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Looking for a fun way to celebrate the holidays in your classroom? This December Crack the Code is a holiday (Christmas) themed Crack the Code, and honestly it’s one of my all time favorite activities to complete right before winter break! I will walk you through all of the activities included! This resources comes with options for grades 1st through 5th, so you can choose the perfect level for your students! I should also mention that if you are looking for a winter Crack the Code that does NOT have any holiday/religious activities I suggest checking out this Nutcracker themed Crack the Code!
Each team will start off with the beginning clue card. This sets up the tone for the game, and lets students know that they must hurry off to find Clue #1. Throughout this challenge students will be collecting “mint letter” pieces along the way. This pieces will be needed in order to complete the final clue! Using these pieces also teaches students the importance of keeping track of their things, as they must hold the pieces tightly and not loose them throughout the challenge. You can differentiate between groups by using different clue cards for different groups. This will ensure all students are working at their just right level! For Clue #1 students will be answering a lyric question based off of the holiday song “Jingle Bells.” You can see in the sneak peek that there are multiple options for this clue card so you can differentiate!
For Clue #2 students will be problem solving to figure out how many gifts were sent throughout the “12 Days of Christmas.” There are three options for this clue card. The options range from students using all 12 days, 5 days, and 4 days. The 4 days comes with a visual clue card which is a perfect option for 1st grade. This clue will have students working hard to tally up all of the gifts given. Song lyrics are also included to assist students who may be unfamiliar with the song!
Clue #3 is another math activity but also combines aspects of word work! Students will determine how many vowels are in the song lyrics provided (multiple options for the length of the lyrics to make it easier or more challenging). Then students will either multiply or add the number of vowels to the previous number answer from Clue #2. This style question helps students work across multiple content areas, as well as work on their ability to solve multi-step problems!
The next clue is a fun one! Clue #4 has students searching for holiday song lyrics that will be hidden somewhere in the classroom. The students will then notice the pattern happening with the highlighted letters (the answer spells out where they will search for their next clue). You can use a highlighter to circle the letters in the holiday song, or to make it more engaging you can use a black light pen and flashlight! This will allow the paper to look “plain” until the black light is used and reveals the secret colored spots!
The black light I used for my classroom can be purchased on Amazon HERE.
The next clue will have students problem solving and will require them to persevere, as the answer to this clue will not be an obvious one! For Clue #5 students will come across 6 circles ( in a random arrangement) on a table. There will be very little direction with this clue card, and students will have to determine the 3 digit number answer. Students will initially be puzzled, but as they start to try different combinations they will realize the answer is 123 ( 1 red, 2 white, and 3 green circles).
Clue #6 is a STEM challenge involving creating a Christmas tree made entirely from pipe cleaners! You can give students all green pipe cleaners (or various colors) but my personal favorite is using GLITTER GREEN AND GOLD PIPE CLEANERS. Students love getting creative with this challenge, and I love seeing them build with their hands!
For the final challenge students will need to use their collected “mint letter” pieces in order to unscramble the hidden word CANE! Once students have completed this task they will have officially Cracked the December Code! For finishing as a team, the students will earn their December Crack the Code printable badge!
I hope your students have a wonderful time solving this December Crack the Code! Remember you can save BIG by grabbing the Crack the Code GROWING BUNDLE which has a Crack the Code for every month (grades 1-5) plus more!!! Here are some amazing reviews from other teachers who have completed this fun activity with their students!
