Silver Bells – Fun Learning Activities for a Christmas Countdown

 Silver Bells – 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 and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Today, we’re celebrating the magical, bustling streets of the holidays with the classic carol Silver Bells. This post includes crafts, reading lessons, and math activities for Preschool through 6th grade, making learning festive and fun!

The History of Silver Bells

The song “Silver Bells” has a surprisingly interesting history. It was written in 1950 by the songwriting team Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, who created it for the 1951 movie The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. The film needed a Christmas song for a scene set on busy city streets, so the writers set out to capture the feeling of Christmas in an urban setting.

The original title of the song was “Tinkle Bells.” When Ray Evans mentioned this to his wife, she pointed out the unintended meaning of the word “tinkle,” and the writers quickly changed the title to “Silver Bells.” The change proved wise, as the new name fit the tone and imagery of the song much better.

The inspiration for “Silver Bells” came from the sight of Salvation Army volunteers ringing bells on street corners during the holiday season. Livingston and Evans wanted to create a song that reflected the bustle of Christmas shopping, busy sidewalks, and the unique charm of a city during Christmastime. This perspective made the song stand out from the many Christmas songs that focus on home, snow, or family gatherings.

Although it was written for the film, the song became popular even before the movie was released. Bing Crosby recorded a duet version with Carol Richards in 1950, and it quickly became a radio hit. Because the song was already gaining attention, the studio decided to reshoot the movie scene to give “Silver Bells” a more prominent role.

Over the years, “Silver Bells” has become a Christmas standard and has been recorded by many well-known artists, including Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, and Michael Bublé. Its gentle melody and nostalgic picture of holiday city life have helped it remain a beloved part of the Christmas music tradition.

What makes “Silver Bells” unique is its focus on Christmastime in the city. Instead of describing cozy homes or snowy landscapes, it highlights the sounds and sights of urban holiday life, from sidewalk crowds to the ringing of bells. This perspective gives the song a charm all its own and helps explain why it continues to be a favorite year after year.

Craft: Silver Bells Ornament

Materials Needed:

 Aluminum foil or silver paper

Empty toilet paper rolls

Glue or tape

Ribbon or string

Markers, stickers, or sequins for decoration

Scissors (adult supervision for preschool)

Instructions:

1. Cover toilet paper rolls with aluminum foil or silver paper.

2. Decorate the rolls with markers, stickers, or sequins to make them festive.

3. Glue or tape a ribbon or string at the top to hang them.

4. Optional: make several bells and hang them around the house while listening to the song.

Worksheet/Visual Idea:

Provide a template of a bell for kids to color and decorate before gluing to the roll.

Include dotted lines for cutting and folding instructions.

Reading & Literacy Lessons

Preschool:

Trace “Silver Bells” on a worksheet with dotted letters.

Clap or ring a pretend bell each time you say the words.

Kindergarten:

Sight words: “silver,” “bells,” “city.” Highlight them on a lyric sheet.

Practice reading aloud “City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.”

1st Grade:

Phonics focus: Identify “s” in Silver and “b” in Bells.

Write the first line on lined paper, focusing on proper letter formation.

2nd Grade:

Vocabulary: Define “bustling” and “sidewalk.” Use each in a sentence.

Draw a picture showing a busy Christmas street.

3rd Grade:

Sequencing: Cut out lyric lines and arrange them in the order they appear in the first verse.

Writing prompt: “Describe a busy street during Christmas using 3–4 sentences.”

4th Grade:

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

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

5th Grade:

Analyze mood and imagery: How do the words paint a picture of the city during Christmas? Write a paragraph.

Compare the original 1950 lyrics to a modern version in 2–3 sentences.

6th Grade:

Historical discussion: Why would this song have appealed to urban families in 1950?

Journal prompt: Imagine walking down a city street hearing the bells—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

Math Lessons – Silver Bells

Preschool (Counting and One-to-One Correspondence)

1. Count 1–5 bells.

2. Count 6–10 bells.

3. How many bells are on the left side?

4. How many bells are on the right side?

5. Point to 3 bells and count them.

6. Clap for each bell you see (1–5).

7. Touch each bell and count aloud.

8. Count 5 bells in a row.

9. Place 2 bells on the garland, count how many now.

10. Draw 4 bells and count them.

Kindergarten (Sorting and Tallying)

1. Sort 10 bells into silver and gold. How many of each?

2. Tally the number of large bells.

3. Tally the number of small bells.

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

5. Count how many bells hang at the top.

6. Count how many bells hang at the bottom.

7. Add the two groups together.

8. Circle all silver bells and count them.

9. Draw 5 more bells and count the total.

10. Color 7 bells 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 bells, 3 fall. How many left?

4. 8 + 6 = ___

5. 14 – 9 = ___

6. 7 + 7 = ___

7. 13 – 4 = ___

8. There are 16 bells and 5 are large. How many are small?

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 bells for 4 garlands. How many per garland?

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

8. 60 ÷ 10 = ___

9. A garland has 24 bells, divided into 3 rows. How many per row?

10. 72 ÷ 8 = ___

5th Grade (Word Problems & Multiplication)

1. Each bell rings 3 times per minute. 8 bells = ___ rings

2. 5 bells × 4 rings each = ___

3. 7 bells × 6 rings each = ___

4. 9 bells × 2 rings each = ___

5. If 12 bells ring 5 times each, total rings = ___

6. 3 groups of 7 bells = ___

7. 4 groups of 6 bells = ___

8. There are 10 bells × 3 rings each = ___

9. 8 bells × 7 rings each = ___

10. 15 bells × 2 rings each = ___

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

1. 12 bells: 3 silver, 9 gold. Fraction silver = ___

2. Ratio silver:gold = ___

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

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

5. If 3/12 bells are silver, how many are gold?

6. 1/4 of 16 bells = ___

7. 2/3 of 18 bells = ___

8. If 5 silver bells are added to 10 gold, new ratio = ___

9. 12 ÷ 3 = ___ (fraction interpretation)

10. There are 15 bells, 5 gold, 10 silver. What fraction are silver?

Wrapping Up

I hope your kids enjoy crafting, reading, and counting along with Silver Bells! This is another step in our fun countdown to Christmas series, where learning meets holiday excitement. Be sure to follow along each week for more carols, creative crafts, reading activities, and math challenges for all grade levels!