Christmas Snowman & Penguin Activities | ESL ELL

 This resource is included in Seasons Unit for Kindergarten-Holistic English Series #28, just click on the Link to the complete resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Seasons-Unit-for-Kindergarten-Holistic-English-Series-28-8266053

 

This Christmas resource provides a complete, low-prep language sequence that helps English learners through flashcards, manipulatives, pocket chart activities, games, and worksheets, students repeatedly practice the Christmas language structures.

The activities support oral language first, then reinforce learning through hands-on practice and early writing. Because the materials work well for whole group, small groups, and centers, teachers can easily differentiate while keeping students motivated and successful.

 Flashcards

 Students use fun foam or magnetic letters to build the word “gift” while referencing the holiday flashcard. This tactile task strengthens letter recognition.

As the teacher calls out a word, students take turns tossing a soft ball to the correct flashcard on the board. This fun, active approach helps young learners strengthen listening skills.

 

The teacher uses a Christmas flashcard to guide a simple vocabulary conversation. First, the teacher points to the picture and asks, “What is this?” Students respond, “It’s a snowman.” Then the teacher points to the hat and models the language: “It’s a winter hat,” followed by another question: “What is this?” Students answer, “It’s a scarf.” To extend the practice, the teacher asks, “What color is the scarf?” This routine helps young learners build confidence using complete sentences

For this sorting activity, place one Christmas object on the board—for example, a gift. Students search through the holiday flashcards to find all the characters holding that object. As they place each matching card on the board, they practice speaking by completing a simple sentence such as, “The snowman has presents!” or “The penguin has a gift!” This activity helps young learners build vocabulary, improve sentence structure, and strengthen visual discrimination skills while having fun with festive images.

 

The teacher pulls a ribbon with several small Christmas cards attached. As each card is revealed, students name the object the snowman or penguin is holding—for example, “a present,” “a candy cane,” or “a winter hat.” This simple routine encourages students to observe details, practice holiday vocabulary, and speak in complete phrases.

For this hands-on puzzle activity, the teacher cuts the Christmas flashcards into three or four pieces to create simple character puzzles. Students work together to reassemble the penguin and snowman cards by matching the pieces correctly. As they build each puzzle, they naturally review vocabulary by naming the character and the objects it holds. This activity strengthens visual discrimination.

 

Worksheets

 Color-by-number worksheets. Students carefully follow the color key to complete the penguin and snowman pictures, reinforcing colors, numbers, and visual attention skills. This calm, focused activity is perfect for independent work.

In this hands-on worksheet activity, the teacher first dictates the colors for each part of the Christmas character’s body, and students listen and color carefully. Next, the teacher asks, “What’s missing?” Students identify the missing body parts on the snowman or penguin and draw them. They will cut the body parts words. Finally, students label each part of the body by gluing the word cards provided. This activity combines listening, coloring, labeling.

 

In this worksheet activity, students color the Christmas pictures and practice writing key holiday words by tracing and writing them on the lines provided. As they work, they identify and name each character, such as “penguin” and “snowman,” reinforcing vocabulary recognition and early writing skills. It is ideal for literacy centers for kindergarten ELLs.

 

Pocket Charts

Using a pocket chart allows students to interact with vocabulary in a visual and hands-on way. By matching picture cards and sentence strips, learners practice reading simple phrases, identifying Christmas objects, and building complete sentences such as “a penguin with a hat and a scarf.” This activity supports sentence structure, word order, and oral language development, while keeping young ELLs engaged and actively participating.

Go check the Seasons Bundle at the TPT store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Seasons-for-ESL-Preschool-and-Elementary-BUNDLE-5649167

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Christmas Elephant Activities for Kindergarten ELLs – Worksheets, Flashcards, Games

  This resource is included in Zoo Animals Unit for Kindergarten-Holistic English Series 26 which can be found at this link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Zoo-Animals-Unit-for-Kindergarten-Holistic-English-Series-26-8078353

The Christmas theme and the cute elephant instantly capture students’ attention. This makes it easier for young English learners to absorb and remember holiday words, colors, and objects. Activities with the elephant help students practice naming, identifying, matching, and describing—core early-literacy skills needed for language development.

Flashcards are easy to incorporate into  whole-group lessons, morning work, —giving teachers ready-to-use materials . There are full size cards and small cards. The activities work with both.

Teachers can guide students to use frames like “The elephant has a ___ gift” or “The elephant is holding a ___ ornament.”

This boosts oral production in a playful, safe way.

Flashcard Runway. Place flashcards in a line like a runway.

Students walk down the “runway” and stop at a card to say the phrase: . Great for: confidence, movement, speaking.

Mystery Santa Bag. Put the flashcards in a bag. Students reach inside, take a look, have the class guess it before pulling it out.

Team Relay Race. Teams line up. Place flashcards on the board. Students stand at the opposite end. Call a flashcard → first student runs, picks it up, says it, and returns. Use my flashcards.

Worksheets help students see, trace, match, and use the new Christmas words many times, which strengthens long-term vocabulary retention.

Word Formation Tracing Worksheet. English learners practice early writing skills while reviewing Christmas vocabulary. Students trace the Christmas words. This activity works perfectly for literacy centers, morning work, or small-group practice during your holiday lessons.

Christmas Elephant Cut & Paste – Body Parts Worksheet. This is a review of the parts of the body while working with a cute Christmas Elephant theme. Students color the elephant, cut out the body-part words, and glue each label in the correct place. This hands-on task supports early reading as children match simple words like head, ear, leg, and trunk to the picture. Perfect for independent work during your holiday lessons!

Listen & Color – Christmas Ornaments Worksheet

In this activity, students listen to the teacher’s instructions and color the ornaments accordingly—for example, “Color two ornaments red.” This simple task helps young English learners practice listening comprehension, color vocabulary, and following directions.

Draw More Cookies Worksheet. Students help the Christmas Elephant by adding more cookies to the plate.

Color by Number Worksheet. This color-by-number activity helps students practice number recognition and color words. A perfect independent activity for morning work, or a calm holiday lesson!

Christmas Elephant Tracing Paths Worksheet. Students trace each path to help the Christmas Elephant reach the matching Christmas item. Tracing different lines and patterns strengthens fine-motor skills.

Christmas Elephant Printable Booklet. This easy-to-assemble booklet lets students color, read, and learn Christmas vocabulary with a fun Christmas Elephant theme. Each page features a simple sentence and picture, helping young learners practice early reading skills. Perfect for  a festive take-home activity!

Christmas Elephant Feed Me Box Game. Students cut out the items from the worksheet and “feed” them into the Christmas stocking box as they name each item.

Christmas Elephant Spinner & Mat Game. Children spin the Christmas Elephant spinner, say the word aloud, then find and cover the matching picture on their mat.

Picture–Word Matching Dominoes. Students match them end-to-end like a domino train.

Great for vocabulary recall + reading. It’s encourages speaking as students name each picture they match.

Visit my other blog:

👉 https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/

You’ll find fresh ideas for every unit, from vocabulary games to hands-on crafts—all designed to support young ELLs in fun and meaningful ways.

 

 

Gingerbread Family For Kindergarten ESL

 This resource is included in the Family Unit for Kindergarten-Holistic English Series #8. LINK: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Family-Unit-for-Kindergarten-Holistic-English-Series-8-6126315

Plan a lesson with the Gingerbread family to provide a fun and familiar theme to captivate your students' attention.  It will support cultural awareness in the classroom.

 Print the Gingerbread family Flashcards to review the key family-related vocabulary.

Use the flashcards for comprehension checks.

Teacher: Who is this?

Students: Brother!

Teacher: Yes, the Gingerbread brother!

Lay out the family members flashcards on a table, shout out a word of a Gingerbread person, and have students race to slam the correct card. The student that slams first will keep the card. The winner is the one with the most flashcards.

Play pass and say! Students stand in line, one next to another. One student grabs a flashcard, says the name and passes it to another student. Students keep going until all the cards have been passed until the last student.

Incorporate the practice of key vocabulary related to the face as a way to enhance their communication skills.

Show the different parts of the face or body of the Gingerbread person using a pointer and have the students name them: What’s this?

Students: The mouth!

Paste the small cards on cardboard and create a poster for your class to serve as decoration and as a visual aid.

Print double cards and have students play memory.

Integrate literacy by using the pocket charts to write the family words using the gingerbread letters in the resource.

Playing games encourages cooperation.

 Gingerbread Family Board Game. Print the templates, find the dice and prepare the player pieces. Each player rolls the dice and moves forward along the simple path. Depending on where they land, they will say the family member's name: Gingerbread Dad!

The first player to go to the finish space wins.

The cup game is perfect to encourage collaboration, to build listening and speaking skills as players describe the family members. Tape the words onto cups. Students will place the cup on top of each person.

This is a hands-on activity. Cut a large opening for the “mouth” where students can insert the family cards. Students then need to say the word and "feed" the Gingerbread Person.

Create your own set of finger puppets for the Gingerbread family

Show each puppet one by one. Students can name them.

Students can create their puppets. Many of them will feel more comfortable speaking through a puppet. Ask them to move a puppet and say: This Gingerbread Mom.

 

 

Worksheets can provide structured practice. Students will color the word of the images of Gingerbread family members as you dictate:

Color the word mom blue!

Students color each family member in the same color.

Worksheets allow students to practice in a fun way. They will follow the path to matching grandpa to grandma. When that is done, say a command and students do the action accordingly.

Teacher: Circle Gingerbread Mom.

If you need extra support for not translating, use the commands flashcards that I have included in the resource, such as circle, underline and check.

 

 I do have a lot more commands in this resource. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Commands-Flashcards-1816475

Family flashcards, small cards, cutouts for kindergarten ESL, go to the blog post:    

https://eflpreschoolteachers.blogspot.com/2020/10/family-theme-for-kindergarten-holistic.html

There is a Family Unit BUNDLE available here:   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Family-Unit-BUNDLE-for-Kindergarten-and-Elementary-ESL-6704385

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