December Problem of the Day Calendars {FREE}

Now that my “12 Days of Christmas Math” series is over (sign up for all 12 freebies here), I’m excited to share one more bonus freebie: my newest problem of the day calendar! If you haven’t tried my simple math calendars yet, this is the perfect time to give it a try. The last couple of weeks before Christmas can be so exhausting and busy as you try to keep kids focused and review important skills before a much needed break. These December Problem of the Day Calendars are the perfect low-prep way to review!

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December Problem of the Day Calendars:

Not sure what these calendars are all about? This FREE download includes 2 one page, black and white calendars for the month of December. One for grades K-2 and one for grades 3-5.

Each day of the month includes a math problem, covering a huge variety of math skills.

The fun twist? Each day, the solution is equal to the date!

This means kids can know whether or not they’ve solved it correctly, and can make corrections if necessary.

This may also mean that some kids will try to write the answer without actually solving the problem. I’ve got some ways to help prevent that though!

Ways to Use the Math Calendar:

One way to use this is as a simple, daily warm up. This can be during morning time, as soon as kids come into class, or during your daily calendar time.

Allow kids to work out the solution independently and then discuss it as a group.

If you have kids who are likely to skip the math and just write the day’s date, require them to write out their thinking for how they solved it.

This would be an easy way to incorporate a daily math journal time.

Or you could simply use the daily problem as a class discussion starter and talk through different ways to solve it.

Once one child explains or shows how they can solve it, ask someone else to solve it differently.

Another really fun way to mix things up is to cut the calendar into pieces and have your kids solve it like a puzzle.

Print out a blank calendar page, and as they solve the problems they can glue them onto the correct dates on the calendar.

This might be an especially great way to use it in December if you’re a classroom teacher and won’t actually see your kids through the end of the month.

This will also eliminate the temptation to write the solution without actually doing the work.

Topics Covered on the December Problem of the Day Calendars:

K-2 Calendar:

Addition and subtraction
Money
Time
Comparing numbers
Word problems
Place value
Math vocabulary

3-5 Calendars:

Place value
Addition and subtraction of 3-4 digit numbers
Multiplication and division
Long division (new)
Adding fractions (like denominator)
Elapsed time
Word problems (1 and 2-step)
Area and perimeter
Math vocabulary

And if you love this idea and would like to do something similar, but with a Christmas theme, try this totally adaptable Christmas countdown activity (works for any age!).

So I hope you and your kids love these calendars as much as I do, and if you have any other fun or unique ways to incorporate them into your daily school routine, please share in the comments!