12-25 Christmas Number Challenge
Put your math skills to the test with this Christmas number challenge involving the digits in 12-25. Can you use the digits 1, 2, 2, and 5 to create expressions equivalent to each number between 1 and 25?
I was inspired by the great success of the 3-1-4 Pi Day Number Challenge, and I wanted to create a number puzzle with a Christmas theme.
I realize that Christmas-themed puzzles are not appropriate in every school setting. My school goes all out with celebrating Christmas. We have had 7+ days of Christmas themed dress-ups, a school wide Christmas movie themed door decorating contest, and a daily Christmas trivia contest over the intercom. If you are looking for non-Christmas themed puzzles, I’ve got hundreds of other free printable math puzzles to choose from.
Christmas Number Challenge Instructions
Use the digits 1, 2, 2, and 5 exactly one time each along with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, parentheses, and exponents to create mathematical expressions equivalent to the numbers between 1 and 25.
Exponents can only be used if they are one of the digits 1, 2, 2, or 5. For example, I could do 5^2 – 2 – 1 to make 22. The exponent of 2 counts as the use of the digit 2 in my expression.
Additionally, concatenation of digits is allowed. 2 and 5 can be combined to form either 25 of 52.
Want to allow your students to use other mathematical symbols such as decimal points, factorials, square roots, etc? That’s totally fine. But all of the numbers from 1 to 25 can be found without using any of these symbols.
Update 12-18-23: I received a message from a blog reader letting me know that the entire puzzle can be solved without using any concatenation. So if you are looking for an added challenge, try to solve the puzzle without concatenating any digits. Special thanks to Jamie Spencer for this suggestion!
Using this Puzzle in the Classroom
I’m a bit late getting this puzzle put together this year. I actually only see my students for two more days before Christmas Break, and we will be taking semester tests both of those days.
This year, I plan to have my students work on this Christmas number challenge after they finish with their semester tests. Next year, I will likely put it up on my dry erase board as one of my December Puzzles of the Week.
CHRISTMAS MATH RESOURCES
Looking for more free printable Christmas resources? This activity is featured in my collection of Christmas Math Activities and Puzzles. You’ll find 30+ more creative ideas for incorporating Christmas into your classroom!
Free Download of 12-25 Christmas Number Challenge
This Christmas math challenge is available as both a printable PDF file and an editable Publisher file. In order to edit the Publisher file, you will need to have Microsoft Publisher installed on your computer.
12-25 Christmas Number Challenge (PDF) (1300 downloads )
12-25 Christmas Number Challenge (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (490 downloads )
Puzzle Solutions
I intentionally do not make answers to the printable math puzzles I share on my blog available online because I strive to provide learning experiences for my students that are non-google-able. I would like other teachers to be able to use these puzzles in their classrooms as well without the solutions being easily found on the Internet.
However, I do recognize that us teachers are busy people and sometimes need to quickly reference an answer key to see if a student has solved a puzzle correctly or to see if they have interpreted the instructions properly.
If you are a teacher who is using these puzzles in your classroom, please send me an email at sarah@mathequalslove.net with information about what you teach and where you teach. I will be happy to forward an answer key to you.
Not a teacher? Go ahead and send me an email as well. Just let me know what you are using the puzzles for. I am continually in awe of how many people are using these puzzles with scouting groups, with senior adults battling dementia, as fun activities in their workplace, or as a birthday party escape room.
