A Fun and Engaging Geometry Activity for the Day Before Christmas Break

Hands-On Paper Snowflake STEM Project for the Classroom

If your classes are anything like mine, the day before Christmas vacation is full-on survival mode.
Students are buzzing with excitement about winter break, routines feel chaotic, and attention spans are at an all-time low. Teachers are exhausted, stressed, and, let’s be honest, probably even more excited for the upcoming break than the students.

The classroom environment suddenly lacks focus, structure, and motivation. And right on cue, administration strolls through the halls to see what’s happening in classrooms. (It's the perfect time for an observation, right?)

Fortunately, you’re prepared. Instead of battling the pre-vacation chaos, you’ve planned a fun, low-prep, high-engagement geometry review activity that keeps students learning while giving them something festive to enjoy. Constructing giant 3D paper snowflakes is the perfect way to maintain structure, promote collaboration, and squeeze in meaningful math practice on a day that is often academically lost.

Why Giant Paper Snowflakes Make the Perfect Winter Math Activity

This winter craft doubles as a hands-on geometry lesson, giving students opportunities to explore:

classifying quadrailaterals by attributes
classifying triangles by sides and angles
identifying lines of symmetry
spatial reasoning
teamwork and cooperative learning

It’s engaging, creative, and curriculum-aligned: a win for both classroom management and student learning.

Materials Needed for Each Group

Students sit in groups of three. Each group will need:

Six pieces of computer paper
Scissors
Tape or a stapler
Single hole punch
Yarn or string
One paperclip for hanging the snowflake

These simple, budget-friendly materials make this an ideal holiday math activity for any grade level.

How to Run the Activity (With Built-In Geometry Review)

Guide your students step-by-step through constructing their giant snowflake. As they fold, cut, attach, and assemble each piece, pause frequently to ask geometry review questions aligned to your standards and grade level. For example:

“What shapes do you notice forming as we fold?”

“How would you classify this shape based on its attributes?”

“Where do you see lines of symmetry?”

This keeps students actively thinking about geometric concepts while staying fully engaged in a festive, hands-on STEM project.

A Productive, Calm, and Fun End-of-Year Math Lesson

By the end of class, your students will have created beautiful 3D snowflakes to display around the room or take home, and they will have secretly completed a meaningful geometry review without feeling like they’re doing “work.” It’s the perfect blend of student engagement, winter classroom fun, and math learning during one of the most challenging days to teach. Best of all, you'll impress any administrator who decides it's the perfect day to check in on your classroom.