Elf Christmas Gifts Math & Literacy Activities | Numbers, Colors, Vocabulary Games & Worksheets

 This resource is included in The Birthday Unit: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Birthday-Unit-for-Elementary-ESL-5279726

Bring Christmas joy into your classroom with this fun Elf & Gift themed activity pack! This resource includes flashcards, board games, matching mats, worksheets, color activities, number games (1–20), writing prompts, sentence building, reading and coloring pages, and hands-on printable centers. Perfect for kindergarten and elementary ELL/ESL learners to practice vocabulary, numbers, colors, and simple sentences through play-based learning. Easy to prep — just print, cut, and teach!

Repeat After Me Echo Game.
Teacher shows a flashcard → students repeat like whispering elves.

Teacher: He’s an ELF! He has a gift.

Teacher: What color is the gift?

Students: It’s blue and red.

Slap the small Card
I spread the small cards on the carpet and called out a word. The students listened carefully and quickly slapped or touched the matching card. It’s a perfect way to review Christmas words and build listening skills.

Elf Delivery Relay-feed me box
I spread the elf cards on the floor and gave the students a challenge — choose a card, say the vocabulary word out loud, and “deliver” it to the Feed-Me Gift Box. The repetition helped reinforce new vocabulary naturally through play.

Elf Sentences – Simple Writing Practice for Young Learners

In this activity, students used the elf flashcards to build and write simple sentences using the frame “The elf has a ___.” Each child chose a card, identified the gift the elf was holding, and completed the sentence on their paper.

📝 Printables worksheets.

Read & Color – Christmas Elf Gifts Worksheet

It is perfect for practicing reading comprehension and color vocabulary in a fun Christmas theme. Students read each sentence, identify the colors, and then color the elf’s gift to match.

Christmas Gift Color Worksheet

Students color each gift according to the label, reinforcing word recognition. It’s a quick printable that works beautifully for centers, morning work, or a warm-up lesson during the holiday season!

What's Inside the Gift? Creative Writing & Coloring Activity

Inside the big Christmas present, students will draw gifts. Children then complete short sentences such as “The gift has a bike.” or “The gift has a game and a shirt.”

Number Word Gift Coloring Game – Turn, Read & Color!

Review number words 1 to 10 during Christmas lessons! Students turn over a gift card from the deck, read the number word, and then color the matching present on the sleigh. Each turn keeps students excited, because they never know which number they’ll get next!

It’s perfect for practicing number word recognition (one–ten), counting, and fine motor skills — plus it works beautifully as a center game, small-group rotation, or partner activity.

Number & Gift Match Game

In this Christmas math matching game, students turn over a card and find the gift pile with the same number. They can match number form, number word, or gift pictures depending on the card they draw. It’s a fun and hands-on way to practice numbers 1–20 while building memory, recognition, and counting skills. Perfect for centers, partner play, early finishers, or small groups during the holiday season!

Color Matching Christmas Gifts Game

For this activity, students match each color word card to the present with the same color bow and wrapping. They take turns choosing a card, reading the color, and placing it on the correct gift.

Christmas Numbers Board Game – Fun Math Practice for Young Learners

This festive board game is a wonderful way to practice number recognition, counting, and speaking skills. Children roll a die, move along the colorful path, and read each number they land on aloud. As they play, they record the numbers they land on using the matching worksheet. This adds a meaningful writing component.

The game works perfectly for pairs or small groups.

Birthday Unit and Face vocabulary ESL resource — printable flashcards, speaking & writing activities to teach face parts and birthday words for elementary learners is part of the complete pack. Go to the blog post: https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/11/birthday-monsters-activity-pack-esl.html

Follow me on Instagram for creative activities, freebies, classroom tips, and exclusive sneak peeks of my teaching resources! Find hands-on games and activities for young learners, here: https://www.instagram.com/rosamelia_eslteacher/

 

Birthday Monsters Activity Pack | ESL

 This resource(Birthday Monsters Activity Pack — ESL Board Games, Flashcards & Worksheets for Kids) is included in The Birthday Unit: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Birthday-Unit-for-Elementary-ESL-5279726

Using Birthday Monsters to review birthday vocabulary is an engaging and effective way to strengthen language skills in young English language learners. The colorful monsters holding or interacting with birthday items give students clear visual cues to supports comprehension.This pack is ready-to-print.

As children look at each monster flashcard, they can point and say, “This monster is yellow and so on.

The teacher can hold a card and ask questions:  Who is he?

Students: He is yellow Monster.
Teacher: What does he have?
Students: He has a blue candle and a pink party hat.

Guess the Birthday Item! Envelope Game. Place the birthday small cards inside an envelope, leaving only the top part of each card showing. Students look at the small visible section and try to guess what birthday item it is. Students can respond using simple sentences, such as:
“Yes! It’s a present!”
or
“Oh, no, it isn’t a candle. It’s a cupcake!”

Identify the colors of the party objects. Place several monsters on the board and say a color: Yellow Monster!
Students name what he has: a blue candle.
Name a birthday object: party hat!
Students name which ones have that object: blue Monster, Purple Monster, Pink Monster, yellow Monster.

Matching Game on the Board. Play a matching game using the small cards included in this resource. Write several simple sentences on the board, such as “The monster has a present,” “The monster is yellow,” or “The monster has balloons.”

Students read each sentence and place the correct small card under the matching sentence.

Color & Read Worksheet.  Students read simple sentences and color the correct monster.

Match the Sentence to the Monster. Students draw lines to connect sentences to the correct monster image.

Write the Missing Word. Mini sentences with a blank space.

Draw the Birthday Items.

Color the Correct Birthday Items and answer the questions.

Birthday Monsters Board Game. Students take turns moving their party hat token along the path of Birthday Monsters until they reach the finish balloon. On each turn, students draw a question card and answer it before moving. Cards ask about monster colors, birthday items, body parts, and more!

Students each receive a Bingo strip with 8 images. The teacher uses the calling mat to call out items. Students mark the pictures they hear. The first to cover all 8 pictures says “Bingo!”.

Feed-Me Cupcake Box Activity

Use the bingo strips as cut-apart picture cards for this fun speaking activity! Students cut out their small cards and “feed” them to the Cupcake Box one at a time while describing each picture. Students choose a card, hold it up, and say a complete sentence before feeding it into the cupcake’s mouth.

Discover engaging, creative, and effective resources designed specifically for English Language Learners! The resources are ready-to-use lesson plans and activities, just here:

 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Holistic-English-Resources-By-Rosa-Amelia

Birthday Numbers 1 to 20 for Elementary ELLs

 This resource (Birthday Numbers 1–20 — Printable Numbers & Birthday Activities for Elementary ELL) is included in The Birthday Unit: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Birthday-Unit-for-Elementary-ESL-5279726

Mastery of number words and symbols enables ELLs to follow lessons confidently. They need to understand, say, and respond to numbers in classroom instructions. Adaptable for lower and higher elementary students. Ready-to-print PDF — ideal for immediate classroom use (no complicated setup).

Printable Number Cards (1–20)

There are two sets—number flashcards with balloons and balloon clipart for counting. They are perfect to build number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, and oral language skills for your ELLs.

Use the printable flashcards for the students recognize and name numbers 1 to 20. They can match the numeral to the balloon bunch card.

Number Recognition & Flashcard Drill. The flash cards are great for scaffolded language practice: “How many balloons?” “There are sixteen.”

Have several students grab a flashcard to say their age: I am eleven years old. 

Practice pronunciation of the numbers in English.

Small cards for recognizing and read numbers from 1 to 20 confidently. 

Just cut the word off all the twenty cards and have the students play matching these to the numeral.

Speaking/writing activities. They can say the the number word using the small cards and write it.

Worksheets

Read and Color the Number" birthday baloons worksheets. Color the correct number of balloons or shapes using your favorite colors.

Reading number words to match to the numeral will help remember these high-frequency words.

Students will listen about the numbers and color accordingly, increasing vocabulary. Then, write the color of each balloon.

Students connect number words to quantity, reinforcing counting skills from 1 to 20.

Games

Number Bingo boards. Use the number flashcards as bingo callers. Students fill in each bingo board with the numbers 1 to 20, but writing only five numbers in each. First to match 5 gets to say all their numbers aloud!

Birthday-themed activities and games.

Matching mats. Cut cards and laminate them for durability. Store number cards in an envelope labeled “Birthday Numbers 1–20”.

 Lay all three sets of cards face up on the table or in a pocket chart. Ask students to pick one numeral card, then find the matching balloon bunch and number word. Once matched, they can say the full sentence: “I see sixteen balloons. This is the number 16. It says sixteen.”

Another use for the mats is to cut all the number words and place in random order in a book ring, Students can color the balloons numbers as they see on the card.

Several spaces on the game board have a number balloon (1–20). Students roll a die and move forward. If they land on a balloon, they must say the number. There is an optional small board game to color the number word.

Birthday Worksheets.Go to this blog post:    https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2024/09/this-resource-is-included-in-birthday.html

Visit my blog, EFL Preschool Teachers, where you’ll find fun lessons, printable materials, and inspiration to make your classroom shine! 🧩📚CLICK: https://eflpreschoolteachers.blogspot.com/

“Boost Language Skills with Board Games: Fun & Effective ESL Activities”

Here is the link to the complete resource:   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Board-games-for-Elementary-English-Language-Learners-11333780

Find a variety of themed board games perfect for practicing vocabulary, sentence structures, speaking, and listening skills—all while playing!

Board games give students a chance to hear, use, and repeat key vocabulary and sentence structures in a natural, purposeful way. Whether they're counting spaces, asking questions, or making choices, students are communicating with a clear purpose.

Most of the games includes:

Color coded Question Cards with the color of the spot landed on, that students must answer a question correctly to take their turn and advance. The question cards provide purposeful language practice.

Color coded Tokens to reward points to students who answer questions correctly. These can be used to keep track of points.

Markers (player pieces) that students use to move along the board path. Just cut and fold and glue on the upper part of each one.

Parents can participate in their child's learning by playing the game and supporting language development. Send the PLAYGROUND BOARD GAME home.

Achieving goals within the FRUIT AND VEGETABLE board game, such as reaching the finish line or earning points, reinforces students' learning progress.

BIRTHDAY UNIT board game can be adapted to suit different learning levels or individual student needs, allowing for differentiation in instruction.

Teachers can observe students during games to assess vocabulary, PRESENT CONTINUOUS grammar, and communication skills.

Students interact with their peers during gameplay, promoting social interaction and collaboration during the FURNITURE BOARD GAME.

This board game for the Grammar: CAN, involves strategic thinking and problem-solving. Students need to plan their moves, make decisions, and adapt their strategies during the game, fostering critical thinking skills.

Board games create situations where students use CLOTHES UNIT language in context.

Players practice descriptive language skills as they describe the ZOO animals they encounter on the game board.

The objective of the game is to navigate through the various spaces on the game board, learning and practicing vocabulary related to different PARTS OF THE BODY.

All the board games are part of all the units Elementary English Language learners teaching Units-Discover BUNDLE at this link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elementary-English-Language-learners-teaching-Units-Discover-BUNDLE-12982247

There are more board games included in the resource, go to the blog post and see which ones you would like to have:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2024/03/board-games-for-elementary-english.html

Find more creative ideas and engaging resources for teaching young learners, visit my blog for preschool teachers here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/26091497243

There are practical activities, tips, and resources designed to make learning fun and effective for little ones!