Animated Christmas shorts are the perfect antidote to December distractions. Between class parties, candy canes, and winter break countdowns, it’s not always easy to keep students focused on reading skills, but a short, heartwarming film can work wonders. These films make Christmas figurative language activities fun and meaningful while keeping the class engaged.
Between their rich visuals, layered music, and expressive storytelling, these mini-movies make abstract concepts like tone, mood, and figurative language feel concrete. If you’re looking for festive lessons that combine engagement with standards-based learning, these short films deliver big results in just a few minutes.
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Why Use Animated Shorts for Christmas Figurative Language Activities?
Tone and figurative language can be tricky for students because they’re about feeling as much as thinking. Animated shorts make those feelings visible. Color palettes, background music, pacing, and even camera angles all contribute to the tone. When you pair that with figurative language (like “time is a gift” or “the spark of giving”), students begin to understand how language choices shape emotion.
These shorts are ideal for RL.4 and RL.6 lessons because they:
- offer clear examples of tone shifts (joyful → reflective, playful → sincere).
- include metaphors and symbolism that are easy to spot and discuss
- create emotional engagement that makes analysis feel natural, not forced
👉 Teacher Tip: Try watching one film per day during the week before winter break. Each can anchor a mini-lesson on figurative language or tone, followed by a quick constructed response.
4 Short Films for Teaching Figurative Language and Tone
The Time Shop (2:00 – Chick-fil-A, 2019)
Sam discovers a magical shop where time itself is a gift and learns how to ask for “Together Time” with her family.
Themes: Presence · Family · Priorities
Why It Works: Great for teaching figurative language. Discuss how “time” and “the present” work as metaphors for connection and gratitude.
📝 Extension Idea: Create a figurative language chart. Have students list common holiday metaphors (“light,” “warmth,” “spark”) and explain their deeper meanings.
Believe in Christmas (1:34 – Erste Group, 2022)
A mysterious man attempts to sabotage a village’s Christmas by cutting power and blocking roads, but the community responds by celebrating by candlelight. They gather, improvise, and create their own festive magic, proving that joy doesn’t depend on perfection but on people coming together.
Themes: Community · Kindness · Inner Strength
Why It Works: Students can explore cause and effect, character motivation, and symbolism. Ask: What does the man’s sabotage represent? How does the village’s response reflect the deeper meaning of Christmas?
📝 Extension Idea: Have students write about a time when something didn’t go as planned but still led to connection or joy.
The Boy & The Octopus (4:00 – Disney, 2024)
A boy befriends a curious octopus who follows him home, leading to a whimsical adventure of friendship and imagination.
Themes: Wonder · Friendship · Belonging
Why It Works: Perfect for discussing tone shifts from playful to heartfelt and visual figurative language.
📝 Extension Idea: Ask students to describe how the octopus could symbolize creativity or imagination. Encourage them to write a short paragraph interpreting the symbolism.
Stella: No One Should Be Alone at Christmas (2:00 – Passion Animation Studios, 2019)
An elderly woman spends Christmas alone until a small act of kindness changes everything.
Themes: Loneliness · Connection · Compassion
Why It Works: The quiet, gentle tone makes a big emotional impact. Excellent for exploring how word choice and pacing evoke empathy.
Extension Idea: Have students write a “tone transformation” piece. They can rewrite a scene from Stella’s story in a different tone (humorous, suspenseful, hopeful).
Bringing Figurative Language to Life
These Christmas shorts go beyond seasonal sparkle. They’re powerful Christmas figurative language activities that bring tone, mood, and word choice off the page and onto the screen. Whether students are analyzing a metaphor like “the spark of giving” or identifying tone shifts through music and imagery, these films make RL.4 and RL.6 lessons stick.
All related handouts and organizers are waiting in my Winter Vault.
Want Even More Animated Shorts and Ready-to-Use Lessons?
Looking for more ready-to-use activities for even more animated Christmas shorts?
The full Teaching Reading with Animated Short Films Christmas resource includes:
60+ short films, including “The Stepdad”
skill-by-skill organizers for theme, character, tone, figurative language, mood, and more
answer keys and writing prompts
Printable + Google Slides version
What’s Next in This Holiday Series?
Stay tuned for Post 3: Writing with Christmas Shorts, where we’ll use these films as prompts for narrative writing, theme statements, and character motivation. It’s the perfect way to wrap up your December lessons with creativity and heart.
See All Posts in This Series
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Are you looking for additional fun activities to use with Christmas animated short films? This resource is packed with animated short films your students are sure to love!
