Teaching Ideas for Best Christmas Ever

Enjoy this festive animated short and try a variety of follow-up activities with your children!

If you have any other suggestions, share them in the comments below.

English:

• Stop the video at 0:05 and write a description of the setting.
• Write your own Christmas list.
• Stop the video at 2:10 and ask the children to predict what Molly will put on her Christmas list. Encourage them to explain their reasoning.
• Read this press release and make a list of the adjectives used. Why have they been chosen? What feeling is this text trying to create in the reader? Can you write your own press release?
• Read this interview with the director Taika Waititi. What questions would you ask him? Has reading it changed your ideas or feelings about the film?
• Stop at 0:31 and collect vocabulary to describe the family’s emotions.
• Write a diary entry from Molly’s viewpoint.
• Collect vocabulary to describe Doodle.
• Write the story of the video.
• Write a thank-you note from Molly to Santa.
• Write a social media post about an event from the video.
• Write a dialogue between Molly and Doodle. What do you think Doodle would say if he could?
• Discuss how the doodle character would be different if they were missing a different body part. What impact would it have? Why do you think the mouth was chosen?
• Make a list of how often Molly’s doodling features in the video. What is the effect of this?

Science:

• Learn about the science behind the teacup ride.
• Try a simple demonstration of centripetal force.
• Discuss how the weather in different seasons impacts our activities. Younger children will enjoy this simple matching activity from the BBC.

Computing:

• Use a digital art package to create your own doodle character.
• Program a simple animated doodle in Scratch Jr.

Design Technology:

• Create a pop-up card Christmas card.
• Look at a range of gift bags, boxes, wrapping paper, etc. What are the properties of each, which is best suited for what type of gift?
• Design a new Disney ride for a theme park.
• Design a Christmas decoration for a specific place in a home, such as the mantlepiece or the bannisters.

Art:

• Create your own doodle character.
• Make your own Doodle Cubes.
• Read this article from Tate Kids about doodling in art.

Music:

• Sing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”.

• Learn the words and tune of Deck the Halls:

Geography:

• Mark the location of the Disney Parks and Resorts on a world map.

History:

• Make a list of Christmas traditions, like carol singing, and challenge the children to research how they began.

Physical Education:

• Set up a relay race where children have to carry a wrapped gift instead of a baton.

Languages:

• Learn Christmas vocabulary in a foreign language.

PSHE:

• Use this information from the NHS to create a leaflet or poster showing how to clean your teeth.
• Stop the video at 1:35. Why does Doodle run away? How is he feeling?
• This video supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Find out more about their work.
• Try using doodles to express your feelings.
• Stop the video at 1:12. What is Molly doing to help Doodle? What have people done to help you? What have you done to help other people?
• Stop the video at 1:32. Why do the carol singers react like that?