Junior Family Math Newsletter - December 2025

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Children doing math on a whiteboard

Activities for December

Math Talk

What do you notice? What do you wonder? How does this image connect to something you are learning about in school? 

Snowflake

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons


Digital Math Game

Math Fun with Tetris!

Looking for a way to make math practice engaging and interactive for your child? Check out Transum’s Tetris Game! This classic puzzle game has a mathematical twist—players rotate and position shapes to complete rows, sharpening spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills along the way.

It’s a fantastic way to build perseverance and logical thinking while having fun.

Why try it?

  • Boost spatial awareness: Understand how shapes fit together.
  • Encourage strategic thinking: Plan ahead to maximize your score.
  • Perfect for brain breaks: A quick, enjoyable activity that still supports learning.

Try it out


Thinking Task: Colourful Tower

Source: Beaver Computing Challenge, Grade 5/6, 2022

Luis has hexagon pieces in three different colours. Whenever Luis arranges three pieces in a way that resembles an upright triangle, the three pieces must either be all the same colour, or all different colours. These rules do not apply to other three-piece arrangements. In particular:

All colours the same or all colours different

3 Hexagons

 

No colour rules

3 Hexagon's 2 on top one on bottom all connected

Luis arranges his hexagon pieces in a way that resembles a tower as shown:

14 hexagons interconnected in a pyramid. the bottom row has 5 hexagons, first 2 are green with spots, the third is yellow with lines, the 4th is blue with lines, and the 5th is green with spots.

 

Question

Which hexagon piece must be at the very top?

A. Blue with linesB.  Green with SpotsC.  Yellow with linesD. There is more than one possibility


Math Strategies

 

This is the second strategy in our series of featured math strategies. This month, we’re focusing on Constant Difference (also called Equivalent Difference). This approach helps students see that when solving subtraction problems, adjusting both numbers by the same amount does not change the difference. For example, instead of solving 52 – 38, students might add 2 to both numbers and solve 54 – 40, which is often easier to compute mentally. This strategy builds number sense and flexibility, allowing students to choose efficient methods when working with subtraction.

Subtraction:

Constant Difference (Equivalent Difference)

Image Source: Math is FigureOutAble! The Most Important Numeracy Strategies, Pam Harris.

Try these questions at home using Constant Difference (Equivalent Difference):

63 – 47 =

86 – 58 =

74 – 36 =

91 – 67 =

58 – 43 = 

 


Real-World Math Connections

Together with your child, explore real-life contexts to explain a translation, reflection or rotation. Children can document transformations in every-day life through pictures. Families are invited to send us examples of this documentation. Photos will be highlighted in our next Family Math Newsletter.  

Translations

Flying planes

Source: The Military Museums        

Reflections

Tree reflected in water

Source: Pexels – Free Reflection Photos                      

Rotations

Clifton Hill Skywheel

Source: Clifton Hill Attractions

Email us to send us your photos!



Where Math Meets Art

Watch the Coordinate Planes String Art video and follow along to create your own string art using the Cartesian Plane. You will need some materials before you get started.

Materials:

  • Black Cardstock/Construction Paper     
  • Push Pin (Thumbtack)
  • Graph Paper (Cartesian Plane)                 
  • Glue
  • Size 18 Tapestry Needle                               
  • Cardboard
  • Crochet Thread

Please share photos of your finished Coordinate Planes String Art pieces and we will highlight these in our next Family Math Newsletter!

Email us your photos!


Math Riddle

Can you solve these math riddles? Hint: You can find the answers to these riddles in this newsletter! 

Riddle One:

Across an unseen boundary I dwell,
Your figure I mimic, yet not as you tell.
I keep your size, your angles, your grace,
But swap your direction in mirrored space.

What am I?

Riddle Two:

I turn without walking,
I spin without sliding.
My center’s my anchor,
My radius is guiding.
Angles I measure, yet size stays the same—
What am I, in this geometric game?

Riddle Three:

I move without turning,
I slide without spinning.
Every point keeps its place,
Just shifted through space.

What am I?

Parent Resources

  • Check out the Ontario Elementary Mathematics 2020 Curriculum Glossary! Coordinates
  • EQAO Math Night for Parents and Guardians (Grades 3, 6, and 9) Webinar:  Monday, December 8, 2025 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. Register at: EQAO


 

Colourful Tower Answer

A)

Blue with lines

 

Looking for additional math resources?

Check out our past e-newsletters for more fun and exciting math games and challenges to do at home.

Family Math E-Newsletter 2025-26