Unwrap the magic of the holiday season and make math fun with these 10 Christmas-themed math activities for kindergarten and 1st-grade students! Designed to align with essential early math standards, these hands-on activities bring the joy of Christmas to your classroom while reinforcing fundamental math skills. From counting candy canes to sorting shapes through gingerbread cookies, your students will be excited to practice their math skills with these festive and engaging ideas.
If you're looking for even more Christmas-themed math activities, scroll down to check out out free printable PDFs from my TPT store! They are the perfect way to keep your students engaged and learning this holiday season.
10 Fun & Festive Christmas Math Activities for Kindergarten & 1st Grade 🎄
1. Counting Candy Canes
Objective: Counting and Number Recognition
Activity: Students practice counting and number recognition with candy cane cutouts or small candy cane decorations. They can count the candy canes and place the correct number on a Christmas tree or another festive area. This activity reinforces early number sense in a fun, holiday-themed context.
2. Santa's Workshop Addition
Objective: Addition within 10
Activity: Create a Santa's Workshop worksheet with simple addition problems. Use images of toys, elves, or festive decorations to make the activity engaging. Students will solve the addition problems and color the corresponding pictures, practicing their addition skills while celebrating the holiday spirit.
3. Snowman Number Bonds
Objective: Number Bonds (Part-Part-Whole)
Activity: Use snowman illustrations to teach number bonds. Write a number in the center of the snowman and have students figure out which two smaller numbers add up to that number. They can use buttons or snowflake stickers to represent the parts of the bond, practicing essential addition skills.
4. Patterned Stockings
Objective: Patterning & Sequencing
Activity: Provide students with stocking cutouts in various colors and sizes. Have them extend patterns using stickers, pom-poms, or sequins, helping them strengthen their ability to recognize and create patterns, a key math skill.
5. Reindeer Measurement:
Objective: Measurement (Non-standard Units)
Activity: Use reindeer images of different sizes and ask students to measure them using non-standard units like paperclips, pencils, or holiday-themed counters. This hands-on activity introduces the concept of measurement and comparison in a fun and festive way.
6. Gingerbread Shape Sort
Objective: Identifying 2D Shapes
Activity: Cut out gingerbread cookie shapes (circle, square, triangle, etc.) and have students sort them into categories based on their shape. This activity helps young learners practice shape recognition while incorporating a festive holiday theme.
7. Elf Subtraction Stories
Objective: Subtraction within 10
Activity: Create elf-themed subtraction word problems where students can use counters or pictures to represent the problems and solve them. This helps build subtraction skills while keeping kids engaged with a holiday storyline.
8. Christmas Tree Ten Frames
Objective: Number Sense & Understanding Ten Frames
Activity: Draw Christmas trees and incorporate ten frames into the design. Students will add ornaments (dots, drawings, or stickers) to represent numbers within 10, helping reinforce number sense and ten frame concepts.
9. Santa's Sleigh Measurement
Objective: Measurement (Length Comparison)
Activity: Provide images of Santa's sleigh along with various holiday-related objects. Students will compare and order the objects by their length using terms like "longer," "shorter," or "the same length." This hands-on activity introduces measurement concepts in a fun, holiday-themed way.
10. Holiday Graphing
Objective: Graphing and Data Interpretation
Activity: Create a simple graph using holiday images like gifts, ornaments, or stockings. Have students survey their classmates on favorite holiday traditions or treats and graph the results. This activity helps students practice interpreting data and understanding basic graphing concepts.
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If you prefer some easy to use and fun Christmas math printable activities, please check out these free PDF downloads:
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