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Christmas Math Activities: Problem Solving With the 12 Days of Christmas

Here’s a fun way to connect your classroom holiday sing-a-long with fantastic math concepts – perfect for ages 8 and up! In fact, students who love math may get so caught up in all of the number patterns they can find in The 12 Days of Christmas song that they may not want to stop!

12 Days of Christmas Math Activities

This activity requires no special materials, just paper and pencil and the lyrics of The 12 Days of Christmas. Y ou can find the lyrics along with some problem solving prompts and record sheets at the bottom of the post, available as a free printable download.

You’re probably already familiar with the song but in case you need a refresher, here’s how it begins:

The 12 Days Of Christmas On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Now here’s the interesting question to pose to middle-grade students – have you ever wondered how many gifts in total were received? 

Many will immediately work on adding them up this way:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 =

Although this is not going to produce the true answer, it can be a great opportunity to reinforce finding sums of 10 first.

By counting the ten made (1+ 9)+ (2 + 8) (3 + 7), and (4 + 6) and adding the remaining numbers ( +5, +10, +11, +12), the sum of 78 can be determined fairly quickly.

That’s quite a heap of presents! However, you might ask, “Is this really what the song says – that one gift is given each day?”

After a closer look at the lyrics, students will see that on the second day, it appears that the “true love” gives three gifts- two turtle doves and another partridge in a pear tree!

Now the math fun really begins! Ask students to list the days and the number of presents given! Have them predict the grand total before actually doing the figuring.

Day 1 – 1 gift Day 2 – 3 gifts Day 3 – 6 gifts Day 4 – 10 gifts

…. and so on.

This song is “super mathy” with patterns galore! Ask students to see if they notice any patterns as they figure the gifts. They might see this one:

Day 1 : 1 Day 2 : 3 (1 + 2) Day 3 : 6 (1 + 2 + 3) Day 4 : 10 (1 + 2 + 3 + 4)

Recognizing patterns in math is the basis of all kinds of more advanced work. Some students might notice the numbers of gifts received are all “triangular numbers,” numbers that can be formed by dots in triangles.

When students have a chance to work with the new sums, then total them, they should find that the grand total of all gifts received is 364 !

12 Days of Christmas Math Activities for Elementary Students

For older students, additional questions can lead to more discoveries. For example:

Which gifts will total a dozen by the end of the song? Partridges and drummers (Each day, one partridge will be given so there will be a total of 12. On just one day, Day 12, a dozen drummers will be given.)

Of the 364 gifts, which ones will be given in the greatest numbers? Geese and swans – (6 geese will be given a total of 7 days for a total of 42 geese; 7 swans will be given 6 out of the twelve days for a total of 42 swans)

We’ve included these questions in the printable 12 days of Christmas Math Activity Pack (which you can download and print below). The pack includes the song lyrics and four pages of Christmas math activities related to the song.

There you have it! A very “mathy” Christmas carol it is, and you may never be able to hear it again without thinking about all the computations and number applications!

RELATED: Looking for more holiday activity ideas for  school age kids? Check out our 12 Days of Christmas Fun for School Age Kids .

Printing your 12 days of christmas math activity sheets.

Click here to download: 12 Days of Christmas Math Activities . Save the PDF to your computer. Open the PDF and print the pages you require. When printing, select “Fit to printable area” (or similar) to ensure the page fits with your printer type and local paper size (these have been created at A4 size).

Having trouble accessing or downloading the file? Please try a different internet browser. Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.

12-Days-of-Christmas-Math-Activities-for-Middle-Grade-Free-Printable

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.

One Comment

Fabulous resource – thank you so much for sharing it…

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Christmas Math

This page has a collection of Christmas-themed mathematics worksheets that you can print and use with your students.

For Christmas crafts, brain teasers, puzzles, reading, writing, and spelling activities, please visit our main Christmas page .

Christmas Math Worksheets

Christmas Addition

Common Core

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Christmas Subtraction

Christmas multiplication worksheets, christmas division worksheets.

Multiple Versions Available

Christmas Word Problems

English and Spanish Versions Available

Christmas Clocks Telling Time

Calculating volume, color-by-number, december calendars.

On this page, you'll find links to Christmas crafts, Christmas reading and writing worksheets, holiday puzzles, and more.

Sample Worksheet Images

Christmas Subtraction Worksheet

PDF with answer key:

PDF no answer key:

Christmas Math Worksheets

Merry Christmas from Math-Drills.Com where our gift to you is a page of Christmas math worksheets! On this page you will find a selection of Christmas math worksheets and regular math worksheets decorated with Christmas ornaments .

Some of the Christmas math worksheets may be fairly large due to the number of images included. We hope you enjoy this page and we wish you the best of the season! Have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy your time with family and friends.

Most Popular Christmas Math Worksheets this Week

Order of Operations Three Steps

Various Christmas Math Worksheets

christmas math problem solving

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...! These counting worksheets visually allow students to see groups of numbers for their skip counting. For example, on the 5 Gold Rings worksheet, there are groups of 5 gold rings and students count by 5s. Some of the numbers are included, so students stay on track.

  • Christmas Skip Counting with the 12 Days of Christmas 1 Partridge in a Pear Tree 2 Turtle Doves 3 French Hens 4 Calling Birds 5 Gold Rings 6 Geese a-Laying 7 Swans a-Swimming 8 Maids a-Milking 9 Ladies Dancing 10 Lords a-Leaping 11 Pipers Piping 12 Drummers Drumming
  • Christmas Counting Objects in Various Arrangements Counting Christmas Objects in Horizontal Linear Arrangements Counting Christmas Objects in Rotated Linear Arrangements Counting Christmas Objects in Rectangular Arrangements (Maximum Dimension 5 ) Counting Christmas Objects in Rectangular Arrangements (Maximum Dimension 9 ) Counting Christmas Objects in Circular Arrangements Counting up to 10 Christmas Objects in Scattered Arrangements Counting up to 20 Christmas Objects in Scattered Arrangements Counting up to 50 Christmas Objects in Scattered Arrangements Counting Christmas Objects in Various Arrangements ( Easier Version) Counting Christmas Objects in Various Arrangements ( Harder Version)

The Santa's Route activity is similar to the traveling salesman problem which asks for the shortest route through a number of cities. In the case of the traveling salesman problem, one must return to the original city. The Santa's Route activity does not have this final requirement and is technically a minimum-length Hamiltonian path. But the important part is that Santa needs your students to assist! This is an open-ended activity where the goal isn't to get the correct answer, but to go through the process of finding an answer and perhaps improving on it. Students use mathematical and logical thinking when designing their routes. The newer version of Santa's Route is linked to a Google map that students can use for visualizing the activity and drawing a path. They should use the distance chart to calculate their final route as it gives them some adding practice and the final answers will differ slightly from the measured routes on the Google maps. Students should be scored on the process rather than the final result matching the answer key. To get the minimum distance for all the questions might take a really long time and/or some programming skills.

  • Santa's Route Data Analysis Santa's Route in Miles Santa's Route in Kilometers

The Christmas word problems only have one theme: Christmas. In order to complete them, students will have to draw on their knowledge of several math topics. Most of the questions are multi-step problems.

  • Christmas word problems Christmas Word Problems

Ordering numbers is an important skill and these worksheets will get students in the Christmas spirit while practicing this skill. Each of the worksheets has three activities, two of which are ordering/comparing activities and the third is a small art project to design a Christmas ornament. Make sure students are ordering their numbers in the correct order; different versions of each worksheet ask for greatest to least or least to greatest.

  • Christmas Sorting/Ordering Worksheets Sorting/Ordering Numbers 0 to 10 on a Christmas Tree Sorting/Ordering Numbers 1 to 50 on a Christmas Tree Sorting/Ordering Numbers 10 to 99 on a Christmas Tree Sorting/Ordering Numbers 100 to 999 on a Christmas Tree Sorting/Ordering Numbers 1000 to 9999 on a Christmas Tree

There are three different attributes to watch in the picture patterns. The first is "shape" which is really just different Christmas objects. Students determine what comes next by figuring out the pattern of shapes. The second attribute is size; in this case either small or large. The third attribute is rotation which could be any of four rotations: 0, 90, 180, or 270 degree rotations (aka, up, right, down, left). For the worksheets with combined attributes, have students figure out the pattern of one attribute at a time.

  • Christmas Picture Patterns Christmas Picture Patterns with Shape Attribute Only Christmas Picture Patterns with Size Attribute Only Christmas Picture Patterns with Rotation Attribute Only Christmas Picture Patterns with Shape and Size Attributes Christmas Picture Patterns with Shape and Rotation Attributes Christmas Picture Patterns with Size and Rotation Attributes Christmas Picture Patterns with Shape, Size and Rotation Attributes One-Attribute (Shape) Patterns Version 1 (OLD) One-Attribute (Shape) Patterns Version 2 (OLD)

A small selection of number patterns worksheets on Christmas themes. The Elves Number Patterns worksheet is a more standard type of patterning worksheet where students identify and continue a pattern. The Reindeer Patterns is a bit more challenging because students look for the mistakes in number patterns and fix them.

  • Christmas Number Patterns Elf Toy Inventory Number Patterns ( Intervals to 9 ) Elf Toy Inventory Number Patterns ( Intervals to 99 ) Elf Toy Inventory Number Patterns ( Intervals to 999 ) Reindeer Patterns

This section includes Christmas Cartesian Art activities also known as coordinate geometry activities. Each activity in this section includes a solution page, a co-ordinates page and a blank grid. The latter two, of course, are what students will need to complete the activity.

  • Christmas Cartesian Art Christmas Cartesian Art Santa (Four Quadrants) Christmas Cartesian Art Nativity (Four Quadrants) Christmas Cartesian Art Tree (One Quadrant) Christmas Cartesian Art Snowflake (One Quadrant) Christmas Cartesian Art Snowflake 2 (Four Quadrants) Christmas Cartesian Art Holly (Two Quadrants) OLD Christmas Coordinate Geometry Activity

A variety of graph papers with various themes. Graph paper can be used to calculate the area of rectangles or other shapes; design a room; make a map; line up multi-digit addition questions; learn about place value; make a bar or broken line chart; and much more.

  • Christmas Graph Paper (U.S.) Christmas Santa 1/2 Inch Graph Paper Christmas Reindeer 3/8 Inch Graph Paper Christmas Presents 5 Lines per Inch Graph Paper
  • Christmas Graph Paper (Metric) Christmas Holly 1 cm Graph Paper Merry Christmas 2.5 cm / 0.5 cm Graph Paper Christmas Nativity 2.5 cm / 0.5 cm Graph Paper

Two simple fraction skills are reviewed in these Christmas math worksheets to give students something fairly easy on the road to Christmas vacation.

  • Christmas Fractions Worksheets Open the Present Equivalent Fractions Shake the Present Simplified Fractions

Christmas Arithmetic

christmas math problem solving

Ebenezer Scrooge was so stingy that Bob Cratchit had to watch how much ink he used. As he was quite clever, Bob wrote each question so not only could he save some ink, but any other clever person could still figure out which digits went where. As we all know, Scrooge stopped being a miser, so he bought some ink, gave Cratchit the day off and is now going to fill in all the missing digits in the accounting ledgers. Can your students help Scrooge fill in the missing digits?

  • Ebenezer Scrooge's Missing Digits Worksheets (Addition and Subtraction) Scrooge's Missing Digits Addition (Easier) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Addition (Harder) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Subtraction (Easier) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Subtraction (Harder) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Addition and Subtraction Mixed (Easier) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Addition and Subtraction Mixed (Harder) ✎
  • Ebenezer Scrooge's Missing Digits Worksheets (Multiplication and Division) Scrooge's Missing Digits Multiplication (Easier) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Multiplication (Harder) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Division (Easier) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Division (Harder) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Multiplication and Division Mixed (Easier) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits Multiplication and Division Mixed (Harder) ✎
  • Ebenezer Scrooge's Missing Digits Worksheets (All Operations) Scrooge's Missing Digits All Operations Mixed (Easier) ✎ Scrooge's Missing Digits All Operations Mixed (Harder) ✎

The "What's in the Gift?" worksheets are really pre-algebra, but students who are able to do each operation should be able to figure out the missing terms. The "What's in the Gift?" multiplication worksheets challenge students to figure out what number is missing in each multiplication question. There are a variety of levels to appeal to students who have grasped different parts of the multiplication tables. The What's in the Gift division worksheets encourage students to apply their multiplication facts to division and algebraic situations. Choose a level that is appropriate for your student. These worksheets should ideally be done mentally as review or practice.

  • What's in the Gift Addition What's in the Gift? Addition (Sums to 18) What's in the Gift? Addition (Sums to 50) What's in the Gift? Addition (Sums to 98) What's in the Gift? Addition (Sums to 198) What's in the Gift? Addition (Sums to 1998)
  • What's in the Gift Subtraction What's in the Gift? Subtraction (Differences to 9) What's in the Gift? Subtraction (Differences to 25) What's in the Gift? Subtraction (Differences to 49) What's in the Gift? Subtraction (Differences to 99) What's in the Gift? Subtraction (Differences to 999)
  • What's in the Gift Multiplication What's in the Gift? Multiplication (Products to 49) What's in the Gift? Multiplication (Products to 64) What's in the Gift? Multiplication (Products to 81) What's in the Gift? Multiplication (Products to 100) What's in the Gift? Multiplication (Products to 144) What's in the Gift? Multiplication (Products to 400)
  • What's in the Gift Division What's in the Gift? Division (Dividends to 49) What's in the Gift? Division (Dividends to 64) What's in the Gift? Division (Dividends to 81) What's in the Gift? Division (Dividends to 100) What's in the Gift? Division (Dividends to 144) What's in the Gift? Division (Dividends to 400)
  • Christmas Secret Message Activities Christmas Holly Secret Message Addition with Addends from 1 to 25 Christmas Tree Secret Message Two-Digit Addition Christmas Bells Secret Message Three-Digit Addition Christmas Toys Secret Message Single-Digit Multiplication
  • The Christmas Shoppe Activity The Christmas Shoppe (Numbers under $100) The Christmas Shoppe (Numbers under $1000)

The "Santa's List Addition" worksheets have a challenging bonus on them which requires adding long columns of numbers. Challenge your students to complete addition in their head, say using a left-to-right addition algorithm, instead of with paper and pencil. For more proficient students, make mental addition a game by having speed competitions. The Christmas order of operations worksheets should be easy enough that students can do them in their head.

  • Santa's List Addition Santa's List Addition (Single-Digit) Santa's List Addition (Two-Digit) Santa's List Addition (Three-Digit) Santa's List Addition (Four-Digit)
  • Christmas Order of Operations Christmas Order of Operations with Three Steps Christmas Order of Operations with Four Steps
  • Miscellaneous Christmas Math Worksheets Christmas Spirit Secret Message Two-Digit by One-Digit Multiplication Kindergarten Addition Multiplication Two-Digit by Two-Digit (Vertical; 49 per page) Christmas Cards Christmas Missing Digits (Mischievous Elves) Santa's Competition

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Christmas Math Worksheets Harder Challenges and Worksheets

Welcome to the Math Salamanders Christmas Math Challenges. Here you will find a wide range of free printable Xmas Math challenges that will enrich your child's math learning as well as developing their math reasoning and number skills.

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Quicklinks to:

  • Christmas Math Games
  • Christmas Math Activities
  • Fun Christmas Worksheets
  • Christmas Color By Number
  • Christmas Puzzles (easy)
  • Christmas Puzzles (medium)

Christmas Math Challenges

Here you will find a range of math Christmas Challenges from 3rd grade and upwards.

Each challenge is graded with the easiest challenge first in each section.

Each challenge comes complete with an answer sheet for easy reference!

Christmas Challenge 1

The challenges below involve using the letters of Christmas to make different words, with each letter and each word having its own value.

This challenge is great for developing persistence as well as adding skills.

Challenge 1C:

  • adding multiples of 10 up to 200.

Challenge 1D:

  • adding decimals with 1dp up to 2.
  • Christmas Challenge 1C
  • Challenge 1C Answers
  • PDF version
  • Christmas Challenge 1D
  • Challenge 1D Answers

Christmas Challenge 2

Challenge 2 involves using your addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts to break a code and work out a message.

Challenge 2C:

  • multiplication up to 10 times tables;
  • division facts up to 10 times tables.

Challenge 2D:

  • multiplication tenths by digits.
  • Christmas Challenge 2C
  • Challenge 2C Answers
  • Christmas Challenge 2D
  • Challenge 2D Answers

Christmas Challenge 3

Challenge 3 involves finding the answers to word problem challenges.

Each sheet has 2 separate challenges.

One challenge involves using thinking and reasoning skills to work out the number of Christmas trees.

The other challenge involves finding all possibilities of the number of Christmas tree lights, using number properties and place value.

Challenge 3C:

  • addition and subtraction to 31;
  • reasoning skills;
  • place value to 1000.

Challenge 3D:

  • fractions - halves and thirds;
  • place value to 2000.
  • Christmas Challenge 3C
  • Challenge 3C Answers
  • Christmas Challenge 3D
  • Challenge 3D Answers

Three Sacks Challenges

The Three Sacks Challenges are a set of logic problems which require a little trial or logical thinking to solve.

The challenges involve finding the solution to how many presents are in each sack when you are told the number of presents in pairs of sacks.

They are good challenges to encourage perseverence and checking results.

  • Three Sacks Challenge 3
  • Three Sacks Challenge 4

Christmas Tree Adding Puzzles

The Christmas Tree Adding Puzzles involves accurate adding of pairs of numbers to find the number at the top of the tree.

The harder sheets also involve trying to find combinations of numbers at the bottom of the tree that will eventually make the correct number at the top.

  • Christmas Tree Adding Puzzle 3
  • Challenge 3 Answers
  • Christmas Tree Adding Puzzle 4
  • Challenge 4 Answers
  • Christmas Tree Adding Puzzle 5
  • Challenge 5 Answers
  • Christmas Tree Adding Puzzle 6
  • Challenge 6 Answers

Looking for something easier?

The challenges and worksheets in this section are at an easier level than those on this page.

Many of the challenges and sheets are similar but have much easier numbers and are at a more basic level.

  • Christmas Maths Worksheets (Easy)
  • Christmas Math Worksheets (Intermediate)

Looking for more Christmas themed worksheets

We have a wide selection of Christmas worksheets suitable for kids of all ages.

Here you will find a further selection of Christmas Math activities.

Using these sheets will help your child to learn a range of math skills from counting to adding and subtracting and matching numbers to using co-ordinates.

Take a look at our selection of Christmas math games...

There is something for everyone - from kindergarten to grade 5 and beyond.

Many of the strategy games, though they can be played by young children, are often appreciated more by older children who can really get thinking on the best ways to win!

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Math = Love

Christmas Math Activities and Puzzles

By: Author Sarah Carter

Posted on Published: December 10, 2022  - Last updated: January 20, 2024

Categories Christmas , Christmas Puzzles

This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Want to check out my favorite Amazon items for the classroom? Check out my Amazon favorites page !  

Bring some Christmas joy to your classroom or party with this collection of free printable Christmas math puzzles and activities.

Keep reading to find a variety of Christmas logic puzzles, crafts, and hands-on puzzles involving tangrams or pentominoes.

christmas math activities

Christmas Math Lessons

Christmas mystery tangram coordinate plane activity.

christmas mystery tangram coordinate plane activity

This Christmas Mystery Tangram Puzzle combines two favorite math activities into one. This printable Christmas puzzle will have students both practicing plotting ordered pairs on the coordinate plane and solving a fun tangram puzzle using the resulting outline from the plotted ordered pairs.

Christmas-Themed Parabola Graph Matching Activity

christmas tree made with seven parabola graphs

Students must match the equations of the parabolas with their graphs in order to decorate the tree. What a great task from Math with P. Nik!

Piecewise Function Christmas Tree Graphing

clipart christmas tree on top of graph paper

Do your students need some practice graphing piecewise functions? Challenge them to graph a Christmas Tree in Desmos!

Christmas Factor Trees

christmas factor tree

Your students will be singing “Oh Factor Tree, Oh Factor Tree…” when you get them making their factor trees in the shape of Christmas Trees!

Surface Area and Volume Gingerbread House Project

clipart image of gingerbread house with candy canes in background

Carol Anderson shares a fun-looking lesson that involves surface area and volume combined with building gingerbread houses.

Holiday Exponent Problems

christmas exponents problem fa(la)^8

Students use their knowledge of exponents to figure out which holiday exponent problems are correct and which are incorrect.

Winter Slope Field Activity

snowman in front of mathematical background

Teaching slope fields in calculus? When students draw in the solution curves, it will create a fun winter themed picture for them to decorate.

Arithmetic Sequences/Series Christmas Decorating Task

christmas tree made out of handprints

Can your students use their knowledge of arithmetic sequences/series to solve a real-world problem about building a Christmas tree display out of handprints?

Desmos Gingerbread House Activity

black line clipart of gingerbread house on top of graph paper.

Natalie McCrady inspires with an activity that involves using equations to graph a gingerbread house in Desmos. After students are done, they create a real-life version complete with candy decorations. How fun!

Christmas Puzzles

Reindeer pentominoes puzzle.

pentominoes reindeer puzzle

This reindeer pentominoes puzzle is the second addition to my growing collection of Christmas-themed pentominoes puzzles for the classroom. My students love pentominoes puzzles, and I think your students will love these puzzles as well!

Checkered Ornament Puzzle

checkered ornament christmas puzzle

Arrange the given pieces to decorate the ornament with a checkered pattern. This puzzle I created a few years ago now is trickier than it might first appear!

Penguin Pentominoes Puzzle

penguin pentominoes puzzle

Can you arrange a set of twelve pentominoes to form the shape of a penguin?

Reindeer Logic Puzzle

reindeer logic puzzle

This reindeer logic puzzle is perfect for bringing a bit of Christmas cheer into your classroom. Students are given seven statements about Santa’s reindeer who have run a race. They must use logical reasoning to determine the order in which the reindeer finished the race.

Christmas Tree Pentominoes Puzzle

christmas tree pentominoes puzzle.

Help bring some festive puzzling spirit to your classroom with this pentominoes Christmas tree puzzle. My students love pentominoes puzzles, and I think your students will love these puzzles as well!

Decorate the Tree Christmas Puzzle

decorate the christmas tree puzzle

This Decorate the Christmas Tree Puzzle was my first ever original puzzle that I made for my classroom. Since then, it has been used in hundreds of math classrooms across the country!

Christmas Prime Tree Puzzle

christmas prime tree puzzle from luke janicke

Luke Janicke shares a clever Christmas-themed prime number puzzle . Can you fill in the stars with digits so that each line in the tree forms a different prime number?

Holiday Triples Puzzle

holiday triples word puzzle

Can you combine the letter trio cards to spell out some words associated with Christmas? Each trio of letters will be used exactly one time.

Christmas Games and Activities

Drawing on your head christmas game.

drawing of christmas tree on dry erase board with text

Looking for a fun Christmas game? Check out this drawing on your head Christmas challenge. The original challenge called for the participants to draw on a paper plate on top of their heads, but I switched things up and had my students draw on individual dry erase boards .

Christmas Tree Nim Game

text of

The classic game of nim gets a fun seasonal twist in the form of a Christmas tree shaped playing board!

Strategy Games for Student Christmas Gifts

brown burlap gift on christmas stripe background

Mrs. Allan suggests a great way to use a strategy game ( Mulinello Quadrupio ) to create a meaningful present for all of the students in her homeroom class.

Christmas Math Art Activities

Math vocabulary christmas ornament project.

close-up of red ornament on christmas tree with text

Check out these math vocabulary Christmas ornaments that my Algebra 2 students created. Each student was assigned a different math vocabulary word that we studied during the first semester.

Icosahedron Ornament Balls Tutorial

two icosahedron ornament balls setting on table in classroom 

These Icosahedron Ornament Balls can be made using scrapbook paper or old Christmas cards. They make the perfect winter craft!

Borax Snowflake Christmas Ornaments

borax snowflake ornaments

One of my most favorite projects was these Borax Snowflake Christmas Ornaments that I made a few years ago with my chemistry students with coffee filters. The ornaments are super glittery and sparkly in person.

Triangular Christmas Trees

triangular christmas tree

These triangular christmas trees from Mark Ekstrom are beautiful! They are based on a tutorial from Martha Stewart .

Parabolic Tangent Line Christmas Tree Craft

christmas tree background with text

These Christmas trees made with string, nails, and a piece of wood look so cool!

Christmas Classroom Decorating Ideas

Mathematical christmas display.

mathematical christmas display

This inspiring mathematical Christmas display from James Welham includes Sierpinski trees, Koch snowflakes, and student-created origami.

Math Door Decorating Ideas

door clipart in front of christmas background

Caitlyn Gironda – 12 Days of Math Class Door Decorations

Miscellaneous Christmas Ideas

Not your average winter break homework.

winter break homework

Sara VanDerWerf provides an example of an awesome winter break homework assignment. Some of the tasks include watching movies, hanging out with family, and doing random acts of kindness.

Customized Christmas Ornaments for Students

clipart image of green christmas ornament.

Rory Yakubov shares an easy way to create custom laminated ornaments for each student in your classes.

More Christmas Activities

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The Measured Mom

Education resources for parents and teachers

PS PK K 1 2 3 72 Comments

Christmas problem solving activity

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Christmas sweater problem solving activity

I have a problem.

I’m a clip art addict.

Sometimes I buy clip art without any idea what I’m going to create … because it’s Just. So. Perfect.

That’s how I felt about this Christmas sweater clip art. How could I resist?

Thankfully, I thought of the perfect use for these adorable sweaters … problem solving!

Picture of Christmas sweater problem solving activity

I created a set of task cards. Each card has a set of clues to help kids determine the mystery sweater.

child doing christmas problem solving activity

As soon as my Six saw it, he was excited to play.

child doing christmas sweater problem solving activity with

Examples of clues:

  • The sweater has  a V-neck.
  • The sweater does not have polka dots.
  • The front of the sweater has something you can hang on a tree.

christmas math problem solving

By the last clue, he had narrowed down the possibilities until he knew which was the mystery sweater. He wrote its letter on his recording sheet.

christmas math problem solving

As he did the activity, I realized that the activity reinforces quite a few skills:

  • Basic reading skills
  • Close reading skills (detail is important here!)
  • Basic logic
  • Problem solving

It surprised me when my son didn’t always cover the correct sweaters. For example, with a clue like this one:  The sweater does not have a face on it , he should cover the sweaters with faces because none of them can be the mystery sweater.

Instead, he left those sweaters uncovered and covered all the rest.

Since I was right there with him, I showed him how to read the cards more carefully and figure out which sweaters to eliminate.

christmas math problem solving

I designed the activity for fluent readers in grades 1-2, but on reflection I think third graders could use it too.

As you can see in the above picture, my Four was thoroughly engaged. She wants to do the activity as well; she’ll just need me to read the clues to her.

I hope your learners enjoy this festive problem solving activity!

P.S. If you like this printable, you need the bundle of 50 mystery problem solving activities !

christmas math problem solving

Get your free problem solving activity!

If you like this activity, you’ll love the bundle.

christmas math problem solving

Mystery problem solving activities

$ 20.00

Build critical thinking skills with 50 engaging mystery problem solving activities! Just print each picture mat and clue cards. Students will read the clues and discovery the mystery character or object.

Free Math Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade

Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get printables for counting, addition and subtraction, measuring, problem solving, and more!

christmas math problem solving

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Reader Interactions

72 comments.

December 18, 2019 at 5:08 am

This is amazing, I’m gonna use it in class for sure! Thank you!

December 16, 2019 at 6:41 am

Thank you again for another fun game! Thank you for helping my kids have fun while learning. I learn and am inspired by your website. THANK YOU!

Margaret Green

December 15, 2019 at 5:25 pm

i absolutely love this game! I know my kiddos will too!!!! Thank you for making my last week – before winter/Christmas break – fun and easier!!!

Good Tidings to You!

December 15, 2019 at 8:24 pm

I’m so glad this came at the right time, Margaret! 🙂

December 15, 2019 at 1:54 pm

Love the sweaters and you found the PERFECT way to use them! Can’t wait to use this in my centers this week!

Yay – have fun, Carrie!

December 13, 2019 at 9:25 am

I have been following your site for many, many years. My son is a disabled adult. Even though he is not in school anymore; this is exactly the type of activity he needs to keep his brain sharp ( and mine too). Thank you so much!

December 13, 2019 at 5:33 pm

I’m so glad you and he can use this, Janet! :))

December 13, 2019 at 7:49 am

Thank you so much! I know my kiddos will adore this. 🙂

Carolyn McDonough

December 13, 2019 at 7:23 am

Love this! What a fun way work language AND problem solving skills into an activity for my English Learners!!!

December 13, 2019 at 7:05 am

I admire your love for the meaningful creation of resources of teaching English. Thank you very much for the dedication you put in. I should call it passion. You, definitely, have that passion. One idea comes after another, and more it flows out of the need to create as long as you don’t stop. I see that through my teaching experience. It does consume with fatigue, indeed. But, it is the sort of fatigue that requires a moment of breathing, for more awaits behind to come en-suite and shower the spirit with surprising ideas that help so beautifully the learning process. I welcome this sort of fatigue. I look forward to more of your ideas. It is one of my favourite websites when I search for such inspiration.

Thank you so much for the encouragement, Jean! :))

Elaine Cornish

December 13, 2019 at 4:05 am

This game is so successful. I am a retired teacher. I live in South Africa. I teach underprivileged deaf children pro bona. I use so much of your stuff and just love your games and ideas. I would LOVE to subscribe but the Rand dollar exchange is just so terrible. So $10 equates to about R150.00 just too much right now. So please keep your freebies coming for teachers like me. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family and a wonderful new year. I really admire you. Elaine Cornish.

Yes, I hope to keep sharing freebies as often as I can, Elaine! 🙂

December 13, 2019 at 2:39 am

Lovely ! thank you very much!

December 13, 2019 at 12:57 am

This is exactly what my tutoring kids need. I was wondering how to teach how to slove problems for themselves. That is something they need to read and do MANY other things. Thank you for your neat ideas.

December 12, 2019 at 10:05 pm

I have used the “Mystery Snowman” and “Mystery dog” logic games with a 3rd grade “reluctant reader” tutoring student. He will do these over and over as our warm-up…I’m SO thrilled to use this next week AND to know you have a whole set with many more themes! Thank you for being so generous with your freebies.

December 13, 2019 at 5:34 pm

Yay – I’m so glad these are a hit, Lisa!

Catherine Peters

December 12, 2019 at 8:56 pm

We are in the midst of semester testing. This will provide a fun break. Thank you so much!

Jessica Grove

December 12, 2019 at 8:38 pm

So fun! Thank you!

December 12, 2019 at 8:37 pm

love this activity- can’t wait until my kids get to work it out. thank you for all that you do.

February 19, 2019 at 8:56 am

Fabulous! Next year I’m going to read this in my EFL classroom!

Thanks for sharing this lovely activity =)

March 2, 2019 at 5:19 pm

You’re very welcome, Barbara!

January 18, 2019 at 3:06 pm

Do you have “Guess the Mystery …” with other objects? I’d love to use them. Thanks!

January 18, 2019 at 8:57 pm

Hi Pamela! I have a “guess the mystery dog” and “guess the mystery snowman” in the subscriber library. If you’re not a newsletter subscriber yet, you can sign up and grab those. 🙂

January 10, 2019 at 3:36 pm

I would love if you would make more of these available. My students just love doing them. I’m thinking snowmen or valentines would make great puzzles. You offer amazing resources!

January 10, 2019 at 6:17 pm

I’m working on a huge bundle of these, so stay tuned for that! Subscribers will get it for a discount. 🙂

December 21, 2018 at 9:12 pm

I really appreciate all the free resources you are willing to share. This is for sure one of my favorites! Thank you & Merry Christmas!

December 27, 2018 at 8:20 am

Thank you, Marie!

December 19, 2018 at 4:21 pm

Hi Anna, I used this with my English Learners in grades 3-8 today. The grades 3-5 enjoyed it. They are Progressing English Learners and understood most of the vocabulary. It was a good exercise for their brain logic skills. My grade 6-8 English Learners are non-English speakers. It was a challenge for them with vocabulary such as “polka dots, cuffs, patches, and a set of 3.” It was good for them to learn. We used M&M’s as markers for fun and they enjoyed that of course. Thank you for a fun game! Love the graphics.

December 26, 2018 at 12:08 pm

Yay! I’m so glad this was a good fit for your students.

December 19, 2018 at 1:46 pm

My 1st gr class did this activity whole class and loved it!! Great last day before break activity!!

December 27, 2018 at 8:19 am

Yay! I’m so glad this was a good fit for your learners.

December 18, 2018 at 6:26 pm

We LOVE this Christmas problem solving activity and are hoping that you will make some activities like this one!!!!

Keep watching the subscriber library! I have plans to make more soon.

December 18, 2018 at 2:26 pm

Hi Anna, This game is so cute and fun! I’ve used it with a 3rd grader and two learning challenged 4th graders today and they all liked it! The 3rd graders was sad that the Santa sweater (F) was never the one. Maybe you could change the clues on card 9 to end up being Santa?? (I was going to do that with her tomorrow – come up with our own clues to lead finders to F.)

I use lots of your freebies and I really appreciate you sharing them with us.

Merry Christmas!

December 21, 2018 at 6:35 am

I’m going to make adjustments to the activity over the break. 🙂

December 18, 2018 at 9:53 am

My six and five adored this! They were a little confused about number 9, though. They counted the berries as a set of three (sweater B) and therefore crossed off all the sweaters! Great resource for them to practice on these “it’s almost Christmas!” days!

December 18, 2018 at 12:04 pm

Ha, yes, one of my kids caught that, too. We’ve got a houseful of the stomach bug, but when I have some time I’ll change that one.

Susan Farrar

December 17, 2018 at 3:30 pm

Thank you so much! My students love mysteries and logic problems.

December 27, 2018 at 8:22 am

You’re very welcome, Susan!

December 17, 2018 at 12:01 pm

Hi Anna! This is such a cute idea! My kids enjoyed it this morning! Just wanted to let you know about something that threw them off a bit. #9 has a clue about sets of 3, but the answer has 3 berries! I didn’t catch it originally. But just thought I would let you know. ?

December 17, 2018 at 8:52 am

Thank you Anna! Just what I needed for Monday morning.

December 17, 2018 at 8:41 am

Perfect little game to entertain my grandchildren over the holiday break. Thanks!

December 16, 2018 at 10:51 pm

I absolutely love this! Thank you so much.

December 19, 2018 at 7:29 am

You’re welcome, Shannon!

December 16, 2018 at 10:41 pm

Thank you so much for posting this! We played this game today with my 7 year old and 5 year olds. My 7 year old hit all the right answers and well the other 2 just had fun. I love your resources and I feel grateful to have found your website. Merry Christmas and thanks again for spreading your good cheer!!!

You’re very welcome! I hope you find many helpful resources on my site.

December 16, 2018 at 7:46 pm

So clever! Can’t wait to use!

Thank you, Renee!

December 16, 2018 at 5:54 pm

Love this activity and appreciate the wide range of students who will enjoy it as I work with K-5 students. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

December 19, 2018 at 7:25 am

Thank you, Jane!

December 16, 2018 at 4:52 pm

Thank you for sharing this cute activity. Hope you have a good week.

December 19, 2018 at 7:23 am

You’re welcome, Jan!

December 16, 2018 at 4:42 pm

So cute! Thank you! I’ll be using in my 2nd grade on this last week before break.

December 19, 2018 at 7:24 am

You’re welcome, Beth!

December 16, 2018 at 4:17 pm

I love this. Thank you so much. Can’t wait to use it.

I hope you can use them, Pat!

Fran Chodack

December 16, 2018 at 2:49 pm

Thank you so much for sharing your activities and printables. They have a fresh, engaging quality about them. You are the best!

December 19, 2018 at 7:28 am

Thank you for your kind words, Fran!

Claudette GILLES

December 16, 2018 at 1:56 pm

Dear Anna, thank you so much for your wonderful freebies which have become essential in helping me to fulfil my grandmother’s role !

You’re very welcome, Claudette!

December 12, 2019 at 8:51 pm

Will this work to print in black and white or does it need to be in color for the clues to make sense?

Virginia Mayer-Brown

December 16, 2018 at 1:55 pm

This is perfect for this week when the kids I care for after school will not have homework but I want them opportunities to exercise their brains.

I hope it helps, Virginia!

December 16, 2018 at 1:39 pm

I love this Christmas Sweater game!

December 19, 2018 at 7:27 am

I’m so glad, Jo!

Deb Roethle

January 4, 2021 at 8:00 am

I teach Reading to 4K – 4th grade. I teach in a rural school in Neosho, Wisconsin. (HNR School Elementary). I love all the activities that I have used through your site.

Tammy Cantagallo

I so enjoy your creativity and your love of clip art!! ( I am not very computer savvy). The games and resources that you create make my students ( and me of course) look forward to learning. Thank you for all that you do:)

December 15, 2019 at 3:17 am

grazie ! ^_^

[…] and problem solving skills to determine which sweater is the secret sweater. This activity is from The Measured Mom and has a sweater printable as well as the clues kids can use to solve the […]

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Fun Christmas Math Problems

christmas math problem solving

I teach at a very small private school, and each year we have a math team to compete at the state math meet. A team consists of ten students, and ten students is about the size of our  entire  high school (which is wonderful when you get to teach class sizes of anywhere from one to eight students, but is not so great for raising up a ten person math team). We usually end up having half a team, and half of the students are middle schoolers.

We know that we're not going to be "competitive," but I try to make sure that the students have some fun doing problem solving activities together. One of the big challenges is trying to create competition-style problem sets that have something that's feasible for my entire range of students from sixth graders to twelfth graders.

This year I put together a set of Christmas-themed problems for my students to work on as a team. The problem set is the attached printable file, and there is a solution key below.

This problem set would also work well as a Christmasy problem-solving activity for a high school math class.

Handouts/Worksheets

Christmas problems.

  • How many gifts were given in all in the song “The Twelve days of Christmas”?  
  • The earth has eight billion people, and the average family size is 2.5 people. 75% of all families have children, and 3 8  of those families have only “nice” children. If Santa only visits families that don’t have any “naughty” children, how many families does he have to visit?  
  • I have a certain amount of money to spend on Christmas gifts. I spent half of it on my wife, a third of the remaining money on my son, and half of the remaining money on my daughter. When I was all done, I had $12 to spend on the baby. How much money did I start with?  
  • The Christmas eggnog was not creamy enough; it was only 30% cream. How much half-and-half (50% milk, 50% cream) must be added to five gallons of eggnog to make it 45% cream?  
  • Santa’s workshop is filled with elves, reindeer and snowmen. Elves have two legs, reindeer have four, and snowmen have none. In all there are 72 “creatures” in the workshop, and 176 feet. Only elves and snowmen wear hats, and there were 40 hats in the workshop. How many snowmen were there?  
  • In how many distinct ways can the letters of the name “SANTA” be arranged?  
  • Hermie can open presents at a rate of three presents every two minutes. Rudolph can open presents at a rate of two presents every five minutes. If they work together, how many minutes will it take them to open 133 presents?  
  • At dawn on December 1st, Frosty the Snowman is 62 inches tall. Every day Frosty melts a little, decreasing his height by 4 inches. Every night it snows a little, increasing his height by 3 inches. On what day will Frosty reach a height of zero inches?

Christmas Problems: Solution Key

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Sweet Tooth Teaching

Engaging resources, ideas, and organizational hacks for elementary teachers!

Christmas Math Activities for 3rd Grade

November 30, 2022

Elapsed time word problems are pictured. Students use Santa task cards with clocks to determine the time and solve elapsed time problems.

It’s the holiday season which means Christmas break is almost here. In the days leading up to break, it’s important to keep reviewing grade level content, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be fun! Christmas-themed activities are an easy way to review grade level standards, while still giving students opportunities to participate in collaborative, hands-on activities that they’re excited about! Keep reading to take a peek at some engaging Christmas math activities for 3rd grade .

How to Set Up Christmas Math Activities for 3rd Grade

These activities can work in a couple of different ways to kick off the holiday season in your classroom. You can use them as:

A Christmas Classroom Transformation – Looking for a way to bring cheer the last week before Christmas break? Consider transforming your classroom into a winter wonderland by hanging up paper streamers or lights. Bring some Christmas decorations from home or have your students create some to help decorate your room. There are many ways to make this classroom transformation magical even on a budget . 

Plan for your classroom transformation to be a week-long affair and introduce a new activity each day of the week. Students will love working in groups to complete these hands-on Christmas math activities. 

Christmas Math Centers – These collaborative activities can also be used as holiday-themed math centers . Have students work with their group to practice essential third grade math standards such as multi-step word problems, elapsed time, multiplication, and more.

Graphic featuring a toy flyer with different priced toys and math task cards

Engage your students during the holidays with these fun Christmas-Themed math activities! Activities include elapsed time, multiplication, measurement, graphing and more!

A Closer Look at Christmas Math Activities for Third Grade

Setting up holiday math activities is an exciting way to add Christmas fun to your math block this holiday season. Plus, students won’t even realize they’re learning! Take a peek at these Christmas math activities for upper elementary below. 

*Looking for other opportunities for your students to practice real-world learning in math? Check out my blog post on Project Based Learning .

Solving Multi-Step Word Problems

A multi-step word problem addition and subtraction Christmas activity is pictured. Students will create their own map and solve word problems.

There is a lot of traveling going on during the holidays. This activity brings that to life. Students will start by using directions and a compass to design a map of a Christmas town.

Then, students will use the map that they created to practice solving multi-step word problems . These problems will give students practice with adding and subtracting, 2, 3 and 4-digit numbers. Students will bring their art skills to life as they label their maps and determine how long travel routes take for people this holiday season. 

Elapsed Time Task Cards

3.MD.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram.

Elapsed time task cards and word problems are pictured. Students will use the Santa themed clock task cards to determine the time and then solve for elapsed time.

This Christmas math activity asks students to take a look at clocks on different task cards and determine the time. Students will then use the time they recorded to solve how long Santa spends traveling around the world. Making it to every house around the world is a long journey!

Students will enjoy determining how long it takes to make this famous trip by using the start time on the clock task cards and solving for the elapsed time based on the scenario in each word problem. Students will record their end time next to each word problem.

Solving Multiplication Word Problems 

This toy land activity gives students practice with solving multiplication problems by using the pictured toy flyer and task cards.

Multiplication is a vital skill for third grade students, so what better way to practice it than by incorporating multiplication Christmas activities into your 3rd grade math centers? For this activity, students will be a given Toy Land flyer listing different toys and their prices. They will then use multiplication word problem scenarios to determine the cost of different toy selections from the flyer. These word problems include both multiple choice questions and short answer problems. 

*Not ready to ring in the holiday season just yet? Check out my Fall Multiplication Centers post which features hands-on multiplication activities for 2nd-3rd grade.

Measurement Task Cards

3.MD.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters.

Measurement task card activity with reindeer and a ruler is pictured.

Santa wants to sort his reindeer by size and he needs your students’ help! Grab some rulers, print off the reindeer task cards, and have students get to measuring. Students will determine how many inches each reindeer is and record it in a table. After, they’ll take their results and graph the measurements onto a line plot. This activity helps students practice understanding measurement and the size of different objects. 

Using Graphs to Analyze Data

One of the best parts of Christmas is the holiday treats! For this activity, students will survey their classmates on their favorite holiday treat. Students will tally up the responses on a graphic organizer and then use that information to create different types of graphs to represent the data. Graphs that students can create include a frequency table, picture graph, and bar graph. Looking to add a little something extra to this activity? Consider bringing in a small holiday treat for students to enjoy while they create their graphs.

Rounding Using Place Value

Santa delivers many toys on Christmas Eve. This year he wants help rounding that number to the nearest thousand. Students will use a table to record each rounded number for popular toys that Santa delivers. This activity gives students additional practice with rounding using place value.

I hope these Christmas math activities for 3rd grade bring some extra holiday cheer and engagement to your classroom this Christmas season. 

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Christmas Word Problem Worksheets

Samples for Second and Third Grade

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Word problems can be perceived as the dreaded bane of your students' existence, or they can be a walk in the park. The amount of practice your students have working with word problems affects their confidence level in this area. 

Design Christmas word problem worksheets that are suitable for second and third-grade students. The sample questions adhere to math standards for those grades. Most of these word problems focus on number sense. 

Here's some simple math for you. If word problems are applied in real-world scenarios that children enjoy, the likelihood increases that they will find the problems easy to solve.

Easy Christmas Math Word Problems

In terms of fun word problem scenarios, you can incorporate Christmas themes into the problems. Most children enjoy the Christmas season, even those who don't celebrate the holiday. Images of jolly snowmen and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer delight children during this time. Now, pair Christmas-based situations with math word problems to delight young students.

Students at a very young age need to practice solving problems when the unknown value is at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the word problem. Using this strategy will help children become better problem-solvers and critical thinkers.

Before you assign word problems to your students, make sure that you vary the types of questions. The variety will help create good thinking habits among your students.

Second Grade

For second grade worksheets , you will note that addition and subtraction problems are the most appropriate. One strategy to help students in the younger grades to think critically is to consider changing where the unknown value is.

For instance, look at the following question:

"For Christmas, you got 12 candy canes in your stocking and 7 from the tree. How many candy canes do you have?"

Now, look at this transposition of a word problem:

"You wrapped 17 presents and your brother wrapped 8 presents. How many more presents did you wrap?"

Third Grade

By third grade, your students have started to get comfortable with fractions, multiplication, and division. Try incorporating some of these elements into your third-grade worksheets .

For example, "your string of Christmas lights has 12 bulbs on it, but 1/4 of the bulbs don’t work. How many bulbs do you have to buy to replace the ones that don’t work?"

The Value of Words

Word problems take math understanding to the next level. By meshing reading comprehension skills with everything already learned in mathematics, your students are becoming critical problem solvers.

Real-world scenarios show students why they need to learn math, and how to solve the real problems they will encounter. Help connect these dots for your students.

Word problems are an important assessment tool for teachers. If your students are able to comprehend and solve word problems, it shows you that your students are grasping the math being taught to them. Kudos for the guidance you provide. Your hard work is paying off.

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Christmas Conundrums 2022

christmas math problem solving

This feature has four problems for you to solve, all with a festive twist!

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christmas math problem solving

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These resources are designed to get you thinking about reasoning with numbers.

12 Days Of Christmas Puzzle - Solution

The puzzle:.

According to the traditional song, on the first day of Christmas (25th December), my true love sent to me:

• A partridge in a pear tree

On the second day of Christmas (26th December), my true love sent to me THREE presents:

• Two turtle doves • A partridge in a pear tree

On the third day of Christmas (27th December and so on) my true love sent to me SIX presents:

• Three French hens • Two turtle doves • A partridge in a pear tree

This carries on until the the twelfth day of Christmas, when my true love sends me:

• Twelve drummers drumming • Eleven pipers piping • Ten lords a-leaping • Nine ladies dancing • Eight maids a-milking • Seven swans a-swimming • Six geese a-laying • Five gold rings • Four calling birds • Three French hens • Two turtle doves • A partridge in a pear tree

After the twelve days of Christmas are over, how many presents has my true love sent me altogether?

Our Solution:

Day by Day: 1 + 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 + 28 + 36 + 45 + 55 + 66 + 78 = 364 presents

Which is really interesting when you think there are 365 days in a typical year!

A kind reader, Martin J. Fowler, found this interesting symmetry in the total number of each present:

12 Partridges (12 days x 1) 22 Turtle Doves (11 days x 2) 30 French Hens (10 days x 3) 36 Calling Birds (9 days x 4) 40 Gold Rings (8 days x 5) 42 Geese Laying (7 days x 6) 42 Swans swimming (6 days x 7) 40 Maids a Milking (5 days x 8) 36 Ladies dancing (4 days x 9) 30 Lords a Leaping (3 days x 10) 22 Pipers Piping (2 days x 11) 12 Drummers drumming (1 day x 12)

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Tes Maths: Christmas collection

Australia and new zealand, international schools, tes resources team.

Father Christmas Completing Secondary Maths Activities On A Classroom Whiteboard

A selection box of festively fun maths resources to see you through to the winter break

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and with a few weeks left until the winter break you will be hard pushed to keep your students' minds on the maths at hand, and it won't be long before your secondary maths students are hinting for a bit of festive flair in lessons. With this in mind, we have gathered together a mathematical selection box of festive curriculum-aligned resources for you to spread some Christmas cheer with your classes.

KS3 resources

Maths Relay Races (Problem-solving Puzzles)

Maths Relay Races (Problem-solving Puzzles)

Christmas Coordinates

Christmas Coordinates

Christmas Transformations

Christmas Transformations

Collaborative Math Mosaics - Christmas Bundle (now 12 Versions!!)

Collaborative Math Mosaics - Christmas Bundle (now 12 Versions!!)

Christmas Maths Activities

Christmas Maths Activities

Year 8 Christmas team competition

Year 8 Christmas team competition

Christmas Coordinates-The Grinch

Christmas Coordinates-The Grinch

Christmas Pirate Game!

Christmas Pirate Game!

Christmas Worksheets: Order of Operations with Integers

Christmas Worksheets: Order of Operations with Integers

Christmas Maths - Simplify Fractions Maze

Christmas Maths - Simplify Fractions Maze

Algebra. Creating and Expanding Double Brackets. Christmas Challenge. FULL SET

Algebra. Creating and Expanding Double Brackets. Christmas Challenge. FULL SET

Christmas maths - Averages

Christmas maths - Averages

Ks4 resources.

What's Santa Left In My Stocking? - Bodmas

What's Santa Left In My Stocking? - Bodmas

What Was The Question? Christmas Theme

What Was The Question? Christmas Theme

Advanced Higher, Higher  and N5 Maths - Advent Calendars

Advanced Higher, Higher and N5 Maths - Advent Calendars

Christmaths Baubles

Christmaths Baubles

Christmas maths Codebreaker on bidmas / order of operations

Christmas maths Codebreaker on bidmas / order of operations

Christmas maths - surds colour by number

Christmas maths - surds colour by number

Christmas Middle School Math Problem Solving Activity: Digital Partner Relay

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Description

Do you need an engaging activity around the Christmas Holidays where your middle school students solve non-routine problems and exercise their thinking skills? This digital partner relay works a bit like a virtual escape room while students are actively moving and solving math problems! Students must solve a problem correctly in order to unlock the next problem. The problems are progressive in nature, starting with mild difficulty, moving to medium, and finishing with spicy. There are 3 problems at each level.

Included topics:

* multiplication word problem

*simple visual equations

* rates word problem (includes unit conversion between minutes & hours)

* surface area of a rectangular prism

*finding a fractional part of a number (like 2/5 of 300)

* Patterns (several pattern problems, including visual)

* Volume of rectangular prisms (this problem also includes scale factor and may be solved with unit price ).

For this relay, the teacher will set up the classroom so that partner desks are across from each other. Students will start at Desk A, solve a problem, and record their answer. They will then move to Desk B and input their answer on Partner B's computer. If they are correct, the next problem will unlock. If they are incorrect, they will need to head back to Desk A and try the problem again. They will continue back and forth from Desk A to Desk B as they solve problems. This physical activity greatly increases student excitement!

**Not enough time to set up desks? No worries! Though they miss out on the movement, students are still fully engaged in this activity when they sit side-by-side!

After each level, students will receive a congratulatory message. If they finish all three levels, they will receive a virtual trophy!

  • Teacher Directions
  • 2 Google Relay Forms - one for Partner A and one for Partner B
  • 9 Christmas-themed problems that progress in difficulty
  • Level 1: Problems can be solved in one or two steps
  • Level 2: Problems involve multiple steps and ability to piece together what you know to solve new problems
  • Level 3: Problems are non-routine and will challenge students to think deeply and collaborate!
  • Answer Key with full solutions

Move ! Use your Mind ! Do Math ! Enjoy!

More Christmas/Winter Activities

  • Percent Increase & Decrease - Not your average Scavenger Hunt (Christmas Themed)
  • Math Ad Lib: Circumference and Area of Circles (Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa Themed)
  • Build-A-Tree Christmas Review Game: 7th Grade IM Unit 3 (Circles) - This one includes the Build-A-Turkey Thanksgiving version of the same review as an added bonus!
  • Build-A-Snowman Review Game: 7th Grade IM Unit 4 (Percents)

Other Digital Partner Progressive Relays and More:

  • Adding & Subtracting Fractions: Digital Partner Progressive Relay
  • Multiply & Divide Negatives: Digital Partner Progressive Relay
  • Circle Word Problems: Digital Partner Progressive Relay
  • Math Ad Lib: Fraction to Percent Conversion
  • 7th Grade Illustrative Mathematics Unit 4 Bundle : Percents
  • Build-A-Heart Buddy Review Game : Rational Number Arithmetic

Questions & Answers

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  4. Christmas Math Word Problems Worksheets

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  5. Christmas Problem Solving Sheets

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  6. Christmas Math Problem Solving Task Cards Grades 5-6

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VIDEO

  1. Winter Gifts Walkthrough Cool Math Games

COMMENTS

  1. 5 Fun Christmas Math Riddles and Brain Teasers for Grades 1-8

    5 Fun Christmas Math Riddles for Kids: 1.) Christmas Ornaments. Answer: Nick has 9 ornaments in total: 3 blue, 3 green, and 3 red. Would you like FREE math resources in your inbox every day? Click here to sign up for my free math education email newsletter (and get a free math eBook too!) 2.)

  2. Christmas Math Activities: Problem Solving With the 12 Days of Christmas

    Geese and swans - (6 geese will be given a total of 7 days for a total of 42 geese; 7 swans will be given 6 out of the twelve days for a total of 42 swans) We've included these questions in the printable 12 days of Christmas Math Activity Pack (which you can download and print below). The pack includes the song lyrics and four pages of ...

  3. Christmas Math Activities

    If you would like some support in solving the problems on these sheets, please check out the video below! ... There are a range of challenges including code breaking, word problems, and word finding Christmas Math Challenges. Each challenge is carefully graded and comes complete with answers. Christmas Maths Worksheets (Easy)

  4. Christmas Math Worksheets

    This page has a collection of Christmas-themed mathematics worksheets that you can print and use with your students. For Christmas crafts, brain teasers, puzzles, reading, writing, and spelling activities, please visit our main Christmas page. Basic Addition Math Picture: Santa FREE. First, write the answers to the addition facts.

  5. Christmas Math Worksheets

    Christmas Skip Counting with the 12 Days of Christmas. 1 Partridge in a Pear Tree 2 Turtle Doves 3 French Hens 4 Calling Birds 5 Gold Rings 6 Geese a-Laying 7 Swans a-Swimming 8 Maids a-Milking 9 Ladies Dancing 10 Lords a-Leaping 11 Pipers Piping 12 Drummers Drumming. Christmas Counting Objects in Various Arrangements.

  6. Christmas Math Worksheets (Harder)

    Challenge 3 involves finding the answers to word problem challenges. Each sheet has 2 separate challenges. One challenge involves using thinking and reasoning skills to work out the number of Christmas trees. The other challenge involves finding all possibilities of the number of Christmas tree lights, using number properties and place value.

  7. 12 Days of Holiday Math Puzzles—Printable K-8 Worksheets

    Each puzzle challenges students to use their math skills to find the values different holiday-themed symbols and icons. The puzzles can be downloaded as printable pdf worksheets that are easy to share and are suitable for students in grades 3-8. All of the puzzles below are samples from the holiday puzzle calendars available on the Mashup Math ...

  8. 12 Christmas Math Activities and Puzzles

    2.3 Penguin Pentominoes Puzzle. 2.4 Reindeer Logic Puzzle. 2.5 Christmas Tree Pentominoes Puzzle. 2.6 Decorate the Tree Christmas Puzzle. 2.7 Christmas Prime Tree Puzzle. 2.8 Holiday Triples Puzzle. 3 Christmas Games and Activities. 3.1 Drawing on Your Head Christmas Game. 3.2 Christmas Tree Nim Game.

  9. Christmas problem solving activity

    Mystery problem solving activities. $ 20.00. Build critical thinking skills with 50 engaging mystery problem solving activities! Just print each picture mat and clue cards. Students will read the clues and discovery the mystery character or object.

  10. Second Grade Christmas Math Word Problems

    Use these second grade Christmas math word problems with your class. A printable worksheet PDF is included. ... When working with word problems, be sure to add some problem-solving questions to the mix. Word problems typically require computations whereas problem-solving requires a little more thinking. There will be reasoning and logic ...

  11. Fun Christmas Math Problems: Lesson Plans

    This year I put together a set of Christmas-themed problems for my students to work on as a team. The problem set is the attached printable file, and there is a solution key below. This problem set would also work well as a Christmasy problem-solving activity for a high school math class.

  12. Fun Christmas maths

    pptx, 72.1 KB. pptx, 136.23 KB. docx, 99.86 KB. Some hands on Christmas problem solving activities I made for the last week in school before the Christmas break. My year threes loved these and worked on them for ages (much longer than I expected) in little groups. It was good to see children who usually struggle in maths shining during this ...

  13. Christmas Math {Word Problems}

    4. Fast Finishers: Challenge your fast finishers with these word problems. 5. Problem of the Day: Let students work through a problem each day during the month of December. 6. Math Journal: Have students work through the problems in their math journals. Hope your students enjoy these FREE Christmas math problems!

  14. Christmas Maths Worksheets

    Christmas maths worksheets to print out for ages 5 to 9. Find the Totals - Challenging. A tricky problem-solving activity where children need to use all the given numbers on the Christmas baubles making sure each side of the Christmas tree adds up to the given total.

  15. Christmas Math Activities for 3rd Grade

    3.MD.1 Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram. This Christmas math activity asks students to take a look at clocks on different task cards and determine the ...

  16. Christmas Problem Solving

    It's Christmaaaaaaas! So why not celebrate the festive period with these Christmas problem-solving activities. This is a fun real-life maths problem-solving activity to plan a Christmas party and features three differentiated booklets. Maths areas covered include addition, perimeter, percentages, fractions, pie charts and money. This Christmas problem-solving activity is ideal to use ...

  17. Christmas Math Word Problem Worksheets

    The amount of practice your students have working with word problems affects their confidence level in this area. Design Christmas word problem worksheets that are suitable for second and third-grade students. The sample questions adhere to math standards for those grades. Most of these word problems focus on number sense.

  18. Christmas Problem-Solving Activities

    Money. Plus, the problem-solving activities come in three differentiated booklets. This ensures that all members of your class can enjoy working at appropriate learning levels. This Christmas problem-solving activity is ideal to use throughout the festive period. Just download, print and hand out to your students.

  19. Christmas Conundrums 2022

    Christmas Conundrums 2022. This feature has four problems for you to solve, all with a festive twist! Our friends at Plus have released their 2022 Advent Calendar . Behind every door you can find out about current maths research happening at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

  20. FREE Christmas Word Problems

    Have fun decorating the Christmas tree by solving these Christmas word problems.This Christmas Math is such a fun Christmas Math Printable and activity for Kindergarten and first grade students to practice addition and subtraction during the holiday season in December. Simply print the pdf file for hands on math manipulatives and printable task cards.

  21. 12 Days Of Christmas Puzzle

    Our Solution: Day by Day: 1 + 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 + 28 + 36 + 45 + 55 + 66 + 78 = 364 presents. Which is really interesting when you think there are 365 days in a typical year! A kind reader, Martin J. Fowler, found this interesting symmetry in the total number of each present: 12 Partridges (12 days x 1)

  22. Tes Maths: Christmas collection

    Maths Relay Races (Problem-solving Puzzles) FREE (533) My classes love these: -I get relays printed in sets+laminated. ... Dive into the holiday spirit with this Christmas-themed Math Maze on Simplifying Fractions! This engaging resource is designed to make learning merry and bright. Ideal for reinforcing simplifying fractions in a festive and ...

  23. Christmas Math Problem Solving: Digital Partner Progressive Relay

    2 Google Relay Forms - one for Partner A and one for Partner B. 9 Christmas-themed problems that progress in difficulty. Level 1: Problems can be solved in one or two steps. Level 2: Problems involve multiple steps and ability to piece together what you know to solve new problems. Level 3: Problems are non-routine and will challenge students to ...