Christmas party games
Teaching tip
Here are five short Christmas activities you can play online or in the classroom.
1 Words from CHRISTMAS
Using each letter only once, how many words of four letters or more, can you make from the word CHRISTMAS?
Examples: THIS, MIST, TRIM, MATS, CHATS, SCHISM, MATCH, RACIST, CHAIRS.
You could also use HAPPY NEW YEAR .
Examples: NEPHEW, HAPPEN, WHERE, NAPPY, WEAR.
2 Twelve days of Christmas
Most people know the official version of this Christmas song with French hens and turtle doves, but you can adapt it with your class.
On the board write: On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a __________________.
Ask the class to complete the first line, for example: a box of chocolates. Then go round the class asking each student to add an item: On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a gold watch and a box of chocolates.
Each subsequent student adds the next gift on the next day.
3 Vocabulary jumble
Prepare two sets of sheets with the following words:
Sheet 1: Holly, Christmas Eve, turkey, Christmas tree, Nutcracker Suite.
Sheet 2: A Christmas carol, Boxing Day, star, I’m dreaming of a White Christmas, robin.
Divide the class into pairs: Student A and B. Give Sheet 1 to Student As and Sheet 2 to Student Bs. Ask students to write a question which has the answer for each of the words given. For example: What is the name of the prickly green plant with red berries? Or What is the name of the famous book about Christmas written by Charles Dickens?
In pairs, Student A and B ask each other the questions.
4 Winter words
Choose a letter of the alphabet for example T. Students think of words beginning with that letter in the following categories:
A winter drink – Tea, Winter clothes – thick gloves, Winter outdoor activity – take a walk/tobogganing , Winter food – turkey, Winter word – tinsel.
(You can let students be inventive!)
5 Christmas short story
Give your students the following writing prompt:
The presents were wrapped, the tree was decorated, the champagne was chilling in the fridge. Everything was perfect. Nothing could go wrong now.
Tell students they should finish the story. Give students 15 minutes to write and then let them read out their texts in turn (describing the ensuing chaos). If you think your students need more support, divide them into pairs of groups of 3 to write collectively. Be sure that each student reads a part of the final story.
You could use other writing prompts:
a) It was the first time they had seen snow.
b) She picked up the small present. What could it be?
