Engaging Kindergarten Activities for December
The short month of December can prove to be a lesson-planning challenge! Whether youโre looking for time to create some kindergarten memories or to review important skills before winter break, it can be tricky to find time for it all! In this post, I wanted to share some engaging Kindergarten Activities for December that can help you keep learning on track while making some festive holiday memories with your kindergarteners.
Kindergarten Activities for December
These hands-on and engaging activities are designed to coordinate with skills your students will be learning and reviewing by this point of the school year. All of these activities have a bit of holiday fun included, which can help you keep students motivated and engaged as they eagerly await winter break!
December Morning Work
Leaning into a predictable daily routine is even more important during a short month! Young kindergarteners especially thrive on the consistency of a morning routine. They are able to get right to work, knowing exactly what is expected of them.
The familiar format and fun holiday-themed review activities make it easy for students to have a โquick winโ first thing in the morning. They are able to ease into a day of learning with these math and literacy morning work activities.
Literacy Centers for December
Another helpful routine to keep up and running throughout December is centers. Itโs easy to bring a touch of holiday fun to your classroom with these themed literacy centers, but still keep learning on track.
Your students can practice identifying ending sounds with this holiday train activity! They can use a magnetic letter or even a dry erase marker to write the correct letter on the final gumdrop of the train.
This CVC word activity is also a fun way for students to practice decoding! After identifying the picture on the card, students will identify the correct CVC word. You can make this a self-correcting clip activity by placing a sticker behind the correct answer on the card. When students add a clothespin to the card, they can flip it over to see if the clip is in the correct spot.
Math Centers for December
You can also bring some holiday fun to your math stations!
First, you can increase representation in your classroom with this Hanukkah-themed activity. Students can count the candles on the menorah and then practice forming the number on the line. For some additional counting and fine motor practice, you can also use cards where the students create the correct number of candles with playdough and then place them on the menorah.
Another fun counting activity is this Christmas tree activity! You can use two different types of manipulatives to have students place ornaments on the tree and gifts below the tree. After counting the total number of objects on the card, students can write the number on the star.
Christmas Tree Addition Craft
If youโre looking for a low-prep holiday math activity that can also double as a classroom decoration, check out this craft!
This Christmas tree addition craft can be used in two different ways to best support the students in your classroom. First, students will add ornaments to the different tree layers to model an addition equation. The star shows the total number of ornaments.
However, if you have students who arenโt quite ready to model addition equations, you can use a blank tree with a star on the top. Students can then add the correct number of ornaments to the tree to match the number on the star.
No matter how you choose to use this craft for math practice, the completed trees will look adorable on a December bulletin board!
Winter STEM Challenges
STEM challenges can be a great addition to your lesson plans in December! These hands-on and engaging activities can help your students make fun kindergarten memories.
For example, students can try to build the tallest snowman they can using only marshmallows and toothpicks. After building, they can use snap cubes to measure the height of the snowman. This is a great way to practice nonstandard measurement!
You can also give students a variety of materials to build their own pine trees! You can brainstorm and discuss what a pine tree looks like before giving your students the chance to create their own! They can use pipe cleaners, felt, and clothespins to create their own tree.
If youโre looking for fun and educational activities for a class party before winter break, these challenges are a great option!
No-Prep Printables for December
Finally, itโs always nice to have some no-prep printables ready to go for all of the schedule changes that happen in December. Between assemblies, additional events, and cancelled activities, itโs common to find yourself with a few extra minutes here and there. Itโs nice to have some simple activities on hand that will keep students engaged and on task.
These literacy and math activities can also be incorporated into centers, morning work, or even offered as a choice for early finishers. No matter how you end up using these activities, theyโre bound to save you some time during this busy month.
Plus, thereโs no need to worry if you print them off but donโt end up using them during your daily routine! You can staple them together and send them home with students for some additional skill practice during winter break.
Printable Bundle of December Activities
You can find all of the activities I mentioned above (and more!) in one easy-to-download December Activity Bundle. These low-prep activities are the perfect addition to your December lesson plans, as you work to keep students motivated and engaged until winter break. Just click below to take a closer look at everything included in this bundle.
December Activity Bundle
CVC Words Worksheets Short Vowel Reading Fluency Practice
Save These December Kindergarten Activities
Be sure to save this post so you can come back to it later! Just add the pin below to your favorite teaching board on Pinterest. Youโll be able to quickly find this post whenever youโre looking for low-prep kindergarten activities for December!
