Introduction
Christmas is a wonderful time to engage in outdoor activities that also promote language learning. By incorporating fun and educational experiences, children and families can expand their language skills while enjoying the festive season. Here are five engaging outdoor language learning activities to try during the Christmas season.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Create a Christmas-themed scavenger hunt to encourage participants to search for specific holiday-related items while practicing their language skills.
For example, going into the forest and finding plant items that could be found on a wreath, for example Holly (Stechpalme) Ivy (Efeu) and Conifer (Nadelbaum).
You can either set up a scavenger hunt page with pictures showing the items you are looking for with the names written in both the native and target languages or you can just have the page with pictures on and as you are walking through the forest a person needs to describe the plant that you are looking for and the others need to find it.
This interactive activity can reinforce vocabulary, comprehension, and communication skills in a festive and engaging manner.
Holiday Storytelling Circle
Gather in a circle outdoors (maybe around a camp-fire toasting some marshmallows) and take turns sharing holiday stories or traditions in the target language. Encourage children to use descriptive language, dialogue, and expressive gestures to convey their narratives.
This is a great way to combine both traditions from your home country and also looking into those of the target language.
This activity not only promotes language fluency but also fosters cultural appreciation and interpersonal communication. Through storytelling, participants can enhance their language proficiency while celebrating the richness of Christmas traditions.
Christmas Carol Karaoke
This is one of my favourites! Organise a Christmas carol karaoke session in the outdoor setting, where you can all sing along to popular christmas songs in the target language.
This activity provides an enjoyable platform for language learners to practise pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm while spreading Christmas cheer.
One of our favourites is Silent Night, and there is a lovely story begind this song have a read here.
Language Learning Snow Sculpting
Engage in a creative outdoor activity by sculpting christmas-themed snow figures while using the target language for communication and collaboration.
Participants can describe their ideas, give instructions, and discuss their sculpting process in the language they are learning.
This hands-on experience not only enhances language proficiency but also promotes teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills in a winter wonderland setting.
Christmas Nature Vocabulary Walk
Take a walk in the forest or another favourite outdoor area and encourage participants to identify and describe elements of nature using the target language.
Create a list of Christmas-themed natural objects, such as pine cones, holly, or snowflakes, and guide participants to observe, name, and discuss these items in the target language. This activity facilitates language immersion in a natural environment, enriching vocabulary and language comprehension through real-life experiences, and we already know if you have read previous blogs the benefits of outdoor learning!
Conclusion
Incorporating these outdoor language learning activities during the Christmas season can infuse language education with festive and memorable experiences, and of course lots and lots of fun!!
By blending holiday spirit with linguistic development, participants can embrace the joy of learning while celebrating the magic of Christmas in an outdoor environment.
If you are looking for some ideas, get your hands on my Christmas freebie available in English and German, but could also be used for families wishing to learn English from other languages when english is the target language.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
