Christmas Preschool Free Lesson Plan

Christmas activities for preschool and kindergarten are a breeze to schedule with the help of this easy lesson plan. A week of planned activities is ready for you to use with your early learners.

Christmas unit for preschool and kindergarten

 Privacy and Disclosure for information on cookies and affiliates

 

There's a special kind of excitement in the air around Christmas time. Familiar carols ring out at the mall, parcels peek out from not-so-secret hiding places.

And kids crafts and activities are filled with interesting textures and colors, fun characters, and special props.

Along with the wonder and joy of the season, there is the reality of planning daily activities for a group of excited, squirming children.

There are so many ideas to choose from - on the internet, in books, in craft stores - it can be overwhelming to say the least.

This free lesson plan is one option you can grab to reduce the stress of scheduling activities.

Christmas thematic unit

This simple lesson plan contains a week of activities, organized with our A.B.C. method.

The free printable unit contains five days of small group activities, Christmas books, and crafts.

 

 

Christmas unit activities for prek and kindergarten

 

Here is the pdf link.

Christmas themed preschool unit

 

Each day has an activity, a book title, and a craft or art activity.

  • Where you see an asterick next to an activity, you'll find instructions or a link included in this post.

  • Games and crafts use everyday craft supplies and household materials.

  • Songs and rhymes follow popular tunes you know or can easily find on YouTube.

  • Some activities like the Takeaway Game may be familiar to you. We've just added the seasonal touch!

 Christmas preschool resources

 

Enjoy the fun games, crafts and stories in this unit with your preschoolers!

Here are complete instructions and links for games, fingerplay, and crafts.

 

Monday

Activity

Hot potato Game with a Pine Cone

  • Supplies: pine cone, colorful pompoms

Pass the pine cone around the circle while playing music.

When the music stops, the person holding the cone stuffs a pompom into the pine cone.

 

Book

I Spy a Christmas Tree by Jean Marzello

 

Craft

Pine Cone Ornament Craft

 

Tuesday

Activity

Decorate the Christmas Tree on the Felt Board

Prepare the game

1.Cut out a large green felt triangle for a Christmas tree.

2.Outline shapes on the tree with a marker or chalk. Include a star shape outline on the top of the tree.

3.Make a set of cards with a shape drawn on each card matching the shapes on the tree.

4.Cut out felt shapes to match the shapes on the cards.

Play the game

1.Turn over a card. Find the matching felt cut-out.

2.Place the felt shape on the matching shape outline on the tree.

 

Song: Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Tree: (Tune: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Twinkle, twinkle Christmas tree (Hands overhead, finger tips touching)

Shining bright on Christmas Eve.

Branches spread so far and wide.  (Extend arms out on each side)

Lights that sparkle side by side.     (Wiggle fingers in front)

Twinkle, twinkle Christmas tree   (Hands overhead, fingers touching)

Shining bright on Christmas Eve.

 

Book

Little Blue Digger and the Christmas Tree by Harriet Tuppen

 

Craft

Cone Shaped Christmas Tree Craft

 

Wednesday

Activity

Fingerplay: Five Little Reindeer

5 little reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh

One went caroling on a winter day

4 little reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh

One went sledding on a winter day

3 little reindeer.....

One went skating on a winter day

2 little reindeer.....

One built a snowman on a winter day

1 little reindeer…..

Went snowshoeing on a winter day.

Five little reindeer playing in the snow

Heard Santa calling: ”It’s time to go. (Hold up a Santa figure)

The sleigh is packed and ready to leave

To visit the children on Christmas Eve.”

Five little reindeer on a winter day

Arrive just in time to pull Santa’s sleigh. (Count and raise fingers as the reindeer return.)

 

Alternate finger play: 

Five on the Sleigh   (Tune: Five in the Bed and the Little One Said)

  • Hold up five fingers on one hand. Attach a red pompom nose to the thumb of your other hand. Keep this thumb hidden, until the end of the fingerplay.

Five on the sleigh heard Santa say: “Where’s Rudolph? Where’s Rudolph?

So one went off to find Rudolph (Bend thumb into palm)

Then four on the sleigh heard Santa say: “Where’s Rudolph? Where’s Rudolph?

So one went off to find Rudolph (Bend pointer down.)

  • Continue counting down with middle, ring and baby fingers.

Last verse:

Then no one on the sleigh heard Santa say: “Here’s Rudolph!" (Say with an excited, happy voice as you hold up the thumb on your other hand with the red nose.)

  • Ask the children to help you bring the reindeer back to the sleigh. Count from one to five, standing fingers up one at a time as the reindeer return. Then move your hands up and down and from side to side to make the motion of the sleigh with Rudolph in the lead.

 

Book

Careful Santa by Julie Sykes

 

Craft

Santa with a Fluffy Beard Craft  

 

Thursday

Activity

Takeaway Game

Prepare the game

1.Place several Christmas decorations on the table.

2.Cover with a cloth.

Play the game

1.Carefully pull one item off the table under cover of the cloth, so it is not seen.

2.Remove the cloth. Guess which item is missing.

 

Snowball Toss Game

Prepare the game

1.Place a basket or box in the middle of the circle.

2.Pile pompom or cotton ball “snowballs” in front of each student.

Play the game

1.Toss snowballs into the basket.

  • Count snowballs as they are tossed.
  • Turn over a card from a deck of numbered cards to see how many snowballs to toss.

 

Book

Bear Stays Up For Christmas by Karma Wilson

 

Craft

Cotton Ball Ornament

 

Friday

Activity

Christmas Stocking Sensory Game

Prepare the game

1.Put two or three objects in a Christmas stocking, one stocking for each student.

Play the game

1.Ask students to identify items just by squishing the bag with fingers.

  • Can you find the block? Can you find the toy car?

 

Five Little Stockings Fingerplay

Five little stockings hanging by the door,

Santa filled one and then there were four.

Four little stockings beside the Christmas tree,

Santa filled one and then there were three.

Three little stockings just for you,

Santa filled one and then there were two.

Two little stockings for holiday fun,

Santa filled a stocking and then there was one.

One little stocking just for me

Waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.

 

Book

Merry Christmas Gus by Chris Chatterton

 

Stocking Craft

Cut two matching sock shapes from recycled Christmas cards, or from cardstock.

  • Decorate plain cardstock with crayons, markers, stickers.

Hole punch the edges of both stockings, except across the top.

Lace the sock cut-outs together with narrow ribbon.

Form a hanger at the top with the excess ribbon. 

 

More planning options 

This unit can easily be adapted to extend beyond the five days.

Activities can be repeated each week with variations.

Here are a few examples.

  • Use gift bows instead of ornaments for the takeaway game.
  • Sort colors of decorations for math play.
  • Find stockings on a scavenger hunt, then place them on the felt board.

Songs and fingerplays can be repeated as is, so kids can become familiar with them.

 

Books can be read over and over or new ones introduced.

 

Crafts are easy to grab from our roundup of Christmas Crafts.

Enjoy easy activities with stress-free planning this Christmas!

 

preschool lesson plan Christmas

 

Christmas on Pinterest

 


Share this page


Share this page