Fun and Engaging Winter Math Games for First Grade

One of the best ways to keep students engaged in learning all year long is with fun, seasonal activities. If things have been feeling a little dreary in your classroom lately, try adding a bit of winter sparkle! This is especially helpful after winter break when students need a little extra motivation to stay focused! Today I’m sharing some of my favorite winter math games for first graders. These activities will help your students master important concepts like addition, subtraction, and more!

Engage your first graders in learning and practicing math concepts with fun winter math games they will love.

Games Make Learning Fun!

Whether your students are natural “mathletes”, or need a little extra help with math, it can be hard to make this topic fun.

Winter math games are not only great for practicing math concepts you have been focusing on during the first half of the year, but they also make learning fun for your students.

We all know that repetition and plenty of practice are key when it comes to things like addition and subtraction facts. But if you’re not careful, this can get really boring, really fast! What’s the solution? Winter math games to the rescue!

By using fun, thematic games throughout the year, you can count on more engagement from your students. In my classroom, I’m a big fan of using games for morning tubs, centers, partner activities, and even as a whole group.

Whenever I find myself in need of some help with perking up my students and snagging their attention, games always come to my rescue! Aside from making learning fun, they’re also great for other things too.

Winter Math Games Help Establish Routine After Break

As a primary teacher, I’ve noticed that the days after winter break can be a little bit rough. Students are still in “holiday mode” and struggling to realign with the daily routine. And if we’re being honest here, many of us teachers feel the same way, right?! Using fun winter math games is a great way to build some excitement about learning and settle back into a rhythm.

When coming back to school after a long break, winter math games can help your students get back into the groove of learning.

Engaging winter math games will come in especially handy during center time as you return to the classroom. Having fun games at the ready means the majority of your students will be focused on their task, allowing you to work in small groups with other students. This is so helpful during those first few days back when you’re reviewing things you were working on before break.

Games also offer a “refresher” of previously taught concepts to your students. Sometimes all kiddos need is a visual reminder of a skill or concept they’ve been working on to jog their memory and dive back into action.

And best of all – if you choose the right kind of games, they’ll reduce your prep load too. Let’s chat about my favorite no-prep, digital resource out there… Boom Cards!

Reasons You’ll Love Winter Math Boom Cards

In case you haven’t already heard, Boom Cards are pretty awesome! These digital task cards offer engaging skills practice in a format that students adore! As a primary teacher, I love them for several reasons. First off, they’re a no-prep option to add to your centers without adding extra work. We all know how HUGE this is after winter break, right?!

Secondly, they correct answers and provide instant feedback to students so they’re able to see if they made a mistake. I love this because it allows students an opportunity to think about their choices and try again.

Another reason to love Boom cards is simply due to their high engagement factor with students. My kiddos love using technology, so they will happily play these math games without any fuss!

I like to set students up with a partner and have them take turns answering questions to encourage some teamwork as we settle back into our routine after the break.

One last notable reason to love Boom cards is their versatility. They can be used for any topic you can think of, meaning I can easily differentiate them in my classroom. When it comes to math, we can use different decks of Boom cards to practice many different topics including addition, subtraction, balancing equations, and more!

1. Addition to 20 Boom Cards

First up, let’s talk about my favorite winter math game for addition to 20. This deck of Boom Cards is the perfect way to get your students excited to practice adding numbers.

This self-checking math game includes audio directions that make it ideal for first-grade students who are just beginning to read.

Each card displays a fun, winter scene with an equation for students to solve. There is also a number line with a moveable snowball at the bottom of the card if they need help to solve it.

Once they solve the equation, they will type their answer in the space and receive immediate feedback. If they answer correctly, they will get a new card. If they answer incorrectly they will get to try again.

This deck includes a total of 35 cards, so there is plenty of practice available for students!

2. Subtraction to 20 Boom Cards

For students who need additional practice with subtraction, these Boom cards are a great option.

They follow a similar layout as the addition deck, but instead ask students to focus on subtracting. The answers are displayed in snowflakes above the equation and students will select the correct answer after counting.

This deck also includes audio instructions that children can play as many times as they need to complete the card. I love this feature because it allows for this activity to be used for independent learning.

These activities are also great for quick math games with the whole group. Whenever I have a few minutes to spare, I like to pop these cards up on the SmartBoard and call on students to come up and solve the equation.

You can also split the class into teams and have them answer collectively. Either way, these winter math games help to mix it up and fill a few extra minutes with engaging math practice!

3. True or False Equations Boom Cards

Another math skill we work on in first grade is determining if equations are true or false. This topic is made fun and easy with these winter math games. This resource features 64 self-checking cards with audio and drag-and-drop features. I love these activities because they build on what students have been learning in the other two decks, and take it one step further!

Kiddos will love these activities since they get to select the “true” or “false” hockey puck and slide it into the net! The interactive features and seasonal themes make practicing this skill exciting for students!

There are 2 decks included, one with sums to 10 and one with sums to 20. This helps to make differentiation easy and discreet! Simply assign the deck that your students are ready for to make sure everyone is being challenged in a way that suits their level. These decks also include a number line to assist with solving the equations for those who need it.

These decks can be used in a variety of ways including centers, partner games, whole group learning, independent workstations, and even no-prep homework assignments.

Going Beyond Winter Math Games

If you love these winter math games, you might be wondering if you can apply the same teaching methods to your literacy centers too. The answer is YES! I’m a huge fan of using digital activities, like Boom Cards, for literacy topics too. The great thing about Boom cards is that you can find them for just about every topic under the sun.

Be sure to check out my Winter Math and Literacy Centers Bundle if you’re looking for some fresh ideas. Inside the bundle, you’ll find all of the math decks mentioned above along with three literacy decks too! There are games for ending punctuation, CVCe words, and parts of speech. With 6 different resources for first-grade math and literacy, you’ll have plenty of options to get your students excited to practice first-grade math and literacy skills all winter long!