Author – Allison Wienhold
Original post 11.20.17 & most recently updated 12.4.24
Inside: Ideas for Winter Holidays in Spanish class. From the Spanish Navidad Madness to the Christmas Lottery, to 3 Kings Day, to decentering Christmas, to Hanukkah, to Free winter activities in Spanish class, and everything in between. Hopefully, you will find the answers to the question: “What to do in December in Spanish class?” “What to do the day before winter break?” and “What to do the day after winter break in Spanish class?” Christmas activities in Spanish class.
Winter Holidays in Spanish class
There are SO many great resources out there related to Winter holiday traditions in Spanish-speaking countries. I know there has been some debate about whether holiday celebrations belong in the classroom, but for Spanish teachers, it is the perfect time to dig into intercultural competence, practices, perspectives, and comparisons of the Spanish-speaking world and our own.
As with everything we mustn’t be providing our perspective, showing diverse celebrations, and allowing students to investigate and come up with their views. See this Spanish Culture blog post to learn more. Here are activities that I am using this year, have used in the past, or would love to be able to have time to incorporate someday.
Navidad Commercial Madness
Are you looking for Dustin Williamson’s Navidad Madness 2024? For a couple of years, my upper-level classes participated in Dustin Williamson’s famous #NavidadMadness.
Have a lot of time? A few years ago both Spanish 3 & 4 participated for the last 2 weeks until the break. We did Navidad Madness as a stand-alone unit. As a class, we dug into the commercials, without doing another unit at the same time. We tried to do 2 sets of commercials a day.
Short on time? Another year, I created a slideshow based on Dustin’s Navidad Madness activities and did most things as a class out loud. (He added my slideshow to his Google Folder for everyone to use as well.) I also shared the whole packet on Google Classroom and with extra time, or if I was gone, students completed some of the activities.
Hanukkah in Spanish Class
If you want to add more diversity to your December Música miércoles, read my Spanish Songs for Hanukkah blog post.
Christmas Songs in Spanish
If you want songs beyond traditional carols, check out this blog post Spanish songs for navidad.
If your classes have liked doing music brackets, check out this mini Navidad-themed navidad music bracket created by Laura Reyes! (She generously shared her slides & you can make it into a bracket if you would like). There is a great slideshow with embedded videos as well. Learn how to do a music bracket here.
More than Navidad
Carolina from Fun for Spanish Teachers shares great resources in these blogs posts for many winter celebrations, including Kwanzaa.
La Lotería
I know there have been many great videos since this one, but the Justino Spanish Christmas Lottery Spot Justino is by far my favorite. It is my go-to Spanish 1 holiday unit. We usually spent about a week using it as a story unit, digging deeper. Anuncio para la Lotería de Navidad 2015: {free} resource pack! by Martina Bex.
Winter eBooks of Digital Freebies!
For lots of ideas that are not connected to a certain holiday, check out the #Teachmorespanish Ebook of 15 Digital winter themed Freebies. I have a free Holiday song resource with songs from a variety of holidays included.
Plus check out the 2020 Ebook of 15 Digital winter themed Freebies! I have a free resource included with Holiday dance brain breaks.
Navidad around the world
Sra. Joto Jota shared amazing interactive Google Slides about Christmas traditions around the world. It would be great if you were virtual this year to add some culture.
Other fun little holiday additions for Winter Holidays in Spanish class
Este descanso – Pre Winter break plans
This is a perfect one-day activity to talk about plans over the break in the future tense. It is especially good if you are trying to avoid cultural celebrations and instead just focus on your students talking about their lives. New this year you can also get the same Spanish Future Winter Break Worksheet Find Someone Who in my shop.
Para Empezar – Winter Holidays
If you want to add a little bit each day, here are 3 Weeks of daily class starters or brain breaks. (It has also been added to the original Year of Para Empezar, so if you have that, it is included). Now you can get these same Spanish Christmas Bell Ringers for Winter Holidays in my store as well.
Plate Sketch Game – holiday edition
A fun holiday plate sketch game the day before break, perfect if you have short classes, as we often did the last day before break.
holiday baile viernes
If you do not have time for a unit and just want a fun brain break, check out these holiday dances for any class, since they are not even in Spanish.
White Elephant/Yankee Swap
For a couple of years in Spanish 1, I have done a version of gift exchange in all Spanish. I wrapped a bunch of random and goofy little gifts, enough for each person. They each drew a number, and that is the order they get to pick.
After number one goes, each person after that gets to choose from the gift pile or steal from someone else. I have the rule that after two steals an item is frozen unless you are the last person, who can pick any gift. Before starting we discuss the vocabulary needed (I want, give me the gift). When it is their turn, the student needs to say one of these phrases in Spanish. I narrate what is happening in Spanish as we go. Many students mentioned at the end of the year that this activity was one of their favorites of the year.
Here are 40 free classroom reward ideas or easy classroom gifts that could be used as a part of this game too.
Post Winter Break – Winter Holidays in Spanish class
No Prep DIGITAL POST BREAK Activity
Many options for hybrid, virtual, or socially distanced chat post Winter break all in Google Slides. You can get the same resource in my website store too After Winter Break Spanish Weekend Chat Digital Slides
No Prep POST BREAK Printable FSW Activity
A very popular post-break activity for Spanish teachers is Find Someone Who. Print it before the break, enjoy your time with family, and boom, ready-to-go activity the first day back. This year you can also get it from my website store 1st Day Back from Winter Break Spanish Preterite Find Someone Who. Read more about plans using these in 1st Day After Winter Break for Spanish
Los 3 Reyes Magos reading
A one-day reading is perfect if you come back at the end of the week and need a filler. Or you can get the same Día de los Reyes Magos Spanish Reading Comprehension Worksheet in my website store.
1st Day back from winter break many ideas for those first days back
Winter Holidays in Spanish class Bundle
Many resources for Winter in Spanish class to save your precious time and energy. Get the WInter Bunde Here from my website store instead.
**New Resources for Winter in French Class
Holiday Resources for Any Class
No-Prep Plans for Post-Winter Break in Every Level You Teach!
I wish you and yours a very blessed and relaxing holiday season. If you need me, you can find me chasing after two small boys who are still really excited about all of the holiday traditions. I am going to soak up their joy as long as I can!
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