Festive Poetry Ideas for Primary Schools: Fun Christmas Writing Activities
The run-up to Christmas is always a magical time in primary schools. With excitement levels rising and end-of-term concerts and assemblies to prepare for, it’s the perfect opportunity to use poetry as a creative outlet. Festive poetry activities not only keep pupils engaged but also bring joy and sparkle to your literacy lessons.
Here are some fun Christmas poetry activities for KS2 (and KS1 too!) that will fill your classroom with creativity, laughter, and festive cheer.
👉 In my Poetry Days in primary schools across the UK I work hard to get the children excited about writing and performing their own poems. I visit over 100 schools every year and I’d love to work with your children and teachers.
📅 You can book me for:
In-person Poetry Days across the UK
Online Poetry Workshops (affordable and flexible)
➡ Secure your date here: Poets in Schools – Ian Bland
Great for teachers looking to save time!
1. Christmas Shape Poems
Ask children to write poems in the shape of festive objects — trees, stars, baubles, or stockings. The outline of the shape makes the activity instantly fun and provides a natural frame for their ideas.
👉 Tip: Display them as a classroom “poetry tree” to create a seasonal gallery.
👉 Link: For more detail, see my [blog on Christmas Shape Poems].
2. Acrostic, Mesostic, Haiku, Telestich and Cinquain Poems with a Festive Twist!
Choose seasonal words such as SNOWFLAKE, REINDEER, or CHRISTMAS. Use the ready made frameworks below!
👉 Tip: Great for quick wins with younger pupils and reluctant writers.
👉 Christmas Haiku Poem Writing Framework
👉 Christmas Cinquain Poem Writing Framework
👉 Christmas Acrostic Poem Writing Framework
👉 Christmas Mesostic Poem Writing Framework
👉 Christmas Telestich Poem Writing Framework
3. Kennings for Christmas Characters
Introduce kennings (two-word descriptive phrases like gift-giver, sleigh-driver). Pupils can create kennings for Santa, elves, snowmen, or even Christmas dinner!
👉 Tip: Challenge pupils to perform their kennings aloud as a riddle for the rest of the class to solve.
4. A Class Performance Poem: “The Night Before the Holidays”
Take inspiration from ’Twas the Night Before Christmas and create a whole-class poem about the last day of term. Each child can contribute a line or couplet, building into a collective performance.
👉 Tip: Add actions, costumes, or sound effects to bring the performance alive for a school assembly.
5. Festive Tongue Twisters
Challenge pupils to invent and perform Christmas-themed tongue twisters. Examples:
Santa’s silly sack of socks
Elves eagerly eating enormous éclairs
Rudolph raced rapidly round the reindeer rink
👉 Tip: Use these as quick warm-ups before longer writing tasks.
Teacher Tips
Keep activities short and light-hearted to match the festive mood.
Display pupils’ work around the school — corridors, classrooms, even the hall for end-of-term events.
Encourage performance wherever possible — Christmas is the perfect time for poetry recitals.
Get yourself a signed book!
Conclusion
Christmas is the ideal time to bring poetry into your classroom. From shape poems and acrostics to kennings and tongue twisters, these festive activities will inspire creativity while making literacy lessons fun and memorable.
👉 In my Poetry Days in primary schools across the UK I work hard to get the children excited about writing and performing their own poems. I visit over 100 schools every year and I’d love to work with your children and teachers.
📅 You can book me for:
In-person Poetry Days across the UK
Online Poetry Workshops (affordable and flexible)
➡ Secure your date here: Poets in Schools – Ian Bland
