Christmas Math Activities for Kindergarten (10 Easy Ideas)

Small items such as pom-poms and jingle bells are choking hazards, so skip them or supervise closely if younger siblings are around.

Counting and number sense

1. Ornament counting tree

Draw a large tree on paper and write a number from 1 to 10 on it. Your child sticks on that many paper ornaments or round stickers. Then swap to a new number. Start with numbers up to 5 if they are new to counting.

2. Ten frame cookies

Draw a ten frame: two rows of five boxes. Use pom-poms, cereal or paper circles as cookies. Call out a number and let your child fill the frame. Ask, “How many more to make ten?” This builds a strong picture of numbers up to 10.

3. Stocking number match

Cut out ten paper stockings and write 1 to 10 on them. Put that many small items on each stocking. To make it easier, draw dots on the stocking as well, so children can match one item to each dot.

More, less and sorting

4. Sort the wrapping paper

Collect scraps of paper or ornaments. Sort by color, then ask which group has the most, which has the least and whether any are equal. Count each one to check.

5. More or less candy canes

Lay out two groups of candy canes, or paper ones. Ask which group has more. For an older child, ask how many more. Lining up the two groups side by side makes the difference easy to see.

Adding and taking away

6. Reindeer story problems

Use toy animals or paper reindeer and tell a tiny story: “Three reindeer are in the barn. Two more come in. How many now?” Move the toys as you say it, then let your child make up the next story. Keep totals under 10.

7. Feed the snowman

Draw a snowman with a big mouth on a cardboard box and cut the mouth out. Put out six pom-poms. Your child “feeds” two and counts what is left. It is taking away, but it feels like a game.

8. Roll and build a tree

You need one die and paper triangles or green blocks. Roll, count the dots and add that many pieces to a tower or tree. The first player to reach 20 wins. Counting on from the last number is the skill here.

Patterns and measuring

9. Paper chain patterns

Use strips of red and green paper to make a chain in a pattern: red, green, red, green. Then try harder ones such as red, red, green. Ask your child what comes next. The chain doubles as a countdown to Christmas, as shown in my paper chain guide.

10. Measure with candy canes

How many candy canes long is the table, the dog’s bed or your child’s arm? Lay them end to end, count and compare. Then guess first and check. This is an early measuring skill and it gets giggles.

Which activity fits your child?

Tips for keeping it fun

• Real objects first, paper second. Moving objects helps children understand what the numbers mean.
• Say it out loud. “You have four. Two more makes six.” You do not need to quiz them.
• Stop while it’s fun. Five good minutes today beats a battle that lasts half an hour.
• Let them be the teacher. Children enjoy catching you making “mistakes” while you count.

When you want something ready to print

Worksheets can give extra practice after hands-on play, and they are handy for quiet time and the last days before winter break. My kindergarten Christmas worksheets guide explains what to look for, and the Christmas activities for preschoolers guide has more ideas for younger children. For help getting pages to print well, see how to print printables at home.

A pile of paper ornaments and ten minutes is enough for a good math session, and most kids will not notice it counts as learning.