What does Christmas Mean?

Invite the children to share what Christmas means to them. The teacher, as scribe, records each answer on a large piece of paper in the shape of a tree, bell or star. The children could make up individual poems using various Christmas shapes. Publish them in your school’s newsletter, parish bulletin or local newspaper.

Christmas Cancelled!

Ask the class to imagine life without Christmas.

v What would it be like? What would you miss most?

v What do you think people might forget about Christmas as years go by?

Record their responses. Discuss with the class that Christmas was cancelled many years ago because the government believed that the people had forgotten the real meaning of Christmas.

What if Christmas was cancelled this year? Share with the class how newspapers often sensationalize events and news stories. Invite the children to design the front page of their own newspaper featuring the story of Christmas being cancelled.

A Christmas Carol

Read or watch a video of the story A Christmas Carol. Discuss the children’s feelings and thoughts on the story and the title. What message do you think Dickens is sending to his readers? Why do you think he wrote this story? What would be another title for the story?

Help the children make a Christmas Past, Present and Future collage or booklet. Using cards, catalogues and magazines, cut out pictures, words and phrases which illustrated Christmas being celebrated in the past, present, and in the future. The children may need to draw some of their own pictures to glue on for the future section. Glue the pictures onto a piece of A4 paper and write words around them that describe the Christmas season in each particular period. To make a booklet from the collages simply make a cover using another A4 sheet and staple the sheets together.