{"id":7224,"date":"2026-10-27T09:41:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T13:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getepic.com\/learn\/?p=7224"},"modified":"2026-10-27T09:54:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T13:54:44","slug":"holiday-classroom-traditions-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getepic.com\/learn\/holiday-classroom-traditions-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"How 10 Educators Bring Stories to Life During the Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The holiday season brings a special kind of excitement to the classroom. From festive traditions to seasonal crafts, there are plenty of opportunities for students to celebrate together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked our Epic Educator Ambassadors to share their favorite holiday books and classroom activities that combine seasonal magic with a little reading and creativity. Their diverse ideas include celebrations around the world\u2014from writing letters to Santa Paws to coding gingerbread characters! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 10 ways our Epic Educators bring holiday cheer into their classrooms. Try these festive ideas with your own kids or students this season!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Explore Holidays Around the World With a Classroom Passport<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From Epic Educator Ambassador Alley P. | Grade 1-2 Teacher <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Book Pick:<\/strong> Winter Candle<\/em><\/a> by Jeron Ashford <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activity:<\/strong> \u201cIn December, my class spends several days traveling the world through books! We use our Holidays Around the World Passport<\/a> to explore how different cultures celebrate, learning about the country where each holiday originated […] and the many ways light plays a meaningful role in celebrations around the world. Books from Epic help us peek into traditions and celebrations that may be different from our own, while also helping students discover the things that connect us\u2014family, food, stories, traditions, and the joy of gathering together. It\u2019s one of our favorite ways to celebrate the season while growing our curiosity about the world!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Makes This Book Special:<\/strong> \u201cWinter Candle<\/em> by Jeron Ashford is a beautiful book for helping my students see the connections between the many holidays we study. While the traditions, symbols and celebrations may look different, so many holidays around the world bring light into the darkest time of year. The book beautifully illustrates this idea while also telling a powerful story about a building filled with people who celebrate different holidays.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Create a Classroom Christmas Tree Together<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Classroom trees decorated with student ornaments. Photo courtesy of Christa Bell.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

From Epic Educator Ambassador Christa Bell | K-12 Library Media Specialist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book Pick:<\/strong> Tomie dePaola’s Christmas Tree Book<\/em><\/a> by Tomie dePaola <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activity:<\/strong> \u201cWe decorate a paper Christmas tree with ornaments created by the students. Each student can decorate their ornament however they choose, allowing them to express their own personality and creativity. Together, the ornaments create a unique tree that represents our school family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Makes This Book Special:<\/strong> \u201cI like [Tomie\u2019s dePaola\u2019s Christmas Tree<\/em>] because it shares interesting facts about the history of Christmas trees while also sparking meaningful conversations with students. Every family\u2019s Christmas tree looks a little different, and the way it is decorated can reflect family traditions, personalities and even history.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Give Gingerbread a Creative Coding Twist<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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From Epic Educator Ambassador Traci Piltz | PK-3 Instructional Technology Coach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book Pick:<\/strong> The Gingerbread Man<\/em><\/a> retold by Eric A. Kimmel <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activity:<\/strong> \u201cStudents use the app ScratchJr<\/a> to draw and code their own gingerbread character. This can be differentiated by grade level.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Makes This Book Special:<\/strong> \u201cThe Gingerbread Man<\/em> is a classic and includes repetitive elements and lots of characters that lend itself well to story retelling. I love pairing it with Scratch Jr for this creative coding and storytelling activity that lets students draw, code and retell parts of the story. This is also a great collaborative activity!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n