of 16
Christmasactivities
by Weronika Saandyk
2 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
CHRISTMAS BINGOBOARD GAME
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 3 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
FIND THE DIFFERENCESRead the text and draw a picture. Compare the text with your friend and find twelve differences.
wORkSHEET AIts Christmas. We are in the living room. The Christmas tree is very big. There are many ornaments on the Christmas tree. On the top there is a big star. My mum is sitting on the sofa. She is eating gingerbread cookies. My father is playing the piano and singing carols. My grandmother is opening her present. It is a clock. My brother and I are playing with our new toys cars and trains. There are five candles on the table.
wORkSHEET BIts Christmas. We are in the kitchen. There are four candles on the table. The Christmas tree is very small. There are many ornaments on the Christmas tree. On the top there is a big angel. My mum is sitting on the chair. She is eating chocolate. My father is playing the guitar and singing carols. My grandfather is opening his present. It is a book. My sister and I are playing with our new toys dolls and robots.
4 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
ABOUT CHRISTMAS
wORkSHEET AChristmas
People start to get ready for Christmas in (1)__________________________. Shop-keepers decorate their shops with lights, trees and other decorations, and shoppers start to look for (2)__________________________. In the middle of December, most families buy Christmas trees, put them inside the house, and put colourful decorations on them. Many children have (3)__________________________with little doors for each day until Christmas. Every day the child opens a new door and inside there is picture or a chocolate. The Christmas holiday begins on 24 December: Christmas Eve. People often stop work (4)__________________________ and have a drink together, or finish their Christmas shopping. They cover the presents in special paper and put them (5)__________________________. Children leave a stocking for Santa Claus when they go to bed. If the house has a fireplace, the children sometimes leave their stockings by the fire because (6)__________________________comes down the chimney. Many people go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve. They hear the Christmas story and sing carols. Christmas Day (25 December) is a holiday. Children usually wake up very early. They look in their stockings to see what Santa put there for them. (7)__________________________ they open their other presents around the tree. Christmas dinner is in the afternoon and is the biggest meal of the day. Before they start to eat, people pull (8)__________________________ which make a loud noise, and have a small game and paper party hat inside. Dinner is usually turkey with lots of winter vegetables and then hot mince pies or a Christmas pudding. (9)__________________________ many people in Britain turn their televisions on because the Queen says Happy Christmas to everyone.Boxing Day (26 December) is also a holiday in Britain, but many shops now open on this day. (10)__________________________, rich people gave boxes to their workers on Boxing Day, with Christmas presents inside. Now it is another day for eating, drinking and watching television at home, or going out to watch some sport.
(from Seasons and Celebrations, J. Maguire)
1) When _______________________________________________________________________________?
2) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
3) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
4) When _______________________________________________________________________________?
5) Where _______________________________________________________________________________?
6) Who _______________________________________________________________________________?
7) When _______________________________________________________________________________?
8) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
9) What time ____________________________________________________________________________?
10) When _______________________________________________________________________________?
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 5 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
ABOUT CHRISTMAS
wORkSHEET BChristmas
People start to get ready for Christmas in late October or early November. (1)__________________________ decorate their shops with lights, trees and other decorations, and shoppers start to look for presents. In the middle of December, most families buy (2)__________________________, put them inside the house, and put colourful decorations on them. Many children have Advent calendars with little doors for each day until Christmas. Every day the child opens a (3)__________________________and inside there is picture or a chocolate. The Christmas holiday begins on 24 December: Christmas Eve. People often stop work early and have a drink together, or finish (4)__________________________. They cover the presents in special paper and put them under the tree. Children leave a stocking for Santa Claus when they go to bed. If the house has a fireplace, the children sometimes leave their stockings (5)__________________________because Santa Claus comes down the chimney. Many people go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve. They hear the Christmas story and sing (6)__________________________Christmas Day (25 December) is a holiday. Children usually wake up very early. They look in their stockings to see what Santa put there for them. After breakfast they open their other presents around the tree. Christmas dinner is (7)__________________________and is the biggest meal of the day. Before they start to eat, people pull the crackers which make a loud noise, and have a small game and paper party hat inside. Dinner is usually turkey with lots of winter vegetables and then (8)__________________________. At three oclock many people in Britain turn their televisions on because the Queen says Happy Christmas to everyone.Boxing Day (26 December) is also a holiday in Britain, but (9)__________________________now open on this day. In the nineteenth century, rich people gave boxes to their workers on Boxing Day, with Christmas presents inside. Now it is another day for eating, drinking and watching television at home, or going out to watch (10)__________________________.
(from Seasons and Celebrations, J. Maguire)
1) Who _______________________________________________________________________________?
2) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
3) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
4) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
5) Where _______________________________________________________________________________?
6) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
7) When _______________________________________________________________________________?
8) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
9) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
10) What _______________________________________________________________________________?
6 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
TABOO
RIBBON
materialtie
presents
SLEIGH
Santa Claustravel
vehicle
STAR
sky moonlight
RESOLUTIONS
New Yearbetter
decision
FIREWORKS
explosiveNew Year
colour
MERRY
happyChristmas
wishNEW YEARS EVE
partychampagne
midnight
WINTER
summertime
Christmas
MULLED WINE
hotspicesdrink
CAROL
songsing
church
COLD
winterhot
freezing
GINGERBREAD
cakeChristmas
sweet
SKIS
mountainsport
winter
BEARD
Santa Clauswhitehair
CRANBERRY
turkeyeat
fruit
SNOWMAN
winterchildrencarrot
TURKEY
meatchicken
Christmas
MISTLETOE
kisshanggreen
SNOW
winterwhitecold
LIGHTS
colourshang
Christmas tree
EGGNOG
drinkalcohol
eggsCHIRSTMAS TREE
pinedecorations
hang
ORANGES
fruitbananastropical
BELL
soundring
sleigh
ANGEL
wingsheaven
God
CHOCOLATE
sweetbrown
eat
CANDLE
lightdecoration
burnCHRISTMAS CARD
sendwishesmerry
SWEETS
candiessugar
chocolate
REINDEER
animalSanta Claus
RudolphLETTER TO SANTA CLAUS
write present
send
ADVENT CALENDAR
pictureDecember
twenty-four
CHAMPAGNE
drinkalcoholbubbles
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 7 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
TABOO
ELF
Santa Claushelptoys
DECEMBER
monthNovemberChristmas
STABLE
animalsBaby Jesus
liveTOYS
childrenplay
present
CAKE
sweetfoodeat
SANTA CLAUS
manoldred
SHEPHERD
sheepstar
Baby Jesus
CHIMNEY
Santa Claushouseroof
SACK
bagpresents
Santa Claus
ORNAMENTS
decorationshang
Christmas tree
FIREPLACE
stockinghangwarm
PRESENT
giftgive
exchange
NORTH POLE
liveSanta Claus
winter
WORKSHOP
elvestoys
Santa Claus
WREATH
ringleaves
flowers
HOLLY
plantgreen
red
WRAPPING PAPER
colourfuldecoration
present
GIFT BAG
presentgive
colourful
WISE MAN
threeking
Baby Jesus
HOLY FAMILY
JesusMary
Joseph
CARP
fisheat
Christmas EveICE SKATES
wintersportfreeze
BOXING DAY
26th DecemberChristmas
day
CHRISTMAS EVE
24th Decemberdinnerfamily
GREETINGS
wishescard
Merry Christmas
STOCKING
presentshang
fireplace
CHURCH
massgo
Jesus
FREEZING
coldwinter
temperature
FAMILY
motherfather
relatives
CHRISTMAS DINNER
eattwelvefood
8 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
START/FINISH
MISS A TURN
DOUBLE TIME
MISS A TURN
TABOO
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 9 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
CHRISTMASHALF A CROSSwORD
wORkSHEET A
C
S T O C K I N G A R I B B O N
R N S A C K
E D
S Y H O L L Y
O C
L A
S U N
L T E F
E I R
I O E
F R O S T G N E
I H S Z
R W I S E M E N
E N
W E G G N O G G
O
R D R E S S I N G G O W N
K
S
C R A N B E R R Y S A U C E S T A B L E
1
2 3 4
5 6
7 8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21
22 23
24 25 26
27
28 29
CLUES, worksheet ASantas vehicle
a long and narrow strip of coloured material which is used for decoration or tying presents
a big sock, usually hung by the fireplace, a place where Santa leaves presents
a large bag in which Santa carries the presents
a sauce made of small and sour red fruit, usually eaten with turkey at Christmas
explosive materials used at midnight of New Years Eve
your own decisions to do something better in the new year
a place where animals such as horses live or a place where baby Jesus was born
very cold
cold weather, when temperature drops below zero
a plant with green leaves and red fruit used as a decoration at Christmas
three kings who came with gifts to visit baby Jesus
a Christmas sweet usually red and white in the shape of a stick
an alcoholic drink made of eggs, sugar and milk, drunk at Christ-mas
a popular Christmas present, a type of clothing, looking like a coat, worn in the morning or after a shower
10 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
CHRISTMASHALF A CROSSwORD
CLUES, worksheet B
wORkSHEET BT
B W I
O I N
X N S
M I S T L E T O E T E
N E L
G G I F T V O U C H E R
D
A
Y
F I R
B S W
O H G I N G E R B R E A D
W E A
M P P
U H P
L E I G I F T B A G
L R N
E D G W C
D P R A
S N O W F L A K E A E R
I P A O
N E T L
E R H
1
2 3 4
5 6
7 8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21
22 23
24 25 26
27
28 29
a type of brown cake with a lot of spices such as ginger or pepper
a traditional religious song sung at Christmas
a decorative ring made of leaves, flowers and other things such as bells, candles, angels
coloured, decorated paper used for covering presents
a small piece of snow
wine which is served warm with sugar and spices
a type of knot, made of ribbon, used as a decoration of Christmas presents
a person who takes care of sheep, the first visitors of baby Jesus
26th December
a type of plant which grows on trees, used as a Christmas decora-tion. According to a custom, people who stand under it should kiss
a card which you give as a present and which is worth a specific sum of money and can be later exchanged for goods in a shop
a season which comes after autumn
long pieces of shiny paper used as a decoration of Christmas tree
a type of decorative bag where you put the presents, used instead of wrapping paper
a type of evergreen tree, often used as a Christmas tree
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 11 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
FOOD & DRINKS ACTIONS DECORATIONS PRESENTS
candy cane sing carols angel toys
eggnoghang up
the stockingsbell skis
gingerbreadkiss under
the mistletoemistletoe sleigh
turkeydecorate the
Christmas treetinsel snowboard
fruitcake put up lights lights ice skates
carp bake a cake candle roller skates
fishopen
the presentsholly robot
potatoeswrite a letter
to Santa Clausstocking ball
sweets make a Christmas
shopping listwreath car
chocolateeat gingerbread
cookiesstar teddy bear
hot chocolatesend
Christmas cardspoinsettia game
tea visit family ornaments book
biscuits go shopping Christmas tree watch
hameat Christmas
dinneradvent calendar bracelet
orangesdrink
champagnesnow necklace
CHRISTMASGUESS IT
12 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
CHRISTMASGUESS IT
FOOD & DRINKS ACTIONS DECORATIONS PRESENTS
nuts dance fireplace mobile phone
mulled winewatch
fireworkschimney socks
champagne ski ribbon pyjamas
cabbage sled elf scarf
cake ice skate reindeer cap
coffeemake
a snowmanSanta Claus lipstick
almondslook
at the starssnowflake perfume
honeyhave
a snowball fightbow sweater
mushrooms wrap a present sack pen
beetroot go to church snowman CD
poppy seedlook
for presentsfireplace doll
soup make NewYears
resolutionswrapping paper calendar
meat tidy up gift bag blanket
dessertpull
the crackersChristmas card wallet
cinnamon relax crib bag
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 13 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
TEACHERS NOTES
CHRISTMAS On pLAnET A47
1. Introduce the topic: A new planet has just been discovered. People/aliens who live there celebrate a holiday similar to Christmas.
2. Students work in pairs or small groups and invent the festival: what people/aliens do, eat and drink, how they prepare for this holiday, how they decorate their houses etc.
3. Each group prepares an advertisement of the holiday on Planet A47. It can be an oral advertisement or a leaflet.
4. The whole class listen to or watch the advertisements and they vote for the planet where they would like to go to see the festival.
CHRISTMAS BInGO BOARd GAME
5. Students work in small groups. Each group should have a dice and a board game. Each player should have a counter and a picture grid.
6. Before the game starts pre-teach Christmas vocabulary.
7. Students look at the board game and choose nine pictures which they draw on their picture grid.
8. Students place their counters on START and begin playing. They roll the dice and move their counter. They must name the Christmas object which is drawn in the square they have landed on. If they have the same object drawn on their picture grid they cross it out.
9. The object of the game is to be the first player to cross out all the pictures on the picture grid.
fInd THE dIffEREnCES
1. Divide students into pairs. Give student A worksheet A and student B worksheet B.
2. Tell students to read the text and draw a picture matching the description.
3. Students work in pairs. They describe the picture without showing it to their partner. The aim of the activity is to find twelve differences between the pictures.
ABOuT CHRISTMAS
1. Divide students into pairs. Give student A text A and student B text B.
2. Students read their texts.
3. Students work in pairs A A and B - B. They complete the questions below the texts. Each question should help them to find out what the missing fragment is.
4. Students work in pairs A and B. They ask and answer the questions and complete the text with the information they have found out.
ABOuT CHRISTMAS
ChristmasPeople start to get ready for Christmas in late October or early November. Shop-keepers decorate their shops with lights, trees and other decorations, and shoppers start to look for presents. In the middle of December, most families buy Christmas trees, put them inside the house, and put colourful decorations on them. Many children have Advent calendars with little doors for each day until Christmas. Every day the child opens a new door and inside there is picture or a chocolate. The Christmas holiday begins on 24 December: Christmas Eve. People often stop work early and have a drink together, or finish their Christmas shopping. They cover the presents in special paper and put them under the tree. Children leave a stocking for Santa Claus when they go to bed. If the house has a fireplace, the children sometimes leave their stockings by the fire because Santa Claus comes down the chimney. Many people go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve. They hear the Christmas story and sing carols. Christmas Day (25 December) is a holiday. Children usually wake up very early. They look in their stockings to see what Santa put there for them. After breakfast they open their other presents around the tree. Christmas dinner is in the afternoon and is the biggest meal of the day. Before they start to eat, people pull the crackers which make a loud noise, and have a small game and paper party hat inside. Dinner is usually turkey with lots of winter vegetables and then hot mince pies or a Christmas pudding. At three oclock many people in Britain turn their televisions on because the Queen says Happy Christmas to everyone.
(from Seasons and Celebrations, J. Maguire)
14 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
TEACHERS NOTES
WORKSHEET A1) When do people start get ready for Christmas?
2) What do shoppers start to look for?
3) What do many children have?
4) When do people often stop work?
5) Where do people put presents?
6) Who comes down the chimney?
7) When do children open their presents?
8) What do people pull?
9) What time do many people in Britain turn their televisions on?
10) When did rich people give boxes to their workers on Boxing Day?
WORKSHEET B 1) Who decorates the shops with lights, trees and
other decorations?
2) What do most families buy?
3) What does a child open every day?
4) What do people finish on 24th December?
5) Where do the children sometimes leave their stockings?
6) What do people sing at midnight on Christmas Eve?
7) When is Christmas dinner?
8) What do people have for Christmas dinner?
9) What opens on Boxing Day?
10) What do people go out to watch?
TABOO
1. Divide students into groups. Give each group a board game and a set of word cards which should be placed face down in the middle.
2. Each group must be divided into at least two teams. Teams place their counters on START.
3. The first team starts the game by choosing one of its players to be a clue giver. That person takes the first card from the pile and describes the word at the top of
the card. However, the clue giver cant use any taboo words written below the clue. To avoid cheating one person from the opposite team should look at the clue card and monitor the words the clue giver uses. The first team tries to guess the word.
4. Each team has thirty seconds to guess as many words as they can. When their time is up they move their counters as many squares forward as the number of words they guessed.
5. If the team lands on miss a turn square, they miss the next turn.
6. If the team lands on double time, they will have double time (1 minute) to guess the clues in their next turn.
7. The winner is the team which first gets to FINISH.
CHRISTMAS GuESS IT
1. Draw a board game like this on the board. Divide it into 24 squares and mark each square with a symbol: - food and drinks, - presents, decorations, actions. Explain that each symbol refers to a different Christmas vocabulary category. You may add a legend next to the board game. Mark START / FINISH square on the board.
2. Divide students into two or three teams. Give each team a counter (use a magnet) and place it on START.
SART/SH
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES 2010 15 OxfORd unIVERSITy pRESS
TEACHERS NOTES
3. Put four piles of cards with categories on your desk. Make sure your students know which pile belongs to which category.
4. The first team starts the game by choosing one of its players to be a clue giver. That person takes the first card from the pile ACTIONS and describes the word at the top of the card. The rest of the team must guess the word.
5. Each team has one minute to guess as many words as they can. When the time is over they move their counter as many squares forward as the number of words they guessed.
6. The cards which have been used are placed at the bottom of the pile and might be reused in the same game again.
7. The winner is the team which first gets to FINISH.
CHRISTMAS HALf A CROSSWORd
1. Divide students into pairs. Give student A worksheet A and student B worksheet B.
2. Students work in pairs A A and B - B. They look at their crossword and try to figure out the meaning of the words which appear in their crossword. They may use the dictionaries.
3. Give pair A CLUES, worksheet A, and pair B CLUES, worksheet B. The pairs match the definitions to the words they have in their crosswords.
4. Ss work in pairs A-B. A asks B: Whats 2 down? B gives A a clue. If A cannot guess the word, B spells the word in English. Then they swap and B asks A for a clue.
5. The object is to complete the crossword with the missing words.
CLUES, worksheet ASantas vehicle SLEIGHa long and narrow strip of coloured material which is used
for decoration or tying presents RIBBONa big sock, usually hung by the fireplace, a place where
Santa leaves presents STOCKINGa large bag in which Santa carries the presents SACKa sauce made of small and sour red fruit, usually eaten with
turkey at Christmas CRANBERRY SAUCE
explosive materials used at midnight of New Years Eve FIREWORKS
your own decisions to do something better in the new year RESOLUTIONS
a place where animals such as horses live or a place where baby Jesus was born STABLE
very cold FREEZINGcold weather, when temperature drops below zero FROSTa plant with green leaves and red fruit used as a decoration
at Christmas HOLLYthree kings who came with gifts to visit baby Jesus WISE
MENa Christmas sweet usually red and white in the shape of a
stick CANDY CANEan alcoholic drink made of eggs, sugar and milk, drunk at
Christmas EGGNOGa popular Christmas present, a type of clothing, looking like
a coat, worn in the morning or after a shower DRESSING GOWN
CLUES, worksheet Ba type of brown cake with a lot of spices such as ginger or
pepper GINGERBREADa traditional religious song sung at Christmas CAROLa decorative ring made of leaves, flowers and other things
such as bells, candles, angels WREATHcoloured, decorated paper used for covering presents
WRAPPING PAPERa small piece of snow SNOWFLAKEwine which is served warm with sugar and spices MULLED
WINEa type of knot, made of ribbon, used as a decoration of
Christmas presents BOWa person who takes care of sheep, the first visitors of baby
Jesus SHEPHERD26th December BOXING DAYa type of plant which grows on trees, used as a Christmas
decoration. According to a custom, people who stand under it should kiss MISTLETOE
a card which you give as a present and which is worth a specific sum of money and can be later exchanged for goods in a shop GIFT VOUCHER
a season which comes after autumn WINTERlong pieces of shiny paper used as a decoration of Christ-
mas tree TINSELa type of decorative bag where you put the presents, used
instead of wrapping paper GIFT BAGa type of evergreen tree, often used as a Christmas tree FIR