Business Studies: Christmas Simulator

Santa’s Workshop: Operations & Logistics Simulator is a self-contained, browser-based business simulation designed for teachers who want to deliver a festive Christmas lesson without sacrificing meaningful learning. It uses the familiar and engaging setting of Santa’s workshop to immerse students in real-world decision making, transforming what could be a novelty end-of-term activity into a rigorous and memorable learning experience.

Set in the build-up to Christmas Eve, students take on the role of senior managers responsible for ensuring Santa’s global operation succeeds. They must forecast demand, plan production, manage people and machines, control quality, organise inventory and design a delivery strategy capable of reaching millions of children on time. Every decision is interconnected, and early choices shape later outcomes, reinforcing the reality that business management is cumulative rather than isolated.

The simulator is built around consequence-driven learning. Financial limits restrict what can be done, workforce decisions affect morale and productivity, operational shortcuts increase defect rates, and poor coordination can undermine delivery performance. Alongside measurable outcomes such as budget use and delivery success, the simulator tracks reputation and a hidden belief index, representing trust and brand confidence. These elements respond dynamically to student decisions, making abstract concepts such as stakeholder trust, motivation and long-term sustainability tangible and easy to discuss.

Designed to be classroom-ready, the simulator runs entirely within a single HTML file with no logins, setup or external dependencies. It is carefully structured to guide students through complex decisions without overwhelming them, using clear phases, gated choices and immediate feedback. The experience concludes with a detailed end-of-game report that allows students to evaluate their performance, reflect on trade-offs and link their decisions directly to outcomes.

Santa’s Workshop: Operations & Logistics Simulator is ideal for GCSE and A-Level Business lessons, enrichment activities or end-of-term sessions where engagement matters but learning still comes first. It offers teachers a Christmas-themed lesson that feels purposeful, challenging and academically credible, while giving students a highly memorable way to experience how business decisions play out under pressure.