Our 12 Days of Christmas School

Every December, our homeschool shifts into what I like to call “Festive Efficiency Mode.” We’re still doing the important things like math, language arts, and our science co-op. But with three weeks until holiday break and four school days per week, we’ve officially entered our 12 Days of Christmas School.

And honestly? It’s shaping up to be one of my favorite years yet.

Christmas Around the World, Our Mini Tour

We’re doing the Gather ‘Round Christmas Around the World unit… or at least the parts that I won’t lose my mind trying to cram in. I picked six countries, two per week, to taste, touch, and learn from. It’s the perfect amount of festive culture without tipping us into international-studies-during-December chaos. There are a good amount of crafts/recipes/books that go along with that.

Advent: Tiny Theologians + Jesse Tree

Each morning we’re listening to the Tiny Theologians Advent podcast, which is short, sweet, and actually theologically rich. We’re pairing it with some free printable Jesse Tree ornaments I found online and printed at home—my favorite price point.

Reading Together

We’re also reading one chapter of Luke each day. The girls and I journal as we go, and I give them a simple assigned question that connects to what we just read. It keeps us grounded and slows down the whirlwind a little, like anchoring December to something eternal.

Our Christmas themed read-aloud this year is Nancy and Plum by Betty MacDonald.

To work our way through the picture books I’ve lovingly collected over the years, I wrote down the titles on small slips of paper and tucked them into a cup. Every morning, we draw a title and read it together.

Our Christmas Craft Buffet

I have… perhaps gotten slightly carried away with crafts this year. (But in December, is there even such a thing?)

Here’s what’s on our list:

Candle making
Turning interesting recycled trash into ornaments (my personal favorite category of art: “Look, I saved this from the trash, now glue something to it!”)
Air-dry clay beads
Pipe-cleaner + bead ornaments
A few watercolor tutorials
Christmas card-making

All sprinkled in here and there, like glitter you find under the table until February.

Festive Extras

The girls are practicing a few Christmas piano songs, which feels charming in the morning and slightly chaotic at 4 p.m.
We’re doing a toy and book clean-out to gather donations, because generosity is a muscle, and December is a great time to flex it.
We’re hosting a gingerbread decorating party, so I’m blocking off that day as full “Gingerbread Curriculum.” (Math? Yes. It’s called “don’t let the roof slide off your house.”)
We also have our Science Co-op Christmas Party, which will probably involve at least one experiment I regret but the kids cheer for.

A Nutcracker Finish

We’ll wrap up our term with The Nutcracker and a little Nutcracker Tea Party, a soft landing into Christmas break, the kind that feels whimsical and intentional and just right.

Tis the Season…

It’s a fun season.
It’s a busy season.
And let’s be honest, it’s sometimes a trying one. Prayers all around

But weaving beauty and rhythm into December is one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. These 12 days of Christmas School aren’t perfect, but they feel like us: learning, creating, worshiping, celebrating, and doing our best to hold onto peace in the middle of all the merry chaos.

And that, to me, feels like a pretty good way to welcome Christmas.