Christmas Tree Budget - Special Education - Shopping - Life Skills - Money Math

🎄 Christmas Tree Budget | Special Education | Life Skills | Holiday Money Math

Make holiday learning practical and fun with this Christmas Tree Budgeting Activity! Perfect for December, this real-world math lesson gives students the chance to “shop” for Christmas tree decorations while practicing budgeting, money management, multiplication, and decision-making skills.

Designed especially for special education and life skills classrooms, this engaging packet walks students step-by-step through the shopping process with colorful visuals and scaffolded supports. Even reluctant learners will love choosing their own decorations while staying within budget!

✨ How It Works:

• Students are given a budget (recommended $125, but can be adjusted for your class).
• They browse through a visual catalog of Christmas tree decorations.
• Using order forms, they select items while tracking their spending.
• Teachers can adapt the process by using the dollar up strategy, calculators, or written math.
• Students total their costs and reflect on their shopping choices.

📘 What’s Included:

• 🎁 1 page of budget directions
• 🎁 2 pages of Christmas Decorations Catalog
• 🎁 3 pages of Visual Order Sheets
• 🎁 1 sample Order Sheet Example
• 🎁 2 Writing Reflection Activities (10 questions each)
• 🎁 1 Art Activity: Sketch your decorated tree

🌟 Skills Practiced:

• Budgeting & money management
• Addition & multiplication with money
• Decision-making & critical thinking
• Real-world shopping skills
• Sight words & functional reading

🎯 Why Teachers Love It:

• Hands-on & engaging → Students get to make their own choices.
• Scaffolded for all levels → Works with dollar up strategy or calculators.
• Real-world practice → Helps fill the gap for students who don’t get daily money practice.
• Versatile → Perfect for December math, life skills lessons, centers, or repeated practice.