Week 2
Bored at home this Christmas? Our holiday activity pack is here to save the day!
It is week 2 you can:
- Make and decorate a Christmas wreath
- Write a festive winter play
- Learn about the Christmas and festive traditions all over the world
Create
Create a Christmas wreath
Wreaths are often displayed around Christmas on front doors to bring some festive cheer.
Traditionally, they are made from real, evergreen plants, however they can also be made from many other household items including card.
Have a go at creating your own wreath.
Make a paper Christmas wreath
Bitesize: 2nd level Art and Design
Create a montage
A montage is a type of art where lots of related images are put together to create a bigger picture.
Scottish artist, Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, is well-known for making montages.
As you approach the end of the year, you could create a montage representing of all the things you have done in 2024. This can include photos, pictures, pieces of text and even small objects.
Who was Eduardo Paolozzi?
KS2: Art and Design
What is mixed media art?
KS2: Art and Design
What is close-up photography?
KS2: Art and Design
Create a festive deer
In the worksheet below, learn how to create a festive deer from a cardboard tube.
Create a festive deer
Create a festive deer from cardboard with this activity.
Stay active
Stay active in the holidays. Dance with the Super Movers team as you strengthen your grammar and your times tables!
12 times table with Chirpy Cockerel
BBC Teach: Supermovers
Punctuation with The Next Step's Trevor and Isaac
BBC Teach: Supermovers
'Colours' in Mandarin with Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu
BBC Teach: Supermovers
Brain Workout
Christmas traditions around the world
Christmas is celebrated around the world. Many countries have their own unique traditions to celebrate the festive period. In many countries, Christmas is celebrated beyond the 25th December.
Watch the BBC Teach video below to find out about some of the fascinating ways people around the world celebrate Christmas and the festive period.
It's almost Christmas!
Sparkling lights, Christmas trees and presents are all things we might picture when we think about Christmas.
It is one of the biggest celebrations in the Christian calendar, marking the day Jesus was born.
And in the UK many people celebrate with the same traditions each year.
You might choose to wear a fun or colourful jumper.
(Child) ‘It says "Ho-ho-ho" here and here’.
(Child) ‘It's a reindeer and it's got a red nose’.
(Child) ‘And I'm wearing reindeer leggings’.
Family and friends come together on Christmas day to give presents and have a big meal together.
People put Christmas trees up in their homes covered in shiny decorations and twinkling lights too.
This tradition of bringing a tree into the home for Christmas is a very old one. It started in the UK in the late eighteenth century and became popular during the reign of Queen Victoria.
These children have helped to pick out a very special tree…
Every year since 1947, Norway has given a tree to the people of this country to say thank you for helping during World War II.
The tree is displayed in Trafalgar Square in London.
Today people celebrate Christmas like this all over the world, but there are also lots of other different traditions too!
In Mexico, in the lead up to Christmas Day, people take part in special processions.
This represents the journey Joseph and Mary made in search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. Jesus is represented by a wooden doll.
The procession visits friends’ and neighbours’ houses and everyone sings carols.
At the end, a few houses host a party. Pinata is a popular game that is played!
Then, on 24 December, Mexicans celebrate with a festival called the Night of the Radish. People carve these little vegetables into religious scenes.
In Mexico, the main festivities are celebrated on the 6th of January, also known as Three Kings Day.
On the evening of the 5 January, it is a tradition for children to leave their shoes out with a letter asking for the gifts they would like to receive.
And then everyone looks forward to eating a special cake called the Three Kings cake.
It’s made with fruit and nuts that represent the jewels of the Three Kings, and there is a small clay doll inside, representing Jesus.
In Japan, Christmas isn't a religious holiday, but it's still celebrated by many people.
There are lots of impressive light displays.
Like Mexicans, the Japanese have a favourite cake too, with red strawberries and white cream that represent the colours of Christmas.
And it is a tradition to eat fried chicken on Christmas day!
In Iceland, folklore tells of the Yule Troll Family.
The story goes that in the 13 days before Christmas, 13 trolls - known as the Yule Lads - come down from the mountains.
You might not see them, but they like to play tricks on people!
They leave presents for children who have been good, or a gift of a potato for children who have been naughty.
So, Christmas is celebrated in many different ways all around the world, by Christians and non-Christians alike.
What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
(Children) 'Happy Christmas!'
Christmas traditions Quiz
Go explore
BBC Bitesize's Parents' Toolkit has lots of tips to go exploring - even in the cold weather! Look at links below for some ideas about how you can track animals during the winter.
Remember to ask an adult's permission to explore.
Five ways to make birdwatching a fun family activity
BBC Bitesize Parent's Toolkit
Learn how to track countryside wildlife
BBC Bitesize Parents' Toolkit
Challenge: Writing a play
The Nativity is a play that tells the story of Christmas - the birth of Jesus. You may have performed in the Nativity play at school.
Your challenge is to write a winter themed play. This could be set at Christmas time or maybe it’s about an expedition to the South Pole like the famous explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Use the links below to help you with your writing.
Creative art, design and writing skills
BBC Teach: KS2 Art and Design / English
Analysing and writing a play script
KS2: English
What is onomatopoeia?
KS2: English
Play
If you’d rather stay cosy inside, why not play some of our fantastic BBC Bitesize games?
Explore key moments in history, uncover fascinating habitats, and join the Crystal Explorers to sharpen your spelling skills—all while staying warm and dry.
Play Bitesize Primary games. game
Fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art and design, computing and modern languages.
Discover more
Winter is a unique and beautiful time of year. Discover more fascinating facts about this chilly season.
What is hibernation?
2nd Level: People, place and environment
What are ice and frost?
2nd Level: People, place and environment
Why and when do animals migrate?
2nd Level: People, place and environment
