Easy Winter Classroom Activities for Middle School

It’s December and you’re a teacher. If these two things are true, I don’t need to spend much time explaining why it is such a stressful time of year. You’re busy at school and you’re busy at home. The tasks never end. Instead of stressing, take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine…no judgment), and read on for easy winter classroom activities to not only survive December but crush it as well.

Read here for fun yet meaningful ideas to survive AND thrive in December.

First Line of Defense: Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More

Getting through December in your classroom without a plan would be like going to the grocery store for a holiday dinner without a list. You are going to feel so much more mentally settled if you have a plan of action. Here’s what I recommend (and what I do):

Create a dual calendar – I make a simple calendar online that I can also print. I color code what I’m doing in school in one color (I keep it brief; something like “Reading Centers”) and anything particular for home (again, brief…”Holiday Cookie Party”). I then write down any materials I’ll need for each.
Make the calendar editable. Things are ALWAYS popping up.
I also added a “to-do” list.
Peek at your calendar each day to be sure you have your materials for the following day.
Be realistic and don’t cram in too much.

I have a free, editable template that you can use.

Grab this free, editable calendar template to make your planning easy!

Winter Classroom Activities: Meaningful Crafts and Gift-Making

Believe it or not, middle school students really do still love to make gifts at this age level. With a busy curriculum and millions of things to do this month, it’s a good idea to start early. If you are having your kids give a gift, here is what I recommend for doable winter classroom activities:

Independent: Because you don’t have time to help kids with every step of a craft/project.
Simple: Less is sometimes more.
Meaningful: Having some sort of heart-felt writing component is a good way to accomplish this.
Minimal supplies: Again, you don’t need the headache of a complicated project.
“Little by little”: Having a project for kids to work on a little at a time is helpful when you don’t have a huge block to dedicate.
Provides some learning: When the project has kids using some language arts skills, it’s an added bonus!

I have two that meet all of these components on my TPT store…check it out!

This is a simple yet meaningful gift for your kids to give to a special person.

This one will have your kids creating and writing!

Energy Level is HIGH – Be Prepared!

One thing you’ll notice: The kids’ energy is high, but ironically, you are exhausted. I have found that the best line of defense is having them settled immediately upon entering the room. How? By having a fun but meaningful “bell ringer” (AKA “do now” or “anticipatory set”). It can be something as simple as an acrostic for the word “December” or writing different sentence types with a holiday theme.

If you need/want some help, grab this December-themed ELA bell ringer set. There are 20 in all, which is plenty to get you through the month.

You’ll want kids settled upon entering the room, and this is the answer.

Fun Activities are a Must for Teaching in December

Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! Kids (and teachers) are naturally excited and “wound up” for the holidays. And it’s hard to go along with the regular routine. Although you will obviously need to stick to your curriculum, try to add in some fun. You can do this by perhaps ending regular work 10 minutes early to work on a winter-themed project or holiday gift. Or you could dedicate half of the period on Fridays for winter classroom activities. It’s up to you, but it would be a shame to miss out on incorporating some holiday cheer.

I have a bunch of winter classroom ideas that are already made that you can use in each category that I will link. Here are some ideas to incorporate:

Poetry: The choices are endless. For example, try a “poetry autopsy”, where kids “dissect” the poem in a step-by-step manner. I have one for “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”.
Vocabulary: It doesn’t have to be boring! Try an escape room with tier 2 and tier 3 words, found in my TPT shop.
Choice Activities: As you are winding down before break, you will often need an activity at the ready for kids who finish early. Having some sort of choice board will help. Here’s mine: Winter Choice Board

Seasonal Writing: Kids will do much better with creative writing when it’s guided. I love using a “Write the Room” approach. Take a look here: Winter Write the Room
Games: I have a bunch of ideas listed below that you can use for a party or any time this month.
Easy, independent work: I mean, if you’re not giving some kind of easy, independent work now then you never will. Boom Cards work well because they are interactive and self-grading. Try this: Language Arts Winter Boom Cards Although this is meant for the end of the school year, you can easily use it for the end of the calendar year: Language Arts Independent Work Social Studies Independent Work

Winter Holiday Party: Do it the EASY Way

Some of you may work in a district where class parents take over a class party and you just have to show up. For me, class parents didn’t do this at the middle school level. And then there are some of you who may work in a district that is unable or unwilling to help provide this.

I always felt that it was important to provide a celebration for my kids. Here are some ideas if you are doing this without outside help:

“Potluck” – I created a sign-up sheet for my homeroom. I put things on there like cookies, paper goods, mini bagels, cream cheese/butter, etc. I always provided the hot chocolate (I just brought in my coffee urn, filled with water, and used instant hot chocolate). The kids did the setup and we played music and a game (game ideas below).
“BYOS” – Bring your own snack. Kids can just bring in a snack. I would suggest, if you can, grabbing a big bag of popcorn for those who forget. Then in class, you can either play a game or watch a movie (movies listed below).
Music – There are endless holiday playlists on YouTube and Spotify that will provide a festive air for your celebration. Here’s one to try: Holiday Playlist

Winter Classroom Activities MUST DO: Holiday Movies

The possibilities are endless with feature-length movies. There’s Elf, The Santa Clause, Home Alone, The Grinch, The Nightmare Before Christmas…the list goes on and on. Obviously, use these if you want to show a movie over multiple days.

Here are some of my favorites that are about 30 minutes long. Although some seem juvenile, kids still really love them, and they provide that much-needed feeling of nostalgia and tradition:

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (the original)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman
Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Although you can certainly just watch and enjoy, some teachers find it helpful to have kids fill something out to keep them focused. I have a good freebie for this. It’s called “It Says I Say” and it’s a very easy yet focused way to take a few notes while giving your own thoughts.

Click here for your free “It Says/I Say” copy.

Winter Classroom Activities for Games

Classroom games are a perfect addition to your holiday party or just something fun in and of themselves, especially that last day before break. Here are some that my kids have loved:

Games

Disappearing Snowman: This is like hangman, except that you draw a snowman on a wipe-away board. Erase a component when there is no letter in the word. Keep your words winter/holiday-themed.
Snowball Race: Have kids in teams of 3-5. Each team gets chopsticks, a pile of cotton balls, and a bowl. Students pick a teammate to go first, and they have to put as many cotton balls (snowballs) in the bow. Set a timer for a minute or two. At random intervals, call “switch!” and kids give another person on their team a chance. The group with the most “snowballs” collected after the timer goes off wins.
Scattegories: This is a beloved game and kids love it. Put kids in groups. Give them a category, like “winter activities” and assign a letter. No need for the actual game…you can just randomly assign a letter by clicking here: Random Letter Generator. Kids then come up with as many words for this category and earn a point if no one else thought of it.
10 Questions: Tape a holiday-themed word on a student’s back so they can’t see it. Have them show the class by putting their back to it. Then, they get 10 “yes or no” questions. Examples: Is it a person? Is it something you eat? Is it sweet? Then, they try to guess. Kids love this one!
Karaoke: Have kids get into pairs or groups (or solo!). Put on a holiday karaoke and have kids do this. You can make it a contest (don’t make it too competitive), or just do it for fun. I usually just give out a lottery ticket to anyone who participates (I give tickets as a class reward system, with a drawing at the end of a marking period). There are so many options on YouTube; here is one that will work well: Holiday Karaoke

The Day Back From Winter Break: Be Prepared with Something EASY

The day back from winter break is one of the most difficult as far as motivation goes. Kids are tired, they’re out of the routine, and most are not ready to be back. The teachers feel the same way! If possible, rather than rushing into a new unit, have something easy but meaningful to work on.

You are going to feel so much less stress if you have a solid plan for the day back.

Addressing the new year is a great way to go. Kids can set goals, reflect, and get mentally prepared for a fresh year. I have 4 activities if you need ideas:

Winter Color Code: This is a fun and easy way to get kids started…plus it will make a great bulletin board. It gets kids to reflect in a meaningful way.

New Year’s Color Code: This is my absolute favorite…kids look at the prompts and color code the mandala. The prompts are about reflecting and setting goals. This activity is completely independent and will allow kids (and you) to ease back into being at school in a meaningful way. Plus, they make a great bulletin board display!

FREE January Guided Poetry: This is a “print and go” activity that will easily have your kids writing a seasonal poem. Perfect for a fresh bulletin board in the new year!

New Year’s Flip Book: This is a great one to print and have out on kids’ desks so they can independently get right to work. It’s easy and fun but very meaningful. Kids will reflect, set goals, and create a timely poem.

Grab something fun and easy anytime this winter!

Not enough time to read? Try the Podcast!

I recently started a Podcast for middle school language arts teachers. Check it out!

Listen here!

I hope this information was helpful. Please comment below with any of your December and winter classroom ideas and activities. Wishing you and your students a wonderful and magical December. You’ve got this!

-Linda A. “All in One Middle School“