40+ Christmas Activities for Kids to Fill December (Without the Stress)

Holiday crafts do not need glitter everywhere to feel special. Paper, glue, crayons and a pair of child-safe scissors cover almost everything here.

1. Paper chain countdown. Cut strips, write a number on each and link them. Tear one off every morning. Builds: scissor skills, counting backward.
2. Paper plate wreath. Cut out the center of a plate and glue on torn green paper and red dots. Builds: tearing and gluing, which strengthen small hand muscles.
3. Handprint reindeer. Trace your child’s hand for antlers and their shoe for the face. Builds: tracing, following steps.
4. Salt dough ornaments. Mix flour, salt and water, press with cookie cutters and bake low until dry. Paint the next day. Builds: measuring, patience.
5. Paper snowflakes. Fold a square and snip small shapes along the edges. Unfold to see the pattern. Builds: symmetry, scissor control.
6. Stick puppets. Color a snowman, a reindeer and a gingerbread friend, glue them to craft sticks and put on a show. Builds: storytelling, fine motor skills.
7. Homemade cards. Fold paper in half, draw a picture and dictate or write a message. Builds: purposeful writing.

The Merry Makers Christmas Craft Kit has twenty-plus crafts with simple supplies, including paper ornaments, decorate-the-gingerbread and dress-the-snowman, reindeer and star headbands, lacing cards, stick puppets, gift tags and a countdown chain.

Ages note: 3 year olds do best with tearing, gluing and stickers. By 5 and 6, most can cut along curves and fold a snowflake on their own.

An activity countdown gives kids something to look forward to each morning without a pile of small toys. Write each idea on a slip, fold it into a numbered envelope or pocket, and open one a day. Swap days around to fit your calendar.

Week 1

1. Make the paper chain countdown.
2. Read a winter picture book under a blanket.
3. Make paper snowflakes for the windows.
4. Count the lights on one tree or window.
5. Write a wish list (drawings count).
6. Go for a walk to look at decorations.

Week 2

1. Make salt dough ornaments.
2. Paint yesterday’s ornaments.
3. Bake or decorate cookies together.
4. Learn about Christmas in another country.
5. Make a card for a grandparent.
6. Build a blanket fort and have a flashlight story time.

Week 3

1. Donate a toy or book you have outgrown.
2. Play Christmas bingo.
3. Make a paper plate wreath.
4. Wrap a small gift with lots of tape (it counts).
5. Hot cocoa and a family drawing contest.
6. Make handprint reindeer.

Week 4

1. Deliver treats or cards to a neighbor.
2. Put on a stick puppet show.
3. Make gift tags for family presents.
4. Sing songs and have a dance party.
5. Pajama night and a cozy movie or story.
6. Set out something special for the big day and get an early night.

The Ultimate Christmas Activity Kit includes a countdown calendar and paper chain, letters to Santa, ornaments, a reindeer headband, gift tags and cards, bingo and memory games and 19 coloring scenes, so most of these days are already printed for you.

December is a busy month, but a few minutes of holiday-themed practice keeps skills fresh, especially for kindergarteners and first graders.

Math

1. Ornament counting. Hang a set number of paper ornaments on a drawn tree. Builds: counting to 20, number recognition.
2. Present adding. Two presents under the tree, three more arrive. How many now? Use small boxes to act it out. Builds: addition to 10.
3. Cookie take-away. Five cookies on a plate, someone eats two. Builds: subtraction, a very motivating one.
4. Wrapping paper patterns. Draw or stamp repeating patterns: star, tree, star, tree. Builds: patterning.
5. Measure the tree. How many hands tall is it? How many blocks? Builds: nonstandard measurement.

Reading and writing

1. Letter to Santa or a wish list. Younger kids draw and dictate; older kids write. Builds: letter formation, sentence writing.
2. Christmas word wall. Tape up tree, star, snow, gift and elf. Read them each morning. Builds: sight words, simple CVC reading.
3. Rhyme time. What rhymes with snow? Tree? Bell? Builds: rhyming, a key skill before reading.
4. Label the tree. Write sticky notes for star, lights and ornaments and stick them on. Builds: print awareness, vocabulary.

For 4 to 6 year olds, Christmas Math & Reading Fun has pages to count ornaments to 20, add presents, take away cookies, trace and read Christmas words and write simple sentences.

Long car rides, airport waits, church services, concerts and grown-up dinners all ask kids to sit still. A small, packed plan helps.

1. A travel folder. Put a busy book, a few coloring pages and a pencil case in a zip folder. Builds: independent play.
2. Sticker scenes. A blank page and a sheet of holiday stickers. Builds: fine motor skills, storytelling.
3. Holiday I spy. Spot a wreath, a red car or a snowman from the window. Builds: observation, color words.
4. Mazes and dot-to-dots. Great for ages 4 and up in the car. Builds: planning, pencil control.
5. Tell a Christmas story together. Each person adds one sentence. Builds: sequencing, listening.

The Merry & Bright Christmas Busy Book is made for this: Christmas trees, snowmen, reindeer and gingerbread friends fill pages of coloring, tracing, counting, mazes and matching. For more ideas that need no screen, see quiet time activities for preschoolers.

Learning how other countries celebrate is a gentle way to talk about geography, and it reminds kids that families mark the season in many different ways.

• Mexico: piñatas and colorful paper decorations are part of many holiday parties.
• Germany: outdoor Christmas markets and Advent calendars are old traditions here.
• Sweden: on December 13, St. Lucia Day, children may dress in white and carry candles or lights.
• The Philippines: star-shaped lanterns called parols glow in windows and streets.
• Australia: Christmas comes in summer, so a beach day or a picnic is common.
• Italy: in many families, a kind old woman named La Befana brings treats in early January.
• England: paper crackers with a crown and a joke inside are pulled at dinner.

Try one country a day: find it on a map, color its flag and do one small thing from its traditions, like making a paper lantern. Christmas Around the World visits the United States, Mexico, England, Germany, Sweden, the Philippines, Australia and Italy, with read-aloud facts, a coloring picture, a flag to color and a passport stamp for each.

Giving feels good at any age. These ideas help kids see the season as a time to think about other people too.

1. Toy sort. Choose a few toys in good shape to donate. Builds: generosity, sorting.
2. Cookie delivery. Bake a batch and bring a plate to a neighbor. Builds: social skills, following a recipe.
3. Cards for helpers. Make cards for the mail carrier, a teacher or a nurse. Builds: writing, empathy.
4. Bird treats. Spread peanut butter (or sunflower butter) on pinecones and roll them in seed. Builds: caring for animals, fine motor skills.
5. Kindness chain. Add a paper link each time someone in the family does something kind. Builds: noticing others, counting.

Families celebrate December in many ways. Whatever traditions you keep, kindness activities fit right in.

Winter break can feel long, especially with cold weather and restless kids. A loose daily rhythm helps more than a strict schedule.

• Morning: outdoor time or a big-body game, then a short learning page with breakfast.
• Late morning: one craft or baking project.
• After lunch: quiet time with books, a busy book or coloring.
• Afternoon: free play, building, pretend play or a playdate.
• Evening: one countdown activity and a story.

Screens are not the enemy, but a plan makes it easier to reach for other things first. Our guide to screen time for toddlers has more on setting limits that stick.

Want everything for December in one place? The Christmas Mega Bundle includes all six Christmas products: the activity kit, the craft kit, Christmas Around the World, the busy book, the math and reading pack and the coloring book. Not sure yet? Start with the free book to see the Built Brains style.