The Christmas countdown is on, the kids are vibrating with a sugar-plum-induced energy that could power a small city, and you’re desperately trying to remember if wine counts as one of your five-a-day.
Sound familiar?
Keeping a preschooler entertained during the holiday season is a special kind of challenge. You want them to have all the magic, but you also need to, you know, survive. That’s why I’ve put together this list of 20 Christmas activities. They’re messy, they’re magical, and they’re guaranteed to burn off some of that tinsel-induced mania. Grab a coffee (or that wine), and let’s get crafting.
Simple & Sweet Crafts
These activities are perfect for when you need a win. They require minimal setup, use stuff you probably already have lurking in a cupboard, and result in something cute enough to slap a magnet on and stick on the fridge.
1. Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
This is the granola bar of Christmas crafts—reliable, easy, and you always have the supplies on hand. Grab a bunch of popsicle sticks, some white glue, and let your little one arrange them into snowflake shapes.
Once the glue dries (patience, young grasshopper), let them go to town with paint, glitter, or markers. I learned the hard way that school glue works better than a glue gun for tiny fingers, unless you enjoy peeling a small child off your dining room table. :/
2. Toilet Roll Santa
Before you toss those empty toilet paper rolls in the recycling bin, stop! They are the ultimate crafting goldmine.
Cut a strip of red paper to wrap around the roll for his outfit. Then, give your kid some cotton balls to glue on for his beard and hat pompom. Add some googly eyes and a red pom-pom for his nose, and bam—you’ve got Santa. Or, as my son called him, “Round Man.”
3. Handprint Reindeer
You’ll look back on these in ten years and get all misty-eyed, I promise. Paint the palm of your child’s hand brown and press it firmly onto a piece of cardstock. The thumb makes one antler, and the four fingers make the other.
Once it’s dry, your preschooler can add googly eyes and a red pom-pom for the nose. It’s a Rudolph that actually grows with your kid. Deep, right?
4. Paper Plate Wreaths
Cut the center out of a paper plate so you’re left with just the ring. Let your child paint it green. While it’s drying, tear up little pieces of red and green tissue paper.
Then, show them how to scrunch up the tissue paper and glue it onto the ring. The scrunching is fantastic for fine motor skills, and the end result looks good enough to hang on the front door. A little bit of mess never killed anyone, right?
5. Salt Dough Ornaments
This is a rite of passage. Mix 4 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and 1.5 cups of warm water until it forms a dough. Roll it out and let your kid go wild with cookie cutters.
Don’t forget to poke a hole in the top with a straw before baking! We bake them at 200°F (95°C) for about 3 hours. Once they’re cool, the real fun begins. Hand over the paint and let them create their masterpieces. I’ve still got a lopsided star my daughter made three years ago, and honestly? It’s my favorite ornament.
Let’s Get Messy (But in a Fun Way)
Sometimes you just have to embrace the chaos. These activities are a little stickier, a little messier, and a whole lot of fun. Just remember: washable everything.
6. Christmas Slime
I know, I know. Slime. The enemy of carpets everywhere. But hear me out! Making green and red glitter slime is basically a sensory science experiment.
There are a million recipes online, but I stick to the simple stuff: glue, contact lens solution, baking soda, and a ton of glitter. The look of concentration on their face as they mix it is pure gold. My pro tip: lay down a plastic tablecloth. You’ll thank me later.
7. Marble Paint Christmas Tree
Cut a triangle out of a piece of paper and stick it in a shallow box or baking tray. Squeeze little blobs of green paint onto the paper, drop in a few marbles, and let your kid shake, rattle, and roll the box.
The marbles create a cool, swirly pattern that looks like tree decorations. It’s great for kids who don’t love the feeling of paint on their hands.
8. Jingle Bell Painting
Put a piece of paper in a box. Drop some jingle bells into little cups of red and green paint, fish them out with a spoon (great for hand-eye coordination!), and drop them into the box.
Then, let your preschooler tilt the box back and forth. The bells roll around, leaving trails of paint and making a glorious racket. It’s part art project, part dance party. 🙂
9. Baking Sugar Cookies
Okay, this is technically baking, but it gets messy enough to count. Forget perfectly shaped gingerbread men. Just make a simple batch of sugar cookies, whip up some royal icing, and let your kids go to town with sprinkles.
The cookies will look like a unicorn sneezed on them, and that’s exactly how they should look. The mess is half the fun, and you get cookies at the end. Win-win.
10. Snow Puffy Paint
Mix equal parts shaving cream and white school glue and—poof—you have the most magical puffy paint ever. It’s squishy, it smells nice, and it dries with a wonderful 3D texture.
Let your kids paint snowmen, snowflakes, or just a big glorious blob of “snow.” They can even add glitter to make it sparkle.
Outings & Outdoor Fun
Need to get out of the house before you lose your mind? Me too. Here are some activities that require fresh air and a change of scenery.
11. Go on a Christmas Light Hunt
This is our family’s favorite December tradition. Pile everyone in the car, grab a hot chocolate (in a spill-proof cup, obviously), and go for a drive to find the best lights in town.
Make it a game. Ask them questions like: Can you spot a house with a blow-up Santa? How many reindeer can you count? It’s free, it’s festive, and by the time you get home, they might just be tired enough to go to bed without a fight. A mom can dream, right?
12. Visit Santa
Yes, it can be a total circus. There are often tears (from both the kids and the parents). But it’s a classic for a reason. Find a Santa that seems less “mall employee” and more “jolly old elf.”
Some garden centers or local Christmas markets have quieter, more laid-back Santa experiences. FYI, the best time to go is first thing in the morning on a weekday, before the sugar cookies and crowds have taken their toll.
13. Nature Walk for Decorations
Take a bag and go for a walk around the neighborhood or a local park. Look for pinecones, interesting twigs, and sturdy leaves.
Bring them home, spread them on a baking sheet, and bake at a low temperature to kill any bugs (trust me on this). Then, you can paint them, glue on googly eyes, or just arrange them in a bowl for a rustic centerpiece. It’s nature crafting at its finest.
14. Look at Christmas Shop Windows
If you live near a city or even a nice shopping center, take a stroll to look at the decorated windows. Many stores go all out with moving figures, snowy scenes, and twinkling lights.
Let your preschooler lead the way. Their fascination with a simple moving reindeer is way more entertaining than anything you’ll find inside the stores anyway.
15. Make a Birdseed Ornament
This one’s for the feathered friends. Mix birdseed with unflavored gelatin and water (follow a recipe online to get the ratio right), press the mixture into cookie cutters, and poke a straw through to make a hole.
Let them dry for a day on some parchment paper, then thread a ribbon through and hang it on a tree outside. It teaches little ones about giving and gives you a chance to bird-watch from the kitchen window.
Cozy & Quiet Time
We all need those moments where the volume is turned down. These activities are perfect for a lazy Sunday morning or a quiet afternoon when someone is “tired” (read: needs a nap but won’t admit it).
16. Build a Fort and Read Christmas Books
This is the ultimate cozy activity. Drape blankets over the couch, pile up every cushion you own, and throw in a ton of fairy lights (battery-operated ones are safest!).
Gather all your Christmas books and crawl inside. Read by flashlight, sip some hot cocoa, and just enjoy the quiet. It’s simple, but honestly? These are the moments my kids talk about all year.
17. Create a Christmas Sensory Bin
Sensory bins are a preschool parent’s secret weapon. Fill a plastic bin with dry rice or beans that you’ve dyed red and green (just add a little vinegar and food coloring, then let it dry).
Then, throw in some mini cookie cutters, jingle bells, plastic snowflakes, and little spoons. They will scoop, pour, and dig for hours. Hours, I tell you. It’s magical.
18. Watch a Christmas Movie
Duh, right? But make it an event. Don’t just turn on the TV. Draw the curtains, make some popcorn, and get out their special “movie blankets.”
Whether it’s The Grinch, Frosty the Snowman, or Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, watching it together with no distractions is a great way to connect.
19. Make a “Reindeer Food” Mix
This is a fun little activity for Christmas Eve. In a bowl, mix rolled oats with glitter. That’s it. That’s the recipe.
The glitter is so the reindeer can see it from the sky. Sprinkle it on the lawn on Christmas Eve to guide Santa’s sleigh. The magic on their faces is absolutely priceless.
20. Write a Letter to Santa (Even if They Can’t Write)
Just because they’re not writing in full sentences yet doesn’t mean they can’t participate. Sit down with a piece of paper and some crayons and ask them what they want to tell Santa.
You can write down their words while they draw a picture of a reindeer or a big, red blob that is supposedly a fire truck. It’s more about the ritual and the excitement than the actual list. IMO, this is what the holidays are all about.
So there you have it—twenty ways to keep those little hands busy and those little hearts full this December. Some of these activities will be a total hit, and some might end in a glitter-induced meltdown. That’s okay.
The goal isn’t Pinterest-perfect results. The goal is making memories, embracing the beautiful chaos, and soaking up the wonder of Christmas through their eyes.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some slime to scrape off the ceiling. Happy Holidays!
