There’s nothing quite like experiencing Christmas through a toddler’s eyes. The lights, the sounds, the routines, the cozy traditions—it’s pure magic. But this season can also feel busy, so I pulled together a list of Christmas activities for toddlers that don’t require special supplies, hours of prep, or crafting skills.
These ideas promote fine motor development, sensory play, early language skills, independence, and connection… all while keeping things calm and playful (because the last thing toddlers need in December is overstimulation).
- Check out my list of all the best stocking stuffers for toddlers!
Let’s dive into the best Christmas activities for toddlers—practical, simple, joy-filled, and developmentally supportive.
In this post:
- Why Christmas Activities Matter for Toddlers
- Sensory Activities (Low-Mess & Toddler-Approved)
- Arts & Crafts Toddlers Can Actually Do
- Christmas Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
- Language-Rich Holiday Activities
- Gross Motor Christmas Activities for Toddlers
- Christmas Baking Activities for Toddlers
- Nature & Outdoor Activities
- Family Rituals Toddlers Understand
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Why Christmas Activities Matter for Toddlers
Toddlers are in a stage of rapid growth — physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Engaging in holiday-themed activities gives them:
- A chance to practice fine and gross motor skills (cutting, gluing, climbing, carrying).
- Opportunities to connect with family rituals and feel included in holiday traditions.
- A scaffolded way to explore cause & effect, sensory experiences, and language development (through songs, stories, conversations).
- Moments of joy, curiosity, and connection, which matter just as much as the crafts themselves.
So while the decorations and glitter might look cute, the real win is the playful learning happening beneath the surface.
- Check out more fun Christmas activities for older kids!
Christmas Activities for Toddlers That Aren’t Complicated!
Below you’ll find activities grouped into categories that match how toddlers naturally learn: sensory play, movement, art, early literacy, nature, and family rituals.
Choose 2–3 per week and rotate them through December.
Sensory Activities (Low-Mess & Toddler-Approved)
1. Gingerbread Cloud Dough
2 cups flour + ½ cup oil + ginger + cinnamon = a soft, scented “snow” toddlers can scoop and press. Add muffin tins or cookie cutters for pretend baking or small accessories for building snowmen.
2. Christmas Water Play
Add red/green pom-poms, ladles, and plastic ornaments to a bowl of warm water or a sensory bin.
You can even add a drop of peppermint extract for a festive smell!
- Check out more fun and easy sensory bin filler ideas!
3. Frozen Jingle Bells
Freeze bells inside ice cubes and let toddlers use warm water in squeeze bottles or a turkey baster to “free” them. Great for cause-and-effect learning and building all the hand muscles needed for writing.
Make sure to select bells that are large enough not to be a choking hazard.
4. Ornament Discovery Bin
Fill a bin with tissue paper scraps and hide plastic ornaments inside. Toddlers dig, shake, and collect them in a little basket. Add large spoons or tongs for toddlers to practice transferring ornaments.
5. Peppermint Whipped Cream Sensory Tray
Use whipped cream instead of shaving cream (safe for mouthing toddlers). Add a drop of peppermint extract and a few drops of food coloring, and let them paint on a tray.
6. Cookie-Cutter Playdough
Use holiday-shaped cutters and playdough to press shapes; toddlers can press, poke, and roll.
Try scenting your playdough with peppermint, cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice!
You can even turn it into a gingerbread “baking” station! Set out gingerbread-scented playdough and real kitchen tools: rolling pin, spatula, muffin tins, and cookie cutters. Toddlers can “bake” cookies without any heat.
7. Christmas Sensory Bottles
Fill bottles with red/green beads, sequins, jingle bells, or foil confetti. Shake, roll, tip, explore.
- Check out these Christmas sensory bottle ideas from Pocket of Preschool.
Arts & Crafts Toddlers Can Actually Do
8. Sticker Christmas Trees
Cut green triangles and let toddlers decorate with dot stickers. It’s simple, mess-free, and great fine motor work.
- Check out more fun sticker crafts for kids!
9. Contact Paper Ornament
Stick clear contact paper to the window (sticky side out) and offer tissue paper, sequins, and ribbon scraps to create a glowing ornament.
10. Decorate a Gingerbread Man
Simply cut out a gingerbread man shape from brown paper and let toddlers go to town with glue, pom poms, scrap paper, etc!
11. Pine Branch Painting
Use real pine branches as paintbrushes! Toddlers love the texture and the Christmas tree smell.
- Check out more simple, open-ended painting ideas!
12. Hand-Stamped Wrapping Paper
Lay out kraft paper and let toddlers stamp with cookie cutters dipped in paint. Use it to wrap family gifts—they’ll be so proud.
13. Potato-Stamped Snowflakes
Cut a potato in half, carve a simple snowflake shape, dip it in white paint, and stamp it onto dark blue paper. This is also a great choice for hand-stamped wrapping paper.
14. Christmas Cards
Let toddlers decorate cardstock using Christmas stickers, crayons, and markers to make cards for friends, family, and neighbors! You can then help toddlers write a special Christmas message in each card.
Consider hand-delivering cards to folks who live close!
15. Decorate a Gingerbread House
Draw a simple house on brown paper (you can even use a brown paper grocery bag), and let your toddler decorate it however they like with stickers, markers, and crayons.
I love that this is so simple to set up and so open-ended for kids!
16. Paper Plate Wreath
Cut a hole out of the center of a paper plate to make a “wreath” for your kids to decorate.
I love mixing white glue with green paint. Kids can then paint the wreath and stick on things like pasta, beads, pom poms, etc. It can get a bit messy, but doing the project on a baking sheet can help to contain the mess.
Find a special place to hang the wreath once it’s dry!
17. Color a Gingerbread Playhouse
This giant cardboard gingerbread house is the ultimate toddler activity because it doubles as both a craft and a play space. Kids can spend days scribbling away with crayons or markers—then keep playing in it for days afterward.
It becomes the perfect little pretend play or cozy reading space!
Christmas Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
18. Bead Stringing Candy Canes
Use pipe cleaners and let your toddler string red and white beads on them. Bend them into a candy cane shape once filled and use them as ornaments or decorations. This activity is great for building fine motor skills!
Note: Ensure adequate supervision to prevent toddlers from sticking beads in their ears or noses.
19. Christmas Lacing Cards
Christmas lacing cards are a perfect quiet-time activity for toddlers, and you don’t even have to make them yourself—there are plenty of premade holiday-themed sets.
Toddlers thread the included string through the holes, building fine-motor skills and concentration while feeling totally independent. It’s simple, calming, and easy to pull out again and again during the busy holiday season.
20. Pom-Pom Christmas Tree Push
Draw the outline of a Christmas tree on the side of a cardboard box, poke holes, and give your toddler pom-poms to push through. A perfect quiet-time fine-motor activity, and so simple to set up!
21. Paper Snipping
Place out strips of red and green paper for toddlers to snip away it. This is great for building their cutting skills.
You can save all the small paper scraps for collage making.
Language-Rich Holiday Activities
22. “What’s in Santa’s Bag?” Mystery Vocabulary Game
Use a drawstring bag and add: bell, bow, pinecone, mini stocking, cookie cutter. Toddlers reach in, describe the texture, then pull it out.
23. Toddler Christmas Songs With Motions
Pick a few songs and repeat them all month:
- “Jingle Bells” (shake)
- “Up on the Housetop” (tap knees + clap)
- “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”
Repetition helps toddlers master language.
24. Nativity Play Basket (Toddler-Friendly)
Use a wooden/soft nativity set and narrate a simple story. Toddlers can move pieces, act out walking, sleeping, or feeding animals.
25. Christmas Photo Cards
Collect all the Christmas cards you receive in the mail and let toddlers flip through and name people. Toddlers love looking at pictures of people they know! Great for connection + vocabulary.
Gross Motor Christmas Activities for Toddlers
26. Snowball Toss
Crumple white socks into “snowballs.” Place baskets at different distances and encourage kids to toss, carry, and collect.
27. Christmas Bell Dancing
Play fun Christmas music and dance with bells. Simple and perfect for getting energy out!
28. Candy Cane Hunt
Hide real or pretend candy canes around the room or house. Toddlers search, collect in a bucket, and sort by size or color.
Give toddlers a turn at hiding the candy canes, too!
29. Sleigh Pull
Attach a rope to a laundry basket and let toddlers pull stuffed animals around like a sleigh. Great heavy-work (proprioception) activity.
Christmas Baking Activities for Toddlers
All designed so toddlers can actually participate — not just watch!
30. No-Bake Reindeer Chow
Reindeer chow is simple, tasty, and easy to make with toddlers. Toddlers love to help measure, pour, and mix each of the 9 ingredients.
Stir together in a large bowl, then serve in small cups. No oven, no exact measurements, and zero stress. I use this recipe from I Heart Naptime.
31. Toddler-Friendly Cookie Decorating
Pre-bake plain sugar cookies (store-bought dough works!) or gingerbread cookies.
Offer toddlers:
- a muffin tin with sprinkles
- a small spoon
- a little ramekin of icing
Keep everything in small amounts so things don’t get too wild. Toddlers LOVE spooning icing and sprinkling “snow” on top.
32. Christmas Banana Bread Muffins
Make your favorite banana bread recipe, and let toddlers mash the bananas, dump the pre-measured ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon.
Muffin tins bake faster, which helps impatient toddlers feel successful.
33. Hot Cocoa Stir Sticks
Dip pretzel rods (or wooden popsicle sticks) into melted chocolate. Let toddlers roll them in sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
Once set, use them to stir warm milk.
34. Peppermint Bark
Peppermint bark is the perfect toddler-friendly holiday treat—just melted white chocolate topped with crushed candy canes.
Toddlers love sprinkling everything on top, and you can add mini marshmallows, holiday sprinkles, crushed cookies, or even pretzel bits for extra texture. Once it sets, break it apart and enjoy a sweet, simple treat they helped make.
It makes a great gift for friends, neighbors, and teachers!
35. Salt Dough Ornaments
While not food, salt dough ornaments are a fun way to follow a recipe and spend time in the kitchen!
Mix flour, salt, and water to form a dough ( I use this recipe), then let your toddler make handprints or press, roll, and cut out holiday shapes with cookie cutters.
After baking, they can paint and decorate their creations before hanging them on the tree.
Nature & Outdoor Activities
36. Frozen Nature Suncatchers
Press leaves, berries, or pine needles in a shallow dish with water. Freeze a loop of string or twine into the water, pop it out, and hang it outside. These winter ornaments will last a long time if you live somewhere cold!
37. Flashlight Christmas Walk
Bundle up and go outside with flashlights for a chilly nighttime walk! A kids’ headlamp can be a fun source of light for little ones!
38. Christmas Lights Walk
Take a walk through a neighborhood with lots of Christmas lights and decorations! Chat about the fun things you see.
39. Birdseed Ornaments
Attract birds with bird seed ornaments!
You can either follow a simple recipe that uses birdseed, gelatin, and cookie cutters, or spread peanut butter on a pine cone and roll it in birdseed. Toddlers love checking for birds each morning.
40. Snowman Building
If you have snow for the holidays, head outside and build a snowman!
Show toddlers how to roll the snow into balls and then add accessories: scarf, hat, stick arms, carrot nose, etc. If no real snow, a “fake snow” bin inside works too (see Sensory section).
41. Scavenger Hunt Walk
Take a festive walk around the neighborhood and look for Christmas-themed items—lights, wreaths, candy canes, snowmen—and check them off as you go.
You can use a premade scavenger hunt sheet with simple toddler-friendly pictures, or make your own. It’s an easy way to add a little magic to an everyday walk!
Family Rituals Toddlers Understand
42. Book-A-Day Basket
Use books as an Advent calendar!
Place 25 holiday-themed books in a basket, wrapped or unwrapped. Let your toddler choose one each night. You can use a combination of books you purchase and books from the library.
- Check out all my favorite Christmas books for kids!
43. Toddler-Friendly Countdown Chain
Rip off one link each morning instead of waiting all day. Helps toddlers understand time better and is just a fun tradition.
44. Decorate Gingerbread Houses
One of our favorite Christmas traditions!
You can use a classic gingerbread house kit (super convenient), or try my toddler-friendly twist: bake a gingerbread cake in a house-shaped pan. It gives you all the fun of decorating without the frustration of walls collapsing — a huge win when little hands are involved.
Set out simple toppings like frosting, sprinkles, cereal, and mini marshmallows, and let your toddler add decorations wherever their creativity takes them. It’s messy, sweet, and guaranteed to become a yearly memory.
45. Kindness Basket
Fill a basket with small acts toddlers can do:
- bring a neighbor a card
- help load spoons into the dishwasher
- give someone a hug
This builds empathy in a toddler-appropriate way. Each day, let them pick one thing to do.
46. Lights and Hot Cocoa
Dim lights, turn on the tree, snuggle on the couch, drink hot cocoa, sing Christmas songs, and read one book. A calming anchor to the day.
47. Watch Christmas Movies
Snuggle up and add to the magic of the season with festive Christmas movies! There are plenty of sweet, short options perfect for toddlers.
- Check out all my favorite Christmas movies for kids!
Tips for Stress-Free Toddler Activities
- Keep activities short: 10–15 minutes is plenty.
- Store materials in zipper pouches for fast cleanup.
- Let toddlers lead—process over product!
- Use everyday items instead of buying new supplies.
- Accept the mess as part of the fun.
- Repeat favorites! Toddlers thrive on repetition.
Final Thoughts on Christmas Activities for Toddlers
Christmas with toddlers is joyful, busy, and sometimes beautifully chaotic. These Christmas activities for toddlers help simplify the season while creating meaningful memories—without the overwhelm.
Whether your toddler loves movement, art, or cozy rituals, this list gives you plenty of ways to fill December with connection and playful learning.
You don’t need extravagant outings or elaborate crafts. Just time, a few simple materials, and the willingness to slow down and see the magic through their eyes.
Merry Christmas & happy playing!
- Check out even more great holiday family traditions!
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