Welcome December! This month’s collection has been designed to support families as we move into the winter season, offering a blend of festive creativity, meaningful learning and gentle structure to carry your child through the run-up to the Christmas break. December can be an exciting but busy time for many families, so this toolkit aims to provide simple, purposeful activities that can be completed at home with ease while still supporting key areas of learning across the Northern Ireland Curriculum.

Each activity has been created with flexibility in mind. You can adapt tasks to suit your child’s age, ability and interests, and many can be completed over several days. The focus this month is on craft, seasonal science, winter literacy and numeracy, cultural learning and opportunities for hands-on exploration. These tasks are designed to strengthen core skills in a way that still feels enjoyable and engaging during a naturally festive period.

1. Advent Begins

Date: Sunday 1 December 2025

What it means:
Advent marks the beginning of the countdown to Christmas for many families. It is a time of preparation, reflection and small daily traditions. Even if a family is not religious, the structure of Advent can be a lovely way for children to explore kindness, routines and anticipation throughout December.

Activity for kids:

“Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar”

Materials:

• Paper strips or card squares
• Pens/pencils
• String, ribbon or a small box
• Hole punch (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut 24 small paper strips or cards.
2. Help your child write one simple act of kindness on each card (e.g., “Draw a picture for someone”, “Help tidy toys”, “Say something kind to a family member”).
3. Fold the cards and place them in a small box or punch a hole in each and hang them along a string like a garland.
4. Each day in December, choose one card and complete the kindness activity together.
5. At the end of the week reflect: Which acts felt easiest? Which were most meaningful?

Tip for home educators:
This is a gentle way to build daily structure for children during December while reinforcing social and emotional learning. If your child becomes overwhelmed by Christmas excitement, small predictable routines like this help regulate the day.

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2. Christmas Jumper Day

Date: Friday 7 December 2025

What it means:
Christmas Jumper Day is a fun UK-wide event where children and adults wear festive jumpers to raise money for charity. In home education it can be used as a creative project exploring design, colour, pattern and expression.

Activity for kids:

“Design Your Own Christmas Jumper” (No sewing needed!)

Materials:

• Outline of a jumper printed on paper or drawn
• Colouring pencils/markers
• Optional: scrap fabric, cotton wool, stickers
• Glue

Steps:

1. Provide a plain jumper outline and invite your child to design their own Christmas jumper.
2. Encourage them to explore winter patterns, snowflakes, reindeer, presents or their own festive ideas.
3. Add texture using cotton wool for snow, scrap fabric for scarves or small pieces of wrapping paper for decoration.
4. Once completed, let them explain their design choices and give the jumper a name (e.g., “Snowstorm Sparkle Jumper”).
5. Optional: display designs on a wall or turn them into greeting cards.

Tip for home educators:
This activity links naturally to art and design outcomes, and it can also become a literacy task by asking the child to write a short description of their jumper and the inspiration behind it.

3. Human Rights Day

Date: Tuesday 10 December 2025

What it means:
Human Rights Day marks the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is a child-friendly opportunity to talk about fairness, respect, safety and the idea that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.

Activity for kids:

“My Rights, Your Rights” Mini Poster

Materials:

• A4 paper
• Pens/markers
• Optional: magazines for cut-outs, glue, coloured paper

Steps:

1. Explain simply that rights are things everyone needs to feel safe, respected and cared for.
2. Ask your child to think of three rights that are important for children (e.g., “the right to play”, “the right to learn”, “the right to feel safe”).
3. On the A4 page, divide it into three boxes or circles.
4. In each space, the child draws or writes an example of what that right looks like in real life.
5. Decorate the poster and display it on a wall or fridge.
6. Optional extension: children can think about ways they can help support other people’s rights.

Tip for home educators:
Keep the language positive and simple. Focus on empowerment rather than fear. This is also a great moment to revisit household rules around kindness, safety and respect.

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4. Winter Solstice

Date: Sunday 21 December 2025

What it means:
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. It marks the turning point where days begin to get brighter again. It’s an ideal opportunity to explore seasonal change, shadows, light and winter nature.

Activity for kids:

“Winter Light & Shadow Hunt”

Materials:

• Torch
• Small objects or toys
• Paper and pencil
• Outdoor clothing (for a short winter walk)

Steps:

1. Explain that the Winter Solstice is when the sun is at its lowest point and we get the least daylight.
2. Indoors, use a torch to shine light on small objects and explore how shadows move when the angle changes.
3. Encourage your child to draw one interesting shadow they create.
4. Go outside for a short winter walk and observe natural shadows, bare trees or frost.
5. Ask children to record three things they notice about winter nature.
6. Finish with a warm drink and a chat about how days will slowly start to lengthen.

Tip for home educators:
Nature-based activities are grounding for children during busy festive periods. Use this day as a calm reset and a way to connect science with real-world observation.

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5. Christmas Eve

Date: Wednesday 24 December 2025

What it means:
Christmas Eve is a special and exciting day for many families. It is often associated with preparation, tradition and calm family time before the celebrations of Christmas Day.

Activity for kids:

“Christmas Eve Memory Bag”

Materials:

• A small gift bag or envelope
• Paper strips
• Pens
• Stickers (optional)

Steps:

1. Give your child a small bag and explain that they will fill it with Christmas Eve memories.
2. Ask them to write or draw three things they are grateful for this year.
3. Add a drawing of a favourite December activity.
4. Include a note to “Future Me” for next Christmas Eve (e.g., “Remember how excited I was!”).
5. Seal the bag and store it somewhere safe – to be opened next year.

Tip for home educators:
This reflection activity helps children pause, calm down and process excitement. It also supports emotional literacy and gratitude.

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6. Christmas Day

Date: Thursday 25 December 2025

What it means:
Christmas Day is celebrated by many families with food, gifts and time together. It offers a natural pause from structured learning and a chance to focus on family traditions.

Activity for kids:

“Christmas Snapshot Drawing” (Calm Morning Activity)

Materials:

• Paper
• Pencils or crayons
• Optional: a small frame or card to stick artwork to

Steps:

1. Invite your child to draw their favourite moment from Christmas morning (e.g., opening a gift, breakfast together, the tree).
2. Encourage them to add small details such as patterns, decorations or people.
3. Once finished, date the drawing and place it in a keepsake folder.
4. Repeat every year to build a memory timeline.

Tip for home educators:
Gentle drawing supports calm and emotional grounding on what can be an overwhelming day for some children, especially those with sensory sensitivities.

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7. Boxing Day

Date: Friday 26 December 2025

What it means:
Boxing Day is traditionally a quieter day for resting, walking and enjoying leftover food. Historically it was a day of giving to those in need, which makes it perfect for a gentle kindness-focused activity.

Activity for kids:

“Winter Walk Scavenger Hunt”

Materials:

• Printed or hand-drawn scavenger list (e.g., bare tree, robin, frosty leaf, pine cone, puddle)
• Pencil
• Warm outdoor clothing

Steps:

1. Create a simple checklist of winter items your child might spot outside.
2. Head out for a relaxed family walk and tick off items as you find them.
3. Encourage your child to collect one natural item (safe and permitted) to bring home.
4. Back home, draw or photograph what they found.
5. Optional: create a “Winter Nature Page” in a scrapbook.

Tip for home educators:
Fresh air and nature can help regulate children after the stimulation of Christmas Day. Keep the task relaxed with no pressure to complete every item.

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8. New Year’s Eve

Date: Wednesday 31 December 2025

What it means:
New Year’s Eve marks the final day of the year. It is a time to reflect, celebrate achievements and look forward to the year ahead.

Activity for kids:

“My Year in Review & Hopes for 2026”

Materials:

• Paper or printable template
• Pens/markers
• Optional: stickers or photos

Steps:

1. Create two sections on the page: “My Favourite Memories of 2025” and “My Hopes for 2026”.
2. Ask your child to list or draw three things they loved this year.
3. Then think of three hopes or goals for the new year (e.g., “learn a new skill”, “read more books”, “be kinder to myself”).
4. Decorate the page and add the date.
5. Keep it somewhere safe to look back on next December.

Tip for home educators:
Reflection builds confidence and helps children recognise their achievements. It also offers insight into their interests when planning January learning.

We hope this December Home-Education Learning Toolkit brings a sense of warmth, creativity and calm to your home as the year comes to a close. December can be an exciting but overwhelming month for children, so these activities are designed to offer gentle structure, meaningful learning and plenty of opportunities to pause, reflect and enjoy the season together. Whether you complete all the activities or simply choose the ones that suit your family best, each task supports core skills while keeping the joy and magic of winter at the heart of learning.

As always, thank you for choosing TuitionSpace to support your home-education journey. If you need guidance, personalised planning or further resources for the new year, we are always here to help. Wishing you and your family a peaceful, happy and restorative December.

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