Christmas Estimation Activity

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This Christmas Estimation Activity is my go to game for Christmas parties. Kids love guessing how many candies are in the jar and are always on the edge of their chairs, anxious to hear how close their guess is.

Christmas ESTIMATION ACTIVITY

This estimation activity works great as a game for Christmas parties for several reasons.

1. It is super easy and quick to set up. The jars can be made ahead of time.

2. It requires no additional space. I have done estimation games in several classes. The kids stay at their desk and I walk around holding the jars.

3. The supply list is short, inexpensive, and the items can be reused.

4. It’s super versatile. This estimation activity can easily be used for other holidays and/or seasons by simply changing the items in the jar to match the holiday and season.

5. Finally, estimation jars are a fun and easy way to practice math skills. Kids are practicing a real life skill with this Christmas estimation activity. We estimate often throughout our days without thinking about it when we are shopping, cooking, giving distance, and much more.

SUPPLIES

Clear jar
Filler
Paper
Pencil or marker

I used M&M’s and Pom Poms, but there are lots of items you can use as fillers. You could also use small ornaments or small candy canes. I used glass canning jars similar to these: Mason Canning Jars. You could also pick up a plastic container from the dollar store.

You can also transition this to another holiday just by changing the filler. We did candy cane and Mellowcreme Pumpkins for a Fall and Halloween Estimation Activity. You could add conservation hearts and chocolate kisses for Valentine’s Day.

HOW TO PLAY

You can set this Christmas Estimation Activity up a couple of different ways.

I do this activity in the classroom during Christmas parties and follow these steps.

1. Instruct the students to stay at their desk.

2. Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to pull out something to use for writing.

3. Explain to the students that they are going to estimate (make a thoughtful guess) how many items are in each jar. If I have two jars, we usually do one at a time.

4. Walk around the room showing the students the jar.

5. Instruct the students to record their guess/estimation on the piece of paper. I have been known to forget how many candies I have so I usually tape a really small piece of paper to the bottom of the jar with the answer.

6. Reveal the answer and repeat with the next jar.

You can also set the jars, pieces of paper, and pencils out on a table. Include instructions for kids to Guess How Many. If there is a prize or recognition attached to the game, you will need to collect more information on their paper.