It’s common for teachers to be obsessed with picture books…at least that’s what I tell myself to explain my overflowing bookshelf at home 😜

When I taught grade one, we read stories EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Not only because I love books, but because literacy is a springboard for all other learning!

So when we suddenly find ourselves in the child-energy-excess-but-teacher-tired month of December where we’re all just counting the days until winter break 😮‍💨☕, books are the saving grace…

Here are 12 of my favourite Christmas books to read with early elementary students in kindergarten, first grade/grade one, and even second and third grade!

(Let’s be serious though, no “kid” is too old for stories…I’ve read these books and even done some of the activities with the grade 7 and 8s…and they love it! 😆❤️)

1. The 12 Days of Christmas

Whether you listen to & sing the song, or read this hilarious version by Greg Pizzoli (or any other!), The 12 Days of Christmas is the perfect kick-off book.

I love using the pocket chart first, as a whole group activity after we read, then I keep it as one of our literacy center activities; The cards stay in a basket at the pocket chart and kids get to arrange it themselves…yay for sentence-building, reading comprehension (as they use the book to help them arrange the parts), and building ordinal number skills!

2. Frosty the Snowman

Another great song/book (and movie!) connection is Frosty the Snowman, illustrated by Richard Cowdrey (originally written by Steve Nelson and Walter “Jack” Rollins). What kid doesn’t love singing this catchy tune?!

Afterward, students can design their very own snowman, complete with the magic hat/sunglasses/snowboard/whatever! that makes it come to life. Design the snowman with the planning page, recreate it on the full-size good copy template, then write either a description of your snowman or a creative story all your own!

3. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry is a personal favourite of mine. This classic story celebrates the joy a simple Christmas tree can bring to every family, no matter the size 💚

This story is also the perfect opportunity for some standard and nonstandard measuring! Students use whatever nonstandard units they’d like to measure 5 of the characters’ trees from the story, record their findings, and put it all together to create a sweet little craft that happens to also make a super easy bulletin board display!

4. How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Of course we can’t leave out Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch. The classic book is…well…classic! But I love this newer full-color edition because it reminds me of the original film. The story may be a little longer than most, but, despite the declining attention spans these days, kids are engaged from beginning to end (a skill that needs to be practiced anyways, IMO).

And, like the Whos of Whoville, students will come together to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with an adorable collaborative poster (with 25 or 36 pieces).

5. Gingerbread Baby

I am a HUGE Jan Brett fan. Her illustrations are captivating and magical and I just don’t understand how someone could be so talented 🤣🤩 Gingerbread Baby is no exception.

The extension activity actually packs loads of fun, engagement, and creativity into a simple package. Students get to design their own little gingerbread house (with or without some of the candy decor elements included) and gingerbread baby (boy and girl templates included)!

6. Snowmen at Christmas

It all started with Snowmen at Night and, evidently, those snowmen are still having a blast, but this time, it’s Christmas! This story and illustrations by Caralyn and Mark Buehner has a great rhythmic flow as you read, and the illustrations are detailed and captivating—the perfect recipe for a great read aloud and fun writing craft…

With surveillance cameras everywhere and just about everyone these days walking around with a camera in their phones, the snowmen are no longer as sneaky as they once thought. This time, they’ve been caught on camera! BUSTED! Get that imagination fired up and tell us: what did your camera catch last night?!

7. The Polar Express

Another story that’s impossible to leave off my list; The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. It provides so much opportunity for learning, imagination, magical Christmas JOY…

…And this train ticket activity booklet keeps the fun rolling right along! First, print out some or all of the activities to create your booklet (I like printing the cover on yellow paper to get that authentic, golden-ticket look 😉), students complete the activities, then they can mount their booklet on coloured paper with the title and train elements to create another easy display!

8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Another classic Christmas song, story, movie combo! My all-time favourite is the vintage Little Golden Book version by Barbara Shoo Hazen (the silver-spine book pictured above), but it’s no longer in print so unless you saved it from your childhood like me, your library caries it, you purchase it from a used book store, OR you watch the YouTube read aloud, you’ll have to find a different version.

But no worries, the Little Golden Book movie version is amazing…plus it’s a great segue into having a classroom movie afternoon! 🎬🍿

The extension activity for this one is a really cute SEL (social-emotional learning) text-to-self making connections craft that gets kids thinking of what makes them unique…and being proud of it!

9. Pick a Pine Tree

Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht is a whimsically-illustrated and descriptive book that offers plenty of opportunities for learning and FUN.

The book is a fantastic example of procedure writing so, whether you’ve introduced this writing topic yet or not, students will have the opportunity to create their own simple how-to writing craft!

10. Jolly Old Santa Claus

Have you ever read Jolly Old Santa Claus written by Mary Jane Tonn and illustrated by George Hinke? Whether you have or not, this beautifully illustrated story all about the goings-on up at the North Pole will have your students’ imaginations swirling and the Christmas magic bursting out of your classroom! (Yup. It’s really that good.) My students are captivated by this eye-spy story every year.

Kids LOVE this extension activity…a classic letter to Santa but with an interactive twist! And I love that it gets kids thinking beyond their wish list as they reflect on their achievements, generate a thoughtful question, and think of others.

11. Christmas Trolls

Another Jan Brett favourite is Christmas Trolls; Not only are the illustrations beautiful as ever in this book, but the story is so sweet and filled with holiday spirit. Inspired by Scandinavia, it’s a great opportunity to learn about some of Sweden’s traditions and folklore.

In the story, Treva generously gives her most treasured toy, a red Dala horse, to the trolls, which helps them understand a special part of Christmas. This activity includes a Google Slideshow that teaches students all about this national symbol. Then, kids can create their own beautiful keepsake Dala horse ornament that they can hang on their tree year after year.

And, even if you don’t want to create the cardboard ornament, students can still experience the beauty of this Swedish symbol with the no-prep printable colouring page version, which looks just ad beautiful when cut out and mounted on coloured paper.

12. The Night Before Christmas

Last but not least, it may not be the night before Christmas yet but, if you time it right, it might just be the day before Christmas break, which makes this the perfect last book! These two versions of the classic story by Clement Clarke Moore have my favourite illustrations; by Jan Brett and Charles Santore.

And this little interactive stocking craft will have students thinking less about their wish lists and more about their HAVE lists, that is, all of the people and things that they are lucky to have in their lives.

---

Click the photos above☝️ to see more of each activity.

What are some of YOUR favourite holiday stories?

If you scroll down and Post a Question, tell me what read aloud you’d like to have added to this growing collection! MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤️☃️🎄🌟