It’s that time a year again! The lights and decorations are up, music is playing and there is a festive spirit in the air!  Yes, the holidays are in full swing.

It can also be an insanely busy time in our schools and our personal lives which can lead to stress.  There is so much to do. We need to give students a reason to come to school every day as well as a place that helps eliminate some of the holiday stress rather than add to it.

Here are eight activity ideas you can easily incorporate into your seasonal cheer.

Holiday Cookies:  Have students decorate holiday cookies and create a color wheel at the same time.  Challenge them to get as creative as possible.

Salon Ginger Bread House: Rather than a traditional Ginger Bread House, how about building a Ginger Bread Salon.  Have clients vote on their favorites.

Holiday Fashion Through the Decades:  Have students pick any decade they wish (40’s through the ’90s) and have them come to school that day as if they were attending a Holiday Party in that decade.  They should dress and do their hair, makeup and nails as if they were celebrating in that decade!

Ugly Sweater Day:  Pick a day that everyone shows up in their favorite ugly sweater.

Nightmare Before Christmas:  Have students create a “hair disaster on a manikin head”, then have them exchange manikin heads and fix the hair nightmare.

Holiday’s Around the World: Celebrate diversity in your school by having a potluck that celebrates the season in other parts of the world.  Students can bring decorations, drinks (non-alcoholic obviously!), and food from different countries.

Give Back to the Community: Pick a cause and have a coat drive, food drive or toy drive.  Have clients bring in a toy, coat or canned good and receive a free haircut or discount off another service.

Grinch Party: If everyone is simply over the holidays, have a Grinch Party.  Escape the holidays for one day and remove the holiday cheer.  Order pizza.  Get rid of the Christmas music.

I would love to see what all you do.  Be sure to post pictures of all your holiday cheer.

Happy Holidays!