’Tis the season to make learning merry and bright with U.S. Census Bureau data. Engage students with winter and holiday-themed statistics, from U.S. places with festive-sounding names to the number of toymakers in your state. Use these free Statistics in Schools (SIS) resources in your classroom as you prepare for winter break.

Holiday Fun Facts + Classroom-Ready Resources for Winter

Encourage your students to explore the data behind the season—with classroom-ready resources featuring the populations of holly-jolly places like Rudolph, Wisconsin, and Santa Claus, Indiana, and the number of department stores for holiday shopping.

Holiday Season

• Winter Holiday Season Fun Facts
• Toy Makers By State (5-Minute Challenge)
• Festive-Sounding Places (5-Minute Challenge)
• A Week of Festive Fun With Census Bureau Data (Holiday Resource) 
• Census Bureau Winter Wonderland (Kahoot! Game)
• Learn About U.S. Holidays With Census Bureau Data (Kahoot! Game)

More Resources for December

Warm up your winter break with these additional learning resources for December.

Wreaths Across America Day – December 13

• Honoring Those Who Served (5-Minute Challenge)

National Crossword Puzzle Day – December 21

• Census Word Find and Crossword (Warm-Up Activities)

National Candy Cane Day – December 26

• State Facts for Students Data Tool (Candy and nut stores)

Celebrate Children’s Creativity With Data in the New Year!

Celebrate children’s creativity and make data come to life in the New Year with engaging, grade-appropriate activities and resources designed to boost students’ artistic and digital literacy skills.

Explore the resources available on our updated Create With Data webpage to inspire students to use their imagination, showcase what they learn, and enhance their civic and statistical literacy skills!

Highlights:

• A virtual, data-filled cross-country scavenger hunt to teach them about their state.
• Creative writing exercises on fun topics like popular last names designed to encourage students to use their voices.
• Data-driven art projects focused on their state or the environment.

Keep the celebration going by signing up for Crayola Creativity Week (January 26-February 1, 2026). Use SIS materials during this free, fun event to help students build artistic and digital literacy skills while showcasing statistics in creative ways. 

What Is Crayola Creativity Week?

• 🗓️Seven days of students’ imaginations in action – from January 26 to February 1.
• 🤝An opportunity to connect with fellow teachers and community leaders who embrace the power of creativity. It’s easy to implement schoolwide!
• 🧑‍🎨A chance to showcase your students' amazing artwork and share it with the world (educators from over 100 countries participate).
• 👀 A fun, free way for you to enter daily giveaways for your school and access teaching materials that meet education standards

Make sure to register below to join the celebration!

Plan Ahead

Check out our resources for National Hobby Month, National Poverty in America Awareness Month, National Trivia Day (January 4), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 19), National Spouses Day (January 26), National Puzzle Day (January 29), and Crayola Creativity Week (January 26-February 1). Use our January Monthly Highlights webpage to plan your month!

About Statistics in Schools

Bring your lessons to life and boost the civic and statistical literacy of your students with resources from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools (SIS) program. Whether you teach math, geography, history, sociology or English, explore more than 200 free and engaging materials for K-12 students that use census data.