Christmas Bingo

Elementary (A1-A2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas game preview, elementary A1-A2, bingo, forming, asking and answering questions from prompts, writing sentences

ESL Christmas Game - Speaking: Bingo, Forming, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Writing Sentences

In this Christmas game, students play bingo by asking and answering yes/no questions with 'Do you...?' and 'Can you...?' about Christmas. First, students form the yes/no questions from the...

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Writing Exercise: Gap-fill, Writing Short Sentences In this Christmas game, students play bingo by asking and answering yes/no questions with 'Do you...?' and 'Can you...?' about Christmas. First, students form the yes/no questions from the Christmas prompts on the bingo cards. Students then go around the classroom, asking and answering questions with their classmates, using the prompts on their bingo cards, e.g. 'Do you like Christmas songs?' If a classmate answers 'Yes', the student writes that classmate's name in the square. If the answer is 'No', they ask a different question or move on to speak to another classmate. When a student has four names in a row, they shout 'Merry Christmas!' The student then gives their answers by making sentences from the prompts, e.g. 'Anna likes Christmas songs.' If the answers and sentences are correct, the student wins the round. If not, the game continues. When the first round has been won, students start a second round to see who can complete all 16 squares on their card, with the winner shouting 'Merry Christmas!' and giving their answers by making sentences as before. Afterwards, students review some of the answers as a class and write sentences about the results, e.g. 'In our class, eight students have a Christmas tree at home. Four students wear a Santa hat at Christmas.'

Christmas Word Puzzle

Elementary (A1-A2) 20 minutes
ESL Christmas worksheet preview, elementary A1-A2, matching, Christmas word puzzle, group activity

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Vocabulary: Matching

In this free Christmas vocabulary worksheet, students race to write down 20 Christmas words by matching numbers to letters. First, students look at the numbers for each word and find the corresponding letters in a chart. Students then write the...

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Vocabulary: Matching In this free Christmas vocabulary worksheet, students race to write down 20 Christmas words by matching numbers to letters. First, students look at the numbers for each word and find the corresponding letters in a chart. Students then write the Christmas word in the space provided. The first student to complete all the words correctly wins. Afterwards, review the correct answers and meaning of each Christmas word with the class.

Letter to Santa

Elementary (A1-A2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas worksheet preview, elementary A1-A2, gap-fill, writing a letter to Santa, writing short sentences

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Writing Exercise: Gap-fill, Writing Short Sentences

Here is an enjoyable Christmas worksheet for young learners. In the activity, students complete a letter to Santa Claus, telling him about the good things they did this year and the presents they want for Christmas. Students begin by writing...

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Writing Exercise: Gap-fill, Writing Short Sentences Here is an enjoyable Christmas worksheet for young learners. In the activity, students complete a letter to Santa Claus, telling him about the good things they did this year and the presents they want for Christmas. Students begin by writing their name, age and location at the start of the letter. Students then write about the good things they did this year using the past simple. Next, students tell Santa what they want for Christmas by writing a Christmas wish list. Students end the letter with the food and drink they will leave for him on Christmas Eve. Afterwards, students read their letters to the class. The letters can then be displayed around the classroom or sent to the North Pole.

Thank You Letter

Elementary (A1-A2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas activity preview, elementary A1-A2, gap-fill, writing thank you letters, group work

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary: Gap-fill - Group Work

In this entertaining Christmas activity, students write thank you letters for Christmas presents by completing sentences in a chain format. This is a light-hearted activity, and students should be encouraged to be as imaginative or amusing...

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary: Gap-fill - Group Work In this entertaining Christmas activity, students write thank you letters for Christmas presents by completing sentences in a chain format. This is a light-hearted activity, and students should be encouraged to be as imaginative or amusing as they like by completing the letters with the names of famous people, unusual Christmas presents, funny adjectives, etc. To begin, students complete the salutation, e.g. 'Dear Batman'. Students then fold the letter along the dotted line and pass it to the person on their right who completes the next sentence, folding and passing the paper as before. This process is repeated until all the sentences have been completed. Students then open the letter and read it aloud to the group. The letters should make an entertaining read.

A Christmas Letter

Pre-intermediate (A2) 45 minutes
ESL Christmas game preview, pre-intermediate A2, matching, gap-fill, letter writing, pelmanism, snap, group work

ESL Christmas Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Gap-fill - Extensions: Letter Writing, Categorising, Pelmanism, Snap - Group Work

Here is an engaging Christmas game to practice Christmas vocabulary and learn about Christmas traditions. In the game, students race to provide...

ESL Christmas Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Gap-fill - Extensions: Letter Writing, Categorising, Pelmanism, Snap - Group Work Here is an engaging Christmas game to practice Christmas vocabulary and learn about Christmas traditions. In the game, students race to provide words in order to complete a Christmas letter. This resource also has three extension activities and games to practice the vocabulary. Start by reading the letter to the class using the word 'blank' for each missing word. When a missing word comes up, students look at their cards to see if they have a suitable Christmas word to complete the sentence. The first student to hold up the correct picture card and say the word scores a point for their team. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Afterwards, students put all their team's cards together face-up on the table and complete the letter for themselves. As an extension, students write a reply to the letter where they talk about the festivals they celebrate. Students can also play a categorizing game, pelmanism game and games of Snap with the cards.

Christmas Around the World

Pre-intermediate (A2) 45 minutes
ESL Christmas activity preview, pre-intermediate A2, jigsaw reading, table completion, answering questions, discussion, communicative practice, group work

ESL Christmas Activity - Reading, Listening and Speaking: Jigsaw Reading, Answering Questions, Discussion, Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this productive Christmas activity, students read about Christmas traditions in four countries, share information in groups to complete a table, answer...

ESL Christmas Activity - Reading, Listening and Speaking: Jigsaw Reading, Table Completion, Answering Questions, Discussion, Communicative Practice - Group Work In this productive Christmas activity, students read about Christmas traditions in four countries, share information in groups to complete a table, answer comprehension questions, and talk about which country they would like to visit at Christmas and why. First, students read their Christmas texts, look at the table on their worksheet and complete the row for their country by answering the questions using information from the text. Students then underline the keywords in their text that helped them answer the questions. Next, students take turns telling their group about Christmas in their country using sentence starters and keywords from the text. As the other students listen, they complete the rest of the table with information about the different countries. When the students have completed the table, they work alone and answer questions on the worksheet. After that, students compare answers with the other members of their group to check their answers, and each student shares their answer to the last question about which country they would like to visit at Christmas and why. Finally, review all the answers with the class and invite students to tell the class which country they chose and what they would like to do there at Christmas.

Christmas Blockbusters

Pre-intermediate (A2) 20 minutes
ESL Christmas vocabulary game preview, pre-intermediate A2, answering quiz questions, connecting hexagons, group work

ESL Christmas Vocabulary Game - Vocabulary: Answering Quiz Questions, Guessing - Group Work

In this rewarding Christmas game, students guess vocabulary related to Christmas from quiz questions and clues given by the teacher. The aim of the game is to connect the hexagons from one side of...

ESL Christmas Vocabulary Game - Vocabulary: Answering Quiz Questions, Guessing - Group Work In this rewarding Christmas game, students guess vocabulary related to Christmas from quiz questions and clues given by the teacher. The aim of the game is to connect the hexagons from one side of the grid to the other. This is a fairly strategic game, and students need to choose their moves carefully in order to win, blocking the other team when necessary. The game starts with the center hexagon. Give the clue or quiz question for the letter in the hexagon (D), e.g. 'What do people put up in their home at Christmas time?' The two teams then race to answer, i.e. decorations. The first team to answer correctly wins the hexagon, and it is coloured accordingly. The winning team then chooses the next hexagon. Give the quiz question or clue for the letter or letters in that hexagon, and both teams race to answer as before. The first team to connect their hexagons from top to bottom or left to right wins the game.

Christmas Conversation Questions

Pre-intermediate (A2) 35 minutes
ESL Christmas conversation questions activity preview, pre-intermediate A2, gap-fill, asking and answering questions, pair work

ESL Christmas Conversation Questions Activity - Grammar, Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this free Christmas speaking activity, students complete Christmas questions with question words and then ask and answer the questions with a partner...

ESL Christmas Conversation Questions Activity - Grammar, Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice - Pair Work In this free Christmas speaking activity, students complete Christmas questions with question words and then ask and answer the questions with a partner. First, in two groups, students complete Christmas conversation questions with question words from a box. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering the questions with their partner. Afterwards, students give feedback to the class on what they found out.

Christmas Crossword

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas activity preview, pre-intermediate A2, writing clues, describing, guessing, pair and group work

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary: Writing Clues, Describing, Guessing - Pair and Group Work

In this useful Christmas crossword activity, students complete a crossword by describing and guessing Christmas vocabulary. First, in two groups, students invent and write down clues for the Christmas words...

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary: Writing Clues, Describing, Guessing - Pair and Group Work In this useful Christmas crossword activity, students complete a crossword by describing and guessing Christmas vocabulary. First, in two groups, students invent and write down clues for the Christmas words written on their crossword. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking their partner for a clue to one of their missing Christmas words. Their partner reads out the clue for that word, and the other student tries to guess what it is. If the student guesses the word successfully, they write it on their crossword. If not, their partner continues to give more clues until the student is able to guess the word. Afterwards, students check their spelling by comparing crosswords.

Christmas Word Search

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas word search game preview, pre-intermediate A2, word search, forming sentences, group work

ESL Christmas Word Search - Vocabulary Game: Word Search, Forming Sentences - Group Work

In this productive Christmas word search and game, students find Christmas vocabulary in a word search and then use the words in sentences. First, students find Christmas vocabulary in the word...

ESL Christmas Word Search - Vocabulary Game: Word Search, Forming Sentences - Group Work In this productive Christmas word search and game, students find Christmas vocabulary in a word search and then use the words in sentences. First, students find Christmas vocabulary in the word search. Afterwards, review the position and meaning of each Christmas word with the class. Next, put students in small teams and call out a Christmas word at random from the word search. The first student to put up their hand and make an appropriate sentence with the word scores a point for their team. This process continues until all the words have been used. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Draw, Colour and Describe

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL Christmas worksheet preview, pre-intermediate A2, drawing, writing a description, presenting, group work

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Drawing and Writing Exercises: Drawing, Writing and Presenting a Description

In this imaginative Christmas worksheet, students draw, colour and describe Christmas pictures. To begin, students draw and colour a Christmas picture. Students then think about what they can see in the...

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Drawing and Writing Exercises: Drawing, Writing and Presenting a Description In this imaginative Christmas worksheet, students draw, colour and describe Christmas pictures. To begin, students draw and colour a Christmas picture. Students then think about what they can see in the picture and what is happening. Next, students write adjectives, nouns and verbs they can use to describe their picture and write them in a box on the worksheet. After that, students use the words to write a description of their Christmas picture. Finally, students present their pictures and descriptions to the class.

Festive Fib Detectives

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL Christmas board game preview, pre-intermediate A2, true or false, asking and answering questions, group work

ESL Christmas Board Game - Grammar and Speaking: Forming Sentences, True or False, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this fun Christmas board game, students play a true or false guessing game to practice Christmas vocabulary and 'be going to'. In groups, students take turns...

ESL Christmas Board Game - Grammar and Speaking: Forming Sentences, True or False, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Freer Practice - Group Work In this fun Christmas board game, students play a true or false guessing game to practice Christmas vocabulary and 'be going to'. In groups, students take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a student lands on a square, they pick up a true or false card. The student then makes a 'be going to' statement about the Christmas topic on the square, giving either true or false information as indicated on the card, e.g. 'I'm going to make a Christmas cake for my mum.' The other students then ask questions to determine if the student is lying or telling the truth, e.g. 'When are you going to make the Christmas cake?' After a few questions have been answered, the group members guess whether the student's answer is true or false. The student then reveals the answer. The group members who guessed correctly each score one point. When a student reaches the finish, the game ends and the points are added up. The student with the most points wins the game.

Guess What?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas game preview, pre-intermediate A2, asking and answering questions, guessing, group work

ESL Christmas Game - Vocabulary: Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this memorable Christmas vocabulary game, students ask yes/no questions in order to guess words related to Christmas. In groups, students take turns picking up a card. The card shows the Christmas...

ESL Christmas Game - Vocabulary: Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Freer Practice - Group Work In this memorable Christmas vocabulary game, students ask yes/no questions in order to guess words related to Christmas. In groups, students take turns picking up a card. The card shows the Christmas vocabulary the other students need to guess. The other students then take turns asking one yes/no question to the student using a game sheet to help them, e.g. 'Is it green?' As the student with the card answers each question, students eliminate vocabulary from the game sheet that doesn't apply. When a student thinks they know the answer, they wait until their turn to make their guess, e.g. 'Is it mistletoe?' If the student guesses correctly, they tick the word on their game sheet. The student with the most correct guesses at the end of the game wins.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL Grinch worksheet preview, pre-intermediate A2, listening, short answer comprehension questions

ESL Grinch Worksheet - Listening Activity: Short Answer Comprehension Questions

In this handy Christmas worksheet, students answer comprehension questions about the film 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.' Students watch the film and answer the comprehension questions on the worksheet. When the film is over...

ESL Grinch Worksheet - Listening Activity: Short Answer Comprehension Questions In this handy Christmas worksheet, students answer comprehension questions about the film 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.' Students watch the film and answer the comprehension questions on the worksheet. When the film is over, check the correct answers with the class.

Imperative Snowflake

Pre-intermediate (A2) 20 minutes
ESL Christmas activity preview, pre-intermediate A2, following instructions, making a snowflake

ESL Christmas Activity - Reading: Following Instructions

Here is a practical Christmas activity to help decorate the classroom for Christmas. Working alone, students read the instructions on the worksheet and make a snowflake using paper and scissors. Students then use the snowflakes to decorate the...

ESL Christmas Activity - Reading: Following Instructions Here is a practical Christmas activity to help decorate the classroom for Christmas. Working alone, students read the instructions on the worksheet and make a snowflake using paper and scissors. Students then use the snowflakes to decorate the classroom by hanging them up or taping them to the window. As an extension, students make small snowflakes and glue them to some coloured paper to make a Christmas card.

Santa's Missing Hat

Pre-intermediate (A2) 40 minutes
ESL Christmas play preview, pre-intermediate A2, role-play, answering comprehension questions, drawing

ESL Christmas Play - Reading, Listening and Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Answering Comprehension Questions, Drawing - Group Work

In this Christmas role-play activity, students practice related vocabulary by performing a short Christmas play and answering comprehension questions about...

ESL Christmas Play - Reading, Listening and Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Answering Comprehension Questions, Drawing - Group Work In this Christmas role-play activity, students practice related vocabulary by performing a short Christmas play and answering comprehension questions about it. Assign each student a role in the play. Students then practice the script in their groups, rehearsing the play several times and acting out the various scenes. Next, groups take turns performing the play in front of the class. As the other students watch, they answer comprehension questions based on the story. When all the groups have performed the play, elicit the answers to the questions from the class. Finally, students draw a scene from the play.

A Christmas Carol

Intermediate (B1) 40 minutes
A Christmas Carol preview, Intermediate B1, Listening: Matching, Predicting - Speaking: Explaining Choices - Pair Work

ESL 'A Christmas Carol' Worksheet - Listening: Matching, Predicting - Speaking: Explaining Choices - Pair Work

In this Christmas listening worksheet, students watch a 25-minute animated film of 'A Christmas Carol' and match scenes to the three ghosts before predicting how the story ends. Students first read an...

ESL 'A Christmas Carol' Worksheet - Listening: Matching, Predicting - Speaking: Explaining Choices - Pair Work In this Christmas listening worksheet, students watch a 25-minute animated film of 'A Christmas Carol' and match scenes to the three ghosts before predicting how the story ends. Students first read an introduction to the story and the sentences on the worksheet. As students watch the film, they match the sentences to the ghosts by writing the sentence numbers under the pictures. Before the ending, students check their matching answers and choose a prediction. In pairs, students explain their choices. Students then watch the ending and check their predictions.

A Christmas Story

Intermediate (B1) 40 minutes
A Christmas Story preview, Intermediate B1, Reading and Writing: Matching, Ordering, Comprehension Questions, Gap-fill, Short Story Writing

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Reading and Writing: Matching, Ordering, Comprehension Questions, Gap-fill, Short Story Writing

In this Christmas worksheet, students read about a family Christmas and practice using the past simple and past continuous to tell a story. Students begin by matching Christmas vocabulary to pictures. Students...

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Reading and Writing: Matching, Ordering, Comprehension Questions, Gap-fill, Short Story Writing In this Christmas worksheet, students read about a family Christmas and practice using the past simple and past continuous to tell a story. Students begin by matching Christmas vocabulary to pictures. Students then read and number paragraphs to put a Christmas story in the correct order. Next, students answer reading comprehension questions about the story. After reviewing a model and tense explanation, students complete sentences with the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Finally, students use prompts to write a real or invented Christmas story with the two tenses and Christmas vocabulary, then read their stories to the class.

Christmas in England

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
Christmas in England preview, Intermediate B1, Grammar and Listening: Gap-fill, Identifying Frequency - Speaking: Comparing Habits - Group and Pair Work

ESL Christmas Game - Grammar and Listening: Gap-fill, Identifying Frequency - Speaking: Comparing Habits - Group and Pair Work

In this Christmas game, students listen to fictional families in England, identify how often they do things and compare celebration habits. In teams, students review...

ESL Christmas Game - Grammar and Listening: Gap-fill, Identifying Frequency - Speaking: Comparing Habits - Group and Pair Work In this Christmas game, students listen to fictional families in England, identify how often they do things and compare celebration habits. In teams, students review a model and the meanings of the adverbs. Students then listen to short accounts from the families and complete sentences with the adverb that best matches each account. Teams reveal their written answers at the same time and score one point for each correct answer. Students explain which words helped them decide. The team with the most points wins. Finally, students make notes and, in pairs, compare habits at Christmas or another celebration and discuss which activities they would like to try. Students can invent their answers and ask follow-up questions.

Christmas Mimes

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
Christmas Mimes preview, Intermediate B1, Speaking: Miming, Forming Sentences, Guessing - Group Work

ESL Christmas Game - Speaking: Miming, Forming Sentences, Guessing - Group Work

In this free Christmas miming game, students describe Christmas activities using the present continuous as they guess their classmates' actions. Students take turns miming Christmas activities while two teams guess using present continuous...

ESL Christmas Game - Speaking: Miming, Forming Sentences, Guessing - Group Work In this free Christmas miming game, students describe Christmas activities using the present continuous as they guess their classmates' actions. Students take turns miming Christmas activities while two teams guess using present continuous sentences. The first team to describe the action correctly scores a point. Natural descriptions are accepted, and the sentence on each card is read aloud after the turn. Teams continue until all the cards have been used, and the team with the most points wins. The game can also be played in smaller groups, where students take turns miming and keep the cards they guess correctly. The student with the most cards wins.

Little Piccola's Christmas Story

Intermediate (B1) 40 minutes
Little Piccola's Christmas Story preview, Intermediate B1, Reading, Vocabulary and Writing: Ordering, Comprehension Questions, Gap-fill, Short Story Writing - Pair Work

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Reading, Vocabulary and Writing: Ordering, Comprehension Questions, Gap-fill, Short Story Writing - Pair Work

In this Christmas worksheet, students put a story in order, explore its characters and dialogue, and retell events from a character's point of view. In pairs, students...

ESL Christmas Worksheet - Reading, Vocabulary and Writing: Ordering, Comprehension Questions, Gap-fill, Short Story Writing - Pair Work In this Christmas worksheet, students put a story in order, explore its characters and dialogue, and retell events from a character's point of view. In pairs, students read story strips and put them in order. Students then answer questions about the characters, setting, events and feelings. Next, students complete dialogue sentences with asked, replied, shouted and told, checking the words against the story. Students then choose a character and write a short first-person account using the past simple, including events and feelings. Finally, students read their accounts to the class.

A Festive Match

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas vocabulary activity preview, upper-intermediate B2, gap-fill, matching, binary choice, sentence completion, pair work

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary: Gap-fill, Matching, Binary Choice, Sentence Completion - Pair Work

Here is an intriguing Christmas vocabulary activity to help students practice words related to Christmas and Christmas traditions. Working alone, students complete the beginning of each sentence...

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary: Gap-fill, Matching, Binary Choice, Sentence Completion - Pair Work Here is an intriguing Christmas vocabulary activity to help students practice words related to Christmas and Christmas traditions. Working alone, students complete the beginning of each sentence with a Christmas word from a box. Student A then starts by reading out the beginning part of their first sentence to Student B, who listens and chooses a suitable ending from their worksheet. Student B then reads out the second part of the sentence with its correct preposition. If the other student agrees it is correct, they write it down. If not, Student B reads other possible endings to find the right one. When Student A has completed all their sentences, the two students swap roles. Afterwards, review the correct answers and Christmas vocabulary and traditions with the class.

Festive Adjective Challenge

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
ESL Christmas activity preview, upper-intermediate B2, gap-fill, asking and answering questions, group and pair work

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-Fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work

In this engaging Christmas speaking activity, students practice adjectives by completing, asking and answering Christmas conversation questions. First, in two...

ESL Christmas Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-Fill, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work In this engaging Christmas speaking activity, students practice adjectives by completing, asking and answering Christmas conversation questions. First, in two groups, students complete each Christmas conversation question with an adjective from the box. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group. Students then take turns asking and answering the conversation questions with their partner, responding with the adjective contained in the question. Afterwards, students share what they found out about their partner with the class.

It's a Passive Christmas

Upper-intermediate (B2) 40 minutes
ESL Christmas game preview, upper-intermediate B2, rewriting sentences, true or false, guessing, gap-fill

ESL Christmas Game - Grammar: Rewriting Sentences, True or False, Guessing, Gap-fill - Pair Work

In this challenging Christmas game, students learn about Christmas traditions and facts by playing a true or false game and then completing sentences from the game in the present and past simple...

ESL Christmas Game - Grammar: Rewriting Sentences, True or False, Guessing, Gap-fill - Pair Work In this challenging Christmas game, students learn about Christmas traditions and facts by playing a true or false game and then completing sentences from the game in the present and past simple passive. First, teams make ten true passive sentences about Christmas false by changing one piece of information in each sentence. Teams then take turns reading each false sentence to another team, who has one chance to guess which part of the sentence is wrong. For each correct guess, teams score a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Finally, working alone, students complete Christmas sentences from the game in the present or past simple passive using verbs from a box.

Santa's Secret

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL Christmas game preview, upper-intermediate B2, matching, asking and answering questions, guessing

ESL Christmas Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Matching, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work

In this fun Christmas vocabulary game, students answer Christmas questions and hide a secret word in their responses for a partner to guess. In two...

ESL Christmas Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Matching, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work In this fun Christmas vocabulary game, students answer Christmas questions and hide a secret word in their responses for a partner to guess. In two groups, students begin by matching sentence halves to form Christmas conversation questions. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking each question to their partner, who answers by talking for 30 seconds using a secret Christmas word somewhere in their response. When their partner has finished talking, the other student has two chances to guess the secret word. If the student guesses correctly on the first try, they score two points. If they guess correctly on the second try, they get one point. If the student doesn't guess correctly, their partner reveals the answer, and no points are awarded. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins.

What Is Christmas Language?

Christmas language covers the words and phrases learners use to talk about festive traditions, decorations, food, presents, songs, cards, stories, and holiday plans. When learners lack this language, they struggle to describe celebrations, compare traditions, or take part in seasonal classroom discussions beyond single words.

This page covers Christmas across A1-A2, A2, B1, and B2 levels, with 25 resources ranging from vocabulary games and board games to worksheets, speaking activities, reading tasks, listening tasks, writing tasks, and a play, including three free downloads.

Use this quick reference to connect common Christmas situations with the speakers and phrases students need.

SituationSpeakerExample Phrase
Giving a seasonal greeting Friend 'Merry Christmas!'
Talking about decorations Student 'We put up a Christmas tree in December.'
Talking about presents Child 'I want a new bike for Christmas.'
Describing food Family member 'We have roast turkey for Christmas dinner.'
Talking about traditions Classmate 'My family sings Christmas songs together.'
Writing a card Student 'I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.'
Comparing celebrations Friend 'In my country, we open presents on Christmas Eve.'

How to Use Christmas Language

Talking about holiday routines: Use Christmas language to describe what people usually do before or during the holiday, as in 'We decorate the tree on the first weekend in December.'

Explaining personal traditions: Use Christmas language to share family customs and compare them with classmates from different backgrounds, as in 'In my family, we open one present on Christmas Eve.'

Discussing festive preferences: Use Christmas language to explain likes, dislikes, and opinions about seasonal activities, as in 'I enjoy Christmas markets, but I don't like crowded shopping centers.'

3-Step Framework for Teaching Christmas Language

1. Start with Familiar Christmas Questions: Give learners simple prompts such as 'Do you like Christmas songs?' so they can ask classmates clear yes/no questions, collect answers, and turn the results into short class sentences.

2. Connect Traditions to Real Places: Move from vocabulary to culture by having students share information about Christmas in different countries, then discuss which country they would like to visit at Christmas and why.

3. Add Fluency through Hidden Vocabulary: Push longer answers by asking students to talk for 30 seconds using a secret Christmas word somewhere in their response, while their partner listens carefully and guesses the word.

Common Mistakes with Christmas Language

Using present and gift too broadly: Students often use present or gift for every kind of Christmas item, even when they mean a decoration, card, or stocking filler. Wrong: 'We put presents on the tree.' Correct: 'We put decorations on the tree.'

Using sock instead of stocking: Students often use the everyday clothing word sock when they need the Christmas word stocking for the item children hang for presents. Wrong: 'The children hang socks by the fireplace.' Correct: 'The children hang stockings by the fireplace.'

Common Questions About Teaching Christmas Language

What is a fun Christmas board game?

In the board game Festive Fib Detectives, students roll a die, land on a Christmas topic square, and make a 'be going to' statement that is either true or false. Their classmates ask questions to catch them lying, then guess. Students who guess correctly score a point. The player with the most points at the end wins.

What is an engaging Christmas vocabulary game?

The game Christmas Mimes is a free download where students mime Christmas traditions at the front of the class while their classmates race to shout out the correct present continuous sentence, such as 'You are singing a Christmas carol.' The first student to call out the right sentence scores a point for their team.

What is a good Christmas vocabulary worksheet?

A quick vocabulary review comes from the worksheet Christmas Word Puzzle, which is a free download. Students match numbers to letters in a chart to decode 20 Christmas words and write each one in the space provided. The first student to complete all the words correctly wins.

What is a useful activity for practicing Christmas adjectives?

The activity Festive Adjective Challenge gives students practice with Christmas adjectives. First, students complete Christmas conversation questions with an adjective from a box. They then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering the questions, responding with the adjective in each question. Afterwards, they share what they found out with the class.

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★★★★★

English Instructor, United States

"Thank you for providing these incredible resources. Teach-This.com is always my go-to site for class activities, and I recommend it often. I love how it is organized. I can find resources for a specific grammar concept or language function by level and type of activity. Every time I visit your site, I discover a new classroom interaction strategy that's perfect for teaching the concept I'm focusing on! When I return after the holidays, yours will be the first subscription I restart."

Carrie Brooke-Mellor

★★★★★

ESOL Teacher, United Kingdom

"I am an ESOL teacher, and the resources have helped my classes enormously. In particular, the speaking activities were a great help for my intermediate students before their exam. The website is user-friendly, and I will continue to utilise the resources - next term is reading and comprehension, so I will be looking for more resources from you. Thank you for such helpful activities and worksheets. They save me a lot of time in class preparation."

Charlie Sanders

★★★★★

ESL Teacher, France

"Teach This is an absolutely brilliant website, offering a vast amount of high-quality content, much of it free. Everyone involved in its creation deserves commendation. The leadership's vision has my deepest respect and gratitude. It's undoubtedly the best resource for English teachers, with its clear layout, easy navigation, concise messaging, and lack of invasive advertising - rare qualities that Teach This has perfected."

Joy Tebow

★★★★★

English Teacher, Laos

"When I need to add or change an activity from my school's curriculum, I always turn to TeachThis. While our curriculum is usually very good, it sometimes doesn't fit well with my students. With TeachThis, I can easily find activities that match my topic and level, and the resources make my classes more interesting and varied. I look forward to the monthly newsletter and exploring new materials for inspiration. Please keep it up!"

Mina Zolfaghari

★★★★★

English Tutor, Australia

"I like the efficiency and organization of the website. The resources cater to various levels with topic-based options for higher levels. The worksheets are very engaging and the answer keys are particularly helpful for teacher. The resources are also highly specific to levels and outcomes, making planning much easier. Finding what I need is simple and time-saving with the keyword search feature. Everything is clear and straightforward."

Karin Kiss

★★★★★

ESL Teacher, Switzerland

"The easy and ready-to-go materials have helped me a lot during the last few years. Most of all I like the grammar games that activate my pupils and keep them engaged. My lessons have become way more playful and varied. Additionally, I like the grammar worksheets which I use to consolidate what I have worked on during class. The website is very user-friendly, and I have never had any difficulties finding what I was looking for."

David-Wonbae Lee

★★★★★

Business English Teacher, Canada

"A friend told me about the site, and it's awesome. I have found the Business English resources especially engaging and relevant for my students as the materials help them understand business writing and terms. My teaching experience has also improved from using the games on the site as they allow me to teach in a fun way. The user experience is outstanding. Great job!"

Daniela Garcia

★★★★★

English Teacher, Mexico

"I found Teach-This a long time ago when I started teaching. It's always had great resources. I really appreciate the grammar materials, board games, and group activities. They've saved me lots of time on lesson planning. The materials are easy to use and understand, making my job much simpler. The best thing is that many resources can be downloaded for free. I've used it for around 8 years, and it consistently offers great content."

Thomas Wilson

★★★★★

Primary School Teacher, United Kingdom

"I use the resources from the Games Section as part of my daily 30-minute morning warm-up activities, and I've received rave reviews for using them. The games help me maintain student interest and participation and leave the students feeling happy and awake. I like everything about the site, and customer support is very effective as they respond in time."

Eugenia Fernandez

★★★★★

EFL Teacher, Argentina

"Teach-This is one of the best EFL websites I've found. It's extremely user-friendly, and I always find what I need quickly. I like the design, and the content is fun, engaging and original. I am very thankful for all your work and generosity by making some resources free. I always recommend this website to my fellow teachers. Your work is really helpful, and I value it enormously."

Jakub Havlk

★★★★★

Language School Teacher, Czechia

"I like the grammar-focused resources the most as they save me time. The resources also inspire me. If I see an interesting grammar activity, I often rework it for other grammar rules. I like the fact that I simply pay a flat fee, and I can download whatever I want. Teach-This really is a great timesaver. I know that if I am in need of resources for my students, I can go to Teach-This and find something interesting."

Alice Dimpz

★★★★★

English Teacher, Kenya

"Getting familiar with the site and how to use the resources is not difficult. I found the writing skills resources to be the most valuable as they have enhanced my teaching of this skill. The website is elaborate and full of all types of resources to help me teach English. When I contacted customer support, they were super-fast to deal with my enquiry. So overall, I recommend it."

Ikrram Badaoui

★★★★★

ESL Teacher, Morocco

"I have found the grammar and vocabulary resources the most valuable. They have improved my teaching experience because they are easy to use and well-organized. The materials are very engaging for my students. The website is also very user-friendly. The best thing about Teach-This is that it offers ready-made worksheets for busy teachers, and the content is well-organized and full of information."

Tania Ahmed

★★★★★

High School Teacher, Kurdistan

"I'm really glad I found the Teach-This website. The materials in the General English section have proven to be really helpful and made my classes more engaging. The materials are well-structured and cover a wide range of topics, making it easy to keep my students interested and motivated. Overall, my experience using your resources has been great."

Khawla Orq

★★★★★

EFL Teacher, Yemen

"My first impression of the website was that it was amazing. The games and activities have really improved my teaching. The resources are engaging and relevant to my students' needs, and I find the website easy to use and navigate. Thanks."

Anika Yadav

★★★★★

English Teacher, India

"I would like to thank you for making a fantastic website. I particularly enjoy teaching the functional language materials, which have been very helpful in my classes. The resources have significantly improved my students' communication skills in daily life, so it was rewarding to see them benefit in this way. It feels great to be able to make a difference in my students' lives. Please keep up the good work."

Dr. Elena Petrov

★★★★★

Academic English Coordinator, Spain

"I've been teaching Academic English for over eight years, and Teach-This.com has become my go-to resource for university preparation classes. The academic vocabulary exercises and speaking test preparation activities are exceptionally well-designed for advanced learners. My students particularly appreciate the study skills resources and paragraph writing materials, which have significantly boosted their confidence and exam scores."

Suzanne Coleman

★★★★★

Volunteer English Teacher, England

"I like your resources because they are so interesting and attractive. Your resources help to maintain student interest. Your resources have helped with the planning and preparation of my lessons because I have often been able to find resources focusing on specific topics, grammar or vocabulary. I am particularly grateful for your free resources, which I use at the English Club where I am a volunteer and help to support internationals in the community who are learning English."