Discover creative ways to engage students in your library, from literary ornament workshops to festive community service projects, this holiday season.
It’s that time of the year again, when the fir trees get lit up, and the jingle bells fill every part of the city. But, beyond the festivity and funfare that characterize Christmas, it has always been a time for friends and family to get together and enjoy shared activities. And who says the shared activities can’t start in the library?
Christmas is a good time to redefine what the library means to pupils and students alike. Fortunately, that can be achieved in different ways, ultimately helping students have so much fun, connect with the world around them, and know what it means to have a positive impact on the lives of others.
Crafting Artistic Ornaments
From young learners to teenage students, literary activities as a form of expression will never go out of fashion. Beyond being a way to learn new things, crafting will always be a way for people to relieve stress, have fun, and bond with others.
1. Connect the Letter Dots
Teenage students can enjoy this just as much as younger learners. All classes of students can connect the dots made of the alphabet until the complete image is formed. It’s less about the alphabet and more about honing the ability to connect seemingly familiar dots to arrive at concrete patterns. Whether it is the image of Rudolph, the snowman, or Santa himself, there are plenty of exciting options to explore.
2. Craft a Bookmark
Reading time doesn’t have to be boring. Read-aloud periods can be combined with making tree cutouts from cardstock or pieces of paper. This gets extra points because the dexterous work of art can be used as a bookmark.
3. Old Books to New Trees
If there are old books that need to be discarded, kids would have fun making Christmas trees out of them. Hundreds of pages per book mean several hundred little trees to adorn the library with. Get some colors on those black and white pages, and there are no better Christmas trees out there.
4. Wreath of Books
It’s a library after all, so what better material than books can be used to make the wreaths on the door? This simple activity combines knowledge from science and art classes for students to cut leaves out of book pages, get them to stick neatly on a cardboard ring, and voila, a wreath is born.
5. The Snowman
Christmas is not complete without the snowman. So, getting learners to create the figure of Olaf by stacking books according to size is another fun activity to engage in. Then waiting to see how they get creative with the eyes, mouth, nose, eyebrows, arms, and hair will be a fun watch.
Unwrapping Stories
At the end of the day, humans are all stories. From telling stories, listening to lore, acting out performances, to participating in artistic groups, stories are a great way to elevate student experiences during the Christmas season. And there are a number of ways to make that happen.
6. Write a Christmas Story
Students don’t have to be great writers to come up with great Christmas stories. For very young students, though, giving them a headstart story to work with might be a good idea.
7. Read a Christmas Book
Since the spirit of the season is in the air, Christmas is a great time to get students to fall in love with reading. Pick a great book like The Polar Express and watch the magic of the season unfold.
8. Watch a Christmas-themed Movie
Over the years, a lot of movies have been made about Christmas, each exploring the reason for the season in its own way. With a great movie, students are bound to have a wonderful time in the library.
9. Listen to a Story by the Elves
Having books read aloud is a great way to enjoy them. What better way to dive into Christmas books than by having the elves do the reading? It is the perfect shared activity that lets learners enjoy the moment fully.
10. Assign Some Holiday Homework
Yes, it’s the holiday season, but giving students fun homework can help ease the worry they often feel about assignments, and the Christmas period is a great time to try this out.
The Great Holiday Book Hunt
Gamification doesn’t only work for adults, it works well for young learners too. So, let the kids play some games.
11. The Holiday Origami
With some papers and a pair of scissors, getting learners to try their hands at making origami for the family Christmas tree is next-level fun.
12. Santa’s Word Finder
Word searches are a great way to engage the mind and build connections among students. Having them huddle in a group and trying to find holiday-related words is fun, and a range of themes can be explored.
13. The Christmas Trivia
What better way to get students to dive deeper into books than a trivia based on books in the library? After spending time looking into facts related to Christmas, competing in multiple-choice trivia games introduces a healthy level of fun.
14. Scavenger Hunt
Many students don’t know where to find the books that interest them in the library. A scavenger hunt will certainly help them explore the library more, which will help beyond the festive period.
15. The Christmas Crayon Game
When it’s time to hunt for a book in the library, one great piece to find is The Crayon’s Christmas, especially thanks to the fun board game it features and other myriad of ideas for interesting Christmas crafts.
Beyond the Shelves
Beyond the fun, sharing love with the community is another meaningful way to spend Christmas. Doing this helps learners understand how to connect with people, or probably connect with Santa.
16. Email Santa
When kids have to write about their year to Santa, it helps them learn how to reflect. Also, bringing their good times to active memory is bound to make them feel good, share experiences with friends, and look forward to an even better new year.
17. Christmas Crackers as Gifts
Christmas crackers are always fun, where learners can come up with great jokes, wrap them, and deliver them to family, neighbors, and even other teachers. Sharing smiles at the jokes certainly makes for a good experience.
18. Tell Christmas Jokes
In the spirit of sharing jokes during the season, even the lamest ones can leave people holding their stomachs with laughter. Library time is a great time for students to do their research.
19. The Christmas Tree
A Christmas tree done with books adds more scenarios to the school’s decor. Move books out of the library and get the students to mount them into a tree somewhere in the school hall.
20. Community Outreach
Sharing books with others is one of the warmest expressions of love, as it shows genuine care for their minds. Teach students the importance of reaching out to people in need and celebrating with them during the season of love.
Join our community of 1.5M readers
Like this story? You'll love our free weekly magazine.
Erica Sarah
Erica is a creative writer and editor with a love for books and the smell of libraries. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s doting on her cat, Felix, and daydreaming about ending global hunger.
