Christmas School: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Friends, if you’re wondering how to plan Christmas School, I’m ready to help you choose books, printables, and activities for the days you have available.
Over the past 17+ homeschool years, Christmas School remains one of my favorite weeks of the year. When all of my children were little, we sometimes spent much of December reading Christmas books and enjoying activities together, with some math lessons along the way.
Our main focus is the birth of Jesus. We also enjoy Christmas stories, music, and learning about the traditions we share as a family.
Whether you have a whole week or just a little time, you can choose a plan that fits this season of your life.
This is going to be fun! Let’s get started! 🎄
New to the series? Start with the Holiday School Prep lesson to decide how much time you have and what you want your children to learn.
Only have a day or two? Go directly to the shorter planning ideas in Day 3.
Watch: How to Plan Christmas School
This video was originally recorded for All Access Pass members, so you’ll hear references to their included printable downloads. The planning lesson is now free for everyone. Below, you’ll find links to free printable posts and paid packets.
Already an AAP member? Use the member Christmas planning page for convenient downloads of the included resources.
Decide What Christmas School Will Look Like This Year
Before choosing your materials, look at your calendar. Will you set aside a week for Christmas School, spend a few mornings together, or include a Christmas book and activity alongside your regular lessons?
My goals are always: to spend time with my children, keep some of the season’s busyness outside our home, and focus on the birth of Christ.
Your plan should fit the children you’re teaching and the time you have. If this is a difficult or especially full season, just a little Christmas School is enough. You don’t have to complete everything on this page, and in fact, I don’t encourage you to do that.
Christmas School should soothe the soul. It should be something you all – Mama and children alike! – look forward to. So I say gently: be careful not to plan it so full you don’t enjoy it or each other.
Choose Your Books for Christmas School
Books are where I always begin. The lists below include suggestions for preschool through elementary ages, but those groupings aren’t strict limits, of course.
My older children have continued joining us for favorite Christmas picture books through the middle and high school years. A familiar story can be something the whole family enjoys together over and over again!
Choose a few books that fit your plans. Use favorites you already own, reserve books at the library, or purchase the ones you want to take off the shelf year after year.
This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.
Christmas Books for Preschool and Kindergarten
The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keates
The Friendly Beasts: an Old English Christmas Carol by Tomie dePaola
Who is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff
The Christmas Story by Jane Werner Watson and Eloise Wilkin
The Animals’ Christmas Eve: A Christmas Nativity Book for Kids by Gale Wiersum
Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell
Christmas Books for Elementary Children and Family Read-Alouds
Good King Wenceslas by John M. Neale
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston and Barbara Cooney
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck and Mark Buehner
The 12 Days of Christmas: The Story Behind a Favorite Christmas Song by Helen Haidle
The Christmas Tree Ship by Carol Crane and Chris Ellison
O Christmas Tree: Its History and Holiday Traditions by Jacqueline Farmer and Joanne Friar
Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble
The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden and Barbara Cooney
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Bring Christmas Books and Music Together
Some of our favorite books illustrate the words of Christmas songs, including The Little Drummer Boy and Good King Wenceslas.
When we use one of these books, we learn the words and listen to different versions of the song throughout the week. If you have children who play an instrument, they may enjoy learning to play it, too.
The 12 Days of Christmas is another option for several days of reading and activities. Younger children can work on the coordinating coloring pages while you read together.
Choose Your Christmas Printables
Once you’ve chosen your books, decide which printable activities would fit best with your plans.
I’ve grouped the suggestions by age or grade to help you get started. Choose according to your child’s abilities, and give help where needed. You may find useful pages in more than one group.
The links below lead to the individual resources. Some are free, some require an email signup, and others are paid packets.
Christmas Printables for Preschool
For a Jesus-centered choice, start by looking at the J is for Jesus packet and Nativity coloring pages.
You’ll also find matching games, cutting practice, tracing, and other Christmas activities. Choose the ones your little ones are ready to use.
J is for Jesus Packet – Focus on the letter J; phonics and writing
Nativity Coloring Pages – All pictures focus on Jesus in a mini-booklet style
Christmas Hidden Pictures Worksheets – Hide and Seek!
Christmas Cutting Practice Pages – Scissor Skills practice
Christmas Matching Game – Play this Memory-style
12 Days of Christmas Coloring Pages – Full-sized coloring pages
Christmas Coloring Pages – Various Christmas items in a mini-booklet style
Christmas Tracing Lines – Trace the lines and the letters
Christmas Printables for Kindergarten and First Grade
The Nativity Kindergarten and First Grade packet includes phonics and math activities centered on the birth of Christ.
Picture labeling and vocabulary activities offer other ways to practice early reading and writing. The Christmas tree sequencing packets can also fit alongside your books and family activities.
Nativity Worksheets for Kindergarten and 1st Grade – Variety of math and phonics activities
Nativity Label the Picture Pages – Cut and Paste or write-in using the word bank
CHRISTmas File Folder Vocabulary Activities – These are fun! Several phonics activities
How to Buy a Christmas Tree Sequencing Activities Packet – – A variety of activities: cut and paste, etc.
How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Sequencing Packet
How to Wrap a Gift Sequencing Packet –
How to Bake Cookies Sequencing Packet –
Christmas Color by Number Worksheets – Simple color by number
Christmas Directed Draw and Write Worksheets – Draw the picture using the prompts
Christmas Printables for Second Through Fifth Grade
The Birth of Jesus crossword puzzles are an activity my children and I have enjoyed doing together many times over. They involve looking up Scripture, so have a Bible nearby as you work.
Print and cursive Nativity handwriting activities are another option. For children interested in Christmas traditions, the Christmas history worksheets pair well with O Christmas Tree: Its History and Holiday Traditions.
Birth of Jesus Crossword Puzzles – You will need a Bible to complete these!
Nativity Words and Phrases – Print and cursive
Christmas ABC Order Worksheets – Cut and paste the words in the correct ABC order
Christmas Word Search Packet – Set of 3
Christmas Worksheets – Multiple activities that focus on the history of Christmas
Use a Printable as a Starting Point
You can often use one resource in several ways.
For example, we’ve used Names of Jesus copywork for more than handwriting. We look up the Scripture passages, talk about the names, practice spelling them, and work on memorizing them.
Choose the amount of work that fits each child. Younger children can participate in the conversation while older children do more of the reading and writing.
Choose One or Two Christmas Activities
Choose one or two activities your family will enjoy. If you have time for more, you can add them, but you don’t need a different craft every day. That’s too much pressure!
Christmas activities can often bring several ages together. We’ve enjoyed making ornaments, decorating our school room, and working at the table with Christmas music playing.
Some of our best conversations happen while our hands are busy!
Even though we’re making the cinnamon pumpkins from yesterday’s Thanksgiving School, we are also going to make Cinnamon Ornaments because my youngest has never done that. Find the super easy recipe below!
Christmas Craft Paper Strips for Garland – These are the strips I mentioned in the video. Go ahead and buy the pack of 600. You will be so glad you did!!
Easy Pipe Cleaner Ornaments – I love these! I’m going to make these with my girls this year (18, 16, 14) to tie as decorations on Christmas bows
Mini Yarn Hat Ornaments – these are super cute!
Keep Activities Simple When You Need To
There have been years when I couldn’t manage gathering supplies for several projects. If that is where you are this Christmas, I understand.
A prepared craft kit from Hobby Lobby or Michael’s can save some of that work. You can also choose an activity using materials you already have.
One of our favorites has been making paper-chain garland for our schoolroom. Some years we’ve used precut Christmas paper strips. Other years, we’ve cut strips from red and green construction paper.
The children work on the chain while I read aloud or while we listen to something together. It’s a simple way to enjoy a book and decorate our school room at the same time. Preschoolers all the way up to high school can work on this activity together, which makes it even better!
Get Your Christmas School Materials Ready
Once you’ve made your choices, gather everything in a box, basket, or folders you already have.
Before putting your materials away:
- Gather or reserve the books you want to read.
- Print the pages you plan to use.
- Choose any songs or recordings you want to include.
- Check your activity supplies before buying more.
- Quickly write down your plans on a piece of paper or sticky notes so you don’t have to think about it again!
- Keep your books, printed pages, and supplies together.
If you only finish part of the preparation, leave yourself a note explaining what still needs to be done. You can pick up where you left off without having to remember every detail.
Friends, choose what fits your family this year. A favorite book and a simple activity can give you a lovely morning together.
You’ve done it, Mamas! You’ve gotten your entire Christmas School prepped and planned! I am so proud of you!
Tomorrow will be how to prioritize if you only have a couple of days for each. And I’ll have some more resources for you.
See you then! ❤️
xo,
Lauren
Continue Your Holiday School Planning
Next: Holiday School When You Only Have a Day or Two
🦃 Plan Your Thanksgiving School
➡️ Return to the Holiday Homeschool Planning series
How to Plan Thanksgiving School: Books, Printables, and Activities
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