23 Days of Fun, Healthy and Creative Activities for December

18 Activities

Overview

With winter afoot, during a school year like no other, are you looking for fun, healthy and restorative activities you can share with children and youth?

23 Days of Fun, Healthy and Creative Activities for December offers just that.

From “Action Packed ABC” for younger children and “Dance, Dance, Dance” for middle school kids, to “Mindfulness” for teens, this weekday December calendar shares art, music, yoga, social emotional learning, and indoor and outdoor projects and games to help kids feel better.

Building Well-rounded Teams: Step in the Circle If...

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

Building Well-rounded Teams: Step in the Circle If...

6 - 12

30 Minutes

Students recognize diverse skills and strengths, prompting the building of well-rounded and collaborative teams.

Discover Activity

Building Well-rounded Teams: Step in the Circle If...

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

I Love My Neighbor!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

I Love My Neighbor!

6 - 8

5 Minutes

Students get warmed up and moving with this take on musical chairs!

Discover Activity

I Love My Neighbor!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Would You Rather?

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

Would You Rather?

6 - 12

10 Minutes

Warm up your brain and get to know your group with this question game that encourages you to trust your instincts and make decisions quickly.

Discover Activity

Would You Rather?

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

STEM, Arts

Grades K - 2

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

K - 2

15 Minutes

Let your imagination run wild as you transform everyday objects into something different! In this playful warmup activity, students take turns generating ideas about what everyday objects could become. The objects can turn into something as wild as students like - they should have fun with it!

This activity is designed to set the right tone for the rest of your lessons by not limiting our ideas to what seems sensible or possible, and to show that play is a fun way to encourage creative thinking and problem solving.

Discover Activity

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

STEM, Arts

Grades K - 2

Making a Kaleidoscope

STEM, Arts

Grades 3 - 8

Making a Kaleidoscope

3 - 8

1 Hour

Students make a simple, colorful Kaleidoscope and experiment with manipulating light.

Discover Activity

Making a Kaleidoscope

STEM, Arts

Grades 3 - 8

Play Stations

STEM, Arts

Grades 6 - 12

Play Stations

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Give students the opportunity to freely play and reconnect with their own innate creativity.

Discover Activity

Play Stations

STEM, Arts

Grades 6 - 12

Rubber Band Helicopter

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Rubber Band Helicopter

6 - 8

1 Hour

Students create rubber band helicopters and fly them!

Discover Activity

Rubber Band Helicopter

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invent an Outdoor Game

Leadership and Teamwork, Health and Wellness

Grades 6 - 8

Invent an Outdoor Game

6 - 8

1 Hour

Students create their own outdoor game with a partner.

Discover Activity

Invent an Outdoor Game

Leadership and Teamwork, Health and Wellness

Grades 6 - 8

The Animal Spin

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 8

The Animal Spin

3 - 8

2 Hours

Students experience collective improvisation through everyday conversations and vocalizing like animals.

Discover Activity

The Animal Spin

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 8

Jamming with Musicians

Arts, Literacy

Grades 3 - 8

Jamming with Musicians

3 - 8

1 Hour

This lesson provides a structure and framework for a visit with a local jazz musician.

Discover Activity

Jamming with Musicians

Arts, Literacy

Grades 3 - 8

A Call to Service (Grades 3-5)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 3 - 5

A Call to Service (Grades 3-5)

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Students research ideas for service projects, choose a service project, and present it to the group, explaining why it is worthy of their time. Students then vote to determine which service project they will potentially do.

Discover Activity

A Call to Service (Grades 3-5)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 3 - 5

Call to Service(Grades 6-8)

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Call to Service(Grades 6-8)

6 - 8

45 Minutes

Students research and present a service project that they think is worthy of their efforts in a future afterschool session. The group then votes on which project to take on in a future session.

Discover Activity

Call to Service(Grades 6-8)

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Call to Service (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 9 - 12

Call to Service (Grades 9-12)

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Students research and create a slideshow presentation about a service project that they think is worthy of their efforts in a future afterschool session. The group then votes on which project to take on in a future session.

Discover Activity

Call to Service (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 9 - 12

High Five!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 8

High Five!

K - 8

5 Minutes

Build connection and energy by getting students to affirm and acknowledge each other's contributions.

Discover Activity

High Five!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 8

Yoga for Worry and Anxiety (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Health and Wellness

Grades 9 - 12

Yoga for Worry and Anxiety (Grades 9-12)

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Students learn yoga positions and breathing techniques to help alleviate worry and anxiety and build confidence.

Discover Activity

Yoga for Worry and Anxiety (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Health and Wellness

Grades 9 - 12

Action Packed ABC

Leadership and Teamwork, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Action Packed ABC

K - 2

45 Minutes

Children read Curious George Learns the Alphabet and come up with movements to go with each page. Then, they invent their own movements for the letters of thalphabet.

Discover Activity

Action Packed ABC

Leadership and Teamwork, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Super ME! Part 1

Arts, Literacy

Grades K - 5

Super ME! Part 1

K - 5

1 Hour

Students use their drawings from My Talents, Interest, and Strengths to start their Super ME pop-up book.

This activity is part 4 of a 5 part activity series: A Hero Among Heroes, The Hero Inside, My Talents, Interests, and Strengths, Super ME Part 1, and Super ME Part 2.

Discover Activity

Super ME! Part 1

Arts, Literacy

Grades K - 5

Mindfulness (Grades 7-10)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Health and Wellness

Grades 6 - 12

Mindfulness (Grades 7-10)

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Students will learn that mindfulness means paying attention to the world outside you and to the world inside you as well. In this activity, you lead students in a meditation session. They discover that focusing on the breath is an easy and effective first step to mindfulness and that filling the lungs with air can be all-absorbing and help clear the mind.

Discover Activity

Mindfulness (Grades 7-10)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Health and Wellness

Grades 6 - 12

23 Days of Fun, Healthy and Creative Activities for December

Grades K - 12

20 Hours 35 Minutes

Overview

Building Well-rounded Teams: Step in the Circle If...

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

Building Well-rounded Teams: Step in the Circle If...

6 - 12

30 Minutes

Students recognize diverse skills and strengths, prompting the building of well-rounded and collaborative teams.

Discover Activity

Building Well-rounded Teams: Step in the Circle If...

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

I Love My Neighbor!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

I Love My Neighbor!

6 - 8

5 Minutes

Students get warmed up and moving with this take on musical chairs!

Discover Activity

I Love My Neighbor!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Would You Rather?

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

Would You Rather?

6 - 12

10 Minutes

Warm up your brain and get to know your group with this question game that encourages you to trust your instincts and make decisions quickly.

Discover Activity

Would You Rather?

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 12

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

STEM, Arts

Grades K - 2

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

K - 2

15 Minutes

Discover Activity

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

STEM, Arts

Grades K - 2

Making a Kaleidoscope

STEM, Arts

Grades 3 - 8

Making a Kaleidoscope

3 - 8

1 Hour

Students make a simple, colorful Kaleidoscope and experiment with manipulating light.

Discover Activity

Making a Kaleidoscope

STEM, Arts

Grades 3 - 8

Play Stations

STEM, Arts

Grades 6 - 12

Play Stations

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Give students the opportunity to freely play and reconnect with their own innate creativity.

Discover Activity

Play Stations

STEM, Arts

Grades 6 - 12

Rubber Band Helicopter

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Rubber Band Helicopter

6 - 8

1 Hour

Students create rubber band helicopters and fly them!

Discover Activity

Rubber Band Helicopter

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invent an Outdoor Game

Leadership and Teamwork, Health and Wellness

Grades 6 - 8

Invent an Outdoor Game

6 - 8

1 Hour

Students create their own outdoor game with a partner.

Discover Activity

Invent an Outdoor Game

Leadership and Teamwork, Health and Wellness

Grades 6 - 8

The Animal Spin

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 8

The Animal Spin

3 - 8

2 Hours

Students experience collective improvisation through everyday conversations and vocalizing like animals.

Discover Activity

The Animal Spin

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 8

Jamming with Musicians

Arts, Literacy

Grades 3 - 8

Jamming with Musicians

3 - 8

1 Hour

This lesson provides a structure and framework for a visit with a local jazz musician.

Discover Activity

Jamming with Musicians

Arts, Literacy

Grades 3 - 8

A Call to Service (Grades 3-5)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 3 - 5

A Call to Service (Grades 3-5)

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Discover Activity

A Call to Service (Grades 3-5)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 3 - 5

Call to Service(Grades 6-8)

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Call to Service(Grades 6-8)

6 - 8

45 Minutes

Students research and present a service project that they think is worthy of their efforts in a future afterschool session. The group then votes on which project to take on in a future session.

Discover Activity

Call to Service(Grades 6-8)

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Call to Service (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 9 - 12

Call to Service (Grades 9-12)

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Discover Activity

Call to Service (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, History and Society

Grades 9 - 12

High Five!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 8

High Five!

K - 8

5 Minutes

Build connection and energy by getting students to affirm and acknowledge each other's contributions.

Discover Activity

High Five!

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 8

Yoga for Worry and Anxiety (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Health and Wellness

Grades 9 - 12

Yoga for Worry and Anxiety (Grades 9-12)

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Students learn yoga positions and breathing techniques to help alleviate worry and anxiety and build confidence.

Discover Activity

Yoga for Worry and Anxiety (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Health and Wellness

Grades 9 - 12

Action Packed ABC

Leadership and Teamwork, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Action Packed ABC

K - 2

45 Minutes

Children read Curious George Learns the Alphabet and come up with movements to go with each page. Then, they invent their own movements for the letters of thalphabet.

Discover Activity

Action Packed ABC

Leadership and Teamwork, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Super ME! Part 1

Arts, Literacy

Grades K - 5

Super ME! Part 1

K - 5

1 Hour

Students use their drawings from My Talents, Interest, and Strengths to start their Super ME pop-up book.

This activity is part 4 of a 5 part activity series: A Hero Among Heroes, The Hero Inside, My Talents, Interests, and Strengths, Super ME Part 1, and Super ME Part 2.

Discover Activity

Super ME! Part 1

Arts, Literacy

Grades K - 5

Mindfulness (Grades 7-10)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Health and Wellness

Grades 6 - 12

Mindfulness (Grades 7-10)

6 - 12

45 Minutes

Discover Activity

Mindfulness (Grades 7-10)