December, a magical time when the air is filled with festive spirit and the joy of the season! As we all get far less focused on education, it’s the perfect opportunity to infuse the classroom with the enchantment of Christmas-themed lessons. After all, they are not only culturally important, but also add a lot of fun.

I want to share with you my favourite Christmas-themed lesson plans that bring a special kind of magic to the classroom… as well as educational benefits, creativity and communication skills.

Let’s unwrap the lesson plans – click on the title to open the post!

A Winter’s Tale

This lesson plan explores the essence of winter tales: the concept of Santa Claus himself! Students will watch the video and discover the darker side of Father Christmas. I’d rather have this lesson with more mature students due to a little bit of nudity and a lot of violence.

Benefits for students:

• introduces basic storytelling skills
• supports creative expression
• develops writing abilities

Commercial Christmas or Christmas Commercials?

This lesson plan intertwines the world of marketing with the festive spirit, encouraging students to analyze Christmas-themed commercials. This lesson includes one of the most adorable commercial, so be prepared for some real “awwwww”.

Benefits for students:

• develops critical thinking skills
• boosts media literacy
• encourages creativity

And What If You Don’t Feel the Christmas Spirit?

Not everyone experiences the holiday season the same way. This lesson plan is perfect for those who are fed up with the Christmas stuff. It’s a collection of songs that will make every little Grinch absolutely delighted.

Benefits for students:

• inspires creativity
• enhances listening skills
• helps understand the connection between music and storytelling

Merry Crimbo!

This lesson plan is a festive journey that introduces students to the ways the British celebrate Christmas. The plan is based on a brilliant video by Anglophenia, but I created some lesson ideas for various levels.

Benefits for students:

• expands cultural awareness
• sparks a sense of social awareness
• improves communication skills

Christmas Roll-a-Tale

This lesson plan offers a funny and creative way of talking about Christmas (and winter in general) traditions. Students will create Christmas stories based on rolling the dice – and the lesson plan comes with a free worksheet!

Benefits for students:

• expands cultural awareness
• inspires creativity
• improves communication skills

Feel free to adapt and modify these plans to suit your teaching style. Remember: learning English is far more than just vocabulary and grammar – we need to understand the social and cultural context as well… and Christmas is a great opportunity to broaden your students’ horizons.

Wishing you and your students a season filled with joy, learning, and the magic of Christmas!