25 Christmas Activities To Do With A Toddler

I am SO excited for Christmas this year! It’s true that the holidays are much more magical when you have a little one. There is just something about seeing everything through their eyes. Christmas can be a stressful time for many people and our little ones can easily get lost in the hustle and bustle. What they crave from us as moms is time together. I wanted to come up with a list of 25 activities that you can do at home with your toddler or preschooler. Older kids may enjoy some of these too! They are all easy to do and for many I will even include links to the free printables. My hope is that they will help you create some fun memories with your little ones. Try 1 or all 25!

1. Use green play-doh, cookie cutters and plastic beads to make and decorate Christmas trees.

2. Watch Rudolph, wear antlers and make reindeer food (oats and glitter). {printable here}

3. Watch the Grinch and make Grinch kabobs (marshmallow, strawberry, banana slice, grape on a toothpick)

4. Read The Sweet Smell of Christmas and make your own Christmas Senses Book

Get the free printable here.

5. Paint Mistletoes

Get a cheap canvas from the craft store and paint on circles. Stamp your child’s feet and add painted accents.

6. Do Elf on the Shelf and have fun with it. Check out some of our elf’s antics from last year:

7. Get a Magic Light Wand

It’s an initial investment but you can use it year after year and seeing your kids use the magic to turn on the tree is so fun!

8. Wrap up 24 Christmas books and have your child unwrap one each night before bed to read together. I always save The Night Before Christmas for the last night.

9. Go to Starry Nights at Shelby Farms

10. Make treats for your friends at Preschool or Mothers Day Out. Last year we made reindeer noses. They are just red Sixlets and I got the free printables here.

11. Make a gingerbread house. There are so many kits available!!

12. Go to Zoo Lights

13. Make your own wrapping paper. I love this one from Skip to My Lou.

14. Have a snowman breakfast and watch Frosty.

15. Watch the Polar Express and then drive around and look at Christmas lights in your pajamas

16. Make cookies and deliver them to your neighbors while wearing Santa hats.

17. Make bird feeders using pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed.

18. Do a Christmas countdown using this free printable and cotton balls.

19. Consider using some of these ideas to help your child do random acts of kindness during this Christmas season.

20. Call Santa and listen to the special message. Leave your message for Santa at the beep.

21. Dress up and have a nice dinner downtown. Stop by the Peabody to take a picture in front of the beautiful tree in the lobby.

22. Encourage your children to donate some unused toys before Santa brings them new toys. I love tying this in with the Elf on the Shelf and Living Lucurto has a great free printable for you to use.