The holiday season is upon us! The children are filled with joy, laughter, and anticipation (i.e. very difficult to keep on-task). If you’re looking for a way to keep the class engaged without losing your sanity, STEAM is the answer. Meet the students where they’re at with standard-driven, holiday-themed content. A quick search on popular sites like Google or Pinterest will provide ideas for any age, subject, or standard. Alternatively, if the prospect of diving into that black hole is too much for your frazzled holiday brain, we’ve got you covered.

Start your adventure with a visit to Wonderopolis, where you can build background on the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree and start a conversation about other ways people decorate for the holiday. Transition into a read-aloud of David Shannon’s The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza, in which the Merriweather family takes decorating to a whole new level. Inspired by the story, students will then take on a design challenge. Revisit a classic with Science Kiddo’s gingerbread house building and decorating, or try something new with Christmas Tree Engineering by Little Bins for Little Hands. Whichever activity you choose, it will fill your classroom with Christmas cheer and engaged learners. It’s not a Christmas miracle, just good teaching.