Prepping the weeks leading up to winter break is FUN, but EXHAUSTING! Theme days are the way to go if you are looking to boost student engagement as you sprint towards the holiday season. The great news is that Simply Kinder has updated their Winter Theme Day bundle which now includes 5 exciting themes. Keep reading for a peek at these theme days you need for your classroom!

Check out these related posts:

• Christmas Crafts for the Classroom
• Holiday Gift Ideas for Families
• Holidays Around the World Activities in Kindergarten

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OR GRAB THEM FROM THE SHOP HERE:

Theme Day Options

There are 5 done-for-you winter theme day options included in the theme day bundle. You will find elf day, gingerbread day, winter train day, hot chocolate day, and pajama day. Plan a whole week of theme days or choose a few that fit your schedule.

Hot Chocolate Day

Warm up on a cold winter day with Hot Chocolate Day. Check out our favorite activities from this set.

• Hot Chocolate Math Craft – Students practice addition facts as they build a mug of hot chocolate.
• Sequencing Hat – Students sequence the steps to make hot chocolate on an adorable hat.
• Hot Chocolate Vocabulary Writing – Warm up your writing center with hot chocolate themed writing.
• Hot Chocolate Write the Room – Students search the room and record vocabulary related to hot chocolate.
• Hot Chocolate Addition Circles – Build fact fluency with addition clip circles.

Bonus Activity: Make hot chocolate in the crock pot with your students before completing the sequencing hat. All you need is a crock pot to warm water, Styrofoam cups, individual hot cocoa packets, and mini marshmallows. Yum!

Hot Chocolate Day Read Alouds:

• The Sweet Story of Hot Chocolate by Stephen Krensky
• Hot Cocoa Calm by Kira Willey
• Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate by Carol Diggory Shields

Pajama Day

Pajama day equals cozy learning! Activities from this set will not have your students snoozing.

• Pajama Day Writing Craft – Students create a slumbering child and write about pajama day fun.
• Pajama Day Hat – Complete your pajama ensemble with a pajama day hat.
• Design Your Own Pajamas – Get creative and design your own jammies. This activity can be combined with a writing task.
• My Favorite Breakfast – Students build their ideal breakfast using provided food items or by drawing their own.
• Sleep Over Rhyming Match – Students identify and match rhyming words in this activity that works great as a center or morning bin.

Bonus Activity: Students wear their favorite pajamas to school and have a sleepy time fashion show.

Pajama Day Read Alouds:

• Pyjama Day by Robert Munsch
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
• Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Elf Day

Become Santa’s helpers with Elf Day! Turn your classroom into Santa’s workshop with these favorite activities.

• Elf Name Hat – Students choose a silly elf name to complete the elf name hat.
• Dress the Elf – Design the perfect elf outfit with premade templates and dress the elf.
• Elf Application and Story Topper – Submit your elf application to become one of Santa’s favorite helpers and add an adorable elf craft story topper. These make the cutest bulletin display!
• Elf Emotions Play Dough – Use playdough to create elf emotions on elf face templates. These creations are so much fun!
• Silly Elf CVC Word Scrambles – Students use magnetic letters or letter tiles to unscramble CVC words.

Bonus Activity: Incorporate a Classroom Kindness Elf with all the Elf shenanigans. Read more HERE and grab your Classroom Kindness Elf HERE from Simply Kinder.

Elf Day Read Alouds:

• The Littlest Elf by Brandi Dougredy
• How to Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton
• If Your Best Friend is an Elf by Adam Wallace

Winter Express Day

All aboard the Winter Express! Check out these winter express day activities.

• Winter Express Craft – Create an “I Believe” bell craft before boarding the winter express.
• Winter Express Hat – Every train needs a conductor. Students will create conductor hats using a template and sentence strips.
• Santa’s Workshop Dough Mats – Use playdough to create Christmas themed images with dough mats.
• CVC Rhyming Trains – String together rhyming words to form trains.
• Winter Express Story & Writing Activity – Read a magical story about the Winter Express and provide students with differentiated writing response activities.

Bonus Activity – Give each student a bell necklace and board your own Winter Express using classroom chairs. Sing popular Christmas songs as you take a journey on the Winter Express.

Winter Express Day Read Alouds:

• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allburg
• Santa and the Goodnight Train by June Sobel
• Christmas Train! by David Miles

Gingerbread Day

You can’t forget about gingerbread when incorporating theme days! Spice things up with these fun activities.

• Gingerbread House Craft – Use a paper lunch sack and gingerbread house template pieces to construct unique gingerbread houses.
• Gingerbread Hat – Students make their own gingerbread character on a sentence strip hat.
• Gingerbread Graph – Provide students with a gingerbread man cookie and have them take one bite. Students will travel around the class and create a graph by asking their classmates which piece of the gingerbread man cookie they ate first.
• How to Catch a Gingerbread Man Story Topper – Put imaginations to work as students write the steps needed to catch a gingerbread man. Add a gingerbread story topper to complete the writing piece.
• Gingerbread CVC Word Mats – Students use magnetic letters to build CVC words on word mats.

Bonus Activity: Use milk cartons to build miniature gingerbread houses. Attach graham crackers to the sides of the milk cartons and let students get creative decorating their gingerbread house with icing and candies.

Gingerbread Day Read Alouds:

• Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett
• Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup
• The Gingerbread Man Loose at School by Laura Murray

Simply Kinder’s Winter Theme Day Bundle

Grab everything you need to make these 5 winter theme days happen in Simply Kinder’s Winter Theme Day Bundle found HERE. These done-for-you theme days are as simple as click and print! All of the activities mentioned above are included and so much more!