The Christmas holiday can easily become an integral part of your December lesson plan. Using Christmas can keep kids focused on their lessons because it reminds them that the excitement of the holiday is drawing close. Christmas lesson plans can have multiple purposes as well, in that not only are children learning reading, writing and arithmetic, but they can make projects to double as decorations or gifts for family and peers.

Ornaments
Make ornaments for the tree that is decorated at home or in the classroom. Choose the material you want the students to use; examples include pine cones, clay, dough or construction paper. Choose a Christmas-themed object for the students to create. For instance, turn a pine cone into a decorated holiday tree using white paint for snow and rhinestones for lights. Or cut stars, bells, wreathes or angels out of dough. Bake to harden and paint. You can have them add embellishments.

Cards
Teach middle school students how to use the Word program on their class computers by requiring them to create Christmas cards for friends and family. Have them use tools to draw simple pictures like trees or bells on their cards. Require that they write the messages to go into the cards, in the form of a short poem or rhyme. Turn this project into a lesson in empathy by suggesting they make cards for local hospital patients.

Advent Calendars
Assign students the project of making their own unique Advent calendars. This project can be modified to fit your school's or students' religious beliefs. It can also be used as a religious teaching tool, to teach children about the Advent and what the symbols mean. Use pine boughs, bottle caps and purple ribbon or beads to turn your calendar into a beautiful and meaningful wreath. The collection of the material for the wreaths may become a learning tool in and of itself, to teach kids about recycling items for their projects.

Gifts
Have students make gifts for friends and family to round out their shopping lists. Help them make colored bath salts with your students out of Epsom salts, food coloring and essential oils, package them in decorated bags or jars and tie them up with ribbon. Or have children decorate gift bags to use with gifts they may already have at home. Other good gift ideas are craft projects like making picture frames out of any number of materials, or painting Christmas-themed coffee mugs for mom and dad.