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.
This puzzle is just one of many free printable number challenges that I have created for my own classroom and am sharing with you!
Be sure to check out my entire collection of free printable math puzzles.
Looking for more Christmas activities and puzzles for your classroom? Here’s just a few examples of the other holiday activities I have created.
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.
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.
Click here to Download
12-25 Christmas Number Challenge (PDF)
2373 downloads – 74.62 KB
Puzzle Solutions
Puzzle solutions are available on a password-protected solution page. I do not openly post the puzzle answer keys because one of my goals as a resource creator is to craft learning experiences for students that are non-google-able. I want teachers to be able to use these puzzles in their classrooms without the solutions being found easily on the Internet.
Please email me at sarah@mathequalslove.net for the password to the answer key database featuring all of my printable puzzles and math worksheets. I frequently have students emailing me for the answer key, so please specify in your email what school you teach at and what subjects you teach. If you do not provide these details, I will not be able to send you the password.
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, or as fun activities in their workplace. Just give me enough details so I know you are not a student looking for answers to the puzzle that was assigned as their homework!
