Using a fun writing prompt for Christmas inspires great stories from your students! Students are excited to celebrate and talk about the things that they see around them and to build new vocabulary. It is fun using seasonal writing prompts with my 2nd and 1st graders. I love reading all their winter stories.
In this blog post I will cover some fun seasonal and Christmas related topics. However, it is important to be aware of the cultural backgrounds in your classroom and make sure that everyone is being represented during the holiday. Not all families celebrate Christmas. Be aware of the traditions in your classroom so that everyone feels included and represented.
It is fun to write about Santa, and reindeer. Additionally, it is great to introduce procedural writing by describing how to decorate a Christmas tree.
If there are students in your classroom who would love a directed drawing on something specific to their culture send me a message and I’ll see what I can do!
Writing Prompt Christmas
Some fun writing prompts for Christmas we use are about Santa, reindeers, Christmas gifts, elves, and Christmas trees. However, we also do more winter themed prompts like a snowman directed draw so that December is a mix of winter and Christmas themed.
Topics for Procedural Writing
Winter is a great time to introduce procedural writing. There are many festive topics for procedural writing. It is important for students to develop skills to be able to write out a sequence of steps accurately.
Some students prefer this style of writing to narrative writing, so it is fun to see what students come up with when they are presented with a variety of writing opportunities. If you are looking for great books to introduce procedural writing check out Melissa Taylor’s blog post: Read How-To Books (to Model Procedural Writing). In addition, TechStarter also has a list of 10 books for introducing procedural writing: 10 Positively Perfect Picture Books to Teach Procedural Writing.
1. Procedural Writing How to Build a Snowman
A fun and easy way for students to practice procedural writing is to describe how to build a snowman with a fun writing prompt for Christmas. Students think about the steps to building a snowman. Then they write them out in order.
If you are fortunate/unfortunate to live in an area with snow, building a snowman first is a great intro. Alternatively, you could build one out of play-dough to get students inspired for their writing. Next, they can add a drawing by following a step by step snowman directed drawing.
I love seeing how students decorate their snowmen and they all have different personalities. You can even make it fun and have students wear mittens or a winter scarf while they write.
Trying out their procedural writing with a classmate can be a fun way to check out their writing. After that, students can give their procedural writing to a friend, or read it out step by step to them. The partner can then try and replicate the snowman using play-dough and see if they ended up with a snowman.
Once they have tested out their writing with a partner, students can change or add any text they think would help improve their writing.
2. Procedural Writing How to Make Hot Chocolate
How to make hot chocolate is a fun procedural writing idea. It is also super tasty! We like to make hot chocolate for students to sip while they write about how to make it. If you are interested in checking out a hot chocolate directed drawing click the link: November Draw & Write Resource.
3. Step by Step Christmas Tree Drawing
Following a step by step Christmas tree drawing is a great way to think about procedural writing on how to decorate a Christmas tree.
When students complete the drawing, first they can think about all the things they would like to add to their tree before writing. This will help them remember and brainstorm what they would like to include before planning and writing out their steps. Next, students can share as a class how they like to decorate their tree at home, to help their classmates with ideas. Some students may not decorate trees at home. Additionally, it is helpful to look up photos of Christmas trees so that they can learn about this tradition.
More Writing Prompts for Christmas
There are lots of other fun winter writing prompts that inspire great writing. Students love to invent snowy winter adventures.
4. Directed Draw Santa
Directed draw Santa is a popular writing prompt for December. It is a great time to talk about the differences in Santa and how he is depicted around the world too.
5. Directed Draw Reindeer
Directed draw reindeer is another one my students love to do. It is fun for them to invent their own reindeer and give it a name. Additionally, students love to send them on adventures with Santa and the other reindeer. Following a step by step reindeer drawing is simple and fun for them to customize by adding different winter accessories and decorations.
6. Directed Draw Gingerbread Man or Gingerbread House
It is fun to follow a directed draw gingerbread man, or gingerbread woman, or gingerbread person. If you have a kitchen in your school, students love decorating cookies or making a Gingerbread House. It can also be a great procedural writing topic on how to make gingerbread cookies, or how to decorate gingerbread cookies.
Alternatively, if you are looking for the cookie fun but are short on time, you can bring in cookies premade and have students just add the decorations.
7. Step by Step Elf Drawing
Christmas elves can go on many adventures too. Some families have elf on the shelf that they like to bring out at this time of year. It is fun to invent adventures for elves to go on and it is simple for students to follow a step by step elf drawing and change it as they go.
8. How to Draw Christmas Gift
Another fun writing prompt for Christmas is writing about gifts! Drawing 3 dimensional objects can be challenging for young artists. Present simple steps on how to draw christmas gift for them to feel successful. Once they understand the steps they love to draw them in different sizes and colors.
9. How to Draw Stockings for Christmas
Christmas stockings are full of mystery! It is fun to wonder what could be inside, and students love to brainstorm what they would like to put in a Christmas stocking. How to draw stockings for Christmas is fun and simple for young artists. They enjoy customizing the stockings by adding their own patterns on the outside and little gifts popping out of the top.
10. How to Draw Penguin Easily
My favorite writing prompt for Christmas is Penguins! Penguins are fun to draw with students. They are so simple and cute! How can you not fall in love with these adorable creatures? Additionally, it is fun to look at penguin videos online and see them slide and dive in and out of the water.
Make Directed Drawings Stand Out
There is a simple formula that you can follow with your students to make their directed drawings stand out. Teaching students simple steps to drawing, tracing, and coloring their artwork can make a huge difference in the outcome and also build their independence. To learn more, check out my blog post to learn more about how to take a drawing from the initial steps to a finished product: Step by Step Turkey Directed Draw
Winter Coloring Sheets
Winter coloring sheets can be a lifesaver during the holidays. I love the winter season with so many crafts and festive fun! With all the activity there are often small moments of time where you are helping some students finish up a craft and others are done. Or there are a few minutes to wait before their turn on stage for a winter concert.
Easy Activity
It is great to have an easy activity on hand for these moments. Winter coloring sheets are so helpful during these moments. Students are often really excited, and sometimes tired and it is nice to have an activity for them to do while they wait.
Prepare in Advance
I like to prepare a bunch of different coloring pages and have them ready in my classroom just in case. That way I am ready for those short blocks of time and am ready with a fun activity for students to do.
There are so many wonderful coloring pages out there to choose from. I was inspired to make some fun winter coloring sheets too, if you are interested in checking them out click the link: Winter Coloring Pages.
Easy Directed Drawing
Easy directed drawings are so fun and an important part of our art program. I began designing simple directed drawings that young students could follow independently and feel successful. As teachers, we are busy and I wanted to create a way that students could learn to draw without it taking me a long time to prep.
We draw lots of different things in my classroom: seahorses, sharks, even the lifecycle of a jellyfish! As students draw new things they build their confidence and see that they are capable artists. Additionally, they learn to observe, see simple shapes within the drawing, and break images down into smaller actionable steps.
To read more about the importance of Directed Drawings check out my blog: Why Directed Drawings for First Grade is so Important.
Creative Ways to Use Directed Drawings
I love seeing children’s artwork when it is done mindfully. With a few simple strategies, a directed drawing lesson can go from a quick unfinished sketch on a piece of paper to a beautifully finished piece, a 3D project, or a collection of beautiful sketches documenting progress through collected images over time.
To read more about the different ways we transform Directed Drawings read my blog post: Directed Draw for Kids: 5 Creative Ways to Use Them
I hope you found a writing prompt for Christmas that inspired you. Above all, have lots of fun drawing festive winter things in your classroom with your students! Lastly, if you are looking for simple directed drawings to use with your students check out my winter resources here:
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