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Christmas is the perfect time to incorporate drama and storytelling into children’s activities, sparking their creativity and helping them express their holiday excitement. Drawing from the playful exercises in Jingle Bells and Drama Spells, here are a few Christmas-themed drama games and activities that can bring the magic of the season to life!
1. The Magical Christmas Box
Objective: Spark imagination and physical expression.
•Instructions: Place an imaginary “Magical Christmas Box” in the middle of the circle. Explain to the children that it contains Christmas objects or surprises, but they need to use their imagination to discover what’s inside. One by one, invite children to “open” the box, take out an imaginary object, and act out what they’ve found. Encourage them to describe it as they play: “I found a shiny ornament! I’ll hang it on the tree!”
Adaptation: This game can be repeated with different themes such as finding reindeer antlers, snowflakes, Christmas stockings, or even gifts!
2. Santa’s Sleigh Journey
Objective: Develop coordination and teamwork.
•Instructions: Divide the children into groups and explain that they will act as Santa’s reindeer, pulling the sleigh across the sky. Have one child be Santa and the others form a line behind them, holding onto an imaginary rope. Guide them through an imaginary journey, using prompts like “fly over the snowy mountains” or “dodge the strong winds.” Encourage them to work as a team, communicating how they should fly faster, slower, or change direction.
Adaptation: The children can take turns playing Santa or add obstacles along the way, such as finding a chimney to land on or navigating through a snowstorm.
3. Christmas Emotions Freeze
Objective: Explore emotions associated with Christmas.
•Instructions: Play festive music and have the children walk around the space. When the music stops, call out a Christmas-related emotion or scenario (e.g., “Excitement of opening presents,” “Surprise of seeing Santa,” or “Joy of decorating the tree”). The children must freeze in a pose that shows how they would feel in that moment. After freezing, ask a few children to explain their poses.
Adaptation: After a few rounds, challenge them to show the same emotions through movement or with exaggerated expressions. This helps deepen their understanding of emotions while encouraging physical expression.
4. The Christmas Tree Drama
Objective: Practice role-play and storytelling.
•Instructions: Begin by telling a simple story about a Christmas tree in the forest, waiting to be chosen for a special family. As you narrate, ask the children to act out the different roles in the story. Some can be the trees, swaying in the wind, while others play animals in the forest, like birds, squirrels, or even snowflakes. You can add a twist by letting them choose their own Christmas character to add to the story, like an elf or reindeer, and have them interact with each other.
Adaptation: For older children, give them the task of creating their own ending to the story. How does the Christmas tree feel when it’s chosen? Who helps decorate it?
5. Christmas Carol Drama
Objective: Blend drama and music.
•Instructions: Choose a well-known Christmas carol like “Jingle Bells” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Have the children act out the lyrics as you sing together. For example, when singing “Jingle Bells,” children can pretend to ride in a sleigh, or when singing “Rudolph,” one child can be Rudolph while others act as Santa’s other reindeer.
Adaptation: After practicing, let the children perform their carol drama for an audience, like parents or other classmates, adding costumes or props for extra fun.
These festive drama activities, inspired by Jingle Bells and Drama Spells, create a joyful way for children to engage with the Christmas season while fostering their creativity, imagination, and emotional expression. You can adapt these games for group settings or individual play, ensuring that each child gets to be a part of the holiday magic.
