This Christmas logic word puzzle activity is a way for kids to use logical thinking and pattern matching paired with spatial recognition and spelling.
Logic puzzles are a great activity to strengthen logical reasoning skills, boolean, and comparison skills while working with a series of selection statements.
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Computational Thinking Concepts
Computational thinking is a new way of problem-solving that involves thinking about a problem in a way that can be solved by using computing tools like logic, decomposition, abstractions, algorithms, patterns, data collection and analysis, and simulation or modeling.
Computational thinking can be used to solve problems in almost all areas of our lives and helps kids develop some pretty great life skills that can apply to a variety of situations.
A computational thinker approaches problems by:
- Experimenting and playing to solve a problem that might have more than one possible solution
- Working together with others to reach a common goal
- Persevering when faced with a difficult problem
- Finding and fixing errors in complex problems
- Designing and making solutions for open-ended problems
- Understanding their own strengths and weaknesses
Get Started with Algorithms and Code Your Art!
Introduce algorithms with this hands-on unplugged coding activity for kids!
Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning is the ability to analyze and make predictions about things or explaining why something is the way that it is.
Logic puzzles are a great way to use to emphasize the concept of logical reasoning by explaining why a word cannot fit in a certain space.
Due to the number of letters in each word, kids can speak to why each word goes in each space, which helps them to solve the puzzle.
How to Solve Your Christmas Logic Word Puzzle
The best way to begin is to use look for a word length that only has one word. Why? If there is only one word of any length left, it’s the only possible answer for the space.
Once you know some letters in the grid, then you can count how many letters long the space is and compare it to the words remaining using the letters filled in from the previous word.
Go slowly and think through your puzzle. Use a pencil! Some of the clues will not be helpful right away. Keep working through the list of words and go back.
Computer programmers treat a space as a character. Remember to use the space on words like “candy cane”, which is 10 characters, not 9.
For a hands-on twist, use Bananagrams or Scrabble to build your words with letter tiles!
We like to use dry erase pocket sleeves for all of our worksheets so that we can reuse them for all of these kiddos I have running around this house.
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THIS ACTIVITY FOR LATER!
Christmas Coding Activities
Find more Christmas coding activities to work on computational thinking and beginning coding skills!
Christmas Sudoku Logical Reasoning Activity for Kids
Sudoku is a great activity to strengthen logical reasoning skills and decomposition skills while working with a simple algorithm, a series of instructions for solving problems.
Christmas Pixel Puzzles: Free Color by Number Activity for Kids
These Christmas Pixel Puzzles are a great way to introduce image representation on computers as well as work on number and color recognition.
Computers break pictures down into tiny blocks of color known as pixels. Pixels are organized in a grid and each block contains a single color.
Christmas Algorithm Art Directed Drawing Unplugged Coding Activity
This Christmas tree algorithm art activity is a great unplugged coding activity for kids K-8 to learn how actions can be turned into algorithms.
After completing the activity, kids can work together to communicate their written program to their peers or siblings to test out and debug their Christmas tree code.
Dress the Elf With this Christmas Boolean Logic Activity
Trixie the Elf needs helping searching for the perfect outfit for each day of the week. Learn how to use boolean expressions to narrow down exactly the right outfit in this Christmas Elf boolean logic activity.
Guess Who? Santa's Elves Unplugged Boolean Coding Activity
Learn about boolean and comparison operators with this Guess the Elf boolean coding activity! Boolean logic sounds like a pretty complex concept, but it’s actually very easy to understand.
Booleans are a type of data that has two values either true or false that can be used to evaluate logical questions.
Winter Unplugged Coding Worksheet: Frosty Sequences
Find the correct sequence to help Frosty the Snowman find his way through town before he melts away in this unplugged coding worksheet for kids! This free worksheet is great to print to use in a classroom or even at home!
We like to practice verbalizing our sequences as well because it helps to practice coding concepts in different ways in order to master them!
Meet Toni, the Maker Mom behind Our Family Code
Hey there, I’m Toni! I’m a software engineer and Maker Mom that finds my joy in unleashing my children’s curiosity by exploring STEAM concepts with my fantastic five!
When I’m not chasing toddlers or raising tweens, you can find me tearing things up and putting them back together over here at Our Family Code.
I am the owner and content creator of multiple educational websites designed to increase access to STEAM & STEM education with a focus on teaching computer science and coding to kids of all ages!
You can also find out more about me by visiting ToniGardner.com!
