December Lesson Ideas: Winter Holidays & Before-Break Activities
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Updated for the 2026–2027 school year • Last updated August 2026
December planning works best as a menu rather than one required holiday theme. Teachers can choose literature, cultural-holiday scripts, or a broader Holidays Around the World set while keeping the same reading, discussion, and performance routine.
What teachers are planning for in December
| Planning focus | When | Classroom use |
|---|---|---|
| Before-break literature | Early December | Use a short classic or one-week lesson that can finish before the schedule changes. |
| Christmas options | December | Choose a holiday-origin script, classic literature, or differentiated performance text. |
| Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / Las Posadas | Dates vary | Offer culture-specific options rather than collapsing distinct traditions into one generic holiday lesson. |
| Advent / Saint Nicholas / Saint Lucia | Dates vary | Use only where they fit your classroom, school, or comparative-traditions goals. |
| Winter Solstice / Boxing Day | Late December | Add broader winter and post-Christmas cultural options. |
Ready-to-use December classroom resources
- Free A Christmas Carol Full-Week Lesson (FREE) — A free middle/high-school literature option for the days before break.
- Free The Little Match Girl Reader’s Theater (FREE) — A free cross-grade Christmas literature option.
- Christmas Holiday Origins Reader’s Theater — A concise holiday lesson for grades 3–5.
- Holidays Around the World Bundle — A 15-script global holiday set for December planning.
- Hanukkah Reader’s Theater — A grades 3–5 Festival of Lights lesson.
- Kwanzaa Reader’s Theater — A grades 3–5 holiday option.
- Las Posadas Reader’s Theater — A Hispanic Christmas traditions option for grades 3–5.
- Advent Reader’s Theater — A Christian holiday option for grades 3–5.
- Saint Nicholas Day Reader’s Theater — A December cultural-holiday option.
- Saint Lucia’s Day Reader’s Theater — A Scandinavian holiday option for grades 3–5.
- Winter Solstice & Yule Reader’s Theater — A winter-season cultural option.
- Boxing Day Reader’s Theater — A post-Christmas holiday option for grades 3–5.
Browse more: Christmas Reader’s Theater collection or Holidays Around the World collection.
A low-prep routine you can reuse all month
Use one common routine across different December texts: five-minute background, first read, partner check, second read or rehearsal, then one compare/contrast or reflection prompt. Students can study different traditions while practicing the same literacy skills.
Keep the learning target narrow. One strong question, one short reread, and one written response usually gives students more useful practice than stacking several unrelated holiday worksheets into the same period.
Choose by grade band
Grades 3–5 have the widest holiday-script selection; grades 6–12 can pair holiday Reader’s Theater with free Christmas literature or differentiated study-guide work.
Make the calendar work for your class
Not every observance belongs in every classroom, and dates for cultural and religious holidays can vary by year. Use this page as a planning menu: choose the topics that fit your standards, community, grade band, and school calendar. The goal is a useful reading, discussion, or performance task—not checking off every date.
Free resources: Browse free Reader’s Theater scripts and study guides.