16 No-Prep Christmas Math Activities

The December struggle is real for teachers. What do we do with our kiddos in December when they can all think of Christmas parades, presents, and holiday breaks? Not to mention all the things you are trying to juggle – your holiday plans, children, and a classroom party too! Are you looking for some fun, no-prep Christmas math activities to keep your students engaged during the holiday season? Look no further! Today I’m sharing 16 quick and easy Christmas-themed math activities that require minimal preparation time. So, whether you are looking for a review of an important math skill or a way to extend a math worksheet – I’ve got you! Enjoy!

Looking to review key 3rd-grade math skills?

At this point, most 3rd graders have begun learning about and practicing 2 & 3 – digit addition and subtraction with regrouping, place value, rounding to the nearest 10 and 100, multiplication, division, and possibly fractions. Foundational skills like addition and subtraction with re-grouping and place value build upon prior math instruction in 2nd grade. Some, like multiplication and division, are very new.

Keep reading to see how you can strengthen students’ math skills in a fun way during the holiday season!

Addition and Subtraction Activities

I have noticed that my students struggle with addition and subtraction and re-grouping well into 3rd grade. That’s why I like to spiral this practice throughout the school year. The four worksheets included in this resource will help them first with procedural practice, then application through word problems. 

Plus, these math worksheets are easy to differentiate for your learners!

Place Value and Rounding Activities

Place value is an ongoing math skill that can and should be reinforced with students often. Rounding to the nearest 10 and 100 is a new skill in 3rd grade based on place value knowledge. I like to use number lines to give a visual “picture” of where the number falls between the benchmarks. This group of 4 worksheets gives students valuable practice and includes word problems. If your students need more practice with place value, I share 4 ways to practice in this post!

Multiplication and Division Activities

These two new skills need time and practice in all aspects of rigor (procedural, conceptual, and application) for 3rd graders to understand these important concepts fully. From basic multiplication facts to fact families to word problems, there are many ways your kiddos can practice. This fun worksheet has students matching the pictures to the numbers to create multiplication equations. Then they can move on to more difficult practice with multiplication word problems.

Fractions Activities

Kids love the fraction tree in this resource! They will determine how many ornaments make up 1/4 of the total and color those red. Next, your students will determine how many presents represent 1/3 of the total. The best part is that they get to color all of it! You must include some holiday coloring to keep them engaged and happy this time of year!

This set of 16 No-Prep Christmas Math Activities has so many ways for your students to practice these important math concepts, and each has word problems to use for early and fast finishers. I love having math activity worksheets printed and ready throughout December. That way, I can enjoy all the crazy and not worry if my students are still learning. 

What to do if you don’t have the paper or ink to print class sets of 16 No-Prep Christmas Math Activities?

This resource is full of engaging and rigorous math practice for your students, but sometimes teachers must conserve paper and/or ink. So, here are a few ideas to help you with that:

1. Cut the word problems apart, glue them on chart paper, hang them in different spots around your classroom and have your students complete each problem with a partner or in groups. Kids love this activity!
2. Pair your students up and let them work together on a worksheet. Verbalizing their math thinking helps both students learn the concepts.
3. Make 5-6 copies of a worksheet, slip it inside a plastic sleeve, and put it in a math center. Students can clean the plastic sleeve after they do the activity.

Save yourself planning and prep time this holiday season! Try these 16 No-Prep Christmas math activities this year!

What are some ways you save time planning for math instruction in December? I would love to hear your ideas!