The weather has changed and there's a wintery chill in the air. It's official, students and teachers everywhere are in countdown mode for winter break. But before you head out for the winter holidays have a little holiday fun with these reindeer themed ideas that are perfect for the classroom. From creative writing to math skills your students will be dashing through the halls to get to your class. Here are a few fun holiday reindeer themed activities that can be adapted for any grade level
December is always a hectic time in the classroom. Your students are antsy and anxious for winter break to arrive and so are the teachers. A perfect solution is to incorporate some reindeer themed games and crafts to create a winter holiday countdown. This fun reindeer craft banner is a clever way to countdown to winter break. You can prepare the banner ahead of time and have students add a felt pom-pom to a reindeer at the end of each day. This is a great way to countdown to winter break and helps students visualize how many days are left.
For a fun way to kick off those last few weeks before Christmas break give your students their presents early. Instead of waiting for the last day before your holiday break give your students a present on the first day back from Thanksgiving break. They'll love walking into class to find a special surprise on their desk, one they can use in the classroom. These cuddly reindeer are absolutely adorable especially when they're hugging a new box of crayons. The best part is your students can use them to get excited about completing their work! The reindeer can also double as a reading buddy; a little pal your students can practice reading their stories to this holiday season.
Looking for a fun way to incorporate some STEM activities in your classroom? Look no further. This reindeer themed STEM activity focuses on practicing those multiplication skills. You can also adapt this to practice addition for younger students. Have your students use their problem solving STEM skills to create their own catapult. Once created have your students team up. Grab a few colored pom poms and some reindeer cups to get started. Have students try to get their colored pom poms into the other teammate's cup. After a few minutes call "time". Have them sort the pom poms that made it into their cup. On your classroom whiteboard, give each color a value: green = 5pts., blue = 4 pts., red = 7 pts. etc. Have your students use their dry erase paddles to work out the math using their multiplication skills. This is a fun way to review their multiplication skills and will encourage them to have a little fun while working on their math.
Have your students create a reindeer themed holiday ornament for a classroom Christmas tree. These make a cute holiday display and can decorate your room for the holidays. They can also be sent home for families to enjoy as ornaments. Just add your students' names and date and you have an instant keepsake.
Encourage students to explore characters with the reindeer photo props. Have them use the props to give personality traits and a persona to the reindeer characters. Students will love introducing themselves as their chosen reindeer. This is a fun way to introduce personality traits and characters into your classroom. Students will have a fun time with this improv activity. Just watch as your students and the reindeer come to life. As an extension activity have them write a story about their journey with Santa through the perspective of a reindeer.
