The festive season is a perfect time to add some sparkle to learning, and Christmas maths activities for primary school are a great way to combine education with holiday cheer. Whether you’re a teacher looking to bring the magic of Christmas into your classroom or a parent seeking fun ways to support learning at home, these activities will help children build essential numeracy skills while embracing the holiday spirit.
For a complete festive approach, pair these ideas with our Christmas English activity ideas to create a well-rounded learning experience.
1. Christmas Maths Activities for Primary School: Tree Shape Sort
Skills: Geometry, classification, and patterns.
What You’ll Need:
- A large cut-out of a Christmas tree.
- Shapes (stars, triangles, circles, squares) cut out of colored paper.
Activity:
Children decorate the tree by matching and sticking shapes to their corresponding outlines. For older children, extend the activity by asking them to create symmetrical patterns or calculate the area of each shape. This hands-on task is a festive way to explore geometry through Christmas maths activities for primary school.
2. Candy Cane Counting Challenge
Skills: Number recognition, addition, and subtraction.
What You’ll Need:
- Mini candy canes or printed candy cane images.
- Dice.
Activity:
Each child starts with a small number of candy canes. Roll the dice to add or subtract candy canes from their pile. The goal? To reach exactly 10 (or any target number you set). This is a fun way to practice mental maths in a Christmas-themed setting.
Download a free candy cane template to print and use for this activity!
3. Christmas Maths Activities for Primary School: Shopping Budget Game
Skills: Money management, addition, and subtraction.
What You’ll Need:
- A set of Christmas-themed items with price tags.
- Play money or coins.
Activity:
Set a budget (e.g., $20) and let children “shop” for items from your Christmas market. They’ll need to add up their purchases and calculate what they have left. For an extra challenge, ask them to find combinations to spend their entire budget.
4. Festive Fractions
Skills: Understanding fractions and visualizing parts of a whole.
What You’ll Need:
- Paper or real Christmas cookies.
- Decoration items (icing, sprinkles).
Activity:
Give each child a cookie and ask them to divide it into halves, quarters, or thirds before decorating. This hands-on activity makes fractions tangible—and delicious!
5. Christmas Countdown Calendar Maths
Skills: Multiplication, division, and calendar maths.
What You’ll Need:
- A large calendar for December.
Activity:
Ask questions like:
- “How many days are left until Christmas?”
- “If you eat 2 chocolates from your advent calendar every day, how many will you eat in total by Christmas Eve?”
This activity incorporates daily practice and builds excitement for the holiday.
6. Santa’s Sleigh Estimation Game
Skills: Estimation and measurement.
What You’ll Need:
- A jar of small Christmas-themed items (like bells or candy canes).
Activity:
Have children estimate how many items are in the jar. For older students, ask them to explain their reasoning or calculate how many more could fit if the jar were larger.
7. Christmas Maths Activities for Primary School: Lights Number Patterns
Skills: Recognizing patterns and sequences.
What You’ll Need:
- Strings of paper “lights” with numbers written on them.
Activity:
Create patterns on the lights (e.g., 2, 4, 6, 8…) and ask children to fill in the missing numbers. For advanced learners, try more complex patterns, such as multiplying by 3 or Fibonacci sequences.
Tips for Success
- Make it collaborative: Encourage group work to promote teamwork and peer learning.
- Celebrate effort: A festive sticker or certificate for participation can go a long way in motivating children.
- Incorporate movement: Many of these activities can be adapted to include physical activity, like a Christmas maths treasure hunt.
These Christmas maths activities for primary school are perfect for keeping children engaged and inspired during the festive season. Don’t forget to pair them with our Christmas English activity ideas to bring even more holiday cheer into your lessons.
How do you incorporate the festive season into your teaching? Share your ideas in the comments—we’d love to hear them!
Written by Kellie, a Sydney-based primary school teacher passionate about inclusive education and inspiring a love of learning in children.
