Jasmine J.
First Grade Frenchies
Whether your school is hosting a Christmas or holiday concert or you’re in need of spreading some more holiday cheer in your classroom, there is no shortage of GREAT French Christmas songs for kids out there!
This time of year is truly so fun and festive. I love teaching my students a song or two during the holidays, that they can also practice at home and impress their families with.
Last year, our annual holiday concert was cancelled, so I had my students sing a song within the class, which I recorded and sent out to families. While it was not the exact same experience as in previous years, rehearsing and singing our holiday song together made that time of year very memorable despite the world's circumstances (thanks COVID!).
I always make sure to do a check-in with my students to find out more about their holiday traditions. Where I teach, most if not all, my students celebrate Christmas to some degree, so I feel okay singing songs related to the holiday.
Christmas is also currently the most celebrated holiday in Canada, making it a prominent part of Canadian culture, so it ties into the curriculum that way.
However, if you have a more diverse group of students who do not celebrate Christmas or if your school does not allow for Christmas-specific activities, I have also included some more generic winter songs below. That way, everyone can feel included throughout the festive activities.
Happy singing!
1. Quand le Père Noel : My first graders love this song every year because of the simplistic repetition that occurs throughout the song. It’s also a great French Christmas song because it incorporates winter clothing vocabulary, which we normally learn around this time of year anyways!
2. Le petit renne aux nez rouge : This is actually the holiday song we performed last year with my grade 2/3 split class! I initially thought it would be too quick for them but within a week, they had grasped the vocabulary and speed and sounded amazing! It’s basically the French version of the English Rudolph song and has a ton of great French Christmas/Winter vocabulary throughout the song.
3. Mon Beau Sapin : If your school or community does more of a Christmas-Carol style concert, this song is beautiful. It is the French version of “Oh Christmas tree”. This song has some great opportunities for solo parts and group parts as well.
4. Père Noël arrive ce soir : The classic Santa Claus is coming to town song in French! I love this one because the speed is perfect for French Immersion students but still offers a challenge for upper-primary. There’s a lot of new French vocabulary in this song so I’d recommend for Grade 3 and up.
5. Petit Papa Noël : This is a new one I recently discovered this year. A beautiful song at a very calm and slow pace. Again, this would be perfect for schools who hold Christmas Carol concerts or something similar. It’s definitely a song that could be used if you’re required to remain in seats, as I cannot imagine much dancing and movement with this slow song but hand motions can be done.
6. Père Noël frappe à la porte : I love this one so much and plan on making this my next song to practice with students. While it has a bit of a traditional sound, I love the knocking and whistling sounds throughout the song. I think it would be so fun to have students knock on their desks or on a wall while we sing and practice! I know they’d love that interactive aspect!
7. L’a tu vus ce petit bonhomme : Kindergarten teachers, this one’s for you! The rhythm and repetition in this song make it a great song for K-1 French students. The pace is not too fast and you can definitely incorporate lots of dance moves and motion while practicing.
Now as mentioned, if you’re looking for French holiday songs that stay away from the general idea of Christmas, these songs are great! They incorporate general themes of winter and snow without discussing Christmas.
1. Bonjour L’hiver : This one is a classic that we revisit every year in my classroom. I’ll catch my students humming and singing this song well into spring, they love it that much! There are so many possibilities of dance moves and hand motions with this song, while it also includes lots of great French winter vocabulary.
2. Vive le vent d’hiver : I love this song and so do my students! It plays to the tune of jingle bells which makes students even more excited to learn the song, as they are already familiar with the tune. It’s a bit speedy so I would suggest trying this out with students in Grade 2 and up.
3. C’est L’hiver : Another song you may recognize, this one follows the tune of Let it Snow. I haven’t tried it out with my students yet but definitely plan to in the future. It’s a great speed and melody for French immersion students and would sound adorable at a winter concert! I’m already imagining some cute dance moves to do during the chorus haha. Oh how I love this festive season!
4. Bonhomme, Bonhomme : Okay I know… while this is not really a holiday song, I HAD to include it in the list! If you’ve been teaching core French, you probably have taught your students this song at one point or another. It’s the typical song to teach while discussing the Carnaval de Québec festival. I still think it would be fun to perform this song at a winter concert, and perhaps even have a student dressed up as the “bonhomme” mascot!
5. La Neige Tombe : My last suggestion for you is a great song to use with primary students, as the pace is slow and has a ton of repetition. I love how there is a pattern to the song, which students generally love. There’s also a lot of French body part vocabulary which goes well if you have been teaching your students about that!
And there you have it! A fantastic list of French Christmas songs for kids that are so much fun to learn in the classroom and at home. I hope this list helped you out for planning your French winter concert or to spread some holiday cheer in the classroom.
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