What if doing Christmas School in your homeschool meant you didn’t need to power through textbooks at the expense of being stressed through the holidays? What if there is a way to approach learning that lets you focus on core academics most of the year but pivot to enjoy seasonal or holiday activities that are meaningful to your family.
When my kids were young, I used to feel this pressure to “do school” on the same schedule as the schools. You know…we would take a 2 week break at Christmas but that meant we had school books spread out all over for most of December and then I felt this pressure to “get back to it” as soon as January hit even though I was still “recovering” from all the holiday fun and my house was a mess from Christmas that still needed put away.
Like I WANTED to feel like I could just relax for a minute…but really didn’t have a framework for how we could take a break and still “finish on time.”
Well about 10 or 12 years ago, that choice was removed in the craziest of winters.
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The Year “Christmas School” became “Life School”
One of the first years, I decided to try “Christmas School,” my flex was that we were not going to do any traditional school work in December.
It felt risky…but I wanted to have time to do all the fun Christmas stuff with my kid and not have school stuff out all the time. It was cluttery and always felt rushed. Not to mention, my 3rd grader was having a terrible with with multiplication and was just stuck with double digit multiplication. It was tears with every lesson…and we had tried all the things to help him understand.
We all needed a break. So…no school for December it would be.
What Is Christmas School?
Christmas School is a creative way to shift your homeschool rhythm during the holiday season so you can trade the pressure of regular school for meaningful connection and holiday fun. Instead of powering through regular math and regular history, you pivot to hands-on activities, Christmas books, Christmas movies, cooking, crafting, serving, and slowing down with your entire family.
It’s still learning—just wrapped in a festive bow.
For many families in the homeschool world, Christmas School becomes a great time to explore Christmas traditions, read aloud great seasonal stories, enjoy christmas carols, and try science experiments that feel more like play than work. Some families use a 4-week Christmas unit study, complete with a unit craft, memory statement cards, and a convenient spreadsheet of YouTube songs or readings. Others lean into morning time, bible reading plans, Christmas hymn study, or reading excellent picture books like God Gave Us Christmas, Apple Tree Christmas, The Friendly Beasts, that bring the whole house together.
Christmas School is also a wonderful opportunity for younger kids who love crafts like gingerbread houses, coloring three wise men, or using a plastic sewing needles to stitch simple ornaments. It’s also a chance to explore different cultures, traditions, and even historical American girls celebrating a classic or American Girl Christmas.
Whether you prefer a laid-back approach or a well done Christmas unit, you can map our your own version of Christmas School. The main goal is to pause your regular curriculum and replace it with a gentle, joyful, intentional experience during the month of December.
The School Break Was LONGER Than Planned
So back to my story of Christmas School…
Things never go as planned…
Before I jump back in, let me give you a little back story. We live out in the country and everyone in the area has both wells and septic systems. It’s just a thing. But in the fall, we started noticing that when we filled the bathtub, the water would be yellowish. Yuck. Sometimes there was a little dirt…super gross. It was a dry summer so we thought maybe it was just low water in the well. A short while later…the pump failed…which led to a new pump…but still gross water.
Well December rolled around and the water situation was getting worse and worse. And by Christmas, it was basically just pulling up mud all the time…we had no clean water. We didn’t want to wreck the pump or our appliances so we shut off ALL water to the house.
We had already talked to the well drilling company but when we called them to tell them we needed a well NOW, they said…”so sorry, it is absolutely freezing out. We can’t drill until the weather is above freezing for a few days.”
3 Weeks of NO WATER
So from hot dry summer…to freezing cold winter. It was SO COLD for the 3 weeks after Christmas. And during that 3+ weeks…we had no water because they COULD NOT DRILL.
Three weeks of no water with 7 little kids is LONG time!
- 3 weeks we hauled buckets of water to flush toilets.
- 3 weeks of boiling water for dishes…and lots of paper plates
- 3 weeks of showers and laundry at Grandmas.
- AND 4 MORE weeks of NO SCHOOL on top of my first month!
Eventually we did get a new well…and that was amazing for all the obvious reasons. It took us at least a week after getting water to catch up and clean up from having none.
And by the time we got back to “regular school work,” it really had been 2 months of no school.
We Learned During Our Extended Christmas School
During our extended Christmas school that year, we did zero bookwork…for 2 months.
The first half (December) was all focused on holiday preparations, making traditional foods, fun, watching holiday movies, parties with friends and family, reading books and listening to stories.
The second half of our “Christmas School” that year ended up being a crash course in life skills. EVERYTHING is harder without water. So the kids had to help in order to get the dishes done, food cooked, laundry washed and folded and cleaning done. We boiled so much water in those 3 weeks. It felt like our own version of “Little House on the Prarie.”
And here is the crazy part…you might wonder…how will kids “learn” the core subjects if they aren’t cracking a book? I don’t know. But my son who had STRUGGLED so hard with double digit multiplication suddenly knew how to do it after our 2 month break. There had been no tutoring, new curriculum or special explanations.
Somehow, the “rest” from daily learning resulted in it all clicking.
We went on to have a very productive winter. The cold winter provided plenty of days inside to power through the textbooks. And the renewed appreciation for water made it that much easier to get chores done that winter.
Our “Christmas School” experience that year gave me permission to go ahead and let go during Christmas and focus on all the other learning and growing opportunities. I realized that I could relax a little and my kids would still learn things and that the break would give us all renewed excitement to learn after the holidays.
Since then, I’ve done this enough time (taken the whole month off) that I know it actually does work!
How Do You Structure Christmas School?
The beauty of Christmas School is its ease of use—you can make it as simple or as structured as fits your school schedule and entire family. But here are some great ideas for a flexible framework:
1. Pick Your Focus for the Month of December
Some families choose a full 4-week Christmas unit study—complete with lesson plans, days of Christmas countdown cards, crafts, recipes, memory cards, and family liturgical-style prayers. Others choose one “anchor” activity each day: a chapter from a great book, a christmas hymn, a piece of the christmas story, or a seasonal science experiment.
A few families pick one theme each week—like christmas trees, christmas carols, polar express, or a nutcracker unit study—and rotate through them.
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2. Mix in Your Favorite Christmas Books & Movies
This is the perfect time of year to read your favorite Christmas book, explore beautiful watercolor illustrations, or revisit coming years favorites like Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, beautiful book choices, or a classic Christmas story. Add in movies like Polar Express or classical Christmas music during chores or baking.
3. Add Hands-On Activities
Christmas School shines when kids can touch, build, bake, create, and explore this like:
- Ornament crafts (plastic sewing needle, felt, beads)
- Baking days (cookies, candy cane treats, food items for neighbors)
- Making lap books or simple christmas kits
- Building gingerbread houses
- Creating an advent bag with verses or challenges
These are the things your kids will remember next year and beyond.
4. Lighten the Academics
If you still want some homeschool academics, keep them very light and flexible. A little language arts through copywork from Christmas hymns or memory cards, a little math through holiday baking, or some gentle writing using Christmas activities as inspiration. But remember—you’re not trying to replicate regular curriculum. You’re giving everyone the gift of extra time to rest, reset, and enjoy.
5. Choose a Simple Daily Rhythm
A simple rhythm might look like:
- Morning time with Bible reading plans, Christmas hymns, or a chapter from a beautiful book choice
- One hands-on activity
- One fun thing (craft, outing, christmas movies, or baking)
- Reading aloud from something cozy—American Girl Christmas, Apple Tree Christmas, or God Gave Us Christmas
Keep it slow, keep it simple, and let the holiday season shape your pace.
Christmas School gives you permission to pause the rush, breathe deeply, and reconnect with what matters during this time of year. Instead of squeezing school work between events, clutter, and chaos, you get to build a tradition your kids will remember long after the new year arrives.
Whether this is your first year trying Christmas School or you’re building on what you loved last year, remember: learning doesn’t stop just because the textbooks close. This slower rhythm helps your kids grow in life skills, deepen their faith, bond with family members, and discover joy in simpler times.
So light a candle, grab a stack of christmas books, and cue up the classical Christmas playlist. Let Christmas School become one of your family’s favorite coming years traditions.
And from our home to yours—Merry Christmas!
Sarah McCubbin and her husband and 9 kids live in Ohio. She loves talking about all kinds of education topics and is passionate about helping families find the best education options in each season! After being very socially awkward growing up, she now loves to help families teach life skills, social skills and leadership to their kids!
Connect With Sarah:
Schooling Year By Year Facebook Group
Facebook Page
Instagram @ten_minute_momentum
PallasCenter.com
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