Christmas activities for kids: 30 ideas for December

December is a magical month for children, and a list of festive activities helps you make the most of it without stress. Here are 30 Christmas activities for kids: crafts, baking, games, outings, kindness ideas and calm activities. Use them as an advent calendar (one a day) or pick a few favorites for the holiday break.

Advent activities for kids

An activity advent calendar is a lovely alternative to chocolate. Write one activity on a slip of paper for each day and put them in envelopes, pockets or small boxes. Mix big and small activities, and keep busy days for simple ones.

30 Christmas activities for kids

Crafts and decorating (1 to 8)

1. Decorate the tree together and let children hang their homemade ornaments.
2. Make paper snowflakes for the windows.
3. Paper chain countdown. Remove one link each day until Christmas.
4. Salt dough ornaments with handprints and names.
5. Christmas coloring. Print our Christmas coloring pages and Christmas tree pages.
6. Make homemade cards for family and teachers.
7. Decorate gift tags and wrapping paper with stamps.
8. Pine cone trees painted green with glitter.

For step-by-step craft ideas, see Christmas crafts for kids.

Baking and kitchen fun (9 to 13)

9. Bake gingerbread people and decorate them.
10. Make hot cocoa with marshmallows.
11. Decorate sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.
12. Make reindeer food (oats and seeds) for the garden birds.
13. Build a gingerbread house from graham crackers or biscuits.

Games and learning (14 to 19)

14. Christmas scavenger hunt. Hide small ornaments around the house.
15. Christmas bingo with festive pictures.
16. Christmas worksheets. Our Christmas worksheets have counting, addition and reading sheets with festive pictures.
17. Christmas maze. Print a maze from the maze maker.
18. Count down with math. Each day, work out how many days are left.
19. Write a letter to Santa or to a family member far away.

Outings and traditions (20 to 24)

20. Drive or walk to see Christmas lights.
21. Visit a Christmas market or holiday fair.
22. Watch a holiday show or school nativity.
23. Go ice skating or sledding if there is snow.
24. Choose and decorate a real tree at a tree farm.

Kindness and giving (25 to 27)

25. Donate toys and clothes to children who need them.
26. Make cards for a care home or hospital.
27. Bake treats for neighbors and deliver them together.

See how to teach kids kindness for more giving ideas.

Calm and cozy (28 to 30)

28. Christmas movie night in pajamas with popcorn.
29. Read a Christmas story by the tree lights every night.
30. Christmas Eve box with new pajamas, a book and a hot chocolate sachet.

Fun Christmas activities by age

Toddlers

Toddlers enjoy sensory activities: crinkly wrapping paper, jingle bells, cotton wool snowmen, big coloring pages and looking at lights. Keep activities short and expect lots of repetition.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers love making things and helping: decorating cookies, simple crafts, paper chains, Christmas songs and a gentle scavenger hunt.

School age

Older children can take on bigger projects: gingerbread houses, writing a Christmas story, planning a family game night, wrapping presents for others and running a Christmas quiz.

Keeping December calm

December can be busy and exciting, sometimes too exciting. A few tips:

• Plan one activity a day, not five.
• Keep bedtimes as regular as you can.
• Build in quiet time with books and coloring.
• Spend time outdoors every day, even for a short walk.
• Focus on traditions your family enjoys, not on doing everything.

Christmas activities for the classroom

Teachers can bring festive fun into the classroom with craft stations, a class advent calendar of short activities, festive math and reading sheets, a class card exchange and a kindness project such as making cards for a local care home. Keep activities inclusive for children who celebrate different holidays: winter themes like snowflakes, stars and snowmen work for everyone.

After Christmas

The days between Christmas and New Year can feel long. Plan a few simple activities: thank-you cards, building new toys, a winter walk and New Year crafts. See New Year's crafts for kids and winter crafts for kids.

Christmas traditions to start

Children love traditions, and they do not need to be big. A few ideas families enjoy:

• A special Christmas breakfast on the first day of December.
• Opening one new book each night in the week before Christmas.
• A family walk on Christmas morning or Christmas Day afternoon.
• Making one new ornament every year, with the year written on it.
• A "kindness elf" who suggests a kind act each day.
• Reading the same Christmas story every Christmas Eve.
• Taking a family photo in front of the tree every year.

Christmas activities for families who are busy

Not every family has time for daily crafts. Choose activities that take five minutes: reading a story, coloring one page before bed, singing a carol in the car or turning off the lights and looking at the tree together. These small moments add up to a magical month without extra stress. Printables are especially handy: print a few Christmas coloring pages at the start of the month and keep them by the table for quiet moments.

Christmas activities around the world

Talking about how other countries celebrate makes December even richer. Children can learn about St. Nicholas Day, Christmas markets, special foods and winter festivals, and draw a picture of their favorite tradition from another country.

Whatever you choose, remember that children remember the feeling of the season more than any single activity. A calm, happy December with a few favorite traditions is better than a packed calendar.

Frequently asked questions

What can I put in an activity advent calendar?

Simple activities such as baking cookies, watching a Christmas film, making a card, a walk to see the lights, a coloring page, a kindness act or a festive game. Keep busy days for the easiest ones.

What are free Christmas activities for kids?

Looking at Christmas lights, making paper snowflakes, coloring printable pages, writing letters, reading stories, playing scavenger hunts and baking with simple ingredients.

How do I keep kids calm in December?

Plan one activity a day, keep bedtimes regular, build in quiet time with books and coloring, and spend time outside every day.