Christmas Phonics Printable – Working on letters c, k, e, h, and r

Sneak in some Christmas phonics with these free printable Christmas phonics activities! This Christmas cut and paste helps kindergarten students work on identifying letters c, k, e, h, and r at the beginning of words. You will love this fun Christmas activities for kindergarten to make December both fun and educational!

Christmas phonics

As the holiday season rolls in, kids’ excitement skyrockets, which can make focusing on learning a bit of a challenge. But here’s a little trick: why not bring the holiday spirit into phonics lessons? One of my favorite ways to keep kids engaged and learning during this time of year is through Christmas-themed activities. And I’ve got a fun printable that’s perfect for teaching alphabet sounds in an interactive, holiday-inspired way!

This printable book features Santa and his shopping cart, with a letter order focus on C, K, E, H, and R. Kids read a prompt, match an image with the right letter sound, and place it into Santa’s trolley. It’s engaging, seasonal, and designed for different skill levels, with two versions included to make it accessible for special needs kids, too.

Christmas phonics activities

Christmas-themed activities aren’t just fun—they’re a great way to keep kids interested while sneaking in some solid phonics practice. Learning letter sounds can be tricky, especially if kids feel like they’re just being drilled on phonics. A festive activity like Santa’s shopping cart printable changes things up and makes it feel more like play. Here’s how you can make the most out of it:

1. Capture Their Attention with a Story: Start by telling a quick story about Santa on a holiday shopping spree. You might say, “Santa’s at the store, and he needs our help finding items that start with C, K, E, H, and R. Can you help him fill his cart?”
2. Make Learning Hands-On: This activity is interactive, which helps kids engage with letter sounds. Instead of passively repeating sounds, they’re actually making connections between sounds and images by “shopping” for the items Santa needs.
3. Offer Choices for Different Needs: For younger learners or special needs kids, there’s a simpler version that lets them match letters with just a couple of choices, while older or more advanced learners can work with a wider variety of images. This helps keep the activity fun but still challenging.

With this printable, kids practice recognizing sounds in a structured yet enjoyable way. It makes learning letter sounds feel like an adventure—perfect for the holiday season!

Christmas cut and paste

Ready to try out this printable? Here’s a quick guide to setting it up and using it effectively in your classroom or at home:

1. Print and Prep the Materials

Start by printing the Santa and shopping cart pages. There are individual images for each letter sound (C, K, E, H, and R) that kids can cut out and place in Santa’s cart.

Pro tip: If you’re using this in a classroom, you might want to laminate the pieces so they last longer. Laminated pieces can also be attached to Velcro dots on Santa’s cart for easy placement and removal.

2. Introduce the Letters and Sounds

Go over the letters with the kids, focusing on the sounds they make. For example, “This is the letter C. C says /k/ like in ‘cat’ or ‘cake.’” Then, point out the images associated with each letter in the printable, making sure kids can connect the sounds with the correct pictures.

3. Play “Santa’s Helper”

Now comes the fun part! Explain that they’re Santa’s helpers, and they need to “shop” for items starting with each letter sound. They’ll pick out an image, identify its starting sound, and place it in Santa’s cart if it matches the letter sound. For example, if they’re focusing on the letter H, they might place a picture of a “hat” or a “horse” in the cart.

For younger or special needs kids, use the version with fewer choices, so they have an easier time focusing on each sound. This ensures everyone can succeed and have fun.

4. Reinforce with Repetition

Have kids repeat the sounds and the images each time they place an item in the cart. “H is for hat. I’m putting the hat in Santa’s cart.” This repetition helps reinforce their sound recognition.

Christmas activities for kindergarten

If your students are ready for more or if you want to extend the lesson beyond the printable, here are some fun, easy-to-set-up ideas to try out:

1. Holiday Sound Hunt

Give each child a small bag and ask them to go on a “sound hunt” around the classroom or home. Can they find items that start with C, K, E, H, and R? This gets them moving and allows them to apply what they’ve learned about letter sounds in a real-world setting. It’s a great reinforcement activity and gives them a fun break from sitting.

2. Sound Sorting Game

Set up a sorting game where they categorize objects or picture cards into groups based on their initial sound. For instance, you could have a “C corner,” “K corner,” and so on, and kids can place items in the correct section. This can also be done on a big poster with sections labeled with each letter.

3. Create a Santa Sound Book

If they loved filling Santa’s cart, take it a step further by having each child create a “Santa Sound Book.” They can cut out pictures from old magazines, find small objects, or draw items that start with each sound. Then, let them glue these into their “sound book” to review whenever they like. This book becomes a keepsake and a fantastic review tool for alphabet phonics practice.

4. “I Spy” with Initial Sounds

Play a game of “I Spy” using the target sounds. For example, say, “I spy something that starts with ‘H.’” Kids can look around and try to guess. You can play this indoors or outdoors, and it helps reinforce sound recognition through a classic game format.

Why This Christmas Phonics Activity Works

This Santa-themed phonics printable taps into kids’ natural excitement for Christmas while keeping them focused on learning. It’s hands-on, interactive, and adaptable, making it an excellent choice for different learning levels. The festive theme creates an inviting atmosphere for phonics practice, and the flexibility lets you use it as a quick lesson, a center activity, or even part of a holiday-themed literacy station.

Most importantly, activities like these remind us that learning doesn’t have to be a chore—especially during a season filled with joy and wonder. By creating a fun, holiday-focused learning experience, you’ll see kids engage with phonics practice like never before. So grab this printable, get your “Santa helpers” ready, and watch them enjoy their letter sound journey through Christmas!