Get outside this Christmas!
As the festive season approaches, it’s time to take the classroom outdoors and infuse the holiday spirit into our learning experiences. Here’s our collection of five Christmas activities to engage your class at Christmastime and bring the joy of the season to your outdoor educational space.
Reuse and Decorate: Foster creativity while reusing unwanted decorations.
Materials Needed:
- Old Christmas decorations (non-shedding and safe materials)
- Christmas ribbon
- Plastic baubles
Activity Steps:
- Discuss the concept of reusing and repurposing materials for a creative purpose. Emphasise the importance of using safe materials for outdoor decoration.
- Provide Christmas ribbon and encourage students to weave it through fences, around hanging baskets, and tubs. This is a good opportunity to practise fine motor skills.
- Hang plastic baubles on fences and washing lines. Use this activity as an opportunity to promote maths skills and discussion, including sorting, ordering and pattern-making.
- Allow children to observe the outdoor decorations over time. Reflect on their choices of materials and the impact of weather conditions on the decorations.
Santa’s Grotto Den Building:
Materials Needed:
- Den building materials (sticks, blankets, etc.)
- Unwanted baubles
- Additional festive items (optional)
Activity Steps:
- Discuss the concept of Santa’s Grotto and the need for shelter from weather conditions. Explore all of the things that Santa might need in his grotto.
- Provide den building materials along with unwanted baubles. Challenge the children to build a grotto that accommodates Santa, a child, and presents.
- Encourage the children to design an attractive entrance and pathway to the grotto. Discuss the importance of creating an inviting space for both Santa and children.
- Have groups present their Santa’s Grotto creations. Encourage discussion on the challenges faced and the creative solutions implemented.
Stick Christmas Tree:
Materials Needed:
- Sticks of various lengths
- Fallen leaves and berries
- Additional natural materials (optional)
Activity Steps:
- Discuss the concept of a stick Christmas tree and the importance of using fallen sticks.
- Have children collect sticks of various lengths from the outdoor area.
- Guide students in arranging sticks from smallest to largest to create a triangular tree shape. Encourage mathematical vocabulary – long, longer, longest, short, shorter, shortest.
- Add fallen leaves, berries, or other natural decorations.
- Encourage children to explore additional festive designs like stick snowflakes or twiggy stars.
- Discuss the value of dead wood and the importance of leaving certain materials in their natural habitat.
Christmas Dinner for the Birds: Promote environmental awareness through a hands-on activity.
Materials Needed:
- Lard
- Oats
- String
- Outdoor trees
Activity Steps:
- Discuss the importance of providing food for birds during the winter season.
- Squish oats into lard and attach string to create bird-friendly treats.
- Hang treats in outdoor trees to provide a “Christmas dinner” for the birds.
- Observe birds’ reactions to the treats over time.
- Reflect on the importance of caring for wildlife and the impact of seasonal changes on bird behaviour.
Nature Bunting: Create festive decorations using natural materials.
Materials Needed:
- Twine
- Leaves
- Threads of berries
- Pine cones
- Wooden discs
- Other natural materials
Activity Steps:
- Discuss the concept of nature bunting.
- Have children collect leaves, threads of berries, pine cones, and other natural items.
- Instruct students to attach collected materials to twine, creating nature bunting.
- Hang the nature bunting between trees or in a designated outdoor area.
- Discuss the beauty of natural decorations and how they can be adaptable for different occasions.
