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🎄 What We’re Using This Christmas (Amazon Favorites)
Here are a few things we’re loving and actually using this Christmas season:
🎄Kids’ Christmas Activity Book (Amazon)🎄Christmas Playdough Kit (Amazon)🎄Christmas Book Set (Amazon)🎄Easy Gingerbread House Kit (Amazon)🎄Washable Christmas Stampers (Amazon)🎄Christmas Fun Game (Amazon)🎄Kids’ Christmas Craft Set (Amazon) If you’re anything like me, December rolls in with the biggest mix of excitement and “oh wow, how am I supposed to keep homeschool flowing when everything gets extra busy?”
Between holiday events, gift shopping, family gatherings, and all the magical things we want to do with our kids… math lessons often feel like the first thing to slide off the table.
But here’s the thing I learned: December doesn’t have to be a “lost month.”
You can absolutely keep math skills strong and create cozy Christmas memories at the same time — without preparing elaborate crafts or spending hours printing things.
So today, I’m sharing 20 Christmas-themed math activities that are low-prep, fun, hands-on, and completely doable even during the busiest holiday season. These activities work for homeschoolers, classroom teachers, and even parents who want festive learning at home.
Let’s make math feel magical this season — not stressful.
Why Christmas-Themed Math Works So Well in December
Before we jump in, here’s the real reason these activities matter:
Kids are already excited for Christmas — so we leverage that spark.
Instead of pushing through a rigid math curriculum and fighting distraction, Christmas-themed math gives you:
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Built-in engagement (because holiday themes naturally feel fun)
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Flexibility (you can adapt activities to any grade level)
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Continuity (your child keeps practicing math skills without burnout)
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Low prep for you (because you’re already busy enough this month!)
This is truly one of the easiest ways to keep learning alive during the holidays.
Let’s jump into the list!
20 Low-Prep Christmas-Themed Math Activities
1. Christmas Cookie Fractions (Using Real or Paper Cookies)
Make or draw simple cookies, then decorate with icing or stickers.
Ask your child to show:
This makes fractions visual, edible, and fun.
Low-prep tip: Print a few blank cookie templates and reuse them all month.
2. Candy Cane Pattern Challenge
Grab red and white beads, pipe cleaners, or paper strips.
Kids create AB, ABB, AAB, and ABC patterns.
Extend it for older kids:
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Calculate how many red beads they need for 12 candy canes.
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Multiply the number of patterns made.
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Find how many total beads were used.
Patterns + multiplication = painless math win.
3. Christmas Gift Budgeting Activity
Give your child a “budget” (fake money or a printable).
Then create price tags for:
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stuffed animals
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candy
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stickers
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small “gifts”
Kids practice:
This is real-world math disguised as holiday fun.
4. Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Counting or Multiplication
Grab a cup and mini marshmallows.
For little ones:
Count marshmallows into the cup.
For early elementary:
Skip-count by 2s, 5s, or 10s.
For older kids:
Each cup holds 6 marshmallows — how many marshmallows for 8 cups?
Low prep + delicious motivation.
5. Ornament Estimation Station
Fill a small jar with tiny ornaments or pom-poms.
Ask:
Then compare numbers and calculate the difference.
A fun December twist on estimation skills.
6. Christmas Tree Geometry
Draw or cut out triangle-shaped Christmas trees.
Kids can:
For younger kids, stick with simple shape naming.
7. Gingerbread House Math
Use real gingerbread houses or simple paper houses.
Kids practice:
Older kids can calculate perimeter or area of the gingerbread “walls.”
A perfect activity during gingerbread-building week!
8. Christmas Lights Skip Counting
Draw a long Christmas light strand.
Number each bulb by:
You can even turn it into a “missing number” game by leaving some bulbs blank.
9. Snowball Toss Math Game
Crumple up white paper “snowballs.”
Label buckets 10, 20, 50, or 100 points.
Let kids toss snowballs and add up their total score.
For older kids:
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Multiply scores
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Compare totals
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Graph results
A great energy-burning math break!
10. Roll-and-Build Christmas Tree (Number Sense)
Use dice and green blocks or paper triangles.
Roll the dice to see:
This builds number sense, subitizing, and fine motor skills.
11. Peppermint Place Value
Use red and white pompoms or peppermint candy visuals.
Assign:
Kids build numbers physically, making place value click.
12. Christmas Calendar Countdown Math
Use a simple Advent-style calendar.
Daily math ideas:
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How many days until Christmas?
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How many days have passed in December?
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What is the difference between them?
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Make number sentences with today’s date.
This reinforces calendar math naturally.
13. Present Stack Measuring Activity
Wrap empty boxes or use printable presents.
Kids measure:
They can also order them by:
Super low-prep and great for hands-on learners.
14. Reindeer Races Graphing Activity
Draw 3–6 reindeer.
Roll a die to see which reindeer moves forward a space.
Kids track results using a tally chart or bar graph.
It’s probability + graphing + excitement = perfect.
15. Snowflake Symmetry
Cut or print snowflakes.
Kids identify:
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lines of symmetry
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rotational symmetry
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repeated patterns
You can turn this into a “Symmetry Hunt” around the house.
16. Christmas Cookie Shop (Money Math)
Set up a pretend cookie shop with:
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prices
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menus
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“customers”
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coins or play money
Kids practice:
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adding totals
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giving change
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using coins
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comparing prices
Great for siblings or as a parent-child game.
17. Nutcracker Number Line Dance
Print a number line on the floor.
Kids move like a toy soldier (march or tiptoe) to:
This sneaks movement into math — perfect for wiggly kids.
18. Christmas Wrap Shapes
Cut shapes out of Christmas wrapping paper.
Create math tasks like:
You’re reusing scrap wrapping paper — zero prep, big learning.
19. Elf Measurement Fun
Draw or print an elf.
Kids use:
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candy canes
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blocks
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Legos
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markers
…to measure height and width.
Older kids can convert units (inches → cm).
20. Santa’s Sleigh Word Problems
Write simple or advanced Christmas-themed word problems.
Examples:
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Santa has 24 gifts and packs 6 in each bag. How many bags does he need?
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A reindeer eats 3 carrots a day. How many carrots in 12 days?
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Mrs. Claus bakes 120 cookies. She gives 5 cookies to each elf. How many elves get cookies?
You can adjust difficulty for any grade level.
How to Use These Activities in Your Homeschool (or Classroom)
Here’s the truth:
You don’t need to do all 20 activities — or even half.
December is busy. Kids are distracted. Parents are tired.
So before you overwhelm yourself, here’s a simple system:
Pick 1 activity per day
This gives you 20 days of light, meaningful math.
Rotate hands-on and quiet activities
Keeps kids interested and balanced.
Use these activities as “bridge learning”
If you’re pausing your formal math curriculum for December, these keep skills sharp.
Let your kids help choose
They get excited when they have ownership.
Print a quick checklist
So you don’t have to think about “what should we do today?”
This is math that fits into real December life — calm, joyful, doable.
How These Activities Actually Solve a Problem
Most parents and homeschoolers feel the same December struggle:
“I want to keep learning going, but I don’t have the energy for complicated prep.”
This blog post solves that by giving you:
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Activities that take under 5 minutes to set up
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Materials you probably already have
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Skills that match your curriculum
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Ideas that feel festive, not forced
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Enough variety to last the whole month
No busywork.
No frustration.
Just simple, cozy holiday math.
Ways to Extend the Learning (If You Want To)
If you feel extra motivated or want to turn this into a full holiday mini-unit, try:
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Adding a math journal to record answers
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Creating a Christmas Math portfolio
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Making videos of the activities
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Turning activities into family games
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Adding writing extensions (“Explain how you knew your answer…”)
These are optional bonuses — never required.
Final Thoughts: Making December Learning Magical
If December tends to feel chaotic (you’re not alone!), these Christmas-themed math activities offer a gentle, joyful way to keep your homeschool moving forward without stress.
You’ll build memories, keep math skills sharp, and create a sense of warmth and connection — all with very simple prep.
And who knows?
You might even start a new holiday tradition.
I hope this list brings peace, excitement, and ease to your holiday season.
If you want even more simple Christmas activities, homeschool printables, or learning ideas to make the season magical, make sure to explore my other posts.
And if you found this helpful, please share it with another busy homeschool mom who could use a little December inspiration. ❤️
Leave a Comment
What Christmas-themed math activity are you excited to try first?
Tell me in the comments — I’d love to hear what your kids enjoy most!
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Thank you for reading my blog! Stay tuned for more tips, resources, and printable materials to help make your homeschooling experience enjoyable and effective. Check out my store for a variety of educational products and printables to assist you on your homeschooling journey.
Nancy at Cleverly Kindred ❤️
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