This time of year is filled with celebrations and holidays! Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Chinese New Year are just a few of the many celebrations that take place during the winter. So why not learn about all of them? Celebrate holidays from all around the world in your classroom this December!
Christmas Art Projects: Rudolph, 3-D Tree, Candy Canes
Start your holiday season off with classic Christmas art projects. This unit features a Rudolph art project that only requires construction paper, ribbon, scissors, glue, and a marker! The 3-D Christmas tree project is fun, and also has information about the first Christmas trees! Then students can make paper candy canes. Each project comes with instructions, patterns, and a reproducible when necessary.
Purchase this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers here.
Pocket Book for December Celebrations
This is a great project for December celebrations! This unit provides instructions on how to make a pocket book and reproducibles about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. Each celebration is highlighted with information sheets, posters, art projects, games, writing forms, recipes, and more! This unit is enough for the whole month!
Purchase this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers here.
December Candles
This unit is a reproducible mini book that tells about how candles are used for different celebrations in December! It is a great way to compare and contrast holidays. Students can read it independently, at home, or in class. Feature other mini books in your curriculum to help students make their own mini library.
Purchase this mini book on Teachers Pay Teachers here.
Kwanzaa: Making Books
Learn to celebrate the African holiday of Kwanzaa! This unit includes information on the origin of the celebration, book recommendations, and a student book about the Kinara candle, a big piece of Kwanzaa culture!
Visit Teachers Pay Teachers here to purchase this unit.
December Celebrations Bulletin Boards
Include more than one December holiday in your classroom decorations this winter! This bulletin board unit has decorations for Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Las Posadas! It also leaves room for student work to be posted, and comes with information about each holiday, teacher directions, letter cut-outs, and a writing form!
Visit Teachers Pay Teachers to purchase your bulletin board here.
December Celebrations
This unit is a chance for students to research six celebrations in December that they may not be familiar with! The unit comes with information forms, teacher directions, reproducibles, and writing forms to encourage students to learn more about other cultures and traditions.
Visit Teachers Pay Teachers to purchase your unit here.
Kwanzaa Storytelling Activity
It is common in Kwanzaa tradition for family members to tell stories to each other. This unit encourages students to practice this tradition by writing down a story from one of their own family members. Students will learn about Kwanza and their own family history—and get to share it with others!
Find this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers here.
Chinese New Year Activities
This unit provides information about Chinese New Year, including common practices and traditions. Then students will get the chance to practice these traditions and participate in fun activities like making a box dragon.
Find this unit here, on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Chinese New Year: Dancing Dragon and Chinese Lantern
Add these two art projects to your December schedule! Students will get to make a paper accordion-fold dragon and make it dance with popsicle sticks! The other activity is making decorative Chinese lanterns using paper plates and yarn.
Visit Teachers Pay Teachers and get this fun activity unit here.
Hanukkah Activities
This unit has three different Hanukkah activities to include in your December celebrations! The first is a mini book about the use of candles in December celebrations. The second is a coloring the Menorah activity, and the third is a spin-the-dreidel counting game.
Purchase this unit and others like it on Teachers Pay Teachers here.
Take a trip around the world in your classroom this December and feature more than one celebration in your holiday season lesson plans!
For more December lesson ideas check out:
Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.