It is important to be sensitive to your students' holiday traditions, customs, beliefs, etc... The last thing I want to do is make one of my students uncomfortable with one of my lesson plan themes. The month of December is a time to be aware that all of your students may not celebrate the way you do! In my school, we do not have restrictions on holiday themes, I am free to use Santa, Christmas tree, or reindeer themes if I choose (and I often do). Sometimes I will have a student on my caseload that celebrates something different or doesn't recognize the secular symbols of Christmas. When this occurs, I come upon with alternative themes to make sure all of my students enjoy the activity. I wanted to share a few to give you some ideas too! For your convenience I have linked to blog posts, freebies, Amazon produces (affiliate), and Teachers Pay Teachers resources in each theme. I wrote a similar post about Halloween-----> HERE

Gingerbread!

This theme can be used with all students (just select materials that are not tied to Christmas necessarily). You can do gingerbread men lessons, gingerbread house lessons, or both!

Books to try:

• Mr. Gingerbread's Buttons by Panda Speech on TPT

• The Gingerbread Man Book on Amazon

Crafts to try:

• Build with Sounds Candy House by Panda Speech on TPT

• Gingerbread Craft Activities by Crazy Speech World on TPT

Sensory Bin Ideas:

• The Dabbling Speechie's FREE Gingerbread man sensory bin printables

• FREE Gingerbread Man and Friends Sensory Bin by Ms. Gardenia's

• Speech room for rhyming words

Digital Resources:

• Build a Candy House (Gingerbread House) Articulation BOOM Cards

• Gingerbread Speech and Language Activities by Stacey Crouse BOOM Cards

Other materials to try:

• FREE Dress a Gingerbread man by Panda Speech

• Which One Doesn't Belong a NO PRINT activity (for your laptop or tablet) by Panda Speech

• Feed the Gingerbread Man by Speech Time Fun

• Gingerbread Pronouns by Talking with Rebecca

• Free Gingerbread Add Ons by Everything Speechy

Snowmen

People often associate a snowman with Christmas, but there are a ton of activities with this theme that are geared more toward winter weather.

Books to try:

• Mr. Frost Lost His Nose Lift-a-Flap Book by Panda Speech on TPT

• Snowmen at Night (Amazon)

+Snowmen at night Book Buddy by A Perfect Blend

Crafts:

• Build a Snowman by SLT Scrapbook

• Snowman Articulation & Language Cotton Ball Craft (Print & Google Slides versions)

• Winter Snowman Craft by Ms. Gardenia Artic & Language

Other materials to try:

• Snowman Articulation by Speech is Sweet

• Build A Snowman Open Ended Game by Panda Speech

• Mrs. Snowman Awesome Articulation Sheets by Gold Country SLP

• Snowman Build a Face Activity by Ashley Rossi

• Winter Peg Boards by Ms. Gardenia's Speech Room (snowman included)

Digital Resources:

• Snowman Digital Cotton Ball Craft BOOM Cards by Panda Speech

• Mr. Frost Lost His Nose BOOM Book (just like that print version but on BOOM Learning) by Panda Speech

• Speech Snowmen BOOM Cards by Stacy Crouse

Snowflakes/Snowballs

Books to try:

• The Big Snowball (Amazon). This book has pictures in the sentences (perfect for my language students). The version I bought on Amazon even has flashcards to go with it!

Craft Activities

You can make snowflakes by folding and cutting paper (google "paper snowflakes" for ideas)

• Let is Snow! Articulation and Language Cotton Ball Craft by Panda Speech

• Speech Snowball Fight Craft by Speech Dreams

• Articulation Snowflake Q-Tip Painting by Courtney Gragg

• Articulation Snowflakes by Speech Therapy Plans

• Articulation Snow Flakes by TLC Talkshop

Other Resources to try:

• Snow Toss Open-Ended Game Mat FREEBIE by Panda Speech (Instant download)

• Snowball Splat (Articulation and Language) by Peachie Speechie

• Multiple Meaning Word Snowflakes by the Activity Tailor

• Free Snowball 100 trials challenge by Peachie Speechie

• Snowflake is On and Next to Freebie by Super Power Speech

Digital Activities:

Snow Speech and Language Interactive PDF by Stacey Crouse

Arctic Animals (Penguins/Polar Bears)

Books to Try:

• Polar Bear Fishing Lift-a-Flap Book by Panda Speech on TPT

• Ten on a Sled (Amazon)

+Ten on a Sled Book Companion by Speech and Language Pirates

Sensory Bin Ideas:

• Make your own Feed the Animal by Ms. Gardenia's Speech Room (Polar Bear & Penguin)

• Penguin Match Ups by the Dabbling Speechie

• Arctic Sensory Bin by Speech and Language Pirates

TPT Resources:

• Make Your Own Feed the Animal: Penguin and Polar Bear by Ms. Gardenia's Speech Room

• Arctic and Antarctic Animals Facts by Crazy Speech World

• Penguins Dress Up Game by Alberta Speechie

• Penguin Language Games for Early Concepts by Natalie Snyders

Digital Resources:

• Polar Bear Fishing BOOM Book by Panda Speech (just like the print lift a flap book but digital on Boom Learning).

• Feed the Penguin Articulation by Goldie Talks Speech

And just for fun! You could do a YETI theme!

Game:

• Try the game Yeti in my Spaghetti (Amazon)

TPT Resources:

• Yeti Articulation Companion by A Perfect Blend

• Winter Yeti Hunt by Speechy Things

• Yeti Inferencing and Vocabulary by SLP Runner Yeti for Speech and Language Thematic Pack by Sparklle SLP