Would you like to inject a little bit of learning into your holiday festivities? Here’s a great list of free activities that you and your children can enjoy together this holiday season.
ABC Snack: G Is for Gobble, Gobble
This adorable turkey snack from our ABC Snacks series is a perfect way to begin your holiday feast. It will add just the right touch to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu! Try our yummy snack and practice letter G with your little one!
Brrr! It’s time to bundle up! Our full-color Polar Bear Pack contains 30 printable pages of delightful reading and spelling activities that are positively popping with polar bears. Download our fun-filled Arctic activity collection for free!
Favorite Picture Books for Christmas
Take time out from the busyness of the season for family read-alouds! Whether it’s the story of a magical journey to the North Pole or a life-changing moment for an ornery camel, you won’t want to miss even one! Download our library list!
Around the World with Holiday Picture Books
The holidays are a special time, and this wonderful collection of picture books celebrates the rich diversity of holiday traditions practiced by people all around the world. Check out a few of our favorites. Download our library list!
Create a Christmas Book Advent Calendar
If you’re looking for an extra special way to incorporate read-aloud time into your holiday festivities this year, why not create your own Christmas Book Advent Calendar. Read our post and download printable advent calendar tags.
Jólabókaflód: A Tradition for Book-Loving Families
Jólabókaflód is a “Christmas Book Flood”! It’s a wonderful Icelandic tradition that you can enjoy this year with your family. Read our blog post and discover eight different ways to bring the love of books into your home this holiday season!
Ready to light up the holidays? Illuminate your child’s love of letters with this festive lowercase letter craft! This cheery string of colorful lights will brighten up any room. And it’s bound to light up your preschooler’s face, too!
If the snow is piling up in the yard, it’s time to build a snowman! This collection of sweet picture books will inspire you to create some wintertime magic with your children. Download our library list!
Wonderful Picture Books for Winter
Ahh…winter! There’s just so much to love—especially curling up in front of a crackling fire with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a wonderful picture book for winter! And speaking of books, download our Library List and grab a few of our favorites!
ABC Snack: M Is for Marvelous Mittens
When winter arrives and the snow piles up, it’s time to break out the hats, scarves, and mittens! But not ALL mittens are for wearing. These mittens are for eating! Warm up with our yummy snack and practice letter M with your preschooler!
What’s your favorite way to add learning to your holidays celebrations?
Kristen
says:Love the picture books suggestions!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceHappy Reading! :-)
Pamela
says:I wish that I had seen this post before the holidays! I will be bookmarking for next year!
Robin
says: Customer ServicePamela,
We have something on our blog for most American holidays!
Check out these for next month’s holidays:
Black History Picture Books (for Black History Month)
Punny Valentines – An Introduction to Puns
Rhyming with Candy Hearts
V Is for Very Valentine-y Pizza
Picture Books about Presidents (for Presidents Day)
Carrie Phelps
says:Thansk so much! It’s been hard staying on track this holiday season!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Carrie!
Emily L
says:Very sweet ideas to help slow things down and spend time together during the season that seems to go way to fast!
Tiffany Parsons
says:Thanks for sharing great activities. As a pediatric occupational therapist, I love seeing all these unique ways of learning shared!
Beverly W
says:We love Christmas books and anything baking!
Katie
says:We love reading winter/Christmas picture books together. We take turns I read a page and then one only my children do, gets the reading without being too overwhelming.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceSounds like a great way to get some reading in, Katie!
Julie
says:We have absolutely loved homeschooling through this holiday season!
Emily
says:We’re loving Christmas school this year and doing fun holiday themed lessons and activities.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceWonderful, Emily! I love that these are helping you enjoy school this Christmas season!
Kelly
says:Thank you so much for all the ideas to keep learning through the holidays without “doing school.” We all get a break without losing skills.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou’re so welcome, Kelly!
Audra Irwin
says:Homeschooling during the Holidays is my favorite ❤️
Callie
says:We love reading from your book lists! All these other ideas are so fun too!!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceCallie,
Wonderful to hear!
Alicia
says:So many great ideas and book lists. Thanks for sharing!
Lynn
says:I am going to use the Polar Bear Pack for recalling detains when reading or listening to informational text. Winter is long in Wisconsin, so there will be plenty of time to use.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceLynn,
Sounds like a great way to work on this skill!
Lauren Kimball
says:We have loved continuing with a lighter version of school through the holiday season. AAR press offering special packs to give families fun activities to work on together and break up the regular routine gives a nice break to the regular routine.
chARLES Michael
says:I love ABC Snacks
Rebecca Lulay
says:We love our slower paced, cozy Christmas school. Thanks for all the ideas.
Nicola Wiles
says:Love all the lists!
Linnea Benda
says:Awesome ideas to liven up and make learning fun during the holiday season instead of just slacking off!
Emily
says:These are all such great ideas to help keep learning fun during the holiday season!
Valerie
says:For the last 2 years, I have read to my kids every single morning. To lighten my load a little, I have chosen fun yet educational books for morning read aloud. Since my kids are still young enough, I can easily incorporate science, religion, etc without having to stress my load the rest of the day. I pick Monday through Friday, kids pick on Weekends and evenings.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI love how you approach reading aloud with your children, Valerie! Thank you for sharing.
Sheri
says:Word mapping is an important part of the reading process!
Bridget
says:Great to keep the learning going through the holidays!
Emma Edstrom
says:I love Christmas school!
Kristeen
says:Thanks for all the Christmas season book lists!
Aaron
says:Lots of good ideas!
Sami
says:These are great ideas!
Rebecca
says:Thank you for these adorable ideas!! You just convinced me that it’s ok to take it slow and enjoy the Christmas season with my littles all while learning through play!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYes, Rebecca! Sometimes it is best to take things a little easy just because of all that is going on.
Dani Koschak
says:I love the wrapped books for little ones. The surprise of not knowing what it is is so exciting. Who can’t use more storybooks.
Nicole
says:All about reading is working for my son and love using it.