12 Days of Christmas Activities (That Secretly Involve Learning)

By the time the end of the school year rolls in, most families are well and truly feeling it. 

Kids are tired. Parents are juggling a million things. 

The Christmas buzz is building, and the idea of trying to "keep learning going" over the holidays is just one more thing to worry about.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need to plan lessons, print worksheets or schedule study time to keep your child learning.

In fact, you might already be doing more than you realise.

That game you played. That card your child wrote. That batch of cookies you baked together. These everyday moments are filled with learning, it just looks a little different outside the classroom!

We’ve put together 12 screen-free Christmas activities that build confidence, sneak in valuable learning skills and bring a little joy into the end-of-year chaos. They’re playful, practical and perfect for school holidays.

Let the learning happen while the fun is happening too!

1. ✉️ Write and Send Christmas Cards

Teaches: handwriting, empathy, personal expression

Let your child choose a few people they’d like to write cards to, maybe grandparents, friends, neighbours. Writing a short, meaningful message helps them practise clear communication and think about how to brighten someone else’s day.

Tip: Don’t worry about perfect handwriting, focus on effort and personal touches.

2. 🎅 Write a Letter to Santa

Teaches: persuasive writing, sentence structure, spelling

The classic Santa letter is actually a sneaky goldmine of learning. Encourage your child to write a polite, detailed letter explaining what they’d love for Christmas and why. Use this chance to talk about full sentences, using kind words, and even spelling tricky gift names.

Tip: if your child isn’t up to writing a full letter, you can help by writing a template letter leaving blank spaces for them to fill in the details.

3. 📚 Read a Christmas Book Out Loud (with Voices and Actions!)

Teaches: fluency, expression, oral storytelling

Pick a festive picture book and read it together, but add a twist! Read with different voices, do the actions, or act it out like a play. It’s a wonderful way to build reading confidence while having a laugh.

Let your child take turns being the narrator or their favourite character.

4. 🎶 Christmas Song Lyric Scramble

Teaches: vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension

Print out the lyrics to a favourite Christmas carol with a few key words missing. Can your child fill in the blanks? Or try making up your own version of the 12 days of Christmas, the kids are sure to like it better!

5. 🎁 Secret Santa on a Budget

Teaches: budgeting, value comparison, thoughtful gifting

Give your child a $5 budget and let them play Secret Santa. Whether it’s a trip to the dollar shop or a homemade creation, they’ll need to plan, compare and think carefully about what will bring someone joy.

This is real-life maths and emotional intelligence in action.

6. 🍪 Bake Christmas Cookies

Teaches: measurement, following instructions, sequencing, even a little chemistry!

Whether you’re baking from scratch or using a packet mix, baking is full of learning. Measuring ingredients, following steps in order, reading the oven temperature… it’s all part of building real-world maths and sequencing skills.

Let them do as much as possible on their own (mess is part of the process!).

7. 📝 Write Acrostic Poems with Festive Words

Teaches: phonics, creativity, vocabulary building

Choose words like “SANTA,” “JOY” or “REINDEER” and help your child write a poem using each letter to start a new line. It’s playful, creative and sneaks in literacy skills in a festive way.

Encourage silly poems as well as sweet ones!

8. 🧠 Play Holiday Charades

Teaches: non-verbal communication, inference, memory

Charades builds memory, vocabulary and communication skills, all without speaking. You can prepare holiday-themed prompts in advance (wrapping presents, building a snowman, drinking hot chocolate), or let each person come up with their own ideas on the spot. Take turns acting them out and guessing.

Perfect for family game night or a rainy afternoon.

9. 🕺 Musical Statues with Christmas Songs

Teaches: self-regulation, rhythm, motor control

Put on a playlist of Christmas songs and play Musical Statues. It’s not just fun! Stopping and starting teaches impulse control, timing and body awareness.

You can even add your own twist by coming up with silly poses everyone has to get into when the music stops.

10. 🔦 Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt or Bingo

Teaches: visual tracking, tallying, observation skills.

Take a neighbourhood walk after dark with a printed bingo sheet or list of items to find, reindeer lights, blue fairy lights, inflatable Santa. Your child will build attention to detail and tracking skills, all while soaking up the magic.

Add tally marks or vote for your favourite house at the end.

Bonus idea - get the kids involved to make the scavenger hunt or bingo list beforehand. Ask them to come up with ideas of what they think they might see.

11. 🎅 Santa Says (Simon Says)

Teaches: listening skills, impulse control, movement patterns

“Santa Says” is a festive twist on the old classic. It helps children practise careful listening and following instructions, a must-have classroom skill that’s easier to practise through play.

12. 🎄 Christmas Obstacle Course

Teaches: sequencing, gross motor planning, spatial awareness

Set up a backyard or living room obstacle course using whatever you have on hand, crawl under the “chimney,” jump over “presents,” throw a “snowball” into a bucket. Your child will be developing physical coordination and planning as they go.

Add timers or team challenges for extra fun.

Learning That Feels Like Family Fun

You don’t need to do all twelve of these activities. These aren’t a checklist, they’re just ideas and a reminder that meaningful learning doesn’t stop when school does. It can look like laughter, baking, running, wrapping or rhyming.

It’s all learning. It all counts.

And if you’re already thinking ahead to the next school term and wondering how to support your child’s learning more intentionally, we’re here for that too.

Book a free consultation call with one of our qualified primary tutors and let’s chat about what support could look like for your family.

Want to support your child in the next school term? Book your free consultation call today with one of our experienced tutors and discover how one-on-one support can help your child learn and grow.