When we think of the holiday season, many people immediately think of the December holidays – Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, etc.- However, teachers looking for holiday writing ideas usually want ones for holidays throughout the year since many holidays are celebrated and recognized.
Holiday writing ideas can come in a wide variety:
- Love or kindness poems for Valentine’s Day
- A behind-the-scenes story of a Lunar New Year celebration that the student participated in.
- Interviewing a Christmas tree.
- A story about the first pumpkin patch.
- Reimagining a holiday from the perspective of someone or something.
- A time travel story to a historical celebration of a popular holiday.
- A letter that explains a holiday to someone.
- Writing a story of a holiday as a character.
The ideas are endless, and it’s important to explore different creative writing ideas so that students can dig deep into their own creativity.
Creative Middle School Holiday Writing Ideas
Over on the blog Teach Writing, I had the opportunity to share how I increased student engagement during the November and December months through six writing strategies:
- Integrating Creative Writing
- Writing About A Specific Holiday
- Tring Writing Prompts as a Warm-Up Activity
- Using the RAFT Format
- Trying Choice Boards
- Writing a Prequel or Sequel
This post, 6 Holiday Writing Ideas for the English Language Arts Classroom, provides many more details about these engaging writing ideas.
Winter Holiday Writing Ideas
If you want some creative writing ideas specifically for December, check out the resource below, or keep reading if you’re looking for holiday writing ideas for other holidays.
Middle School Christmas Activities BundleThis Middle School Christmas Activities Bundle will help students work on and reinforce their reading and writing skills through holiday-themed lessons. Two of the activities in this bundle focus on holiday writing ideas:
Christmas Writing Prompts
When students use these interactive writing prompts, they get to get up and stay moving. Students use the eight Christmas-themed story prompts to think creatively about what might happen in each scenario. Students then move around the classroom to answer their classmates’ story-writing prompts.
Christmas Creative Writing Assignment
Students will select the role of one character – Santa’s Elf, Christmas Turkey, Gingerbread Man, Christmas Tree, or Museum Curator – and create a written product based on the writing prompt. Students select from one of the five writing options using the RAFT format (Role, Audience, Format, Topic).
You can find the Middle School Christmas Activities Bundle on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Winter-Themed Writing ActivitiesIn December, not all students recognize Christmas. This is why it’s important to have other ideas in your teacher toolbox, including seasonal writing activities.
With this Winter Creative Writing Assignment, students step into the shoes of characters such as a winter coat, ice skates, a coffee shop owner, a local sledding hill, and a lost mitten, crafting imaginative written products based on character-specific writing prompts.
You can find the Winter Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD. You can also find this activity in the Middle School Winter Activities Bundle on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Valentine’s Day Creative Writing AssignmentWith this Valentine’s Day Creative Writing Assignment, students step into the shoes of characters such as a lost Valentine, candy hearts, a box of chocolates, a stuffed animal, or flowers, and craft imaginative written products based on character-specific writing prompts.
You can find the Valentine’s Day Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Spring and Summer Holiday Writing Ideas
Once winter is finished and we head into spring and summer, it can be handy to have some of these themed writing lessons at the ready.
Spring Creative Writing AssignmentIn this Spring Creative Writing Assignment, students will select one of the provided character roles – bear, grass, snow shovel, bird, or professional gardener – and create a written or visual product based on the character’s specific writing prompt.
You can find the Spring Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Easter Creative Writing AssignmentIn this Easter Creative Writing Assignment, students will select one of the provided character roles – Easter Bunny, Easter Egg Basket, Zookeeper, Candy Store Owner, or Chocolate Inventor – and create a written or visual product based on the character’s specific writing prompt.
You can find the Easter Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
You can also use this free March Break Creative Writing activity in your classroom.
Summer Creative Writing AssignmentIn this Summer Creative Writing Assignment, students will select one of the provided character roles – ice cream store owner, student, tourism CEO, dog, or author – and create a written or visual product based on the character’s specific writing prompt.
You can find the Summer Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Fall Holiday Writing Ideas
When school starts again after summer vacation, diving into creative writing and other holiday writing ideas with your students can be a great activity. You can explore some summer creative writing with them and try out some back-to-school writing, fall writing, and then some Halloween-themed writing.
Back to School Creative Writing AssignmentIn this Back To School Creative Writing Assignment, students will select one of the provided character roles – classroom desk, old backpack, gym floor, lunch bag, or student – and create a written or visual product based on the character’s specific writing prompt.
You can find the Back to School Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Fall Creative Writing AssignmentIn this Fall Creative Writing Assignment, students will select one of the provided character roles – coffee shop employee, garden rake, tree, family pet, or squirrel – and create a written or visual product based on the character’s specific writing prompt.
You can find the Fall Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Halloween Creative Writing AssignmentIn this Halloween Creative Writing Assignment, students will step into the role of a character: a pumpkin, costume store owner, street light, black cat, or unwanted candy. Students will then create a written or visual product based on the writing prompt.
You can find the Halloween Creative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
All the abovementioned holiday writing ideas use the R.A.F.T. format, but your holiday writing doesn’t have to stick to the same format.
Why Not Try Some Narrative Writing?
This 12-lesson unit is structured to guide your students through crafting a short story they will love to write and share with their peers. This resource is designed to guide students through the exciting process of crafting engaging narratives that help them build creativity, critical thinking, and literary skills.
Lesson Overview
- Lesson 1 – What is Narrative Writing?
- Lesson 2 – Narrative Brainstorming
- Lesson 3 – Character Sketch
- Lesson 4 – Writing a Narrative Exposition (Hook)
- Lesson 5 – Plot Sequencing: Rising Action & Climax
- Lesson 6 – Narrative Endings: Falling Action & Resolution
- Lesson 7 – Revising and Editing Stations
- Lesson 8 – Publishing Days
- Lesson 9 – Celebration Day
- Bonus #1 – Adding Dialogue
- Bonus #2 – Adding Details and Imagery
- Bonus #3 – Adding Figurative Language
Have students brainstorm ideas to tie their narrative writing into holiday themes to fit their writing style and the holidays they love to celebrate.
You can find the Middle School Narrative Writing Unit on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
What do your pets think about the holidays? Students can use this Pet Memes Narrative Writing Assignment to write a holiday meme about their favourite pets.
Adding witty captions to photos of adorable pets, students will tap into their sense of humour while learning the art of concise storytelling. Students can then dive into their storytelling skills and write a day in the life of their pets. Maybe their dog wakes up on Christmas morning? Or maybe their cat attends the Holi Festival of Lights?
You can find the Pet Memes Narrative Writing Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
The possibilities for holiday writing ideas really are endless. Remember to make holiday writing inclusive and ask students to write about their favourite family tradition, create a fictional holiday, or challenge them to write about a universal theme, such as gratitude, joy, or kindness.
Holiday writing ideas don’t have to be about just one specific holiday, nor do they have to fall during a specific time of year. Instead, they can be an activity you bring out throughout the year to help students hone their writing skills and continue to build their creativity.
For more writing ideas:
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