Digital Gingerbread Addition and Subtraction Math Mats
Tis the season for mastering math facts with these interactive, digital gingerbread addition & subtraction mats, perfect for young learners!
Gingerbread Addition and Subtraction Activity
The holiday season is a busy time of year in the classroom and it’s important to keep the learning fun! These digital gingerbread addition and subtraction mats are the perfect way for students to work on math facts. They will enjoy working with numbers during math as they master addition and subtraction problems to and within 10. This activity is perfect for kindergarten and first-grade students.
This fun gingerbread man math activity is compatible with Google Slides and Seesaw, making it a versatile and easy to use activity both in the classroom and at home. This Christmas activity would make a great learning challenge for students to use over the holiday break as well.
Incorporate this activity for addition and subtraction into your Christmas-themed math centers, during technology centers, or use it as an independent activity or assessment. However you choose to use it, students will be having fun and engaging in meaningful learning.
Using the Gingerbread Math Mats
As students solve each addition game problem and subtraction problem, they will find the gingerbread man that has the matching sum or difference. Then they will drag and drop the gingerbread onto the matching equation.
There are 2 mats for addition and 2 mats for subtraction. This helps students work on one skill at a time without getting mixed up. Each mat has 9 equations to solve.
Students will apply their addition, subtraction, number sense, and critical thinking skills to add or subtract and find the sum or difference amongst the gingerbread men pieces.
As students search to find the correct answer to the equations, they will use the process of elimination to determine which gingerbread sum or difference matches the equation. As they drag and drop the pieces on the screen, they will use one-to-one correspondence and practice using technology for learning.
When the addition or subtraction mat is full and all of the gingerbread men have been used, the students have completed the activity! You can even have them call BINGO when they’re finished for some added holiday fun!
Setting Up the Gingerbread Addition and Subtraction Activity in Google Slides
Students may use Google Slides™ to do this activity.
The download file includes a detailed guide with instructions and pictures on how to use this activity with your students, but it is quite simple to do.
If you are an instructor or teacher, you will want to copy the Google Slides assignment to your Google Drive and save it as a master copy.
Make sure that you click the dropdown next to the attachment. Pick the “Make a copy for each student” option.
Setting Up this Gingerbread Addition and Subtraction Activity in Seesaw
Students can also use this activity in Seesaw, if you would like.
You will click the Seesaw specific link in the download file. When you arrive at the activity, you will need to click the “Save Activity” button. Then you will assign the activity to your students.
Mastering Gingerbread Math Facts
Young learners will have fun mastering their math facts to and within 10 with this gingerbread-themed addition and subtraction activity. To play, they will look at the addition or subtraction equation on the digital gingerbread house mat. They will use a strategy to solve for the sum or difference. Then, they will find the gingerbread man on the side of the screen that has the matching sum or difference and drag it over the equation to complete the addition or subtraction sentence.
Examples of strategies that students could use to solve the addition and subtraction equations are:
- draw a picture
- model with manipulatives
- use a number line
- solve with a ten frame
- count on from the first number
Once all of the gingerbread men have been used and the mat is complete, students should be encouraged to check their work. This is an important skill for students to learn to ensure all of their equations are correct and catch any mistakes they may have made. These make for great learning opportunities. Checking work can first be modeled by the teacher, then done in small groups, partners, and independently.
Differentiating the Fun Christmas Activity
This digital gingerbread activity includes 4 different mats, 2 addition, and 2 subtraction. Each mat has 9 different math equations. Each mat focuses on problems with sums up to 10 and differences within 10.
Since the mats are either all addition or all subtraction, this makes differentiation simple! You can assign certain mats to students if they need to work on addition or subtraction. Another option is to group students together who need to work on the same skills and assign mats that way. You can have an addition group, a subtraction group, and a mixed group that completes all of the mats.
This activity could be used as an easy prep early finisher activity, bell ringer activity, or exit ticket activity as well. You can assign 1 slide each day and by the end of the week, students can complete all of the slides.
With these digital addition and subtraction mats, some students will need an additional hands-on way to solve the math equations. Ten-frames, manipulatives, a number line, and paper and pencil for drawing a picture may be helpful for students. It also is a great way for them to practice their strategies for solving.
Advanced learners can take the learning a step further and can write the addition and subtraction equations on a recording sheet. Then, they could complete the fact family for a real challenge if they are ready for that!
Implementing the Digital Math Mats
This gingerbread addition and subtraction game can be implemented during:
- whole group math instruction
- math centers
- small groups
- digital stations
- distance learning
- early finisher task
- morning work/bell ringer
- exit tickets
- addition fact assessment
- subtraction fact assessment
- equation building assessment
- spiral review
- Christmas or gingerbread-themed activities
- your holiday activities
- a holiday break learning challenge
I hope these gingerbread math fact mats bring a lot of fun and joy to your classroom this holiday season! Your students are sure to grow their math fact fluency skills!
Need more fun and engaging activities to help your students practice their addition and subtraction facts? Click here for more fun activities.
Click the button below to grab your copy of the FREE gingerbread addition and subtraction mats for Google Slides and Seesaw.
Here are some more gingerbread activities to check out!
Editable Gingerbread Sight Words Write the Room
Gingerbread Editable Board Game
Editable Gingerbread Word Building Mats
Gingerbread Letter Sounds Write the Room