Add this Christmas dice game to your Christmas activities for preschoolers and kindergarten kids. It’s super low-prep. You just need to print it and then you’re ready to play!
In addition to being fun, the printable Christmas game has multiple learning opportunities woven into it. Fine motor and math skills are abundant, as well as interpersonal and communication skills.
You can incorporate the Christmas number game into your small group lessons, as well as your center time plans. And, of course, you can make adjustments to the game play so as to best meet the needs of your students.
Related: Free Preschool Printables
After you read through my prepping and playing tips, be sure to request your copy of the math game printable at the bottom of this post!
Christmas Dice Game
Do your students love playing games that involve dice? Throughout my years of teaching preschool and kindergarten, the bulk of my students LOVED any kind of dice game we played.
Printable dice games, games made from toys and manipulatives . . . as long as dice were involved, they were so engaged! If that describes your students, too, then this simple game is likely to be a hit.
How to Prep the Christmas Math Game Printable
As I mentioned above, there really isn’t much you have to do when prepping the Christmas dice game. The first thing you need to do is gather your materials. That’s probably what will take you the longest when it comes to prepping.
Here are some suggestions for supplies (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
Once you have the materials you want to use, it’s prep time:
- Request the Christmas dice game from the bottom of this post.
- Then save it to your computer.
- Print as many copies as you’d like.
- Finally, laminate the game printables or place them in dry erase pockets.
And now we’re ready to play!
How to Play the Christmas Dice Game
I like to create different types of dice games for the kids. When it comes to printable versions, it’s fun to shake up the formatting a little bit. So that’s what I did this time around. Which explains why everything’s in a row.
To play the game, each player:
- Rolls a die
- Covers an image underneath the corresponding die on the game page
And the game continues until all of the images under all of the dice are covered up! It’s a very simple game, so the rules aren’t too difficult for young children to follow.
Please keep in mind that this game can be played in pairs, teams, or even individually. I like starting the Christmas dice game off during small group time first. That way I can teach the children how to play and assist them as needed.
Once the kids understand how to use the game, I place it in the math center for independent practice.
Please keep in mind that you can make adjustments to how you use the game! Don’t feel like you have to do things exactly the same way I do.
A Few Other Ways to Use the Printable Math Game
And that’s a great segue into additional ways to use the Christmas dice game! It might be simple, but that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt it to your own needs.
Here are some ideas for tweaking the math game printable:
- Have the kids play in pairs. Give each child a specific set (or color) of manipulatives to use. Let them play. Whoever has the most at the end of the game is the winner.
- Sometimes, all spots under a number will be filled while the game is still going. Have the kids stack manipulatives on top of each other as this happens. See which numbers end up with the tallest towers.
- Place a sticker on top of the die images on the printable. Write the numerals that correspond to the dice, 1 to 6. Then have the came continue as usual.
- Place a sticker on top of the dice on the printable. Write the numbers 7 to 12 on the stickers. Give the children two dice to use as they play.
- Instead of having to cover up every single image under the dice on the printable, change it so just 2 or 3 need to be covered up if you want a faster game.
There are definitely more ways to change things up with the Christmas math game! If you have additional suggestions, be sure to leave them in the comments below.
What Skills are Kids Practicing When Playing the Christmas Dice Game?
Along with all the fun of using dice, the kids are definitely practicing early learning skills as they play. Here are some of the concepts they touch on:
- Subitizing
- Counting
- Taking turns
- Fine motor skills
- Early addition
- Number identification
- Visual discrimination
Depending on any changes you make to the game play, there might be even more concepts to add to that list. Needless to say, there’s a lot of learning going on!
Don’t forget to request a copy of the Christmas dice game at the bottom of this post!
More Christmas Math Activities for Kids
If your kids are really into math this Christmas, I have some ideas for you:
I think those all pair well with the Christmas dice game!
Christmas Tree Roll and Color Games
Let Preschool Teacher 101 take some work off your overflowing plate! We have hundreds of early childhood resources – lesson plans, dramatic play packs, circle time songs, classroom management guides, and so much more.
Click on the image below for our roll and color Christmas tree games:
We have even more Christmas resources for you! Here are just a few more:
To get even more help being the amazing teacher you are, join The Pack, our membership for preschool and kindergarten teachers.
Get the Free Christmas Dice Game Printable
The printable Christmas game is available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community. If you’re a member, fill out the form below and the download links will be sent to your inbox. If you’re not a member, you can join us by entering your information in the form. Then you’ll receive the printable as a welcome gift!
Be sure to check out my printing FAQ page if you run into any issues.
