18 Teacher Holiday Prep Ideas You Can Do Now to Make the Holidays Easier
December is always jam-packed, especially for teachers. From attending special events, wrangling gifts, to decorating at school and at home… there’s always something to throw us off our normal routines!
Of course, I love it all, but it can also be so overwhelming! Add in the kids’ pre-Santa excitement, and you know you’re going to be stressed out.
However, a little prep work in October or early November can help make the holiday season feel more manageable – and a lot more joyful!
Whether you have just two minutes or a whole afternoon, here are some simple teacher holiday prep ideas for you to try.
Five-Minute Wins
Checking off some quick tasks now can save you from holiday stress later. Here are some ideas for you:
Find an empty bin and label it “December”. You can start stashing prepped materials in it. You may also want to create a fresh digital folder on your computer for resources you decide to use this year.
Clear your December calendar. You know special events and a long to-do list are going to fill your days. So try to reschedule any routine appointments to November or January – the dentist and mechanic can wait!
Choose one December activity for your must-do list. Take five minutes to pick one high priority that you don’t want to miss and jot it down. It’ll be waiting for you when you sit down later to make a full plan.
Add some holiday activities to your sub folder. Consider these gingerbread man story hats along with the matching book, or another high-engagement easy-to-manage resource.
Take inventory and restock. Do you have plenty of red and green markers, paint, etc.? Restock everyday supplies now so you aren’t caught running to a busy store in December.
Declutter your teacher desk or small group area for a calmer workspace.
Half-Hour Helpers
When you have a larger chunk of time available, here are some more teacher holiday prep tasks that you can accomplish early:
Pull together your December read-alouds. Figure out what you have, what you want to buy, and what you can request from the library. You can click on these lists for inspiration:
Draft your December parent communications. Pull up everything you sent out last year and create fresh versions to update for this year.
Make or find a playlist of calm holiday songs that you can play when the kids (or you) need something to lower the energy level.
Record yourself reading a winter story. That gives you a ready-made activity when you need a breather. Make it special by bringing your students’ names into it with short asides.
Print, laminate, and cut out winter center activities. These can be relaxing to cut out in front of the TV if you’re not in a hurry.
Kickstart your plans with a bundle. Our Holiday Helpers bundle has lots of easy-prep activities for December and even January. These are organized to make your holiday planning easier.
Make a December “short week” plan: make a list of activities you can pull out when attendance dips or time gets chopped up by assemblies.
Go ahead and write out parent volunteer thank-you notes, and start shopping for small gifts for them if that’s something you think you’ll do.
Teacher Holiday Prep at Home Too
Plan a little care for yourself, too. Here are some ideas:
Plan some outfits: I’m not that into clothes shopping, and sometimes the holidays catch me unprepared. You too? Take stock now with an eye towards your calendar to avoid undue stress later.
Prepare for the worst: make sure you have plenty of cold medicine and tissues on hand at home. Also, stock up on the soups and teas you like when you (inevitably) have a cold.
Fill your freezer: double your recipes a few times this month and freeze the extra. That way, you’ll have some quick meals ready to grab in December.
Add to your grocery list. Fill your secret classroom stash with healthy-ish snacks, such as pretzels, almonds, or popcorn. That way, you can more easily resist all the tempting treats that show up in December.
Happy Holidays!