DECEMBER FUN

December is special because it is a month filled with celebration, reflection, togetherness, and new beginnings—all wrapped in the magic of the winter season. It is one of the few months where many cultures and faiths worldwide celebrate meaningful holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, and New Year’s Eve, each centered around light, hope, generosity, and community. The shorter days and colder weather often bring people indoors, creating opportunities for cozy traditions, family gatherings, storytelling, and acts of kindness. For children especially, December feels magical благодаря festive decorations, gift-giving, music, special classroom activities, and the excitement of the year coming to an end. It’s also a natural time for reflection—looking back on memories and growth—while setting hopeful goals for the future, making December emotionally rich, joyful, and meaningful for people of all ages.

Here are some of the major holidays commonly celebrated in December and what they represent—especially helpful for classroom learning or family discussions:

🎄 Christmas – December 25

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and is observed by Christians around the world. Traditions often include gift-giving, decorating Christmas trees, singing carols, and spending time with family. It is both a religious holy day and a cultural celebration focused on kindness and generosity.

🕎 Hanukkah – Dates vary (late Nov–Dec)

Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights, lasts eight days and commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple and the miracle of oil that burned for eight days. Families light a menorah, play games like dreidel, eat traditional foods, and exchange small gifts.

🕯️ Kwanzaa – December 26 to January 1

Kwanzaa celebrates African American culture and heritage. Each of the seven days honors a principle such as unity, cooperation, creativity, and responsibility. Families light a candle holder called a kinara and participate in storytelling, music, and reflection.

❄️ Winter Solstice – December 21 or 22

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year and has been celebrated by many cultures for centuries as a symbol of renewal and the return of longer days. Some traditions focus on nature, reflection, and hope for the coming year.

🎆 New Year’s Eve – December 31

New Year’s Eve celebrates the final day of the year and the anticipation of a fresh beginning. It’s often marked with parties, countdowns, fireworks, and setting goals or resolutions for the year ahead.

⭐ Other cultural or religious observances

Some communities also observe days such as St. Lucia Day (Dec 13) in Scandinavian cultures and Las Posadas (Dec 16–24) in Latino traditions, which reenact Mary and Joseph’s journey before Jesus’ birth.

December is a month rich in traditions that highlight themes of light, hope, generosity, cultural pride, and new beginnings.

Here are fun, classroom-ready activities to help children learn about and celebrate December holidays in an engaging, age-appropriate way. These work well for elementary students and can easily be adapted for centers, whole groups, or family projects.

🎄 Christmas Activities

Kindness Advent Calendar: Each day students complete a small act of kindness (share a compliment, help a friend, thank a staff member).
Christmas STEM Challenge: Build a “snowman,” sleigh, or tree using cups, marshmallows, or recycled materials.
Story & Craft Time: Read holiday picture books and make ornaments, stockings, or paper wreaths tied to the story’s themes.
Holiday Math Stations: Count ornaments, solve gift-themed word problems, and create shape patterns with candy cane colors.
Letter to Santa or a Caregiver: Practice persuasive or friendly-letter writing skills.

🕎 Hanukkah Activities

Menorah Art Project: Create a menorah using paint, collage, chalk, or craft sticks while learning about the candles and their meanings.
Dreidel Math Games: Roll dreidels to practice number recognition, addition, subtraction, or graphing results.
Oil Experiment: Demonstrate the miracle of oil using simple science activities with water and oil separation.
Holiday Vocabulary Match: Introduce words like menorah, dreidel, gelt, and miracle.

🕯️ Kwanzaa Activities

Principles Friendship Chain: Make a paper chain where each link highlights one of the seven principles (unity, creativity, etc.).
Cultural Music & Rhythm: Listen to African drumming or practice simple rhythm patterns using classroom instruments.
Kinara Craft: Create a paper kinara and label each candle with a principle.
Community Sharing: Discuss ways students can practice unity and cooperation at school and create posters of classroom goals.

❄️ Winter Solstice Activities

Sun and Light Exploration: Learn about how the sun changes with the seasons using flashlights and globes.
Shadow Science: Track shadow lengths throughout the day to observe changes.
Light Lantern Craft: Make paper lanterns representing the return of longer daylight.
Season Journals: Have students write or draw how winter looks, feels, and affects nature.

🎆 New Year Activities

Goal-Setting Stars: Students write or draw personal goals for the coming year on star shapes or paper fireworks.
Year-in-Review Timeline: Create a class bulletin board highlighting memories from the past year.
Time Capsule Project: Seal drawings, letters, or predictions to open at the end of the school year.
Clock Crafts: Make paper clocks and practice telling time before the countdown.

🌍 Multicultural Holiday Fun

Passport to December: Children “travel” to learn about holidays worldwide, collecting stamps in their paper passports.
Holiday Around the World Map: Add decorations and facts from different countries to a map display.
Food Culture Exploration: Read about traditional foods (without requiring food-sharing) and make paper plate “holiday meals.”
Book Tasting: Set holiday books at stations for students to browse and discuss traditions.

💝 Whole-Month Projects

Holiday Celebration Journal: Students keep a daily reflection journal with writing prompts, drawings, or fact pages.
Class Kindness Challenge: Track good deeds with a holiday-themed classroom chart or paper chain.
Winter Performance: Sing songs, share poems, or present short skits highlighting different traditions respectfully.

These activities help children explore culture, kindness, creativity, STEM, literacy, and community—all while joyfully celebrating the winter season in inclusive ways.

December is a wonderful time to share stories that celebrate holiday traditions, winter fun, kindness, and reflection. Here are many favorite children’s books teachers and families love to read throughout the month—organized by theme and perfect for elementary classrooms or cozy read-alouds.

🎄 Christmas Favorites

The Polar Express – Chris Van Allsburg
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! – Dr. Seuss
The Night Before Christmas – Clement C. Moore
Bear Stays Up for Christmas – Karma Wilson
Olive, the Other Reindeer – J. Otto Seibold
Snowmen at Christmas – Caralyn Buehner
Pete the Cat: Saves Christmas – Eric Litwin

🕎 Hanukkah Favorites

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins – Eric Kimmel
The 9 Candles – Maria Mola
Hanukkah Bear – Eric Kimmel
Latkes and Applesauce – Fran Manushkin

🕯️ Kwanzaa Favorites

My First Kwanzaa Book – Deborah Chocolate
Seven Spools of Thread – Angela Shelf Medearis
Kwanzaa: An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking – Eric Copage

❄️ Winter & Snow Stories

The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats
Snowmen at Night – Caralyn Buehner
Sneezy the Snowman – Maureen Wright
Owl Moon – Jane Yolen
Bear Snores On – Karma Wilson
Snow – Cynthia Rylant

💝 Books About Kindness & Giving

The Mitten String – Jennifer Rosner
Kindness Is a Gift – Julia Cook
Boxes for Katje – Candace Fleming
The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? – Carol McCloud

🎆 New Year & Reflection

Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas – Gail Piernas-Davenport
Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution – Pat Miller
Last Stop on Market Street – Matt de la Peña (great for reflection and gratitude)

🌍 Multicultural Holiday & “Lights Around the World”

Lights of Winter – Heather Conrad
The Shortest Day – Susan Cooper (Winter Solstice)
Celebrations Around the World – Katy Halford
What Do You Celebrate? – Whitman Education

🎯 Teacher Favorites for Read-Aloud

Snowmen at Night
The Polar Express
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
Seven Spools of Thread
The Snowy Day

🧑‍🏫 Classroom Tip

Create a “December Book Countdown” where you read one winter or holiday story each day and tie it to different subjects—writing prompts, art projects, culture lessons, or STEM challenges.

These books help children experience December through stories of wonder, culture, generosity, friendship, and winter magic, making the season warm and memorable whether at home or in the classroom.

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