Getting Ready for Christmas Break Social Skills Story Editable

Help children navigate the upcoming holiday season with this getting ready for Christmas break social skills story, designed to make holiday break transitions easier for every learner. Many kids feel unsure, excited, or anxious about school closing for the holidays, and this winter break social skills story uses simple language and visuals to explain what will happen and how to handle changes confidently.

Students learn that:

• School will close for a short time so everyone can rest (page 7).
• They might miss their teachers or classmates, and that’s okay (page 9).
• Routines may change, like sleeping in later or doing different daily activities (page 10).
• They can stay calm and ask for help when holiday schedules feel overwhelming (page 11).
• Their teachers and friends will be excited to see them after Christmas break (page 12).

What’s Included

This Christmas break social skills story resource comes with everything you need to support smooth winter transitions:

• Full-color social skills story pages with child-friendly illustrations and simple language

• Black-and-white version for printing on any copier or sending home to families

• A4 and Letter formats for easy classroom or binder use

• Clear visuals that help students understand changing routines before Christmas break

• Emotion-support pages that describe feelings like missing teachers, excitement, or nervousness

• Strategy pages modeling what children can do when routines are different

• Teacher note with suggestions for introducing the story

• Flexible layout so pages can be printed as a book, used individually, or displayed as posters

How to Use This Resource

You can use this Christmas break social skills story in multiple settings to help students understand and feel confident about upcoming changes:

• Whole-class read-aloud: Introduce the story during morning meeting to prepare everyone for holiday routines.

• Small-group SEL lessons: Use it with students who need extra reassurance or have difficulty managing seasonal changes.

• One-on-one support: Counselors, SPED teachers, and interventionists can read the story with students who feel anxious before school breaks.

• Send home for families: Provide the printed story to caregivers so they can reinforce expectations at home during the holiday season.

• Prep for transitions: Read the story a few days before break begins, and again on the last day, to reduce confusion and ease anxiety.

• Visual reminders: Display individual pages (like “routines might change” or “I can stay calm”) as posters around the room.

This December social skills story is perfect for special education, autism classrooms, SEL groups, and classroom counseling, especially for students who struggle with routine changes, holiday anxiety, transitioning to holidays, or separation anxiety before break.

You can use this resource during morning meetings, small-group SEL sessions, or as a read-aloud to prepare your entire class for winter classroom routines. It’s also helpful for sending home to families who need extra support with holiday change routines.