11 Christmas Books and Activities for Little Learners
Hey there! Merry Christmas!
Oh DEAR. So, I KNOW I said that fall was my favorite time of year, but y’all…it’s CHRISTMAS TIME!!! And absolutely nothing beats Christmas in my heart. It’s just my cozy, happy, joyful place.
So, I decided to bundle up some of my very favorite Christmas books and hands-on activities for little learners to share with you here. There are a few amazing holiday books, a couple free resources, and a brand new Christmas sensory bin included below!
** This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase any of the products that I personally love and am linking to below, I’ll receive a small percentage of the profit that the website makes from your purchase at no extra cost to you. :) So, it’s a win-win-win! **
The Little Reindeer is the story about a friendship between a little girl and a lost reindeer she meets in the forest. They set off on an unforgettable adventure together, but must go their separate ways because the reindeer has a special job to do that night. So, when she wakes the next morning and sees all her gifts, she thinks of her new friend and can’t wait to see him again next year.
2. Red and Lulu
This book is the story of two cardinals named Red and Lulu who live in a special evergreen tree. They love their tree and enjoy living there together. But one day, when Red goes out to find breakfast, he comes back to find Lulu and their tree gone! He flies all over the city looking for the tree and once he finds it, he follows it all the way to New York City. He’s worried he’ll never see Lulu again, but when they’re finally reunited, they find that workers come and take their tree away. So, they find new places to live and explore, making lots of new friends along the way.
3. Christmas Beginning Sounds Sensory Bin Activity
Looking for a hands-on way to practice beginning sounds with your little learners this Christmas? This Christmas sensory bin is a super engaging way to practice beginning sounds with preschool and kindergarten learners! There are 8 lights and 1 mat for the letters S, M, T, R, B, & D. Each light has a picture on it of an object that begins with one of those 6 letters. Students match up the lights to the lights on the corresponding mat. There is one recording sheet for per two letters. This activity is great for kindergarten and first grade kiddos!
And if you’re looking for a BUNCH more amazing Christmas-themed sensory bin ideas, check out THIS POST from my friend, Kristina. She did a WHOLE post about Christmas sensory bins and there are SO many amazing options!
4. Finding Christmas
Finding Christmas is the adorable story of three friends, Squirrel, Hare, and Mouse, celebrating and decorating for Christmas! Mouse still needs to get a gift for Hare, so she dashes out of the burrow and finds a sick bird in the snow on her way out. The three friends bring the little bird into the burrow to help her feel better, and as they do, they start to realize that the most wonderful thing about Christmas isn’t things. They appreciate being with the ones they love and realize that they don’t need more THINGS to be happy during the holidays…they only need each other! It’s seriously the cutest book and the illustrations are completely ADORABLE. It’s a new favorite of mine.
5. A Wish to be a Christmas Tree
A Wish to be a Christmas Tree is the story of a tree that lives on a Christmas tree farm. Every year, he watches as people come to visit the tree farm, but never pick him. He grows taller and taller each year and all the little animal friends try to encourage him, but he’s sure that no one will ever choose him to be their Christmas tree. So, the animals all get together and decorate the tree with treasures they find and remind him how special he is to them. The tree feels so loved and realizes that he loves his home on the Christmas tree farm with his friends. This story is truly so sweet and a great reminder of true friendship and love! And, the rhyming throughout the book and beautiful illustrations make this book even more magical.
6. How to Catch Santa
How to Catch Santa is the story of two little kids who really want to catch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve! So, they make a plan about how to catch him, complete with questions to ask him, ideas to tell him, and things to give him. They also brainstorm together to think of ways they could catch Santa and keep him at their house for a little while. They make their plan, celebrate all the fun Christmas traditions with their family on Christmas Eve, get everything prepared, and then fall asleep. The next thing they know, it’s Christmas! And even though they didn’t catch Santa this year, they’re excited for the special day and will try again next year.
7. Christmas Colors Sensory Bin Freebie
This simple Christmas sensory bin is a super engaging way to practice matching colors with your toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners! There are 3 of each of 8 colors of ornaments, one tree with colors that match the ornaments, and one recording sheet for your kids to color. It’s simple, fun, and super FREE!
This book is a story about Wilma who loves to garden. She wants to try something new with her garden this year and decides to plan Christmas trees! She orders some small trees and gets her neighbor Parker to help her plant them all. As the seasons and year pass, many of the trees keep growing and some do not. Parker and the trees keep growing and getting older until one winter, the trees are ready to be cut! Wilma and Parker sell the trees to people and the Christmas trees bring special magic all over town. So, they plant more trees and wait again for the trees to grow. This is such a sweet book about friendship, patience, and the way life continues in cycles.
This book is a story about how all of nature, all of the world, starts to get excited about a big change coming soon…the newborn King will soon be born! The leaves and skies, the animals and trees, the oceans and grasses, all shout out that “it’s time, it’s time!” They speak so many names for the new baby Savior, like “Bright and Morning Star” and “The Good Shepherd”…and then, it was time! The baby who would change everything was born and the world was never the same. This is a simple, sweet story about the birth of Jesus and how excited all of nature was for the new baby!
10. Santa’s Beginning Sounds Freebie
If you need some fun, Christmas phonics practice, these simple task cards are a great way for your little learners to practice beginning sound identification this holiday season! This engaging activity is one you can use as a center, write the room activity, or even a small group review. There are 12 cards and a recording sheet included for identifying beginning sounds and they’re all adorably Santa-themed. Simply download, print, cut, laminate, and off you go! :)
11. Who’s that Knocking on Christmas Eve?
This book is the story of a boy and his ice bear and a girl named Kyri. Kyri’s hut warm and cozy, but she’s startled by every sound because in the past on Christmas Eve, trolls had come and eaten all the holiday meal. The boy and his bear knock at her door and she welcomes them in. As the boy and Kyri sit together, the hear many knocking sounds, but are sure it’s the trolls and tell them that no one is home. But soon, a whole bunch of trolls break into the hut and eat all the food like they always do. But, when the littlest troll pokes the sleeping ice bear, every last troll is chased out of the hut by that angry bear! The boy, Kyri, and her father all sit down together for some porridge and the boy and his bear are invited to come back every year.
Well, there you have it…my favorite books and fun activities for your little learners this Christmas! I hope these books and Christmasy activities bring a lot of joy into your home and classroom this season. Have a very merry Christmas, dear friend! I’m so grateful for you.
Ooh, and remember to peek at Kristina’s Christmas sensory bins round-up blog post with tons of amazing ideas for sensory bins this winter! :)
Cheering you on!
