8 Festive, Low-Prep Activities to Challenge Your Advanced Learners Tomorrow

Update:  Here is the link for the Christmas Party Planning Activity.  My students loved it last week and can't wait to see it in action on Thursday.  Talk about authentic audience!!! Just click HERE 👈👈

 As the holiday season approaches, we know you're looking for quick, engaging activities that'll keep your advanced learners challenged while spreading some winter cheer. We've got seven awesome, low-prep activities with a festive twist that you can use in your classroom tomorrow. Let's dive in!

Holiday Expert Presentation

Got passionate students? Let them shine with a holiday twist! Here's how:

• Students choose a winter holiday or tradition they're curious about

• Give them 5-10 minutes to research and present to the class

• Encourage use of holiday-themed visual aids or props

  
  

  This activity helps students develop research and public speaking skills while exploring diverse cultural traditions.

Reverse Engineering a Holiday Story

Turn story analysis on its head with this creative twist:

• Students deconstruct a classic holiday tale (e.g., "A Christmas Carol")

• Guide them to identify key plot points, character development, and themes

• Have them create their own holiday story outline using the same structure

This activity helps students understand narrative elements from a new perspective and challenges their creative writing skills.

Two Truths and a Lie: Holiday Science Edition, a scholarly spin on this classic icebreaker:

• Students write three scientific statements about winter or holiday phenomena, with one being false

• Classmates guess which statement is the lie

• Discuss the science behind each true statement

This promotes critical thinking and reviews scientific concepts with a seasonal flair.

Headbands: Holiday Vocabulary Version

Give the popular party game an educational twist:

• Use advanced vocabulary related to winter or holidays

• Students wear cards on their foreheads and ask yes/no questions to guess their word

• Emphasize using context clues and synonyms in questions

This game reinforces vocabulary and encourages students to think about language in different ways.

Un-Wheel of Fortune: Holiday Literature Edition

Put a new spin on a classic game show:

• Write a quote from a holiday-themed piece of literature on the board, hidden by blanks

• Students ask content-related questions to earn letter guesses

• Discuss the literary significance of the quote once revealed

This activity promotes recall of literature and synthesis of textual analysis.

Snowflake Geometry Challenge

Who says paper snowflakes are just for decorating? Try this:

• Challenge students to create snowflakes that demonstrate specific geometric concepts

• Examples: symmetry, fractals, angles, or tessellations

• Have students explain the mathematical principles behind their designs

This hands-on activity allows students to apply geometric concepts creatively.

Tiered Holiday Project Implementation

Let's put differentiation into action with a festive twist:

• Introduce a holiday-themed project with tiered levels of complexity

• Provide options like analyzing the economic impact of holiday shopping, exploring the physics of Santa's sleigh, or comparing holiday traditions across cultures

• Guide students to choose their level of challenge within the project

This approach allows students to work at their own pace and level while exploring holiday themes.

 Plan our GATE Christmas Party

Allow your students to plan the GATE Christmas or Winter party.  My students LOVE this every year, upper elementary and higher:

• Create a list of all requirements - budget, food, drinks, utensils, decorations, party games or activities, etc.

• Provide either sales slips or access to sites like Walmart.com, Target.com, etc.

• Students design the party and you follow their plan

This is a great example of an authentic audience and real-world experience. My students love this!

These low-prep activities are designed to challenge your advanced learners while infusing some holiday spirit into your classroom. They're flexible, fun, and can be adapted to fit various subjects and grade levels.

Remember, you can find our free Tiered Project Template on the Gifted Ed Solutions website or HERE. It's a great tool to help you get started with differentiation in your classroom during the festive season.

Teaching gifted students doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming, even during the busy holiday season. With these simple, effective strategies, you can create engaging learning experiences that your students will love. Happy teaching and happy holidays!