The countdown to winter break is on! As the days draw closer to some well-deserved time off, classroom excitement will grow as students anticipate holidays and school-free days. Build off their natural excitement with winter math activities that are sure to keep them engaged!
Why winter math activities matter for student engagement
Since the final weeks of school are packed with parties, events, exams, dress-up days, and more, it’s important to be realistic about what new content students will be able to retain. Keep student engagement at the forefront when planning activities and drafting winter lesson plan ideas. Engaging activities will help keep students on-task during math time and diffuse off-task behavior.
Incorporating math fact fluency and fractions for all levels
When thinking about math activities before winter break, pinpoint some skills your students need extra practice with. You can also focus on foundational skills, like math fact fluency or fractions, with fun winter-themed practice and review. Reflex and Frax are adaptive and game-based online programs that make math practice feel like fun instead of work. Start a free 30-day trial to experience one or both products before break!
Math Fact Fluency
Try ReflexFractions Foundations
Try FraxMath fact fluency activities for winter
Combine math fact fluency activities with seasonal fun for a flurry of relevant and engaging practice!
Math facts? Snow problem! Have students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts with a paper snowball fight.
Use holiday-themed flash cards to build math fact fluency. Place cards around your classroom to make the activity an interactive gallery walk!
Create winter-themed math stations to elevate daily classwork. Use inexpensive holiday items from a dollar store, or print out images online for themed practice each week. For example, you can transform center work into a hot chocolate shop (hello, mini marshmallows!), a candy cane factory, a gingerbread town, or a ski slope village with prizes or stickers.
Incorporate game-based math fact fluency practice with Reflex. You can also host fact fluency competitions! Note: At this time, a full Reflex account is required to access Reflex Competitions.
Display a winter bulletin board to build a community and celebrate math fact fluency milestones.
Fraction activities with a winter twist
Incorporate frosty fraction activities to review concepts and lay math foundations for the upcoming semester!
Build a fraction snowman! Have students create paper snowmen and decorate them using fraction expressions (for example, 3/4 of the buttons are colored purple). Students can also practice working with fractions on a number line to write word problems about their snowy characters at various points along the number line.
Get moving with a human number line! Have students practice comparing and ordering fractions by placing them correctly on the number line. Incorporate holiday props, Christmas string lights, or themed cards to make the activity more engaging.
Transform your classroom into Santa’s workshop with a fractions-based Toy Factory simulation from ExploreLearning Gizmos.
Have a blizzard of fraction fun with Frax's game-based practice. If you don’t typically teach fractions until the new year, introduce Frax before winter break to accelerate learning.
Warm up with fractions cocoa and conversation. Use offline resources to extend and reinforce fraction concepts with partners or small groups. Make the practice cozier and more engaging by brewing up some hot chocolate or passing out miniature candy canes to encourage student participation.
Creating a winter math lesson plan
Planning ahead is key when it comes to winter math ideas. Map out two to three weeks of math content in advance so you don’t have to scramble later down the line as winter break approaches. While you’re at it, think about the first few weeks after winter break to check planning off your list before recharging during time off.
Tips for winter math success before the holiday break
Math activities for elementary students should be developmentally appropriate, interesting, and connected to overarching content goals. If you have specific standards that your students struggled with in the fall, target those skills with dedicated games and practice.
Be realistic about what students can accomplish in a given math block while still keeping engagement top of mind. Select activities that can be completed quickly between other activities or holiday work.
And look out for your future self! Math activities before winter break should be low prep, easy to set up and tear down, and require minimal grading.
Spark excitement pre-break with engaging math solutions from ExploreLearning!
Winter or not, ExploreLearning can help with serious fun STEM activities for students of all ages. Experience interactive math practice today with a free classroom trial.
