Christmas Maths Activities

ChristMaths Starters:

Starter
Boxing Day
Work out the contents and the cost of the Christmas boxes from the given clues.

Starter
Christmas Bells
If all the bells ring together at noon, at what time will they next all ring together? This problem requires the use of LCM.

Starter
Christmas Eve
Is there a pattern in the number of palindromic numbers to be found less than powers of 10?

Starter
Christmas Eve Snow
Each different letter stands for a different digit. Can you make sense of this word sum?

Starter
Christmas Ornaments
A Maths Starter activity requiring students to arrange Christmas ornaments in a square box.

Starter
Christmas Presents
Work out the total cost of five Christmas presents from the information given.

Starter
Christmas Tables
Which of the two shapes has the largest area? You will be surprised!

Starter
Cracker Joke
Answer the mental arithmetic questions then convert the answers to letters to find the joke.

Starter
Missing Operations
Each red box represents a missing operation (+, -, x or ÷). Can you work out what they are?

Starter
North Pole Test
This starter requires you to write out a difficult times table.

Starter
Puddings
Complete the calculations with the weights of the puddings

Starter
Ropey Snowballs
Arrange the numbers on the snowballs so that no two consecutive numbers are directly connected by rope.

Starter
Santa's Sleigh
Work out the number of clowns and horses given the number of heads and feet.

Starter
Snowman and Woman
How many different ways can you spell out the word snowman by moving from snowflake to snowflake.

Starter
Square Christmas Tree
Draw a picture of a Christmas tree using only square numbers.

Starter
The Power of Christmas
Find a power of 2 and a power of 3 that are consecutive numbers.

Starter
Three Wise Gifts
Find as many sets of three of the available numbers as possible which add up to the given total.

Starter
Twelve Days
A Maths puzzle based on the 12 Days of Christmas song.

Starter
Vixen Value
The Vixen Value of a word is the number of vowels multiplied by the number of consonants. How many words can you find with Vixen Value of 24?

 

Complete Index of Starters

 

Fun Maths

In addition to our Christmas activities see also our huge collection of Fun Maths games, puzzles and challenges.

Enjoy

Fun Maths

Fun Maths

The end of the lesson or the lesson at the end of Term should be a little more fun than normal. Here's a collection of fun mathematical activities

The short web address is:

Transum.org/go/?to=fun

The huge collection of End of Term activities might also be of interest to you.

End of Term Activities

 

Christmas Coordinate Picture

Plot coordinates to reveal the cutest Christmas picture of them all (Click the image above).

 

Christmas Tree Function

Create equations of graphs to decorate the Christmas tree (Click the image above).

Tree equation shared by Tom Button (@MathsTechnology)

Are you an Xmas Xpert?

Here's a Yuletide challenge for you:

🎄 Christmas Numbers 🎄

Christmas Numbers

Playing Pass The Parcel?

Here's some music for you:

🎄 Pass The Parcel 🎄

Pass The Parcel

Festive Mathematics

Christmas activities make those December Maths lessons interesting, exciting and relevant. Whether mathematical activities are presented in a Christmas themed way or, due to the festive mood, normal mathematics learning is replaced with puzzles, games and seasonal fun, you can be sure that we have some excellent ideas for you here on the Transum website.

That last week of term before the Christmas holiday is the perfect time to ensure that pupils develop a delight in mathematics by seeing it in an exciting, enjoyable and engaging way (more exciting, enjoyable and engaging than the rest of the term that is!).

Just to add a little more traditional festive fun to December lessons you could visit the Maths Advent Calendar each day to open a door.

Maths Advent Calendar Link

ChristMaths Activities:

Starter
Xmas Tree Trim
Use the lights provided to decorate each of the Christmas trees so that no two trees are the same.

Starter
Xmas Lights
Drag the lights onto the positions indicated on the tree. Arrange the lights so that no two consecutive numbers are joined by a wire.

Starter
Snowflake Generator
See how the hexagon can be transformed into a snowflake with some basic translations.

Starter
Xmas Symmetry Pairs
Match the pictures with the description of their symmetry.

Starter
Xmas Light Sum
Arrange the coloured lights to create a balanced pattern where the total of each colour matches the target numbers.

Starter
Systematic Snowflakes
Drag the flakes into the cells. There should be no more than one copy of each flake in a line.

Starter
Festive Fivesome
Use the number clues to answer the seasonal questions about the five festive figures.

Starter
Xmas Colouring
Colour in the Christmas picture according to the properties of the numbers.

Starter
Xmas Consonants
After working out which vowels are missing from the Christmas words do some basic calculations.

Starter
Twelve Days
How many gifts did my true love send to me according to the traditional Christmas song 'Twelve Days of Christmas'.

Starter
The 12 Ways of Christmas
How many different ways can you make the number 12 using the digits 1 to 4?

Starter
Xmas Ornaments
A hands on activity requiring students to arrange Christmas ornaments in a square box.

Starter
Xmas Toggle Tree
Find the right combination of button presses to turn all of the Christmas tree lights on.

Starter
Xmas Squorder
Rearrange the tiles to form a Christmas picture.

Starter
Xmas Tree Light Up
Light up the Christmas tree by connecting all the wires and light bulbs to the electrical source.

Starter
Countdown to Christmas
A two-player game requiring a strategic way of counting off the days till Christmas.

Starter
Pascal's Christmas Tree
Light up the Christmas Tree by flashing lights according to a number pattern.



ChristMaths Investigations:

Tangram Christmas Tree: Accurately construct a tangram puzzle then use it to make a Christmas tree and answer a short quiz.

ChristMaths Videos:

Xmas Wrapping Maths: Did you know there is a formula for calculating the amount of wrapping paper needed?

Xmas Puzzles: A festive collection of 12 engaging mathematical puzzles, most of which feature their own interactive web pages for an enhanced experience.

Xmas Facts and Figures: How long can Santa spend at each home delivering presents? This and other festive questions answered.

ChristMaths Printables:

Pudding Weights: Fill in the gaps with the weights of the puddings. A printable worksheet.

Xmaths Card: A printable Christmaths card containing mathematical jokes and a puzzle.

Xmas Ornaments Grids: Three different grids for the Christmas Ornaments puzzle.

Snowman Worksheet: This printable may help pupils work out how many different ways there are to spell snowman on the snow flake grid.

ChristMaths External Links:

Links to other websites containing resources for ChristMaths are provided for those logged into 'Transum Mathematics'. Subscribing also opens up the opportunity for you to add your own links to this panel. You can sign up using one of the buttons below:

Search

The activity you are looking for may have been classified in a different way from the way you were expecting. You can search the whole of Transum Maths by using the box below.

 

 

Do you like Yule logistics?

Here's a festive logical task for you:

🎄 Christmas Logic Puzzle 🎄

Christmas Logic Puzzle

Comments

Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for those learning Mathematics anywhere in the world. Click here to enter your comments.

Christmas Present Ideas

It is often very difficult choosing Christmas presents for family and friends but so here are some seasonal, mathematics-related gifts chosen and recommended by Transum Mathematics.

Go Genius Maths

Transform maths practice into an exciting adventure with Go Genius Maths! This award-winning board game is designed to make learning maths enjoyable and engaging for children aged 7 and above. Perfect for family game nights or classroom activities, Go Genius Maths helps players develop essential arithmetic skills while having heaps of fun.

Whether you’re looking for a gift to inspire young minds or a tool to supplement maths education, Go Genius Maths is the ultimate choice. Spark curiosity, nurture mathematical talent, and turn learning into an unforgettable journey!

Go Genius
How Not To Be Wrong

How Not To Be Wrong

The maths we learn in school can seem like an abstract set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In fact, Jordan Ellenberg shows us, maths touches on everything we do, and a little mathematical knowledge reveals the hidden structures that lie beneath the world's messy and chaotic surface. In How Not to be Wrong, Ellenberg explores the mathematician's method of analyzing life, from the everyday to the cosmic, showing us which numbers to defend, which ones to ignore, and when to change the equation entirely. Along the way, he explains calculus in a single page, describes Gödel's theorem using only one-syllable words, and reveals how early you actually need to get to the airport.

What more could the inquisitive adult want for Christmas? This book makes a cosy, interesting read in front of the fire on those cold winter evenings. more... #ad

Graphic Display Calculator

This handheld device and companion software are designed to generate opportunities for classroom exploration and to promote greater understanding of core concepts in the mathematics and science classroom. TI-Nspire technology has been developed through sound classroom research which shows that "linked multiple representation are crucial in development of conceptual understanding and it is feasible only through use of a technology such as TI-Nspire, which provides simultaneous, dynamically linked representations of graphs, equations, data, and verbal explanations, such that a change in one representation is immediately reflected in the others.

For the young people in your life this is a great investment. Bought as a Christmas present but useful for many years to come as the young person turns into an A-level candidate then works their way through university. more... #ad

Calculator

Apple iPad Pro

The analytics show that more and more people are accessing Transum Mathematics via an iPad as it is so portable and responsive. The iPad has so many other uses in addition to solving Transum's puzzles and challenges and it would make an excellent gift for anyone.

The redesigned Retina display is as stunning to look at as it is to touch. It all comes with iOS, the world's most advanced mobile operating system. iPad Pro. Everything you want modern computing to be. more... #ad

Before giving an iPad as a Christmas gift you could add a link to iPad Maths to the home screen.

Craig Barton's Tips for Teachers

Teaching is complex. But there are simple ideas we can enact to help our teaching be more effective. This book contains over 400 such ideas." more... #ad

"The ideas come from two sources. First, from the wonderful guests on his Tips for Teachers podcast - education heavyweights such as Dylan Wiliam, Daisy Christodoulou and Tom Sherrington, as well as talented teachers who are not household names but have so much wisdom to share. Then there's what he has learned from working with amazing teachers and students in hundreds of schools around the world.

Another Craig Barton Book

The Story Of Maths [DVD]

The films in this ambitious series offer clear, accessible explanations of important mathematical ideas but are also packed with engaging anecdotes, fascinating biographical details, and pivotal episodes in the lives of the great mathematicians. Engaging, enlightening and entertaining, the series gives viewers new and often surprising insights into the central importance of mathematics, establishing this discipline to be one of humanity s greatest cultural achievements. This DVD contains all four programmes from the BBC series.

Marcus du Sautoy's wonderful programmes make a perfect Christmas gift more... #ad

Christmas Maths

This book provides a wealth of fun activities with a Christmas theme. Each photocopiable worksheet is matched to the Numeracy Strategy and compatible with the Scottish 5-14 Guidelines. This series is designed for busy teachers in the late Autumn term who are desperate for materials that are relevant and interesting and that can be completed with minimun supervision.

All the activities are suitable for use by class teachers, supply teachers, SEN teachers and classroom assistants and cover topics such as 'How many partridges did the true love give all together?' and 'Filling a sleigh with presents by rolling a dice!'. Children will have lots of fun working through the Christmas Maths themes but also gain valuable skills along the way.

A great source of ideas and another reasonably priced stocking filler. more... #ad

A Compendium Of 	Mathematical Methods

A Compendium Of Mathematical Methods

How many different methods do you know to solve simultaneous equations? To multiply decimals? To find the nth term of a sequence?

A Compendium of Mathematical Methods brings together over one hundred different approaches from classrooms all over the world, giving curious mathematicians the opportunity to explore fascinating methods that they've never before encountered.

If you teach mathematics to any age group in any country, you are guaranteed to learn lots of new things from this delightful book. It will deepen your subject knowledge and enhance your teaching, whatever your existing level of expertise. It will inspire you to explore new approaches with your pupils and provide valuable guidance on explanations and misconceptions. more... #ad

Math with Bad Drawings

I had been tutoring the wonderful Betsy for five years. When the day came for our last ever session together before the end of her Year 13, I received this beautiful book as a gift of appreciation.

This a very readable book by Ben Orlin. I'm really enjoying the humour in the writing and the drawings are great.

Ben Orlin answers maths' three big questions: Why do I need to learn this? When am I ever going to use it? Why is it so hard? The answers come in various forms-cartoons, drawings, jokes, and the stories and insights of an empathetic teacher who believes that mathematics should belong to everyone. more... #ad

Click the images above to see all the details of these gift ideas and to buy them online.

Maths T-Shirts

Maths T-shirts on Amazon
Maths T-Shirts on Amazon

Your access to the majority of the Transum resources continues to be free but you can help support the continued growth of the website by doing your Amazon shopping using the links on this page. Below is an Amazon link. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases which helps pay for the upkeep of this website.

Educational Technology on Amazon

 

Christmas puzzles Video

Christmas Puzzles

Explore a festive collection of 12 engaging mathematical puzzles, most of which feature their own interactive web pages for an enhanced experience. Pause the video at any point to work through the solutions at your own pace. Perfect for puzzle enthusiasts aged 9 to 90, this video is a fun and educational way to challenge your mind this holiday season! [Time: 20:32]

Xmas Facts and Figures

Xmas Facts and Figures

How long can Santa spend at each home delivering presents? This and other festive questions answered. [Time: 3:58]

Xmas Wrapping Maths

Xmas Wrapping Maths

Did you know there is a formula for calculating the amount of wrapping paper needed? [Time: 4:21]

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