Jolly Old Saint Nicholas – 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, Away in a Manger, Deck the Halls, and Joy to the World. Today, we’re celebrating a playful favorite: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. This carol is perfect for spreading holiday cheer and excitement, and I’ve included crafts, reading lessons, and math activities for Preschool through 6th grade.

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The History of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas is a classic Christmas song first published in 1881, written by Emily Huntington Miller. The lyrics describe children’s wishes to Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) and their anticipation of gifts, highlighting the excitement of Christmas morning. This song has remained a staple in holiday celebrations for over a century, connecting generations through festive storytelling and imagination.

Saint Nicholas himself has a long history, dating back to the 4th century as a kind bishop known for giving gifts to children. Over time, his legend merged with various cultural traditions, eventually evolving into the modern Santa Claus figure we know today. In many countries, children write letters or make wish lists for Santa, decorate stockings, and leave treats for him and his reindeer, reflecting the joyful themes celebrated in this song.

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Craft: Santa Wish List

Materials Needed:

• Red, green, and white construction paper

• Scissors

• Glue or tape

• Markers or crayons

• Optional: glitter or stickers

Instructions:

1. Cut a rectangle from white construction paper to create a “wish list.”

2. Decorate the top with “Dear Santa” using markers or crayons.

3. Draw or write 5 things you would like for Christmas on the list.

4. Add decorative borders using red and green paper or stickers.

5. Optional: sprinkle glitter on the decorations.

Worksheet/Visual Idea:

• Provide a printable template of a Santa-shaped wish list with dotted lines for tracing “Dear Santa.”

• Include numbers 1–5 for children to write their wishes.

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Reading & Literacy Lessons

Preschool:

• Trace “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” on dotted letters.

• Practice saying “Ho, ho, ho!” while clapping.

Kindergarten:

• Sight words: “Santa,” “wish,” “list.” Highlight them on a lyric sheet.

• Read aloud: “Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way.”

1st Grade:

• Phonics focus: Identify “s” in Santa and “l” in list.

• Write the first line neatly on lined paper.

2nd Grade:

• Vocabulary: Define “chimney” and “sleigh,” and use each in a sentence.

• Draw a picture showing Santa delivering gifts.

3rd Grade:

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

• Writing prompt: “Write 3–4 sentences about what you would ask Santa for.”

4th Grade:

• Poetry study: Identify rhymes in the verse.

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

5th Grade:

• Analyze imagery: How does this song capture the excitement of Christmas? Write a paragraph.

• Compare Jolly Old Saint Nicholas to another Santa song in 2–3 sentences.

6th Grade:

• Historical discussion: How do songs like this reflect Christmas traditions of the late 19th century?

• Journal prompt: Imagine writing a wish list to Santa in the 1800s—describe it in detail.

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 – Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

Preschool (Counting and One-to-One Correspondence)

1. Count 1–5 gifts on the wish list.

2. Count 6–10 gifts.

3. How many gifts are red?

4. How many gifts are green?

5. Point to 3 gifts and count them.

6. Clap for each gift you see (1–5).

7. Touch each gift and count aloud.

8. Count 5 gifts in a row.

9. Add 2 more gifts to the list. How many now?

10. Draw 4 gifts and count them.

Kindergarten (Sorting and Tallying)

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

2. Tally the number of gifts with bows.

3. Tally the number of small gifts.

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

5. Count how many red gifts are on top.

6. Count how many green gifts are on bottom.

7. Add the two groups together.

8. Circle all small gifts and count them.

9. Draw 5 more gifts and count the total.

10. Color 7 gifts and leave the rest blank.

1st Grade (Addition & 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 gifts, 3 are delivered. How many remain?

4. 8 + 6 = ___

5. 14 – 9 = ___

6. 7 + 7 = ___

7. 13 – 4 = ___

8. There are 16 gifts, 5 are for boys. How many are for girls?

9. 9 + 8 = ___

10. 20 – 6 = ___

3rd Grade (Multiplication & 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 gifts for 4 houses. How many per house?

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

8. 60 ÷ 10 = ___

9. A list has 24 gifts divided into 3 rows. How many per row?

10. 72 ÷ 8 = ___

5th Grade (Word Problems & Multiplication)

1. Each gift has 3 bows. 8 gifts = ___ bows

2. 5 gifts × 4 bows each = ___

3. 7 gifts × 6 bows each = ___

4. 9 gifts × 2 bows each = ___

5. If 12 gifts have 5 bows each, total bows = ___

6. 3 groups of 7 gifts = ___

7. 4 groups of 6 bows = ___

8. There are 10 gifts × 3 bows each = ___

9. 8 gifts × 7 bows each = ___

10. 15 gifts × 2 bows each = ___

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

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

2. Ratio red:green = ___

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

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

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

6. 1/4 of 16 bows = ___

7. 2/3 of 18 gifts = ___

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

9. 12 ÷ 3 = ___ (fraction interpretation)

10. There are 15 gifts, 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 Jolly Old Saint Nicholas! 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.