Deck the Halls – Fun Learning Activities for a Christmas Countdown

Deck the Halls – Fun Learning Activities for a Christmas Countdown

Hi friends!

Welcome back to our Christmas countdown series here on Printables by Janille – Teaching Fun for Kids! So far, we’ve explored Silent Night, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Silver Bells, and Away in a Manger. Today we’re decking the halls with a cheerful classic: Deck the Halls. This carol is perfect for spreading holiday cheer, and I’ve included crafts, reading lessons, and math activities for Preschool through 6th grade.

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The History of Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls is a traditional Christmas carol with roots that stretch back several centuries. The melody originated as a Welsh New Year’s song called “Nos Galan,” which dates to at least the sixteenth century. Its cheerful tune and lively rhythm made it widely popular during winter celebrations.

The English lyrics commonly sung today were written in 1862 by Scottish musician and lyricist Thomas Oliphant. He adapted the original Welsh text into a festive Christmas-themed song that encouraged decorating homes, gathering with friends, and celebrating with music. The well-known repeated “Fa la la la la” refrains likely come from the original Welsh melody’s structure and help give the song its joyful, lighthearted feeling.

Today, Deck the Halls remains a favorite for holiday programs, caroling, and decorating traditions because of its upbeat message and iconic chorus.

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Craft: Fa-La-La Paper Chain

Materials Needed:

• Construction paper (red, green, gold)

• Scissors

• Glue stick or tape

• Markers or crayons

Instructions:

1. Cut construction paper into strips about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long.

2. Decorate each strip with holiday patterns, stars, or “Fa la la” lettering.

3. Make a chain by looping and gluing or taping each strip together.

4. Hang the chain around your home or classroom for a festive look.

Worksheet/Visual Idea:

• Provide a template strip with dotted lines for cutting.

• Include “Fa la la” to trace on each strip before assembling the chain.

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Reading and Literacy Lessons

Preschool:

• Trace “Deck the Halls” on dotted letters.

• Say “Fa la la la la” while clapping to the rhythm.

Kindergarten:

• Sight words: deck, halls, fa. Highlight them on a lyric sheet.

• Read aloud: “Deck the halls with boughs of holly.”

1st Grade:

• Phonics focus: Identify d in Deck and h in Halls.

• Write the first line neatly on lined paper.

2nd Grade:

• Vocabulary: Define bough and holly, and use each in a sentence.

• Draw a picture showing a decorated hall.

3rd Grade:

• Sequencing: Cut out the first verse lines and put them in order.

• Writing prompt: “Describe a room decorated for Christmas using 3–4 sentences.”

4th Grade:

• Poetry study: Identify rhymes and rhythm in the verse.

• Rewrite one line in your own words while keeping the rhyme.

5th Grade:

• Analyze tone: How does this carol make you feel? Write a paragraph.

• Compare the traditional version to a modern recording in 2–3 sentences.

6th Grade:

• Historical discussion: Why would decorating homes have been important for celebrations in 19th-century Wales or England?

• Journal prompt: Imagine decorating a hall in the 1800s—write a descriptive paragraph.

Visual/Worksheet Ideas:

• Tracing sheets for Preschool/1st grade

• Lyric sheet with highlighted sight words for Kindergarten

• Sequencing cards and writing prompts for 2nd–6th grades

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Math Lessons – Deck the Halls

Preschool (Counting and One-to-One Correspondence)

1. Count 1–5 paper chain links.

2. Count 6–10 links.

3. How many red links are on the left side?

4. How many green links are on the right side?

5. Point to 3 decorated links and count them.

6. Clap for each link you see (1–5).

7. Touch each gold link and count aloud.

8. Count 5 links in a row.

9. Add 2 more links to the chain. How many now?

10. Draw 4 chain links and count them.

Kindergarten (Sorting and Tallying)

1. Sort 10 chain links into red and green. How many of each?

2. Tally the number of gold links.

3. Tally the number of decorated links.

4. Draw 3 groups of links and count each group.

5. Count how many red links are on top.

6. Count how many green links are on bottom.

7. Add the two groups together.

8. Circle all gold links and count them.

9. Draw 5 more links and count the total.

10. Color 7 links and leave the rest blank.

1st Grade (Addition and Subtraction)

1. 4 + 5 = ___

2. 3 + 6 = ___

3. 7 + 2 = ___

4. 5 + 5 = ___

5. 9 + 1 = ___

6. 10 – 3 = ___

7. 8 – 4 = ___

8. 6 – 2 = ___

9. 7 – 5 = ___

10. 9 – 6 = ___

2nd Grade (Addition, Subtraction, Word Problems)

1. 12 + 5 = ___

2. 15 – 7 = ___

3. There are 10 chain links, 3 are removed. How many remain?

4. 8 + 6 = ___

5. 14 – 9 = ___

6. 7 + 7 = ___

7. 13 – 4 = ___

8. There are 16 links, 5 are red. How many are green?

9. 9 + 8 = ___

10. 20 – 6 = ___

3rd Grade (Multiplication and Introduction to Division)

1. 3 × 6 = ___

2. 4 × 5 = ___

3. 6 × 2 = ___

4. 7 × 3 = ___

5. 8 × 2 = ___

6. 12 ÷ 4 = ___

7. 15 ÷ 3 = ___

8. 18 ÷ 6 = ___

9. 9 × 2 = ___

10. 5 × 5 = ___

4th Grade (Division, Multi-Step Word Problems)

1. 24 ÷ 4 = ___

2. 36 ÷ 6 = ___

3. 18 ÷ 3 = ___

4. 48 ÷ 8 = ___

5. 30 ÷ 5 = ___

6. There are 32 chain links for 4 halls. How many per hall?

7. If 5 links fall off from 25, how many remain?

8. 60 ÷ 10 = ___

9. A chain has 24 links divided into 3 rows. How many per row?

10. 72 ÷ 8 = ___

5th Grade (Word Problems and Multiplication)

1. Each link has 3 decorations. 8 links = ___ decorations

2. 5 links × 4 decorations each = ___

3. 7 links × 6 decorations each = ___

4. 9 links × 2 decorations each = ___

5. If 12 links have 5 decorations each, total decorations = ___

6. 3 groups of 7 links = ___

7. 4 groups of 6 decorations = ___

8. There are 10 links × 3 decorations each = ___

9. 8 links × 7 decorations each = ___

10. 15 decorations × 2 links each = ___

6th Grade (Fractions, Ratios, Multi-Step Problems)

1. 12 links: 3 red, 9 green. Fraction red = ___

2. Ratio red:green = ___

3. 18 decorations: 6 gold, 12 silver. Fraction gold = ___

4. 24 decorations: 8 gold, rest silver. Ratio gold:silver = ___

5. If 3/12 links are red, how many are green?

6. 1/4 of 16 decorations = ___

7. 2/3 of 18 links = ___

8. If 5 red links are added to 10 green, new ratio = ___

9. 12 ÷ 3 = ___ (fraction interpretation)

10. There are 15 links, 5 red, 10 green. What fraction are green?

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Wrapping Up

I hope your kids enjoy crafting, reading, and counting along with Deck the Halls! Each week in our Christmas countdown series, we’re making learning hands-on, festive, and fun. Stay tuned for the next post, where we’ll explore another classic Christmas carol with activities for every grade!