Fun, festive PE and movement activities for the end of term - Christmas sport ideas for primary schools.

December is a magical time in primary schools - and a brilliant opportunity to bring festive fun into your PE lessons. Whether it's keeping children active during colder weather, boosting wellbeing after assessments, or bringing the whole school together for a joyful celebration, Christmas sport activities are a winner.

These 20 Christmas PE ideas are perfect for KS1, KS2, and whole-school events. They use simple equipment, require minimal setup, and keep children moving, smiling, and working together - exactly what you want at the end of term.

⭐ Christmas sport ideas for primary schools - KS1 Christmas Sport Activities (Ages 5–7)

1. 🎅 Santa’s Obstacle Course

You’ll Need: Cones, benches, hoops.How to Play: Set up a simple route where children “deliver presents” (beanbags) by moving over benches, through tunnels, and around cones.Skills: Balance, coordination, spatial awareness.

2. 🦌 Reindeer Relay

You’ll Need: Cones, baton or soft toy.How to Play: Children run relay laps as “reindeer.” Add a twist like skipping, hopping, or tiptoeing like silent reindeer.Skills: Speed, teamwork, agility.

3. ❄️ Snowball Target Throw

You’ll Need: Soft balls or scrunched paper “snowballs.”How to Play: Children throw snowballs into hoops or buckets at different distances.Skills: Hand–eye coordination.

4. 🎄 Elf Fitness Circuit

You’ll Need: Cards showing simple actions (e.g. jump, march, wiggle).How to Play: Each station is a different elf “job” such as wrapping presents (arm circles) or climbing ladders (high knees).Skills: Basic motor skills.

5. 🍭 Candy Cane Bowling

You’ll Need: Skittles or plastic bottles; a soft ball.How to Play: Roll the ball to knock down “candy canes.”Skills: Rolling, coordination.

6. 🌟 Christmas Cone Trees

You’ll Need: Green cones or normal cones with paper tree decorations.How to Play: Children weave in and out of “trees” as fast as they can.Skills: Agility, direction change.

7. 🦌 Rudolph Tag

You’ll Need: One child wears red antlers or a red bib.How to Play: Rudolph chases other reindeer. Change Rudolph every minute.Skills: Cardiovascular fitness.

8. 🍪 Gingerbread Man Chase

You’ll Need: Bibs for “gingerbread men.”How to Play: Gingerbread men must run across the hall without being tagged by the foxes.Skills: Reaction time, dodging.

9. ❄️ North Pole Balancing Path

You’ll Need: Benches or balance beams.How to Play: Children walk across “icy pathways” carrying a parcel (beanbag) without dropping it.Skills: Balance, focus.

10. 🧘 Snowflake Yoga

You’ll Need: Calm music.How to Play: Children copy gentle poses inspired by snowflakes, stars, and trees. Great for indoor PE.Skills: Flexibility, mindfulness.

⭐ Christmas sport ideas for primary schools - KS2 Christmas Sport Activities (Ages 7–11)

11. 🎿 Sleigh Pull Challenge

You’ll Need: Mats, ropes or bands.How to Play: In pairs, one child sits on a mat “sleigh” while the other gently pulls it across a marked area. Swap roles.Skills: Strength, cooperation.

12. ⚽ Festive Football Dribble Course

You’ll Need: Cones, footballs.How to Play: Create a dribble course decorated with tinsel or cones shaped like Christmas trees.Skills: Ball control, speed.

13. ❄️ Snowstorm Dodgeball

You’ll Need: Soft balls.How to Play: Normal dodgeball but with winter-themed rules: if someone catches a ball mid-air, they “freeze” an opponent.Skills: Teamwork, reaction time.

14. 🦌 Reindeer High-Jump

You’ll Need: High jump equipment (or rope across cones).How to Play: Children attempt to jump over increasing heights as reindeer leaping over rooftops.Skills: Jumping technique.

15. 🏑 Candy Cane Hockey

You’ll Need: Hockey sticks, balls, cones.How to Play: KS2 pupils complete a dribble, pass, and shoot circuit decorated with festive colours.Skills: Passing, dribbling, shooting.

16. 🎁 Santa Sack Sprint

You’ll Need: Sacks or pillowcases.How to Play: Sack race across the hall carrying a “present” (ball) without dropping it.Skills: Power, timing.

17. 🗺 Christmas Orienteering Hunt

You’ll Need: Clues, maps, hidden symbols.How to Play: Pupils hunt for Christmas cards or symbols around the playground using simple maps or coordinates.Skills: Navigation, teamwork → links brilliantly with Geography.

18. ⭐ The 12 Days of Fitness Circuit

You’ll Need: Activity cards.How to Play:Day 1: 1-minute jogDay 2: 2-star jumpsDay 3: 3 burpees...up to 12 movements.Repeat like the song!Skills: Resistance, stamina.

19. 🏳️ Elf vs Reindeer Capture the Flag

You’ll Need: Bibs, cones, two flags.How to Play: Standard capture-the-flag but with festive team names and Christmas music.Skills: Strategy, teamwork.

20. 🥇 Winter Olympics Mini-Tournament

You’ll Need: Any PE equipment.How to Play: Teams rotate through events such as speed skating (sliders on benches), biathlon (target throws), and bobsleigh relays.Skills: Variety — strength, speed, coordination.

⭐ Whole-School Christmas Sport Events

🎅 Santa Dash Fun Run

Children (and staff!) dress in festive accessories for a fun run around the school field.

🦌 Reindeer Games Afternoon

Year groups rotate around six stations: sprint, jump, throw, balance, relay, agility.

🎄 Festive Fitness Assembly

A whole-school warm-up to Christmas music — perfect for end-of-term energy.

☃️ Sports Hall Winter Warm-Up Morning

Indoor PE rotations ideal for wet weather.

🔔 Playground Santa Circuit Challenge

Each class completes as many laps as they can before the Christmas bell rings.

🌧 Indoor Alternatives (Wet-Weather Friendly)

• Christmas Balloon Volleyball (KS1 & KS2)

• Tinsel Tag in the hall

• Active Advent movement challenges

• Cosmic Christmas Yoga

• Classroom disco warm-ups

Perfect when the field is frozen or the playground is flooded.

🎁 Final Thoughts

Christmas PE doesn’t need expensive equipment or huge setups - simple, joyful activities keep children active, calm, and connected. These 20 Christmas sport ideas are designed to support PE leads, classroom teachers, and parents looking for healthy festive fun.

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