Free Printable Christmas Games for Kids

Preschool Christmas Activities

CHRISTMAS MATH ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOL

HOLIDAY HUSTLE AND BUSTLE CAN TAKE ITS TOLL ON LITTLE ONES. AND THEIR PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND TEACHERS!

These fun games are designed to distract while at the same time teach important preschool math skills. And, of course, the spinning will hone those fine motor skills as well.

I have included two different Christmas-themed games for you. The first is a Spin and Match activity, where kids will use visual discrimination to find the matching Christmas object. Pictures include Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, hot cocoa, candy cane striped lollipops and cupcakes!

The second Christmas-themed activity is a Spin and Graph. Children will learn how to make a basic graph by spinning and placing a block in the correct column.

I love the simplicity of these two activities! But they pack a lot of learning punch! It will give kids valuable background and understanding on important math concepts.

If you want to encourage thinking during either activity, you can pose thoughtful questions:

• How are the two gingerbread houses alike/different?
• Which pictures have the same characteristics?
• How many more/less cocoa mugs did you spin than Christmas trees?
• Which picture did you spin the most/least? How many spins?

What Can Preschoolers Learn From a Christmas Graph?

CHRISTMAS MATH GAMES

EARLY GRAPHING GAMES AND ACTIVITIES TEACH KIDS TO ORGANIZE AND ANALYZE DATA.

Fun graphing games are an opportunity to teach and practice math vocabulary, like:

• Greater than/less than
• How many more/less
• Most/Greatest
• Least/Fewest

Why Is It Important For Kids To Learn About Math?

Basic math games and activities help kids form a solid foundation. Every early experience gives them background to attach new skills and concepts to.

Background Knowledge

Learning about basic graphing and matching is really the first step toward more complex math concepts, like adding and subtracting and ordered pairs.

Number Sense

Understanding number order, quantity and value contribute to number sense. It’s also the ability to relate numbers to each other. Early math games promote number sense.

Connect with Holidays

Although math skills are the goal, the vehicle is Christmas. These activities give kids background about the holiday with engaging pictures and new vocabulary.

Make Connections

Learning different ways to use numbers helps kids make deeper connections among the different math skills, like counting, adding or subtracting.

How To Make The Printable Christmas Games

To Prep:

For both activities, print, laminate and assemble the spinners.

To assemble the spinners, after laminating, poke a hole through the center of the spinner graphic. Thread one end of a paper clip onto a paper fastener, then push the paper fastener through the hole in the paper. Open the backings of the paper fastener and secure with tape if desired.

To Play Spin & Cover:

This can be played independently by spinning the spinner and covering a picture that matches what was spun. Or it can be played with two players as a game of Bump!

To play Bump!:

-Spin the spinner.

-Put a place marker on the matching picture.

-If the other player has a place marker on that picture you can “Bump” them off and put your marker on.

-If you already have a place marker on that picture, you can place a second place marker on top to freeze the number. Frozen pictures cannot be “Bumped.”

The game ends when all the pictures have been frozen.

-The winner is the player with the most pictures frozen.

To Play Spin & Graph:

Spin the spinner and mark a space on the graph to show which picture the spinner landed on. Continue until one of the columns reaches the top.

Children can circle the picture with the most spins.

Just wipe the board clear to start a new round.

You can also turn this into a game by printing two boards. Take turns spinning and see who reaches the top of a column first.

Extend the Activity

Scavenger Hunt

A fun extension activity is to hide pictures of the spin & graph items around the room. Before graphing, kids must find a picture.

Minute to Win It

Games like jingle bell toss or Christmas light hanging are a bit more active, but they provide a fun distraction from holiday stress!

Record Data

After graphing or finding the pictures on Spin & Cover, go back and count how many of each picture, then practice writing the numbers on a whiteboard.

• Fine Motor and Color Sorting Christmas Trees
• Christmas Tree Counting Number Cards
• Free Gingerbread CVC Game
• Free Christmas Themed Prewriting Practice Cards
• Felt Christmas Tree Number Match Up
• Free Printable Holiday Word Clouds
• Free Christmas Counting Cards
• Christmas Stamp Patterns
• Christmas Tree Decorating Felt Busy Bag

More Math Games:

• Gingerbread Roll & Count Game
• Christmas Roll & Cover Number Game
• Penguin Shape Matching Game