christmas problem solving year 2

• Home   |  
• About   |  
• Contact Us   |  
• Privacy   |  
• Newsletter   |  
• Shop   |  
• 🔍 Search Site
• Easter Color By Number Sheets
• Printable Easter Dot to Dot
• Easter Worksheets for kids
• Kindergarten
• All Generated Sheets
• Place Value Generated Sheets
• Addition Generated Sheets
• Subtraction Generated Sheets
• Multiplication Generated Sheets
• Division Generated Sheets
• Money Generated Sheets
• Negative Numbers Generated Sheets
• Fraction Generated Sheets
• Place Value Zones
• Number Bonds
• Addition & Subtraction
• Times Tables
• Fraction & Percent Zones
• All Calculators
• Fraction Calculators
• Percent calculators
• Area & Volume Calculators
• Age Calculator
• Height Calculator
• Roman Numeral Calculator
• Coloring Pages
• Fun Math Sheets
• Math Puzzles
• Mental Math Sheets
• Online Times Tables
• Online Addition & Subtraction
• Math Grab Packs
• All Math Quizzes
• 1st Grade Quizzes
• 2nd Grade Quizzes
• 3rd Grade Quizzes
• 4th Grade Quizzes
• 5th Grade Quizzes
• 6th Grade Math Quizzes
• Place Value
• Rounding Numbers
• Comparing Numbers
• Number Lines
• Prime Numbers
• Negative Numbers
• Roman Numerals
• Subtraction
• Add & Subtract
• Multiplication
• Fraction Worksheets
• Learning Fractions
• Fraction Printables
• Percent Worksheets & Help
• All Geometry
• 2d Shapes Worksheets
• 3d Shapes Worksheets
• Shape Properties
• Geometry Cheat Sheets
• Printable Shapes
• Coordinates
• Measurement
• Math Conversion
• Statistics Worksheets
• Bar Graph Worksheets
• Venn Diagrams
• All Word Problems
• Finding all possibilities
• Logic Problems
• Ratio Word Problems
• All UK Maths Sheets
• Year 1 Maths Worksheets
• Year 2 Maths Worksheets
• Year 3 Maths Worksheets
• Year 4 Maths Worksheets
• Year 5 Maths Worksheets
• Year 6 Maths Worksheets
• All AU Maths Sheets
• Kindergarten Maths Australia
• Year 1 Maths Australia
• Year 2 Maths Australia
• Year 3 Maths Australia
• Year 4 Maths Australia
• Year 5 Maths Australia
• Meet the Sallies
• Certificates

Christmas Math Activities

Welcome to the Math Salamanders Christmas Math Activities. Here you will find a wide range of free printable Christmas Math sheets, Christmas Math games and Christmas math challenges.

For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript.

Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser .

Quicklinks to:

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

Here you will find a range of Christmas Math Activities from 1st grade and upwards.

There sheets are grouped by type and start off easier to harder. The Math skills involved include adding and subtracting.

We have a wide selection of different Christmas math activities, including:

• Christmas Nets
• Block Coordinates
• Line Coordinates
• Addition and Subtraction

Printable Christmas Crafts

We have created a few Christmas nets for craft activities around Christmas time.

It is best if you can print them out on card as they are a bit fiddly to do on paper.

Great for developing cutting and sticking skills and a fun activitiy to do around Christmas time.

• Printable Christmas Crafts (nets)

Top of Page

Christmas Block Coordinates

Here are some block coordinate sheets with a Christmas theme. The answer sheets are shown as thumbnails.

The sheets use an alphanumerical coordinate grid where the horizontal axis is a letter and the vertical axis a number.

Each coordinate needs to be identified and then shaded the correct color.

• Christmas Block Coordinates Sheet 1
• Sheet 1 Answers
• PDF version
• Christmas Block Coordinates Sheet 2
• Sheet 2 Answers
• Christmas Block Coordinates Sheet 3
• Sheet 3 Answers
• Christmas Block Coordinates Sheet 4
• Sheet 4 Answers
• Christmas Block Coordinates Sheet 5
• Sheet 5 Answers
• Christmas Block Coordinates Sheet 6
• Sheet 6 Answers
• Christmas Block Coordinates Sheet 7

Christmas Line Coordinates

Here are some line coordinate sheets with a Christmas theme. The answer sheets are shown as thumbnails.

The first set of sheets - Find the Coordinates is easier.

The second set of sheets - Joining and Plotting Coordinates is harder.

Find the Christmas Coordinates

These sheets involve writing down the coordinates of different Christmas themed pictures on the grid.

There is also a challenge to find Santa's Secret Grotto using the clues on the sheet provided.

• Find the Christmas Coordinates 1
• Find the Christmas Coordinates 2

Find the Christmas Coordinates Walkthrough Video

This short video walkthrough shows our Find the Christmas Coordinates Sheet 1 being solved and has been produced by the West Explains Best math channel.

If you would like some support in solving the problems on these sheets, please check out the video below!

Christmas Line Coordinate Sheets

These sheets involve plotting and then joining sets of coordinates together.

The shapes must then be shaded in to create a Christmas picture.

These sheets are more challenging than the block coordinate sheets, and also the finding coordinate sheets.

• Christmas Line Coordinates Sheet 1
• Christmas Line Coordinates Sheet 2
• Christmas Line Coordinates Sheet 3
• Christmas Line Coordinates Sheet 4

Christmas Line Coordinates Walkthrough Video

This short video walkthrough shows our Christmas Line Coordinates Sheet 4 being solved and has been produced by the West Explains Best math channel.

Christmas Dot to Dot Worksheets

We also have several dot-to-dot worksheets with a Christmas theme.

The sheets can also be used as color-in sheets as well as dot to dot sheets.

The sheets have been put in order from smallest number of dots to the largest.

• Christmas dot-to-dot up to 15
• Dot to Dot Winter 1 (up to 20)
• Christmas Dot to Dot 1 (up to 20)
• Christmas Dot to Dot 2 (up to 22)
• Dot to Dot Winter 2 (up to 31)
• Christmas dot-to-dot up to 34
• Dot to Dot Winter 4 (up to 42)
• Christmas Dot to Dot 3 (up to 46)

Kindergarten Christmas Counting Activity

These kindergarten counting worksheets all have a Christmas theme.

They cover counting up to 12, and also matching and counting the correct objects.

Each sheet is available as a color version or as a coloring sheet in black and white.

• Kindergarten Christmas Counting 1
• b/w version
• Kindergarten Christmas Counting 2
• Kindergarten Christmas Counting 3
• Kindergarten Christmas Counting 4

Christmas Tree Addition and Subtraction

• Addition and Subtraction 1
• Addition and Subtraction 2
• Addition and Subtraction 3
• Addition and Subtraction 4
• Addition and Subtraction 5

Christmas Tree Activities Templates

Here you will find two template sheets for the Christmas math activities featured on this page. You can print these sheets and tailor them to suit your child's needs.

• Christmas Trees Challenge blank
• Christmas Tree Number Challenge blank

Looking for more Christmas themed worksheets

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

Christmas Math Worksheets & Challenges

Here is our selection of Christmas Math Challenges from 1st grade and upwards.

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)
• Christmas Math Worksheets (Intermediate)
• Christmas Math Challenges (Harder)

Free Christmas Worksheets - Color in

We also have a selection of color-in Christmas worksheets.

There are writing and coloring, color-in and color-by-number sheets for your child to enjoy.

• Free Christmas Worksheets for kids

Penguin Dot to Dot

Check out our dot to dot worksheets with a penguin theme.

We have several sheets up to different totals.

• Penguin dot to dot worksheets

Winter Dot to Dot

Check out our dot to dot worksheets with a winter theme.

• Winter Dot to Dot worksheets

How to Print or Save these sheets 🖶

Need help with printing or saving? Follow these 3 steps to get your worksheets printed perfectly!

• How to Print support

Subscribe to Math Salamanders News

Sign up for our newsletter to get free math support delivered to your inbox each month. Plus, get a seasonal math grab pack included for free!

• Newsletter Signup

Return to Christmas Worksheets Hub

Return from Christmas Math Activities to Math Salamanders Homepage

Math-Salamanders.com

The Math Salamanders hope you enjoy using these free printable Math worksheets and all our other Math games and resources.

We welcome any comments about our site or worksheets on the Facebook comments box at the bottom of every page.

New! Comments

TOP OF PAGE

© 2010-2024 Math Salamanders Limited. All Rights Reserved.

• Privacy Policy
• Copyright Policy

Teacher-Trusted Tutoring

Personalised one to one tutoring that boosts confidence and doubles progress

FREE daily maths challenges

A new KS2 maths challenge every day. Perfect as lesson starters - no prep required!

Top 10 Primary Christmas Maths Activities For KS2 Classrooms

Anantha Anilkumar

It’s the time of year for Christmas maths activities! We’ve put our elves to work to find you the 10 best Christmas maths activities suitable for your KS2 pupils. Countdown the days of Christmas with these maths resources.

1. Christmas Maths Challenge Activities And Christmas Maths Worksheets

2. youngminds wellbeing advent calendar, 3. festive maths problems pack, 4. third space learning’s christmas maths activities, 5. christmas maths primary advent calendar, 6. christmas maths colouring activities, 7. every mind matters self-care tool, 8. christmas maths murder mystery, 9. putting on a christmas show, 10. christmaths website of ks2 christmas maths activities.

You won’t be surprised to hear that because this is a Third Space blog, our initial focus is around maths. However, given the importance of wellbeing for children receiving our 1-to-1 maths lessons we’ve also included a couple of brilliant wellbeing activities within this list too, not just for your pupils but for teachers as well!

So, in no particular order, take a look at our favourite key stage 2 Christmas activities and resources, guaranteed to give your children some fun maths lessons in the days before the holidays!

The Mathematics Shed, run by Graham Andre, is a great place to find engaging and effective activities across KS1 and KS2 and the Seasonal Maths Shed has fabulous activities to build numeracy for every holiday.

The activities cover multiple strands of maths and are easy to edit, depending on the needs of your pupils, with addition, subtraction, percentages and mental maths being just a few of the topics covered. Each is festive-themed, featuring Christmas presents, snowmen, and snowflakes.

One of our favourite fun Christmas maths activities from the Seasonal Maths Shed is the Xmas Hits Through the Decades worksheet. It’s always the right time for a bit of Wham right?

Link:  The Mathematics Shed

Twitter: @grahamandre

The lead up to the Christmas holidays can be a very exciting but also exhausting time. It is often easy at this time to get caught up in the busy atmosphere and forget to take care of the children’s and your wellbeing.

YoungMinds have created a wellbeing advent calendar to encourage you and your class to take some time out and enjoy the spirit of the season. With past activities ranging from sharing jokes to taking a moment to focus on breathing, there is inspiration for every class. 

Link: YoungMinds Wellbeing Advent Calendar  

Twitter: @YoungMinds

Key Stage 2 Christmas Maths Quiz

20 Year 5 / Year 6 Maths questions for some festive fun, including answer guide to find out their curriculum topic gaps

Even in the last few weeks of the term, you’ll need to keep your pupils learning. But as Christmas approaches your children’s work ethic might start to flag, and it might be tempting to give into the festive spirit.

Luckily, Third Space’s Festive Maths Pack lets you bring the Christmas spirit into the classroom without compromising on learning. This free printable download contains 21 reasoning and word problem-solving activities with a festive bent for you to use with your class.

The activities cover a wide range of topics, making them perfect for some surreptitious revision and consolidation of learning!

They’re designed for upper KS2 – years 5 and 6 – but some of the Christmas maths activities can be easily adapted for years 3 and 4.

Downloadable free resource: Third Space Festive Maths Pack

And there’s more from Third Space… all available to you for free:

• a free Christmas maths quiz ,
• some Christmas maths lessons suitable for Year 2 to Year 6
• daily maths questions , some with a wintery and Christmas theme on our maths hub.

Try them out and let us know what you think.

Looking for more fun maths activities ? Here are 19 fun end of term maths activities, some great back to school maths activities and our favourite fun maths lessons . If you want to send your pupils home with something to do in the holidays they won’t run out of ideas with these fun maths games for kids to do at home.

You will either be preparing to, or will have already, tucked into your advent calendar by now (and maybe eaten a few days ahead), so why not use a Maths advent calendar with your pupils? Every year, Nrich prepares a primary maths advent calendar linked to 24 engaging activities to use in the run-up to Christmas.

Each Christmas maths activity encourages Mathematical habits of mind: being curious, being thoughtful, being collaborative and being determined. These activities include Christmas co oridinates and colour by numbers.

The countdown until Christmas has become even more exciting with these fab activities from Nrich Maths.

Link:  Nrich Maths

Twitter: @nrichmaths

There are so many KS2 Christmas Maths activities available on Emaths, it was difficult to choose just one! Our favourite has to be the 4 x  Christmas Maths colouring activities  that incorporate addition, subtraction and multiplication. Perfect for struggling lower KS2 pupils, once completed, your pupils end up with a lovely, coloured image that’s perfect to take home to Mum and Dad. Take a look at our Christmas Maths Calculation Colouring Worksheet.

Emaths feature other great activities in Powerpoint, Excel and SmartBoard to use in the lead up to Christmas. If you’re looking for a bunch of KS2 Maths Christmas activities, this is the place to head to.

Link:  Emaths

Twitter: @EmathsUK

Teachers are well renowned for their selfless and caring attitudes but they sometimes forget the importance of their own mental health. We know self-care is always important but as Christmas can be a stressful time for many reasons, now might be a good time to reflect on how you are feeling and what you can do for your own wellbeing.

This tool from Public Health England asks you to complete a short quiz about your wellbeing before suggesting 6 self-care ideas that you could put into action. Make sure to take time for yourself in the lead up to Christmas and during the holidays.

Link: Every Mind Matters self-care tool

Mr Barton Maths is probably already on your must read list, but the Maths Christmas Activities and Resources section is a particular lifesaver during this point in the year. The section includes top Maths Christmas resources from the TES Maths website (secondary as well as primary).

Our top pick from Mr Barton’s selection is the  Christmas Maths murder mystery , guaranteed to be a crowdpleaser. Pupils are given a set of clue cards which define the task – of finding out who killed Santa – and give them all the necessary information to solve the mystery. This is a tricky but entertaining Christmas maths activity to encourage problem solving skills, and it is best suited to upper KS2.

Link:  Mr Barton Maths

Twitter: @mrbartonmaths

We couldn’t resist including this one, even if we’ve used it before…

Whether you’re taking the DfE’s advice to ‘hold a live nativity performance’ or not, you’ll find something to laugh at (and cry at after the year we’ve had!) here.

Mr P understands and his video shares the  struggles we’ve all experienced when putting on a show .

Remember that Christmas carol you loved before you agreed to organise your school’s nativity? Not anymore after rehearsing it for the thousandth time.

What about props falling midway through? You can handle a Christmas tree tumbling down as long as you’re prepared for it and have accepted it.

Be prepared for the technology to go wrong, half of your cast to be off sick and your Christmas play production to be one of your proudest moments this year.

If you like classroom laughs and learning about technology and you don’t already follow ICT with Mr P on Facebook you’re missing a trick.

Link:  Mr P’s ICT Blog

Twitter: @ICT_MrP

Christmaths Competition  website is a great resource to use  with your Year 6 class. We love just how many activities there are to choose from, including A Cartoon Christmaths, The Breindeer Christmaths and our personal favourite, Christmaths Crackers. These activites include fun ways to practice maths skills like sequencing, times tables practice demicals, counting activities, and code breakers.

If you’re on the hunt for exciting Maths tasks, this website is full of them – almost fuller than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve! Thank you to the Twinkl KS2 Teaching Group on Facebook for this winner.

Link: The Christmaths Competiton

Here’s to a very relaxing and merry Christmas for all of you from everyone at Third Space Learning!

DO YOU HAVE PUPILS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT IN MATHS?

Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of students across hundreds of schools with weekly primary school tuition designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 these personalised one to one lessons have helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians.

Learn about the emphasis on building a positive maths mindset or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

Related articles

The Best Free Multiplication Games To Play At KS1 & KS2 For Classroom Engagement

9 Coronation Maths Activities For Schools: Coronation Fun For KS1 and KS2 

18 Brilliant Mental Maths Games To Build Number Fluency, Speed And Stamina In KS1 & KS2 

The 24 Best Free KS3 Maths Games For Engagement At School and Home

FREE 12 Maths Club Activities for Primary Schools (Years 1 to 6)

A collection of games and activities to make maths enjoyable in a primary school maths club!

Minimal resources are needed for each activity.

Privacy Overview

Year 2 Christmas Themed Maths Worksheets

Are you looking for fun Christmas themed worksheets for your students? Then our colourful and fun Year 2 Christmas Themed Maths Worksheets will bring a festive spirit to your student’s learning.  

Christmas holidays are a great time to let children learn and revise the things they have already learnt in school. Our Christmas worksheets will be great for young learners during the holiday season. The worksheets will keep your little one engaged and busy with a range of maths activities such as missing numbers, patterns, ordinal numbers and challenge cards.

Also, Check:  Year 2 English and Maths Book

Counting in 2s

Counting in 10s

Counting in 5s

Position and Direction

Ordinal Numbers

Challenge Cards

Line of Symmetry

Related:  Year 2 Targets Bundle – Reading, Writing, Maths, Science/

For more worksheets and blogs Please like and follow our  Facebook page  to stay updated.

I value your feedback, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or queries. Also, If you like my work please let me know by commenting below. Thanks

Share this post: on Twitter on Facebook on Google+

You may also like

Free Compound Words List and Worksheets

Contractions in Grammar Worksheets – FREE

Fun Easter Activities Placemat For Kids – FREE

Free Easter Writing Prompts for Kids

Christmas Challenges

I hope you enjoy the I See Maths Christmas Challenges! There are videos to introduce each of the four tasks. Then the children can be let loose on the different puzzles and tasks. The children may even design some Christmas puzzles of their own...

In the video we explore a system for finding all the orders in which we can get ready in the morning (use the task resources with the video). Then the children have to find all the different combinations of outfits that the Elves can wear. A great challenge for children in KS1!

The video introduces a survey about our favourite Christmas activities (use the task resources with the video). We think about ways to find different combinations of answers, then the children return to the survey to explore how many ways it can be answered! This task could be used (in different ways) in Y2-Y4.

In the video we break down a multi-step question to work out how many carrots each reindeer has eaten (use the task resources with the video). Then the children piece together clues to work out how many mince pies each Elf has eaten! A great challenge for children in Y4-Y6.

In the video we introduce a multi-step logic puzzle, uncovering Mrs Claus' favourite Christmas food! Use the first part of the task resources with the video. Then, the children have to work out which child gets which Christmas present, piecing together lots of clues. A challenge for Y5-Y6 children.

Thank you, teachers, for your wonderful commitment throughout 2022. We are part of an amazing profession and it has been fantastic getting back out and spending time with so many of you! Have a fantastic Christmas - Gareth

Second Grade Christmas Math Word Problems

• Worksheets By Grade
• Math Tutorials
• Pre Algebra & Algebra
• Exponential Decay

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 necessary to solve the problem.

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

2. You have 19 Christmas cards. 12 came from your friends at school, how many came in the mail?

3. You sang 8 songs at the concert at school and your friend sang 17. How many more songs did your friend sing?

4. You buy gifts for your friends, 2 sisters, 1 brother, your mom, and dad. You buy a total of 13 gifts. How many friends do you buy for?

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

6. On your advent calendar, you ate 13 chocolates. How many more chocolates are there to eat?

7. On the day before the Christmas holidays, only 21 of the 26 students were at school. How many were absent?

8. On the day before the Christmas holidays, only 21 of the 26 students were at school. How many were absent?

Notice that in these word problems, the unknown value isn't always at the end. It's important to ensure that there is a variety of children's math word problems. Some unknown values should occur at the beginning, some the end and others at the end.

PDF Printable Worksheet

• Christmas Word Problem Worksheets
• Third Grade Christmas Math Word Problems
• 2nd Grade Math Word Problems
• Math Word Problems for Third Graders
• First Grade Math: Word Problems
• 4th-Grade Math Word Problems
• Free Math Word Problem Worksheets for Fifth-Graders
• Free Christmas Math Worksheets
• Second Grade Math: Solving Word Problems
• Quiz 8th-Graders With These Math Word Problems
• Ideas for Thanksgiving Math Word Problems
• Sixth Grade Word Problems
• Multiplication Word Problems With Printable Worksheets
• Realistic Math Problems Help 6th-graders Solve Real-Life Questions
• Christmas Shopping Word Problems
• 2nd Grade Worksheets

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Fun Christmas maths - Practical problem solving

Subject: Mathematics

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

9 December 2014

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Tes classic free licence

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

leighdcleeton

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

mairihowell

Thanks. Good resource

Thanks, for taking the time to adapt these problems for Christmas.

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

• STEM Ambassadors
• School trusts
• ITE and governors
• Invest in schools
• STEM careers inspiration
• Benefits and impact
• Our supporters
• Become a STEM Ambassador
• Request a STEM Ambassador
• Employer information
• Training and support
• STEM Ambassadors Partners
• Working with community groups
• Search icon
• Join the STEM Community

Christmas Resources

Here are some curriculum linked activities for all primary ages which will engage and excite children as Christmas approaches and heads are filled with nativity plays, Santa and presents.

Including interesting demonstrations to promote discussion,  problem solving activities to plan a Christmas party, a survey on holly leaves and designing and making party hats and moving cards.

Festive Board Game

Quality Assured Category: Mathematics Publisher: Early Learning HQ

This Christmas themed game suitable for early years encourages basic counting skills in an engaging way. Players race to the presents along an icy path, following instructions as they land on various squares.

Christmas demonstrations

Quality Assured Collection Category: Science Publisher: National STEM Learning Centre and Network

Make tinsel fly, liquidise jelly and watch a candle flame jump like magic. These short demonstrations can be used to promote interest and discussion around science concepts and to get children thinking. 

Magic melting ice cubes could add a seasonal theme when looking at thermal insulators and conductors.

Christmas party planning

Quality Assured Category: Mathematics Publisher: mathsticks

This topical maths activity could be adapted for planning the class christmas party or used as it is as a fun way of practical problem solving.Children look at different criteria to plan a christmas event. It has many links to other curriculum areas so could  become the focus of a project carried out over a day.

If you like this resource try the others in the collection.

Christmas Lights

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Primary Upd8

If you're learning about electrical circuits then this activity puts it into a Christmas context. Children use dice to select several components of electrical circuits from an ‘advent calendar’ showing 24 electrical symbols. They then predict whether their circuit will work and explain their reasoning.

12 Days of Christmas

An investigational maths activity which looks at the carol 'The 12 Days of Christmas'

Holly Leaves - Themes and Variations

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS)

What could be more festive than holly leaves? Designed for use outdoors or collect holly samples to adapt the activity for indoor use. Provides questions about holly leaves which help children investigate variation in the leaves. Investigations include:

How many prickles on a holly leaf?

Do only female holly trees have berries?

Are leaves left and right handed?

Shape Activities for Students Aged 3-5

Quality Assured Category: Mathematics Publisher: BEAM Education

A range of photocopiable worksheets from BEAM. Including the following Christmas activities:

Follow instructions to draw different coloured shapes on a christmas tree

Complete pattens on a christmas present

Could be extended into a traditional christmas card making activity.

Unit 1A: Moving Pictures and Science 1D: Light and Dark

Quality Assured Category: Design and technology Publisher: Nuffield Foundation

Children design and make a collage on the theme of Christmas, and then to incorporate a simple moving part. A good way of incorporating Christmas into D&T which allows children to practise, designing, choosing materials, cutting and sticking. The collage can be used to get children to think about light, dark and shadows as well as stimulate creative story telling.  

Will your party hat be funny or fantastic?

Quality Assured Category: Design skills Publisher: Nuffield Foundation

Listed as a lower KS2 resource this activity could be adapted across the primary range. Design and make a party hat on a Christmas theme to be worn on Christmas day or at a class party.

Could also be used by classes to make head dresses for the nativity play e.g. donkey, sheep, cows, kings 

SATIS 8-14: Green Box Book 8

Quality Assured Category: Design and technology Publisher: Association for Science Education (ASE)

An older resource with some great ideas! Pages30-40 have science challenges put into a Christmas context. They include:

Find out which child wrote which letter to santa by using chromatography.

Identify already wrapped presents with missing labels by thinking about the properties of materials.

Test the strength and durability of wrapping paper

Make santa's nose flash- it could also be rudolphs if you're feeling creative.

Maths Activity in the Early Years - Topic Booklets

Quality Assured Category: Mathematics Publisher: Eigen Publications

Make christmas cards and help develop measuring, folding and cutting skills. These activities also improve children's ability to follow instructions. Younger children will need help making the fold out cards. This activity is suitable for children in KS2 as well, as it reinforce following instructions.

Shape Activity in the Classroom - Books 8 to 14

A KS2 activity where children produce christmas tangrams of candles, angels, nativity scenes. Would make a very colourful display. This activity is in Book 9.

Sigma Science Christmas Booklets

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Sigma Science

These two seasonally themed booklets support many aspects of science for primary learners. The activity sheets could form the basis of practical work in class or be used to revise various topics.

Christmas tree

Quality Assured Category: Computing Publisher: UK STEM

An ideal plan for a Christmas themed coding lesson! This plan involves a Christmas tree that has sparkles lighting up as the baubles, but it is also possible to use other Christmas-related ideas (for example Christmas cards) that have the same code.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Pre-order my book and get a free bonus! LEARN MORE

The Measured Mom

Education resources for parents and teachers

PS PK K 1 2 3 72 Comments

Christmas problem solving activity

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sharing is caring!

• Pinterest 2825

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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 !

Get your free problem solving activity!

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

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!

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

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 […]

[…] post Christmas problem solving activity appeared first on The Measured […]

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Science of Reading Resources

Popular freebies.

Get instant access to science of reading workshops and over 2000 printable resources!

Become a Member

Watch CBS News

How two high school students solved a 2,000-year-old math puzzle

By Bill Whitaker , Aliza Chasan , Sara Kuzmarov, Mariah Campbell

May 5, 2024 / 7:00 PM EDT / CBS News

A high school math teacher at St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans, Michelle Blouin Williams, was looking for ingenuity when she and her colleagues set a school-wide math contest with a challenging bonus question. That bonus question asked students to create a new proof for the Pythagorean Theorem, a fundamental principle of geometry, using trigonometry. The teachers weren't necessarily expecting anyone to solve it, as proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry were believed to be impossible for nearly 2,000 years.

But then, in December 2022, Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson, seniors at St. Mary's Academy, stepped up to the challenge. The $500 prize money was a motivating factor.

After months of work, they submitted their innovative proofs to their teachers. With the contest behind them, their teachers encouraged the students to present at a mathematics conference, and then to seek to publish their work. And even today, they're not done. Now in college, they've been working on further proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem and believe they have found five more proofs. Amazingly, despite their impressive achievements, they insist they're not math geniuses.

"I think that's a stretch," Calcea said.

The St. Mary's math contest

When the pair started working on the math contest they were familiar with the Pythagorean Theorem's equation: A² + B² = C², which explains that by knowing the length of two sides of a right triangle, it's possible to figure out the length of the third side.

When Calcea and Ne'Kiya set out to create a new Pythagorean Theorem proof, they didn't know that for thousands of years, one using trigonometry was thought to be impossible.  In 2009, mathematician Jason Zimba submitted one, and now Calcea and Ne'Kiya are adding to the canon.

Calcea and Ne'Kiya had studied geometry and some trigonometry when they started working on their proofs, but said they didn't feel math was easy. As the contest went on, they spent almost all their free time developing their ideas.

"The garbage can was full of papers, which she would, you know, work out the problems and if that didn't work, she would ball it up, throw it in the trash," Cal Johnson, Calcea's dad, said.

Neliska Jackson, Ne'Kiya's mother, says lightheartedly, that most of the time, her daughter's work was beyond her. 

To document Calcea and Ne'Kiya's work, math teachers at St. Mary's submitted their proofs to an American Mathematical Society conference in Atlanta in March 2023.

"Well, our teacher approached us and was like, 'Hey, you might be able to actually present this,'" Ne'Kiya said. "I was like, 'Are you joking?' But she wasn't. So we went. I got up there. We presented and it went well, and it blew up."

Why Calcea' and Ne'kiya's work "blew up"

The reaction was insane and unexpected, Calcea said. News of their accomplishment spread around the world. The pair got a write-up in South Korea and a shoutout from former first lady Michelle Obama. They got a commendation from the governor and keys to the city of New Orleans. 

Calcea and Ne'Kiya said they think there's several reasons why people found their work so impressive. 

"Probably because we're African American, one," Ne'Kiya said. "And we're also women. So I think-- oh, and our age. Of course our ages probably played a big part."

Ne'Kiya said she'd like their accomplishment to be celebrated for what it is: "a great mathematical achievement."

In spite of the community's celebration of the students' work, St. Mary's Academy president and interim principal Pamela Rogers said that with recognition came racist calls and comments. 

"[People said] 'they could not have done it. African Americans don't have the brains to do it.' Of course, we sheltered our girls from that," Rogers said. "But we absolutely did not expect it to come in the volume that it came."

Rogers said too often society has a vision of who can be successful.

"To some people, it is not always an African American female," Rogers said. "And to us, it's always an African American female."

Success at St. Marys 

St. Mary's, a private Catholic elementary and high school, was started for young Black women just after the Civil War. Ne'Kiya and Calcea follow a long line of barrier-breaking graduates. Leah Chase , the late queen of Creole cuisine, was an alum. So was Michelle Woodfork, the first African American female New Orleans police chief, and Dana Douglas, a judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Math teacher Michelle Blouin Williams, who initiated the math contest, said Calcea and Ne'Kiya are typical St. Mary's students. She said if they're "unicorns," then every student who's matriculated through the school is a "beautiful, Black unicorn."

Students hear that message from the moment they walk in the door, Rogers said. 

"We believe all students can succeed, all students can learn," the principal said. "It does not matter the environment that you live in."

About half the students at St. Mary's get scholarships, subsidized by fundraising to defray the $8,000 a year tuition. There's no test to get in, but expectations are high and rules are strict: cellphones are not allowed and modest skirts and hair in its natural color are required. 

Students said they appreciate the rules and rigor.

"Especially the standards that they set for us," junior Rayah Siddiq said. "They're very high. And I don't think that's ever going to change." 

What's next for Ne'Kiya and Calcea

Last year when Ne'Kiya and Calcea graduated, all their classmates were accepted into college and received scholarship offers. The school has had a 100% graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate for 17 years, according to Rogers.

Ne'Kiya got a full ride in the pharmacy department at Xavier University in New Orleans. Calcea, the class valedictorian, is studying environmental engineering at Louisiana State University. Neither one is pursuing a career in math, though Calcea said she may minor in math.

"People might expect too much out of me if I become a mathematician," Ne'Kiya said wryly. 

Bill Whitaker is an award-winning journalist and 60 Minutes correspondent who has covered major news stories, domestically and across the globe, for more than four decades with CBS News.

More from CBS News

Thousands of students who crossed border from Mexico to U.S. set to graduate

How much would a $40,000 HELOC cost per month?

Public school district leaders face questions from Congress on antisemitism school policies

Court: School had right to fire gay teacher who announced wedding