Christmas Counting Game

Looking for a fun and festive way to get your little ones counting this holiday season? I’ve got just the activity for you! Counting can sometimes feel repetitive for young learners, but adding a holiday twist with a Christmas Cookie Owl printable can make it much more engaging. With this counting game, kids get to “feed” the owl by counting candies and placing the right amount in the owl’s mouth. And the best part? It’s hands-on and can be customized with mini erasers, candy counters, or whatever you have on hand.

Christmas Counting Game

This printable includes a cute poster of a Christmas Cookie owl, along with a selection of candy jars filled with different amounts of candies. Kids pick a jar, count the candies, and then match the correct number by feeding the owl that many “candies.” This activity is perfect for classrooms, homeschool, or just some counting fun at home.

How to Teach Counting Using Mini Erasers

Mini erasers are my secret weapon for teaching counting. They’re colorful, they’re small enough to handle easily, and kids just love them. You can find holiday-themed ones in dollar stores, making them an affordable and fun learning tool. Here’s why mini erasers work so well in counting activities:

1. Hands-On Engagement: Mini erasers add an interactive element that makes counting tangible. Kids aren’t just saying numbers—they’re picking up and moving objects, which helps make the concept stick.
2. Versatile for Counting Practice: Whether you’re practicing counting to 10, 20, or even higher, mini erasers can be easily adapted to any counting level. Plus, they can be reused for so many other math games and activities.
3. Fun and Themed for Every Season: Holiday-themed erasers—like Christmas trees, candy canes, or little Santas—bring some festive fun to learning. Kids often get more excited about counting when it feels like play, and mini erasers can really add that magic.

In this counting game printable, you can let kids use mini erasers to represent candies. This way, they’re physically “feeding” the Christmas Cookie Owl, making it a fun and interactive counting practice that they’ll want to do over and over.

How to Use This Activity Step-by-Step

Ready to dive in with this printable? Here’s how to set up and run the activity with a step-by-step guide. You don’t need a lot of materials, and you can set this up in minutes.

1. Print and Prepare the Materials

Start by printing the Christmas Cookie Owl poster and the candy jar cards. Each jar card has a different number of candies printed on it, so kids can choose a card and count the candies shown. You’ll also want to have some mini erasers or small objects on hand to use as candies for counting.

Tip: If you plan to use this printable multiple times, laminating the pieces can be a great idea. This way, they’ll hold up better over time. Laminated cards also work well with dry-erase markers if you want to add an extra element, like having kids write the numbers.

2. Introduce the Game to Kids

Tell a quick story to set up the game! You could say, “This Christmas Cookie Owl is so hungry for holiday treats! But he only wants exactly the right amount of candies. Let’s see if we can help him find the right amount from these candy jars.”

3. Choose a Candy Jar Card

Let each child pick a candy jar card from the stack. Each card has a different number of candies printed on it, which gives a bit of variety and adds a layer of excitement—they don’t know how many candies they’ll need to feed the owl until they pick the card.

4. Count the Candies and Match Them

Kids count the number of candies shown on their card, then match that amount by placing mini erasers or small objects into the owl’s mouth on the poster. You could even use holiday-themed stickers or buttons as a substitute if mini erasers aren’t available.

For example, if a child picks a jar card with five candies, they count out five erasers and place them on the owl’s mouth. This simple matching action really reinforces one-to-one correspondence, a key skill in early math.

5. Check and Repeat

Once they’ve matched the correct number, you can ask them to double-check their work. “Did you feed the owl the right amount of candy?” This little review step is a good habit to get into, and it’s an easy way to reinforce counting skills.

Extension Activities for Extra Fun and Practice

Want to add even more learning opportunities to this counting activity? Here are some easy ways to extend the lesson and keep the kids engaged:

1. Play “Guess the Number”

Turn this into a guessing game by having the child guess the number of candies on their card before they count. Once they’ve guessed, they can count and see if their estimate was close. This helps develop estimation skills, which are important for building number sense.

2. Add Simple Addition and Subtraction

For kids who are ready to level up, try using two candy jar cards at once. Ask them to count the candies on each card and then add the totals together. They can place the combined number of candies into the owl’s mouth, practicing basic addition. Or, use one card, count the candies, and “eat” a few to practice simple subtraction.

3. Make It a Team Challenge

If you’re working with multiple kids, you could turn this into a team challenge. Kids can work in pairs, taking turns picking a card and counting candies together. This encourages cooperation and lets them practice counting aloud as a team.

Why This Christmas Counting Game Printable Works

This printable counting game is simple but packed with opportunities to build early math skills in a fun, hands-on way. When kids get to count and move small objects (like mini erasers), they’re developing one-to-one correspondence, an essential skill for young learners. And the Christmas theme makes it feel festive and fun, which means they’re more likely to stay engaged.

I’ve found that adding a touch of seasonal excitement helps kids stay focused and motivated—especially during the holiday season when they might be itching for more fun activities. This printable can be used as a quick counting center, a group game, or even as a quiet-time activity at home.

So, go ahead and give this Christmas Cookie Owl counting game a try. With some mini erasers, candy jar cards, and a hungry little owl, you’ll have a festive math activity that keeps kids learning and having fun!