Engaging ESL Christmas Games and Activities for Online Class

This holiday season is a great way to bring the spirit of Christmas into your ESL (English as a Second Language) classes while keeping learning lively and fun. Taking these celebrations online does not have to take away from the fun—in fact, it opens up a world of creative possibilities for interactive and engaging activities. Below is a list of fun Christmas-themed ESL games and activities by All Right that are perfect for online learning environments.

Christmas Charades ESL Game

The only preparation needed is coming up with Christmas words for your class to play Christmas charades, a game you have probably played before and which involves someone acting out a word or phrase while their teammates try to guess what they are doing.

Skills: Speaking
Time: 20-30 minutes
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Materials Required: Whiteboard
Age: Kids, teens or adults

How Does it Work?

Divide the class into two teams. The first team sends one person, the captain, up to the front, and they have to act out and describe in English as many things as they can in two minutes. Alternatively, you can have each team member rotate through the captain role during a single 3-4 minute round.

The first person describes the first word and after their team guesses it, they go to the back of the line and the next person is up. Then the next team goes. You can do as many rounds as you want with different captains.

Gift Exchange

A little gift exchange is a great idea for a Christmas party, but there is a catch: the gift has to be used, meaning it has to be something that students have lying around their house that still has some life left in it, but they do not use it anymore.

Proceed with the standard white elephant exchange: each student is given a number; the first person to choose a gift and open it is the first to take it, or they can choose another gift; each item can only be stolen once.

Holiday Trivia Quiz

Develop a quiz with questions about Christmas traditions, history, and folklore. Divide the class into teams for a competitive and educational experience.

Skills: vocabulary related to Christmas, reading comprehension (for answering questions), listening skills during the quiz, and team collaboration for group discussions and answering questions

Time: 30-45 minutes

Level: different proficiency levels

Materials Required: 

• A set of prepared Christmas trivia questions (as provided in the earlier example, or customized according to the class's level and interests)
• Whiteboard or presentation software to display questions (if in a live online setting)
• Optional: Scorecards or a way to track points for each team

Age: various age groups

Here are some sample questions for a Holiday Trivia Quiz:

Christmas Songs for Kids

What says Christmas like some Christmas carols, right? Have a sing-a-long with your kids and even if you don’t sing that well yourself, no problem. Just use YouTube! You can find a song for any age and level of students.

Find out your child's English level — take the test

Take the test — 5 min.

Christmas Candies in the Jar

A fun, school-wide Christmas ESL game that you can play is to put some Christmas-colored candy in a sealed jar of some kind. Then, each student gets to make a guess about how many candies there are. The person with the correct guess (or the closest) wins the candy!

Christmas Carol Karaoke

Have students sing or recite Christmas carols in English. This activity not only boosts pronunciation and fluency but also introduces cultural elements of English-speaking countries.

Here are the lyrics for the first verse and chorus:

Verse 1: 

Dashing through the snow 

In a one-horse open sleigh 

O'er the fields we go 

Laughing all the way 

Bells on bobtails ring 

Making spirits bright 

What fun it is to laugh and sing 

A sleighing song tonight!

Chorus: 

Jingle bells, jingle bells 

Jingle all the way 

Oh, what fun it is to ride 

In a one-horse open sleigh, hey 

Jingle bells, jingle bells 

Jingle all the way Oh, what fun it is to ride 

In a one-horse open sleigh!

Here are three activity ideas for ESL teachers to work with the song "Jingle Bells":

1. Fill in the Blanks:

Verse 1: 

Dashing through the ______ 

In a ______ open sleigh 

O'er the ______ we go

 ______ all the way

 ______ on bobtails ring 

Making ______ bright 

What fun it is to laugh and sing 

A sleighing ______ tonight!

Chorus: 

Jingle bells, jingle bells J

ingle all the ______ 

Oh, what fun it is to ______ 

In a one-horse open sleigh, hey 

Jingle bells, jingle bells 

Jingle all the ______ 

Oh, what fun it is to ride 

In a one-horse open ______!

Vocabulary Expansion: Select key vocabulary words from the song lyrics, such as "sleigh," "bobtails," or "spirits bright." Create flashcards or word cards for each word and discuss their meanings, associations, or synonyms with the class. Encourage students to use these words in sentences related to the song or the holiday season, promoting vocabulary expansion and contextual understanding.

Create a Performance: Divide the class into groups and assign roles (singers, musicians, actors). Each group prepares their rendition of "Jingle Bells," incorporating actions or props. They can also create their unique twist by changing some lyrics or adding verses. This activity encourages teamwork, creativity, and presentation skills while making the learning process enjoyable.

Here's an example of how you could divide the class into groups and assign roles for a performance based on "Jingle Bells":

Group 1 - Singers: Assign students in this group to practice singing the song "Jingle Bells." They can focus on perfecting the melody, harmony (if applicable), and ensuring everyone knows the lyrics.

Group 2 - Musicians: This group can consist of students who play musical instruments or are interested in creating sounds using available objects as makeshift instruments. They can create a musical accompaniment for the song using instruments like bells, tambourines, or even clapping hands to enhance the performance.

Group 3 - Actors/Props: Students in this group can focus on acting out the song or creating visual elements to accompany the performance. They might design and make props like a cardboard sleigh, reindeer antlers, or Santa hats. Their role involves adding a visual element to the performance that matches the lyrics.

Conclusion

The activities and games highlighted here, from Christmas-themed charades to holiday trivia quizzes and carol karaoke, provide a wealth of opportunities for language practice and cultural exploration. By incorporating these interactive and creative activities into online lessons, teachers can keep students engaged while celebrating the joy of the season. 

The versatility of these activities allows educators to tailor them to different proficiency levels and age groups, ensuring an inclusive and enriching experience for all learners.