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Checkered Ornament Christmas Puzzle

I have a new original puzzle to share with you today. I don’t know what it is about the holiday season that gets me in the Christmas puzzle creating mood (remember my Decorate the Tree Puzzle from a few years ago?), but I’m back at it today with what I’m calling the Checkered Ornament Puzzle.

checkered ornament christmas puzzle

Students are given a puzzle board that features the outline of an ornament.

Checkered Ornament Puzzle - Printable Christmas Puzzle

They are also given six pieces which must be arranged on top of the ornament template to create a checkered pattern.

Checkered Ornament Puzzle - Printable Christmas Puzzle

This checkered ornament puzzle is trickier than it may appear at first.

If I was teaching younger grades, I would print the ornament template on green or red cardstock. Then, I would print the checkered pieces on regular paper. After students solved the checkered ornament puzzle, I would have them glue their pieces on the ornament and then cut out the ornament (leaving a bit of the colored border around the edges.

Checkered Ornament Puzzle - Printable Christmas Puzzle

Then, we would punch holes in the top of the ornaments and add ribbon that would allow us to hang our ornaments on our classroom tree.

If I was printing off sets of this puzzle for my classroom with no intentions of using this as decoration later on, I think I might print the checkered pieces on colored paper. This would make it easier to see which parts of the ornament are not yet covered.

I’m excited to see what everyone does with this Christmas puzzle. I hope it brings your students much joy. I love seeing the pictures of your students enjoying the puzzles I have shared.

christmas garland with ornaments on them with text "christmas math activities" 

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!

Looking for another checkered puzzle? Check out the 4 x 4 checkered square puzzle.

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.

Hannah Rall

Tuesday 7th of December 2021

Hi Sarah, my 6th graders enjoyed working on this challenge today, but none of us (including myself) were successful after about 20 minutes of work. Thanks for all of your puzzles (:

Mary Carver

Sunday 16th of May 2021

Is the checkered ornament a pattern throughout the ornament? Do you have an answer key?

Sarah Carter

Wednesday 26th of May 2021

The checkered pattern goes across the ornament. I try not to post answers online since my students know the power of google. Sorry!

J D

Thursday 17th of December 2020

Thank You! I am going to send this as a family math project to my virtual elementary students.

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