Hi there! I’m Amelia Bree, and if you’re like me, you know that the week before any major holiday is a tough time to keep students focused. Their minds are already on snow days, trick-or-treating, or summer vacation.
As an educator who founded GimkitJoin.net to share the best of game-based learning, I’ve learned the secret: you can’t fight the excitement—you have to use it.
That’s why I swear by holiday-themed Gimkit games. They’re the ultimate tool for turning high-energy days into high-engagement review sessions. You get to be the “fun teacher,” and your students get to celebrate the season while actually practicing essential skills.
In this playbook, I’m sharing my favorite practical, ready-to-use Gimkit seasonal games for the whole year, along with the precise settings you need to make them a success. Let’s dive in!
Why Seasonal Quizzes Work (It’s Not Just About Fun!)
When I talk about using holiday-themed Gimkit activities, I’m not suggesting you replace instruction with trivia. I’m suggesting you use an emotional hook to make the required review irresistible.
The Psychology: Novelty Brings Back Focus
The classroom environment changes when you launch a Gimkit holiday review game. It signals something special is happening. This novelty is a powerful motivator, and research consistently proves that the power of novelty in classroom engagement helps cement learning, especially during high-distraction periods.
- Mid-Semester Slump Fighter: When student interest dips (like late October or pre-spring break), a seasonal twist acts as a powerful intervention, boosting participation immediately.
- Assessment in Disguise: By wrapping your core review questions in a “Halloween Spooktacular” theme, you reduce student anxiety about tests. They think they’re playing a fun game; you know, they’re providing valuable formative assessment data.
Planning: Your Effortless Annual Review Kit
The best part of creating a great holiday-themed Gimkit quiz template for teachers? It’s a one-time setup. A kit you make for a Gimkit Christmas game mode this year is ready to go next year, saving you valuable time in your busiest months. This is smart, sustainable teaching. If you’re running into technical snags when trying to create a kit, I’ve got a helpful guide on Gimkit Not Loading: Common Solutions.
Winter Wonders: Christmas, New Year, & Snowy Reviews
These Gimkit winter holiday review ideas are perfect for those final, frantic days before the break.
Game Idea #1 – The “Polar Vortex” Knowledge Run
This uses one of Gimkit’s most popular modes for a fast-paced, high-stakes review.
- The Vibe: High-energy competition, icy chaos.
- Mode Suggestion: Snowbrawl or Knockout. These modes require students to answer questions correctly to gain power or ammo, blending core learning directly into the action. If you’ve never used the mode, you can quickly review the official rules for Gimkit’s Snowbrawl game mode guide before class.
- Kit Focus: Make 85% of the questions review material from the last unit and 15% fun, holiday-themed trivia. Example: If you teach history, the trivia could be about the history of holiday traditions around the world.
For maximizing the points earned, your students might appreciate my guide on Which Gimkit Game Gives the Most Coins?
Game Idea #2 – Collaborative Christmas Countdown
I love this for building community before the break.
- Mode Suggestion: A Team Mode or Farmchain.
- Concept: The whole class is a “Christmas Collective.” Instead of individual winners, set a high class goal (e.g., earn $500,000 combined). Every correct answer contributes to the goal. If they reach it before the timer runs out, the entire class earns a small treat or privilege. This makes it a great activity for using Gimkit for holiday parties in the classroom.
My Expert Tip for Winter Games
Make sure your theme is inclusive. Instead of focusing heavily on one specific holiday, call it a “Winter Festival Review” and use visuals of snowmen, hot cocoa, and evergreen trees. For help navigating this, read up on best practices for cultural sensitivity in holiday lessons.
Spring Surprises: Renewal & Seasonal Fun
As teachers, we need activities to reignite that mid-spring focus. These Gimkit spring holiday game ideas use the season’s energy to refresh learning.
Game Idea #3 – The Earth Day Eco-Challenge
This is perfect for any subject class looking to talk about sustainability or science.
- Mode Suggestion: Fishtopia Gimkit or a custom Gimkit Creative map focused on collecting resources. Remember, you can check the official details on Gimkit Creative map features for setting up advanced environments.
- Kit Focus: Questions related to your current unit, framed around environmental impact.
- Science: Reviewing ecosystems.
- Math: Calculating resource consumption percentages.
- The Twist: Students who rank highest on the leaderboard are the “Chief Sustainability Officers” for the day!
Game Idea #4 – The “Secret Kindness” Valentine’s Day Quiz
Take the focus away from romance and put it in a positive classroom climate.
- Mode Suggestion: Classic Gimkit (Individual).
- Kit Focus: Focus 70% of the kit on core academic material. The remaining 30% can be positive, low-stakes questions about the class or school, such as “What is the teacher’s favorite color?” or “Name one thing you appreciate about your desk partner.” This builds a safe, connected learning community. For more ideas on using EdTech for positive behavior, check out my guide on Gimkit Positive Behavior Support.
Fall Frenzy: Halloween, Thanksgiving, & Autumn Harvest
This is the season where holiday-themed Gimkit games are most searched for! Use the high-stakes mood of Halloween and the warmth of Thanksgiving to your advantage.
Game Idea #5 – The “Spooky Review” Gauntlet
This is an easy “how to create a holiday-themed Gimkit game for Halloween” guide.
- The Vibe: High adrenaline, slightly spooky, but still safe.
- Mode Suggestion: Trust No One. This social deception game keeps students highly engaged. Answering review questions correctly helps them vote out the “ghost” or the “imposter.”
- Kit Focus: Use questions where the answers are tricky or close together, maximizing the tension in the game. You’ll see participation soar, especially in middle school! When preparing your kit, remember to keep your questions concise—too much text can lead to top mistakes in Gimkit games.
Game Idea #6 – The Gratitude Gathering Review
This is the perfect Gimkit game to play as a fall holiday activity right before Thanksgiving break.
- Mode Suggestion: Classic Team Mode with custom team names (e.g., “The Cranberries,” “The Turkeys”).
- Concept: This is a collaborative review. Assign the teams based on ability mix. For every set of 10 correct answers, the team earns a “Gratitude Token.” The first team to earn 10 tokens gets to write what they are most grateful for on the board (a non-material, social prize). This is a fantastic way to utilize competitive vs cooperative learning in Gimkit.
Year-Round Excellence: Designing Your Seasonal Kits
You can apply these concepts to any holiday or seasonal shift—from Presidents’ Day to the first day of summer!
Match the Gimkit Mode to the Academic Goal
| If Your Goal Is… | Try This Gimkit Mode | Why it Works |
| Rapid-fire, High-Volume Review | Classic, Knockout | Maximizes the number of questions seen quickly. |
| Social, Low-Stakes Engagement | Trust No One, Capture the Flag | Excellent for building teamwork and communication. |
| Collaborative Mastery | Farmchain, Teams Mode | The group works toward a common score, reducing individual pressure. |
Want to know more about which mode works best for your specific class size? Check out my deep-dive on Exploring Gimkit’s Game Modes.
Don’t Forget the Data!
Even when you’re having fun with a holiday-themed Gimkit game, the resulting data is gold.
- Spot Check: Use the Gimkit dashboard data immediately after the game. What were the top three “killer questions” that students missed?
- Next Day Fix: Start the next class with a quick, targeted mini-lesson on those missed concepts. This shows students that the game was meaningful, not just filler. For full guidance on tracking this, see my post on Gimkit Dashboard Guide for teachers.
Final Word: Let the Celebration Begin
As teachers, we are always looking for tools to keep our students engaged. By leveraging the built-in excitement of seasonal changes, you can transform mandatory review into an anticipated classroom review game holiday season. You save time, you meet your students’ emotional needs, and you keep the learning going right up to the break. It’s a win-win.
I encourage you to pick one holiday coming up—maybe your middle schoolers need a fun Gimkit Christmas review game idea for middle school—and try one of these ideas. You’ll be amazed at the focus you gain back.
Happy gaming!
FAQs
What if I teach internationally and don’t celebrate U.S. holidays?
Can I reuse the game year-after-year?
Yes! The beauty of a digital kit is that the review questions are evergreen. Simply change the Gimkit mode (e.g., switch from Snowbrawl one year to a custom-made Creative winter map the next) to keep the experience fresh for your new classes.
How do I integrate holiday-themed Gimkit into a remote/virtual classroom?
Use Gimkit games on Zoom/Google Meet by sharing your screen and running a live session. The engagement is just as high, and it provides much-needed social interaction. You can even use the screen-sharing to show the leaderboard and celebrate winners virtually.
Which Gimkit mode is best for large classes?
For large classes (30+), choose modes that run efficiently with a lot of movement, like Capture the Flag (high chaos, high fun) or Trust No One (where elimination keeps students focused). Avoid modes that become overly congested, like some small custom Creative maps.
