4 Fun Ways to Use Math Around the Holidays

We all know about the Summer Slide. But even during short absences from school like Winter Break, students’ learning can slip. Below are four fun ways to combine holiday cheer with festive math. Share these activity ideas and tips with families to keep students engaged all winter long!

Many families travel over Winter Break—even if it’s just down the street!

Have students make travel logs this Winter Break. They can record where they went, the amount of time spent traveling, and how far of a distance they traveled. Encourage students to record any trip they take, even if it’s just to the supermarket.

When break is over, travel logs can form the basis of a class discussion. Create a class graph of students’ travels, like the ones in this story on holiday travel stats.

From twinkling lights to wreaths and candles, festive decorations come in many shapes and sizes.

Have students draw holiday decorations they notice in their community! Use each decoration to explore shapes, lines, and angles. For example, measure the length of each side of a star, and calculate the perimeter.

Students can also make their own! Create patterns with paper chains and snowflakes. Add in some fraction practice with coloring, like in this story and the math lesson on fractions and holiday lights.