Best Christmas activities for KS1 and KS2
Looking for fun and festive Christmas activities for kids in Early Years, KS1 and KS2? Whether you're planning a themed day at school or just need some quick, free, printable ideas to keep children engaged, this list is packed with teacher-made resources to make the end of term both joyful and purposeful.
From reading comprehension packs and creative writing tasks to quizzes, poetry, crafts and early years favourites, these Christmas-themed worksheets and activity packs are perfect for bringing seasonal cheer to your classroom.
Every idea is easy to use, curriculum-linked and designed to help you finish the term on a high. So let's take a look at some of the best Christmas activities for primary school children, grouped by theme to help you find exactly what you need...
Writing activities with a Christmas theme
From letters to Santa to atmospheric setting descriptions, Christmas is full of rich writing opportunities. These packs support creative expression across both key stages.
KS1 writing packs
Keep Year 1 and Year 2 pupils engaged with festive writing using our free Elf Fact File resource pack. Over several sessions, children will explore a model text about Elliott Sparkles, then plan, draft and write their own elf fact files – practising key grammar skills along the way.
Dear Father Christmas is a two-week Year 1 writing unit based on an original text. Pupils will read the model text, then plan and write their own letters to Father Christmas – practising key skills like using capital letters, full stops and plural nouns.
Support purposeful post-performance writing with this Christmas Show Recount Pack. Pupils will plan and write a recount of their class production using helpful tools like planning sheets and time adverbial cards. This pack is ideal for sequencing events and practising past tense writing.
KS2 writing packs
In this free UKS2 writing pack, pupils explore character viewpoint using extracts from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. After comparing Scrooge’s and his nephew’s views on Christmas, they'll plan and write a diary entry in role – developing character voice and narrative perspective.
This Christmas-themed setting description pack helps KS2 pupils craft atmospheric writing using sensory detail, figurative language and speech marks. With model texts, planning sheets, festive image prompts and writing templates, it’s ideal for the end of term.
Get pupils writing festive poetry with this Christmas Cinquains pack. Using model poems and structured planning sheets, children will learn to write their own five-line poems following the cinquain form.
Finally, inspire KS2 pupils to write their own Christmas stories with author Catherine Doyle’s expert guidance. This pack includes a free podcast episode for a virtual author visit, plus planning sheets, a PowerPoint, working wall materials and more.
Christmas reading comprehension activities for KS2
Festive texts are a brilliant way to keep reading lessons purposeful in the final weeks of term. These Christmas comprehension activities offer great opportunities for children to practise key skills like inference and broaden their vocabulary in the context of classic and seasonal stories.
Help LKS2 pupils understand the meaning behind popular carols with this Christmas Songs Comprehension Pack. Featuring Jingle Bells and Away in a Manger, it includes lyrics, questions and answers – ideal for guided or independent reading during the festive season. There's also a version for UKS2.
Support pupils in developing inference and vocabulary skills with this UKS2 resource based on A Christmas Carol. Using the ‘Unlocking Inference’ approach, it includes annotated texts, scaffolded questions, vocabulary support and whole-class reading strategies to help all learners access and engage with classic literature.
Explore inference and vocabulary in a structured way with LKS2 learners with this KS2 reading pack based on The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen. The resource includes annotated texts, vocabulary teaching tools and scaffolded questions to help all pupils access and understand challenging texts.
Poetry and performance ideas for literacy and assemblies
Get pupils reading, writing and performing poetry with these engaging packs...
Inspire Year 3/4 pupils with this free poetry writing pack based on ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. Children will read, perform and explore the poem before writing new stanzas and creating their own festive poems.
KS1 pupils can explore and write their own festive poems with this O Christmas Tree poetry pack. Using model texts, images and scaffolded sheets, they’ll practise structure, seasonal vocabulary and suffixes to create poems with a Christmas theme.
Christmas classroom games and quizzes
Need a quick, fun activity to wrap up the day or fill time in the last week of term? These printable games and quizzes are great for both learning and laughter...
This free festive quiz pack includes question cards, answers and a pupil sheet where children solve clues to reveal a Christmas-themed mystery word. Topics include the Nativity, Father Christmas and seasonal traditions, with teaching notes offering flexible classroom uses.
This free sheet of 12 Christmas challenges is ideal for Years 3-6, offering creative, learning-rich activities to enjoy at home over the holidays or as festive homework. We also have a free KS1 version.
Early Years Christmas activities
Even your youngest children can get involved in the seasonal fun with these EYFS-friendly packs...
Help young learners write a letter to Father Christmas using a fun, festive template. This free EYFS pack includes teacher notes and supports early writing goals.
Develop understanding of number with this free 12 Days of Christmas pack, featuring counting, quantity comparison and pattern recognition activities. The pack includes song lyrics, image and number cards, plus teacher guidance.
Revisit phase 2 phonemes with Christmas-themed images that help pupils identify initial sounds. This pack supports discussion and can be used in continuous provision or as a focused activity.
More Christmas activities to try
These free Christmas activity packs are full of festive fun, including word searches, spot-the-difference activities, colouring, maths challenges and coding puzzles.
This free PowerPoint explores Christmas traditions around the world. It’s ideal for promoting curiosity about different cultures and highlights customs from the Netherlands, Brazil and beyond.
This free KS1 Christmas lesson helps pupils understand how size relates to quantity through fun, hands-on measurement activities. Children will use non-standard and body-based units to build giant shapes without a ruler.
This KS2 resource teaches pupils to write clear instructions using imperative verbs and time conjunctions through fun, step-by-step activities. The final task is a festive “How to Steal Christmas” project inspired by the Grinch, combining writing and illustration.