Festive Computing Activities for the Classroom

So, Christmas is coming and what better way to bring a bit of holiday spirit than to add a bit of sparkle to your computing lessons. Here are three festive activities that not only bring the fun but also enhance their computing skills.

1. Create a Festive Animation

There are many ways to create a digital animation from stop motion to moving vectors. Why not try using a platform like Scratch to design and animate a holiday scene. By programming snowflakes to fall randomly or lights to twinkle one after the other, pupils can practise using sequence, repetition and selection to generate their desired outcomes. Add in a timer or a snowflake count and you could use it to introduce variables too.

2. Design a Digital [insert idea here!]

You can use a whole range of various software or online tools to create digital artefacts. Anything from cards and school disco posters to adverts for new Christmas films or book. The key here is to work on the document for more than one lesson. It’s really dull and often tricky to teach and drill the skills of saving and file retrieval adding the motivation to go back and modify the candy canes on the leaflet might just help.

3. Program a Festive Micro:bit Project

For a more hands-on activity, students can program a festive project using a Micro:bit. Maybe try
• creating a digital countdown to Christmas,
• writing a flashing holiday message,
• making a simple game – perhaps ‘Stack the Sleigh’ in the style of Tetris
A great way to bring the festive spirit into the classroom while teaching valuable programming skills.

By incorporating these festive activities into your computing lessons, you can make learning more enjoyable and relevant during the holiday season. These projects not only engage students but also help them develop important computing skills. So, why not bring some festive cheer into your classroom this year?