Christmas Lesson Ideas in Class and Online

Christmas Lesson Ideas for English Teachers

As the festive season approaches, many teachers and students look forward to a well-earned end-of-year break. In South Africa and around the world, schools begin to wind down, teaching schedules become lighter, and families gather to enjoy time together. However, for many English teachers, lessons — particularly online classes — continue until the very end. To support you during this busy period, we’ve put together a range of Christmas lesson ideas suitable for both classroom and online English teaching.

With the final week of the school year approaching and virtual lessons still in progress, this is a great opportunity to bring a festive feel into your teaching. The activities below are designed for different age groups and learning environments, and they can easily be adjusted to suit your students’ needs and interests.

Christmas Lesson Ideas for Young Learners, Teenagers, and Adults

We’ve created five adaptable lesson ideas that work for young learners, teens, and adult students, with options for both online and in-person lessons. If an activity fits your class but not the age group listed, feel free to adapt it — flexibility is key.

1. Christmas Lesson Ideas for Young Learners (Online Lessons)

Teaching young learners online can be demanding, especially during the festive season. Maintaining attention, managing energy levels, and competing with holiday excitement is not always easy. With Christmas approaching, many children are far more focused on gifts and celebrations than on grammar rules.

One way to keep learners engaged is by using fun, festive content. A popular activity is writing a letter to Santa in English. Depending on ability, this can be done using a guided worksheet or as a full writing task for stronger learners.

To increase learning value, ask students to include specific grammar structures. Beginners might practise “I’d like…”, while more advanced learners could use conditionals or expressions such as “I’d rather…”. Speaking practice can be added by comparing lists or discussing how they would use their gifts. This activity requires minimal preparation and works well as homework.

2. Christmas Lesson Ideas for Young Learners (Classroom Lessons)

Face-to-face teaching often allows for easier interaction and engagement. During the final week before the holidays, learners usually expect lighter lessons, making it an ideal time to focus on revision through games rather than introducing complex new content.

The alphabet categories game is a great choice. Choose a letter and a category, and students must name something that matches both. To keep everyone involved, stand in a circle and use a ball. When you call out a category, throw the ball to a student who must respond quickly.

Adding a Christmas theme makes the game even more enjoyable. Use categories such as festive food, Christmas songs, winter clothing, reindeer names, decorations, toys, gifts for family members, or holiday symbols.

3. Christmas Lesson Ideas for Teenagers

Teenage learners often find it difficult to stay motivated, especially when the holidays are close and social plans are taking priority. Lessons need to feel relevant, interactive, and respectful without becoming too informal or childish.

The following Christmas activity works well for both classroom and online teaching and can be adjusted depending on your students’ confidence levels.

Students work in small groups to solve a Christmas mystery. One student secretly chooses a festive character — such as an elf — and decides on a Christmas-related crime. The rest of the group has 20 yes/no questions to identify both the character and the crime.

If the group solves the mystery within the question limit, they win the round. If not, the student who chose the character wins. For online lessons, breakout rooms work well, and preparing visuals in advance helps the activity run smoothly.

4. Christmas Lesson Ideas for Adult Learners (Online Classes)

Adult learners usually attend lessons because they are motivated and goal-driven. For this activity, we focus on general conversational English rather than exam or workplace language.

While some adults may not celebrate Christmas, festive themes can still be enjoyable when handled sensitively. Always be mindful of cultural and religious differences and adapt the lesson where needed.

An effective online activity involves sharing festive images and asking students to identify them. Gradually introduce vocabulary using the PPP method and increase difficulty as the lesson progresses.

Once students identify an image, ask them to spell the word and write it in the chat. You can extend the activity by asking them to use the vocabulary in sentences or by assigning a short writing task.

Suggested vocabulary includes:
Christmas tree, decorations, present, turkey, Christmas lights, elf, baubles, Santa’s sleigh, reindeer.

5. Christmas Lesson Ideas for Adult Learners (Classroom Lessons)

Begin the lesson with a discussion about holiday traditions, preparations, and celebrations. Then show short Christmas adverts and ask students to take notes while watching. Each student summarises their advert to a partner, explaining how people prepared for the festive season.

This leads into a discussion about memorable adverts, the meaning of Christmas spirit, and how people share wishes during the holidays. Follow this with a word-formation task using festive messages, an error-correction exercise, and finally a writing activity where students create their own holiday wishes.