The excitement and merriment of Christmas challenges the concentration of many elementary students. Instead of fighting the holiday, incorporate it into your curriculum to make the lessons more appealing to students. Christmas math projects work well for the entire class or in a festive math learning center. Adapt the lessons as needed to match the abilities of your students.

Christmas Story Problems
Story problems help kids identify the necessary information and construct a math problem based on the details provided in the sentences. Add a Christmas theme to your math story problems to make them fit the holiday season. An example is, "How much hay would Santa need to feed his eight reindeer for a week if they each eat 5 pounds per day?" The specific story problems should depend on the grade level and the type of math problems you are currently studying.

Ornament Math
A package of unbreakable plastic ornaments work well for a variety of Christmas math activities. For a place value activity, write a single number on each ornament. The kids create larger numbers by arranging the numbered ornaments. For a structured activity, call out a larger number and have the kids create it. The numbered ornaments also work well for a math game. Place all of the numbered ornaments in a basket or other central location. Two players go to the front of the room. Give them a math problem to solve. When they figure out the answer, they search through the ornaments to find the corresponding answer. The ornaments also work for an estimation activity. Place several ornaments in a large, clear container. Small ornaments work best for this activity. The kids estimate how many ornaments are inside the container.

Christmas Baking
A Christmas baking project gives elementary kids practice at measurements and fractions. A Christmas cooking or gingerbread recipe is fitting. The kids follow the recipe, completing the measurements accurately so the cookies turn out correctly. For younger kids, you can color-code the measuring cups and the recipe. Place different colored dots on the handles of the cups. In the recipe, draw dots next to each measurement with the corresponding color. The kids still get to see the fractions and practice counting the scoops.

Geometry Christmas Pictures
Geometric shapes cut from colorful construction paper make up the basis of holiday pictures in this math activity. Provide the kids with lots of different shapes of varying sizes and colors. The kids glue the shapes onto a piece of paper to create shapes like Christmas trees, reindeer, snowmen and presents. Encourage them to lay out all of the pieces to make the design before gluing to make sure it comes out how they want it.