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CHRISTMAS GAMESBy Clare Lavery, British Council

Here are some games which we associate with parties and Christmas celebrations in UK schools.

These games can be adapted for language learners of all ages and levels.

1.- Pass the parcel(Whole class/mixed ability groups)Prepare 5-6 boxes or envelopes decorated or wrapped with Christmas paper. In each parcel put a

group activity with a Xmas theme for students to try e.g. a word search, a dialogue to practice, a

questionnaire to ask each other, a poem to read aloud. Spread the boxes around the class and

students can work through each parcel, passing them around. Good for two lessons or a double

period as well.

Suggestions for parcel activities at different levels:

Younger learners

A Christmas card to color in (by numbers, following the instructions) or a kit to make one

with the words Happy Christmas from inside.

A dialogue with very simple words missing e.g. Santa talking to a child (complete the dialogue

and practice) or a silly quiz e.g. Christmas colors: What color is Santas beard? White brownor black what color are Christmas trees? Etc.

A simple questionnaire: What would you like for Christmas? Where do you spend Xmas?

Whats your favorite Christmas food?

Pictures of food, drink and other words to match to word cards

Lower levels (teens):

A Christmas word search with a list of Christmas words to find in the grid

A jumbled dialogue (between the innkeeper and Mary and Joseph? Or in a shop buying Xmas

presents)

Jumbled interview between famous person/pop star on Xmas habits/likes/dislikes which can

be reordered and acted out.

Higher levels (teens and older)

Discussion cards to work through as a group (see suggestions of topics in the Essential UK

Christmas special)

A gap fill Christmas pop song (give the words to match to the gaps to make this easier)

Role cards to act out improvised conversations e.g. you are given an awful/strange present

by a relative/boyfriend. Student B is the relative who is watching you open the gift. Act out

your conversation.

2.- Santas sack(whole class)

Prepare everyday objects of varying sizes and shapes. Wrap them up in Xmas paper and put in a

sack (a pillow case will do!). Students take turns to fish out an object then win points if they canguess the object. It could be a mobile phone.It might be a calculator etc. Lower levels can say

I think its a.. or ask Is it a/an..?

3.- Mystery pictures(whole class or small groups)

Another guessing game is to cover Christmas pictures with a black card and leave a slim keyhole or

peep hole in the centre of the card. Can they guess the object that is half hidden? You can get your

pictures from magazines, free leaflets and catalogues from supermarkets or printed up from the

net. Make a keyhole template with one blank sheet of paper. Cover each picture and photocopy. You

will then have a series of pictures half hidden by black. Students can also play this in small groups if

you have enough pictures photocopied. For groups write the solution in pencil on the back of each

hidden picture.o For lower levels (and kids): concentrate on 8 key items which they know well (this can be

Christmas presents hidden i.e. a Harry Potter book, a game boy, a favorite video).

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o For higher levels: pick objects associated with Christmas but still stick to vocabulary they

know e.g. a bottle of Champagne, a Christmas cake, a parcel or gift, a ski slope, a reindeer, an

angel Or cover Christmas presents.

4.- Pin the nose on the reindeer(whole class or small groups)

Prepare a picture of a reindeer with a small piece of velcro glued to the place where the nose should

be. Prepare a nose backed with velcro. Blindfold a student from each team and their teams have toshout directions to help them get the nose on the reindeer e.g. Up a bit, down a bit, left, right

etc. All ages play this but beware of self conscious adolescents as it may cramp their style!

5.- Xmas find someone who (Whole class, small groups)

Prepare 8 festive sounding challenges suited to the language level of your class and get them talking

to find someone who went skiing / will be going skiing, wrote a letter to Santa when they were

small, has got a Xmas tree at home, has done some Xmas shopping, can tell you how to cook a

traditional meal/dish.

Example challenges:

Lower levels: Find someone who is going to the mountains for Christmas / Going to stay

with cousins for Christmas / staying at home for Christmas.

Higher levels (use language they have studied this term) Find someone who has never been

away from home / has eaten pizza on Christmas day / Would go to a hot country for

Christmas (if they could/had the opportunity) / Has already bought some Christmas

presents / a Christmas CD / Can suggest an original dish/activity for Xmas day / can tell you

a special Xmas memory from childhood (this is a very open conversation starter for a fairly

fluent class).

6.- Xmas coloring(whole class or pairs)

Make multiple copies of the same coloring picture (print up one from the sites suggested in the

Essential UK Xmas Special). Tell the whole class how to color it (best with lower levels and kids) orin pairs give each student a half colored picture (different parts colored for each) and they ask

questions to finish the picture e.g. What color is the present?; Fairy on the tree?; Santas sleigh?

o Higher levels can have different pictures but do not give them guidance on which objects

are colored in or not. Students therefore have to ask and find out what needs coloring in. In

some cases the pictures have a few objects colored in but the choice is more random than

half and half.

o Make sure students know all the words for the objects. Put a glossary

down the side of their pictures and/or use one copy to review the words before they start

the activity.

These activities originally appeared on the British Council Language Assistant website:www.teachingenglish.org.uk

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http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/