Children gain math skills at different speeds, and for some children the ages between ten and twelve are ideal for learning abstract math concepts.
In the Peaceful Press early years resources and in our Christmas Guides, we include engaging counting skills practice so that your children have a deep understanding of how numbers work before they begin formal math lessons.
As you shift gears in your homeschool in favor of slow, holiday themed learning, incorporate these counting skills activities into your Christmas school to help your children understand (and enjoy!) numbers.
- Bake together. All of our Christmas themed resources include recipes, and taking time to measure a batch of hot cocoa together, or mix up sugar cookies helps your child with counting, fractions, and temperature related math skills.
- Count miniature candy canes. In Christmas Guide Volume 2 we spend time counting several different objects and then use them in recipes such as hot cocoa mix.
- Sew together. In our Christmas Guide Volume 1 and Volume 2 we include simple sewing projects such as making animal pincushions or a Christmas Stocking. This helps with using measurements, as well as the pattern skill involved in stitching a seam.
- Make patterns. Creating beaded bracelets, making a paper chain, or other pattern activities can help children with number sense. We include paper chain making in our Holiday Book Flood and you can see a tutorial on our Instagram.
- Play Santa's Beard Roll. In the Holiday Book Flood we include a picture of Santa's head with numbers on his beard. To play, you roll the dice and put a mini marshmallow on the corresponding number on his beard. It's a silly, fun game that helps with recognizing numerals, but any card game or board game is a great choice for the holidays.
- Measure Christmas themed items. We include a candle measuring activity in Christmas Guide Volume 2, but you can measure items around the house with your child.
- Create groups. Group nuts by size, or open a package of mini marshmallows and group them into 5's or 10's. In Christmas Guide Volume 1, we make groups of twigs and popsicles sticks to glue into twig stars and popsicle stick ornaments.
- Make a Christmas Budget. Look at the Peaceful Press storefront on Amazon and help your child choose gifts that fit into a certain budget. Write down the dollar amounts with them, and help them learn to use the dollar sign, or a decimal to illustrate prices.
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Make a calendar. Use the blank calendar template in Christmas Guide Volume 1 and let your child decorate each page, write in the correct dates, and fasten together as a sweet gift for grandparents.
- Cut ribbon lengths. Measure and cut ribbon or yarn lengths for gift wrap, or follow the instructions in the Holiday Book Flood to make candy cane ornaments with red and white yarn.
What are your favorite Christmas counting ideas? Share in the comments and grab your Peaceful Press Christmas Guide here.
