What better way to make a lesson on describing characters an instant hit than by using Santa Claus as the main character! If you’re looking for a fun and meaningful way to bring Christmas magic into your classroom, this Santa Claus classroom activity is perfect for your elementary students. But first, we need the perfect Santa book.
I recently visited a first-grade class to read and knew that When Santa Was a Baby by Linda Bailey would be the perfect story to practice describing characters—specifically, Santa himself!
Paired with a describing characters in a story activity, plus drawing and writing exercise, this hands-on lesson kept students engaged from start to finish. By the end, they were confidently using adjectives to describe Santa throughout the story.
Lesson Prep and Purpose
Before diving into the read-aloud, I prepped one special “gift” for the class. I wrapped a box in festive paper and tied it with a big striped bow. Inside, I placed a simple treat—candy canes!
The purpose behind the gift was to build anticipation and help students focus during the story. I told them they could open the package only if they used their listening ears to learn all about Santa and help describe him as we read.
This small detail added excitement to the lesson and gave students a clear goal: listen carefully and think of words that describe Santa at different points in his life.
Before-Reading Letter and Story Goals
Before opening the book, I shared a letter “from Santa” with the class. The letter encouraged students to listen closely and be ready to describe him.
This introduction gave our read-aloud a purpose—students weren’t just listening to a Christmas story; they were on a mission to discover what kind of person Santa is and how he changes throughout his life.
Reading When Santa Was a Baby and Describing Santa
As we read When Santa Was a Baby, we paused throughout the story to describe Santa during the different stages of his life. Students shared adjectives like friendly, giving, creative, loud, and kind.
Each time they described Santa, we added their words to colorful circles. You can write these adjectives on an anchor chart, the board, or directly onto the wrapped gift—it’s a fun, visual way to track their thinking!
After we finished reading, the big moment arrived—the class opened the gift together and discovered the candy canes inside! It was such a joyful ending to the lesson and reinforced the idea that listening closely and working together can lead to a sweet reward.
Drawing and Describing Santa
To wrap up the activity (pun intended!), students drew a picture of Santa and surrounded him with adjectives that describe his character.
I used circle stickers for the words, but you could just as easily have students write directly around their drawing. This extension activity gave students a chance to show comprehension in a creative way while practicing descriptive writing.
Benefit to Your Classroom
This When Santa Was a Baby read-aloud lesson combines reading comprehension, character traits, and a touch of Christmas fun. It encourages students to:
- Listen carefully to details in the story
- Use adjectives to describe a character
- Work together as a class
- Enjoy a hands-on, festive experience
If you’re looking for an engaging Santa Claus classroom activity for December, this one is sure to bring joy, laughter, and meaningful learning to your students!
