🎄 Christmas ESL Activities Your Students Will Love (No Worksheets Required)
Three low-prep Christmas ESL speaking activities that keep students engaged, maximise talking time, and avoid end-of-term chaos — perfect for kids, teens, and adults.
Christmas ESL activities work best when they prioritise speaking, creativity, and structure. Low-prep games like guessing games, collaborative storytelling, and roleplay help learners stay focused during high-energy holiday lessons — without relying on worksheets.
Festive Fun… or Festive Chaos?
Christmas lessons can go one of two ways:
High-energy, joyful speaking practice
Total chaos — or worse, boring worksheets
The final week before the holidays is tough. Students are excited, attention spans are short, and teachers still want real learning to happen.
That’s why these Christmas ESL activities focus on:
Speaking over paperwork
Clear structure
Flexibility for age and level
Best of all? No worksheets required.
Activity 1: Christmas Guess Who (Speaking + Questions)
How It Works
A Christmas twist on the classic Guess Who game — ideal for practising yes/no questions.
Preparation
Prepare a list of characters or items:
Santa Claus
Reindeer
Elf
Snowman
Christmas tree
Candy cane
The Grinch
In Class
One student secretly chooses a character/item
Class asks yes/no questions
Student answers only yes or no
Continue until someone guesses correctly
Example questions
“Are you a person?”
“Do you wear red?”
“Do you appear at Christmas?”
Why It Works
Natural practice of question forms
Student-controlled interaction
Logical and engaging (not childish)
Especially effective with teens and adults
Teacher Tip
Lower levels: write sample questions on the board
Higher levels: limit the number of questions
Activity 2: Christmas Story Builder (Fluency + Creativity)
How It Works
Students build a shared Christmas story one sentence at a time.
Preparation
Write 5–6 festive words on the board:
snow
present
sack
surprise
night
family
In Class
Students sit in a circle
One student starts the story
Each student adds one sentence, using a word
Continue until all words are used
Why It Works
Builds fluency without pressure
Equal participation
Encourages creativity
Ideal for mixed-level classes
Teacher Tip
Provide connectors: “and then”, “suddenly”
For larger classes, use pairs
Activity 3: Christmas Wishes Roleplay (Confidence + Personalisation)
How It Works
Students practise meaningful conversations through Christmas-themed roleplay.
Set-Up
Give pairs or groups role cards, for example:
Santa asking about wishes
Parent buying gifts
Friends discussing holiday plans
Why It Works
Personalised, meaningful language
Reduces anxiety for shy learners
Encourages natural, real-world speaking
Teacher Tip
Swap roles halfway through
Combine roles for longer conversations
Why These Christmas ESL Activities Actually Work
All three activities share key strengths:
✔ Minimal preparation
✔ Maximum student talking time
✔ Clear structure (even with high energy)
✔ Easy to adapt across ages and levels
They align with communicative teaching principles promoted by organisations like the British Council and Cambridge English, where fluency and interaction take priority over worksheets.
The last week before Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful.
These Christmas ESL activities keep lessons festive and focused — without sacrificing learning.
👉 Try one in your next class and see how students respond.
👉 Want more classroom-ready ideas like this?
Download the free TESOL course guide (PDF) or book a 10-minute consult with Inspire Training & Development to see how our courses support confident, skilled ESL teachers — online or in-class in Vietnam.
This is Warren, wishing you a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays. 🎄
