The holiday season is the perfect time to make learning fun for children. If your child is learning English as a second language (ESL), Christmas printables are a brilliant way to enhance their skills while enjoying the festive season. If your kids are anything like mine, as soon as December hits, they start zoning out of our usual learning routine.
That’s why I suggest mixing things up by changing your usual English routine and utilising a range of Christmas-themed activities.
From games to decorations, these printables can turn language lessons into engaging holiday activities. Here are some great printable options to keep young learners entertained and learning this Christmas.
Table of Contents
- What are Christmas Printables?
- Benefits of Christmas Printables for ESL Learners
- 20 Exciting Christmas Printables for Kids
- Why Christmas Printables are a Great ESL Tool
- How to Create Your Own Christmas Printables
What Are Christmas Printables?
Christmas printables are pre-designed activity sheets that you can easily print at home or in the classroom. These resources are perfect for keeping kids entertained while sneaking in some educational value, especially for those learning English as a second language. They come in various forms, from creative crafts to engaging games, and are often themed with classic holiday imagery like Santa, snowflakes, or reindeer. They’re simple to use, cost-effective, and adapt well to different ages and skill levels.
Join the FREE Resource Library
Looking for FREE quality printables, templates, and guides to help you teach your kids ESL at home?
Join theOET’s FREE Membership and gain access to 10s of resources designed by a qualified teacher to help your family learn English at home.
New resources are added every month. Save time, money, and stress with pre-made educational printables and guides.
Benefits of Christmas Printables for ESL Learners
Did you know that Christmas printables can do more than occupy kids during the holidays? They’re also fantastic tools for building English skills.
Boost Vocabulary
By engaging with Christmas-themed words and phrases, children naturally learn new vocabulary. Tasks like word searches or picture labelling help reinforce it in fun, memorable ways.
Practise Listening and Following Instructions
Activities like craft-making or games often come with simple instructions to follow. This builds listening skills and teaches kids how to process information in English step-by-step.
Make Learning Relatable
Familiar holiday themes like Santa, snowmen, or gifts create a comfort zone. Kids are more likely to participate when the material feels relevant and enjoyable for them.
Encourage Speaking and Sharing
Printables like bingo or group games encourage children to interact with peers or family members. This helps boost their confidence in speaking English, even if it’s just saying “Your turn!” or “I got it!”.
Learn at Their Own Pace
You can pick and choose printables that match your child’s skill level. If a worksheet feels too simple or too advanced, there’s no pressure—just find one that fits better.
For ESL learners, Christmas printables take the stress out of learning English by turning it into a playful and engaging experience. They turn holiday downtime into something productive while keeping the festive mood intact.
20 Exciting Christmas Printables for Kids
1. Christmas-themed colouring Pages
Colouring is a simple yet effective tool for reinforcing vocabulary. With Christmas-themed pages featuring Santa, gingerbread, and snowmen, you can help your child learn new words while they colour.
Use the opportunity to practise related terms like “red”, “green”, “star”, or “present”. These pages are great for quiet time or as part of a festive lesson plan.
2. Printable Flashcards with Christmas Words
Flashcards are brilliant for vocabulary building. Christmas flashcards can include fun words like “reindeer”, “candy cane”, and “Christmas tree”.
Use them for memory games or simple Q&A sessions to help your child practise pronunciation and understand context. The festive theme keeps learning exciting!
3. Holiday-Themed Word Searches
Word searches are not only fun but also perfect for spelling practice. Use this printable Christmas word search with terms like “Santa”, “sleigh”, and “stocking”.
As your child finds each word, ask them to use it in a sentence to build their language skills further.
4. Christmas Bingo
Who doesn’t love bingo? Create a fun game with Christmas-themed images like a tree, gift, angel, or star. Print the bingo cards and calling sheets. This is a great activity for groups, helping children practise listening, recognition, and pronunciation while having festive fun.
5. Printable Advent Calendars
Advent calendars build anticipation for Christmas, but they can also be great learning tools. Printable advent calendars can feature simple tasks each day, such as “name three red things” or “spell ‘snow’”. This makes learning a daily part of the countdown to Christmas.
6. Christmas Writing Prompts
Encourage your child to practise writing in English with printable Christmas prompts. Ideas like “What would you ask Santa for?” or “Describe your dream Christmas” get kids thinking creatively while improving grammar and sentence structure. These prompts can also be used for holiday journaling.
7. Printable Gift Tags
Let your child personalise their presents with printable gift tags. They can write names and short messages in English, improving their writing skills. With designs like Santa hats and candy canes, these tags make every gift extra special.
Join the FREE Resource Library
Looking for FREE quality printables, templates, and guides to help you teach your kids ESL at home?
Join theOET’s FREE Membership and gain access to 10s of resources designed by a qualified teacher to help your family learn English at home.
New resources are added every month. Save time, money, and stress with pre-made educational printables and guides.
8. DIY Christmas Cards
Printable Christmas cards allow kids to craft while learning. Choose designs with blank spaces for personalised messages. Help them write cheerful greetings like “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” to practise spelling, grammar, and handwriting.
9. Holiday-Themed Mazes
Christmas mazes are a fun way to improve problem-solving skills. While completing these mazes, kids can describe their path in English—“up”, “down”, “left”, or “right”. It’s a simple activity that indirectly reinforces directional language.
10. Christmas Story Templates
Printable story templates are great for sparking imagination. Use Christmas-themed starters like “Once upon a time, there was a reindeer who…” to encourage storytelling. Kids can create their own festive tales while practising sentence formation and learning new phrases.
11. Printable Christmas Decorations
Turn learning into a creative activity with cut-out decorations. Stars, trees, or angels can double as vocabulary tools. Ask your child to describe the shapes, colours, and sizes in English as they create their festive decor.
12. Letter to Santa Templates
Writing a letter to Santa is a must-do for many kids. Printable templates with prompts like “I have been good because…” help children practise writing full sentences. Encourage them to include their wishes and describe why they’d like each gift.
13. Christmas Matching Games
Printable matching cards with images and words help kids improve memory and vocabulary skills. Match a picture of a bauble to the word “bauble”, or pair “snow” with an image of a snowy day. It’s a simple way to reinforce word recognition.
14. Printable Songs and Lyrics Sheets
Introduce classic Christmas carols with printable lyric sheets. Words to songs like “Jingle Bells” or “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” help kids learn rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation. Singing along also makes new words stick in their memory.
15. Printable Christmas Placemats
Make mealtimes more festive with printable placemats that double as activity sheets. Include crosswords, mazes, and colouring sections with English prompts. These are perfect for keeping kids engaged during family dinners.
16. Matching Pictures
Help kids practise their observation skills with matching picture games. Provide festive images for them to pair up. These puzzles encourage focus while keeping the Christmas spirit alive.
17. Christmas Playmats
Turn playtime into a festive activity with printable Christmas playmats. Include holiday-themed games, colouring, and simple puzzles. Perfect for table activities at home or parties.
18. Spot the Difference
Challenge young minds with Christmas-themed “Spot the Difference” puzzles. Use fun illustrations to keep it exciting. It’s a great mix of fun and learning during the holidays.
19. Fill in the blank
Boost kids’ language skills with festive fill-in-the-blank worksheets. Create sentences with Christmas-related themes. It’s engaging and helps with vocabulary in a fun way.
20. Christmas Crack the Code
Keep kids intrigued with code-cracking games based on Christmas stories or phrases. Simple cyphers add learning through play, making them perfect indoor activities during the festive break.
Why Christmas Printables Are a Great ESL Tool
Christmas printables combine education with holiday fun. They provide a safe and engaging way for children to practise reading, writing, and speaking in English. Whether it’s decorating the house or enjoying quiet time, these activities are versatile.
You can customise them to suit your children’s skill level, making language learning enjoyable and stress-free. Plus, they bring holiday cheer to your lessons, ensuring learning continues during the festive break.
How to Create Your Own Christmas Printables
Creating your own Christmas printables is a brilliant way to personalise activities for kids, especially if you’re supporting ESL learning. Whether you’re after worksheets, games, or crafts, DIY printables can perfectly match your child’s needs. It’s easier than you think, and with the right tools and a dash of creativity, you can make something both festive and educational.
Join the FREE Resource Library
Looking for FREE quality printables, templates, and guides to help you teach your kids ESL at home?
Join theOET’s FREE Membership and gain access to 10s of resources designed by a qualified teacher to help your family learn English at home.
New resources are added every month. Save time, money, and stress with pre-made educational printables and guides.
Using Online Tools
You don’t have to be a designer to make great printables. There are plenty of online tools that are easy to use and packed with features. Here are some recommendations to get you started:
- Canva: Perfect for beginners, Canva offers drag-and-drop functionality with thousands of free templates and Christmas-themed graphics. You can create everything from word searches to colouring pages in minutes.
- Microsoft Word or PowerPoint: These are classic tools you likely already have. With simple shapes, text boxes, and clip art, you can design custom printables that are both practical and festive.
- Google Slides: Similar to PowerPoint, Google Slides works entirely online. It’s free and great for collaborating with others if you’re working with teachers or parents.
- Adobe Express (formerly Spark): This is a more advanced option but still beginner-friendly. It’s fantastic for adding professional-quality designs and unique fonts.
- Puzzle-Maker Websites: Sites like Discovery Education’s Puzzlemaker or My Word Search allow you to create custom crosswords, word searches, and more. These are perfect for fun ESL activities tailored to Christmas vocabulary.
Start by selecting a tool based on your comfort level. If in doubt, play around with Canva or Google Slides—they’re simple yet effective. Once you’ve chosen a platform, let your imagination take over.
Incorporating Educational Elements
Want to make your printables more than just fun? Focus on weaving in educational tasks that align with your children’s learning goals. For kids learning English, this can be as simple as introducing new words or numbers into the designs. Here’s how to do it:
- Vocabulary Practice: Include themed words like “reindeer,” “chimney,” or “ornament” to teach Christmas-related vocabulary. Use activities like word searches, matching games, or flashcards. For example, create a printable with images of holiday items and ask kids to label them.
- Grammar Exercises: Simple sentences work wonders. Try fill-in-the-blank tasks with festive phrases—for example, “Santa’s sleigh is ___ the roof” (answer: on). This helps kids practise prepositions while staying in the holiday spirit.
- Counting and Numbers: Incorporate maths into colouring sheets or puzzles. A Christmas tree printable could ask, “How many baubles are on the tree?” or “Add the snowmen together to find the total.” It’s a sneaky way to reinforce maths skills.
- Listening Challenges: Design printables that work alongside spoken instructions. For example, create a “listen and draw” sheet where kids have to decorate a snowman based on what they hear.
You can tailor these printables specifically to your children’s ability level. Struggling with certain words? Add them to the next worksheet. Need more maths practice? Sprinkle in some number of activities. You can customise and adapt each activity to suit your children’s needs and growth.
By combining fun and education, you’ll see noticeable progress in your child’s English skills while creating holiday memories. Remember, learning doesn’t have to stop during the holidays—it can simply take on a festive twist.
Unlimited Access to Educational Story and Play Activity Packs for Your Children (Pre A1-A1)
Join the Print and Play Club and gain access to all theOET’s educational Story and Play Activity Packs. Each pack offers 7 days worth of printable activities your children can complete surrounding a popular children’s book. From core ESL skills to learning through play and games, each pack focuses on helping your children learn English through stories and play.
These Christmas printables are such a fun way for kids learning English to practice! Love the idea of combining language learning with holiday cheer!
Thanks so much Umer! It really is important that kids enjoy the learning process, so I try my best to make activities that are as exciting as possible to increase participation. Glad you liked the concept 🙂