Fun December Writing Prompts for Kids

Festive Writing Prompts for Kids that Keep Students Engaged All Month Long

There’s something almost magical about December in a primary classroom. The air seems to hum with anticipation, children’s eyes light up at twinkling decorations, and every conversation somehow circles back to Christmas, presents, or what might be happening at the North Pole. It’s wonderful and it can also make focusing on regular schoolwork feel a bit like herding cats. That’s exactly why these fun December writing prompts for kids have become a lifesaver for so many teachers. Instead of fighting against all that seasonal excitement, these writing prompts lean right into it. When students get to write about helping an elf, or decorating a gingerbread house, suddenly picking up a pencil doesn’t feel like a chore anymore. And while they’re lost in the joy of imagining reindeer adventures or designing an ugly Christmas sweater, they’re quietly building sentence structure, expanding vocabulary, and learning to organize their thoughts on paper.

The best part? These ready-to-print pages require absolutely no preparation. During one of the busiest, most exhausting months of the school year, that’s not just convenient – it feels like a small miracle.

Why these Fun December Writing Prompts for Kids Work

Here’s the thing every teacher discovers sooner or later: young writers do their best work when they actually care about what they’re writing. And in December, children are practically bursting with things they want to say. They want to describe their Christmas tree, share their holiday traditions, and explain exactly what they hope to find under the tree. When a writing prompt taps into these natural interests, the whole dynamic shifts – writing stops feeling like an assignment and starts feeling like a chance to tell someone something important.

These seasonal prompts also fit beautifully with what research tells us about good writing instruction. The strongest writing happens when students have time to think, talk through their ideas, and sketch out their thoughts before putting pencil to paper. Christmas writing topics naturally invite this kind of preparation. A child might chat with a friend about their favorite Christmas memory, draw a quick picture of Santa, or make a list of hot cocoa ingredients before even starting to write sentences. All that thinking and planning makes the actual writing so much smoother and way less frustrating for everyone involved.

Teacher Tip: Try reading a holiday picture book or winter story before introducing a journal prompt. You’ll be amazed at how the vocabulary and details from the story start showing up in student writing.

Printable December Writing Prompts for Kids Packet

This collection brings together all the magic and wonder of the month of December in daily writing prompts that kindergarteners and first graders genuinely get excited about. From adventures at Santa’s workshop to quiet moments on Christmas Eve, each prompt gives young writers something real and meaningful to explore while building writing skills that’ll stick with them long after the decorations come down.

Why These December Writing Prompts for Kids Work So Well for Daily Writing

Let’s be honest, December is absolute chaos. Between concerts, parties, assemblies, and those increasingly shortened schedules as winter break approaches, finding time for meaningful instruction can feel nearly impossible. These writing prompts for December were created with that reality in mind. They’re engaging enough that students actually stay focused (no small feat in December!), yet simple enough that you can pull them out at a moment’s notice without any prep work or stress.

• Perfect for Christmas Writing and the Holiday Season – These prompts tap into winter fun, holiday traditions, family celebrations, and all the things students are already thinking about anyway.
• No-Prep & Ready to Use – Seriously, just print and hand them out. This printable resource works beautifully for morning work, writing centers, or filling those unexpected free moments that pop up.
• Differentiated for All Learners – The open-ended prompts work for everyone from kindergarten through 5th grade, meeting students wherever they are as writers.
• Builds Confidence and Writing Stamina – Students practice writing with real purpose and gradually learn to add the kinds of descriptive details that bring their ideas to life.
• Flexible and Versatile – Use them as a monthly journal, early finisher activities, homework that parents actually enjoy helping with, or those emergency sub plans when you wake up sick.

December Writing Prompts Include

• Christmas Morning
• Santa and the North Pole
• Reindeer and Elf Adventures
• Gingerbread House
• Gingerbread Man
• Snowman
• Snowflake
• Holiday Traditions
• Christmas Tree
• Christmas Sweater (design an ugly Christmas sweater!)
• Giving and Wrapping Gifts
• Christmas Eve
• Snow Globe
• The Polar Express
• Summer Christmas (exploring how celebrations differ around the world)
• New Year’s Eve

Skills Students Will Develop Through the Creative Writing Prompts

While students are happily writing about elves and snowflakes, something really important is happening beneath the surface. They’re building a whole range of literacy and writing skills that will serve them well beyond December – and honestly, beyond elementary school:

• Sentence structure and mechanics – Students practice the basics like starting sentences with capital letters, using punctuation, and writing complete thoughts that actually make sense.
• Vocabulary development – Seasonal topics naturally introduce rich, descriptive words like “traditions,” “decorations,” “celebrate,” and “sparkle” that kids might not use in everyday conversation.
• Fine motor skills – All that writing practice strengthens the small muscles in their hands, which makes letter formation easier over time.
• Creative and descriptive writing – Students learn to paint pictures with words, adding the kinds of details that help readers really see what they’re imagining.
• Planning and organization – Drawing and talking before writing helps students to think through what they want to say and in what order to say it.
• Social-emotional connections – Reflecting on holiday traditions, giving to others, and favorite memories helps children process what truly matters to them.

Thoughtfully Differentiated Holiday Writing Prompts

Each writing prompt comes in two versions, which means you can support all your writers without creating mountains of extra work for yourself:

Picture Word Bank Version – Includes pictures alongside words in the word bank, a festive image to color, and space for students to draw their own illustration. This version is perfect for emerging writers and visual learners who really need that extra scaffold.

Word List Version – Features a template with written words only (no pictures), which is ideal for grade students who are ready to stretch themselves with more independence.

This simple differentiation means every single child in your classroom can feel successful with the same seasonal topics their classmates are writing about. Some students might need the picture version all month long, others might start there and gradually move to the word-only pages, and some might jump straight to the more independent option right from the start. The choice lets each child work at a level that feels challenging but not overwhelming.

Built-In Writing Checklist for Independence

Here’s something that makes a real difference: each printable December writing prompt includes a simple, student-friendly checklist that helps young writers remember the essentials. It’s remarkable how empowering this little tool can be. Instead of constantly raising their hands to ask “Did I do it right?” or “Is this good?” students can actually check their own work for capital letters, punctuation, and whether their sentences make sense.

Over time, something wonderful happens – children stop needing to look at the checklist at all because they’ve internalized those quality markers. They automatically start sentences with capitals and remember to add periods. It becomes second nature. This kind of independence is especially valuable during writing center time or independent work periods, when students need to solve problems on their own while you’re busy working with small groups or dealing with the inevitable December interruptions.

Daily Writing Routines That Work

Having a predictable routine helps students feel confident and secure, which is especially important during a month as unpredictable and overstimulating as December. Here’s a simple pattern that works beautifully with these daily prompts:

1. Introduce the prompt with a quick discussion or think-aloud (just a minute or two – nothing fancy)
2. Oral rehearsal – Students turn and talk to share their ideas with a partner
3. Sketch to plan – A quick drawing or brainstorm to get thoughts organized
4. Independent writing – Students write their sentences using whatever support they need from the writing templates
5. Share – Partner or whole-group sharing to celebrate everyone’s work

This whole process takes about 15-20 minutes, but it gives young writers the structure they need to be successful. That oral rehearsal step especially makes such a difference – when children hear themselves say a sentence out loud to a friend, they’re so much more likely to remember it when they go to write it down. It’s like the sentence gets “sticky” in their brain.

Fun December Writing: Creative Journal Prompt Ideas

Looking for some quick starters to try? Here are different writing prompts that seem to really spark kids’ imagination and get them talking:

• Would you rather help an elf wrap presents or a reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh? Why?
• Write a letter to Santa about an act of kindness you saw at school this week
• Design an ugly Christmas sweater for your teacher (this one always gets giggles and surprisingly creative designs!)
• Invent a brand new holiday cookie for cookie day – what’s in it?
• Plan a gingerbread village – who lives there and what do they do all day?
• Santa’s sleigh gets stuck in a giant snowflake – how does he escape?
• Make a list of your favorite Christmas activities and explain what makes them so special
• If you lived inside a snow globe, what would your world look like?
• Describe your favorite holiday tradition and why it matters to your family
• Help Santa’s elves wrap a special Christmas present for someone who needs cheering up
• Write a short poem about a holiday carol you love
• Imagine spending Christmas time at the North Pole – what would you see, hear, and smell?

These prompt ideas work wonderfully with the printable December Writing Prompts for Kids packet and can be used for morning messages, quick writes during those weird little transition times, or conversation starters during calendar time.

Teacher Favorite: The Ugly Christmas Sweater Writing Prompt

If there’s one writing prompt that consistently gets students giggling and completely engaged, it’s the ugly Christmas sweater writing prompt. There’s something absolutely delightful about watching even reluctant writers dive into this one with enthusiasm. Students get to describe their own outrageous ugly Christmas sweater with the option to draw their own designs complete with ridiculous patterns, silly decorations, and over-the-top colors.

What makes this prompt so successful? First, the drawing component gives every student a confident entry point. They sketch their wild sweater design first, which means they’ve already done the hard thinking work before they even start writing. Second, there’s no wrong answer – the uglier and more creative, the better! Kids who usually worry about “doing it right” suddenly feel free to be silly and imaginative.

The writing that comes out of this prompt is often surprisingly detailed. Students naturally want to explain why they chose flashing lights, or describe the dancing reindeer pattern, or tell you about the jingle bells they added to the sleeves. They’re practicing descriptive language without even realizing it because they’re too busy having fun. Plus, if you’re brave enough, you can wear your own ugly Christmas sweater on the day you introduce this prompt – instant engagement and a whole lot of laughter.

Easy Ways to Use This Resource for Writing Practice

These December writing prompts for kids slip easily into all sorts of different moments throughout the day, wherever there’s a spare pocket of time or a need for meaningful writing practice:

• Morning work routines as a daily journal while you’re taking attendance or dealing with morning announcements
• Literacy centers or writing stations where students can work independently
• Journal writing time during independent writing blocks
• Festive bulletin board displays that brighten hallways and make parents smile during conferences
• Holiday-themed lesson plans and seasonal units
• Early finisher activities for those students who always seem to finish ten minutes before everyone else
• Sub plans when you wake up sick and need something reliable and fun and engaging that actually works

Why Teachers Love These Fun December Writing Prompts

No prep: These printable writing pages are ready to give students meaningful work. Honestly, just print and go. No laminating, no cutting, no spending your Sunday afternoon getting ready for daily writing.

Flexible: Works equally well for centers, early finishers, sub plans, or a December journal that students can take home and share with families.

Differentiated: The open-ended prompts and writing templates help students to write at their own level while still supporting emergent writers and challenging growing authors.

Engaging: Seasonal topics feel festive and fun, so kids actually stay excited about writing and students will love sharing their work with each other and with you.

What’s Included

• Daily writing prompts for the entire month (so you’re covered all the way to winter break)
• Picture word banks, coloring pictures, and writing checklists.
• Themes covering everything: Santa’s workshop, Santa’s helpers, gingerbread house, gingerbread man, reindeer, holiday traditions, favorite holiday, decorate a Christmas tree, New Year’s Eve, and more
• Can be used for a variety of writing activities including students write a letter, write a list, or write a short story

Ready to Get Your Students Writing This Month?

December doesn’t have to mean putting writing instruction on hold or just surviving until winter break. With prompts that celebrate what students are already thinking about and excited about, writing time can actually remain one of the most engaging and peaceful parts of your day. Whether children are describing what happens at Santa’s workshop, sharing favorite Christmas memories, or imagining snowy adventures, each writing session helps them grow into more confident, capable writers.

The beauty of seasonal writing is that it meets students exactly where they are – right in the middle of all that winter wonder, holiday anticipation, and special December magic that makes everything feel possible. These December Writing Prompts for Kids will help your students discover genuine joy in putting their thoughts on paper while building essential literacy skills that’ll serve them all year long.