We Wish You a Merry Christmas – 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, Joy to the World, Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, Feliz Navidad, and Jingle Bell Rock. Today, we’re spreading holiday cheer with We Wish You a Merry Christmas! I’ve included crafts, reading lessons, and math activities for Preschool through 6th grade.

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The History of We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We Wish You a Merry Christmas is a traditional English carol dating back to the 16th century, originally sung by carolers in the West Country of England. Carolers would travel from house to house, singing and often requesting treats such as figgy pudding, which is mentioned in the lyrics.

The song embodies community, generosity, and festive celebration. For centuries, families would welcome singers with gifts, food, or drink, reinforcing the joy of giving and togetherness during the holiday season. Its cheerful melody and simple, repetitive lyrics made it easy to learn and sing, helping it endure as a holiday favorite worldwide.

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Craft: Holiday Pudding Decoration

Materials Needed:

• Brown construction paper or paper plates

• Red and green construction paper

• Cotton balls

• Glue

• Scissors

• Markers or crayons

• Optional: glitter or stickers

Instructions:

1. Cut a round shape from brown construction paper or use a paper plate for the pudding base.

2. Add green leaves or holly decorations on top using green paper.

3. Glue cotton balls around the top to mimic whipped cream.

4. Decorate with markers, stickers, or glitter.

5. Display your “pudding” as part of your holiday décor!

Worksheet/Visual Idea:

• Provide a printable pudding template to color and cut out.

• Include shapes for holly leaves and berries to glue on.

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Reading & Literacy Lessons

Preschool:

• Trace “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” on dotted letters.

• Practice singing the first line while clapping along.

Kindergarten:

• Sight words: “wish,” “merry,” “Christmas.” Highlight them on a lyric sheet.

• Read aloud: “We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas.”

1st Grade:

• Phonics focus: Identify “w” in wish and “m” in merry.

• Write the first line neatly on lined paper.

2nd Grade:

• Vocabulary: Define “figgy” and “pudding,” and use each in a sentence.

• Draw a picture of the pudding mentioned in the song.

3rd Grade:

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

• Writing prompt: “Write 3–4 sentences about a holiday treat you enjoy.”

4th Grade:

• Poetry study: Identify repeated phrases and discuss why repetition is effective.

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

5th Grade:

• Analyze imagery: How does this song create a festive and welcoming feeling? Write a paragraph.

• Compare We Wish You a Merry Christmas to another Christmas carol in 2–3 sentences.

6th Grade:

• Historical discussion: Why do you think this carol lasted for centuries?

• Journal prompt: Write a short story about caroling in your neighborhood.

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 – We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Preschool (Counting and One-to-One Correspondence)

1. Count 1–5 berries on the holly.

2. Count 6–10 berries.

3. How many red berries are there?

4. How many green leaves?

5. Point to 3 berries and count them.

6. Clap for each berry you see (1–5).

7. Touch each berry and count aloud.

8. Count 5 berries in a row.

9. Add 2 more berries. How many now?

10. Draw 4 berries and count them.

Kindergarten (Sorting and Tallying)

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

2. Tally the number of small berries.

3. Tally the number of large berries.

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

5. Count how many red berries are on top.

6. Count how many green berries are on bottom.

7. Add the two groups together.

8. Circle all small berries and count them.

9. Draw 5 more berries and count the total.

10. Color 7 berries 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 berries, 3 are eaten. How many remain?

4. 8 + 6 = ___

5. 14 – 9 = ___

6. 7 + 7 = ___

7. 13 – 4 = ___

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

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 berries for 4 puddings. How many per pudding?

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

8. 60 ÷ 10 = ___

9. A pudding has 24 berries divided into 3 rows. How many per row?

10. 72 ÷ 8 = ___

5th Grade (Word Problems & Multiplication)

1. Each pudding has 3 berries. 8 puddings = ___ berries

2. 5 puddings × 4 berries each = ___

3. 7 puddings × 6 berries each = ___

4. 9 puddings × 2 berries each = ___

5. If 12 puddings have 5 berries each, total berries = ___

6. 3 groups of 7 puddings = ___

7. 4 groups of 6 berries = ___

8. There are 10 puddings × 3 berries each = ___

9. 8 puddings × 7 berries each = ___

10. 15 puddings × 2 berries each = ___

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

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

2. Ratio red:green = ___

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

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

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

6. 1/4 of 16 berries = ___

7. 2/3 of 18 berries = ___

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

9. 12 ÷ 3 = ___ (fraction interpretation)

10. There are 15 berries, 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 We Wish You a Merry Christmas! Each week in our Christmas countdown series, we’re making learning hands-on, festive, and fun.