These are low effort for mom or dad to set up and get toddler started on! You most likely have all the supplies you need for these activities and they are perfect for a day you are stuck indoors. **This post may contain affiliate links. A small commission may be earned.**
I don’t know about you but I can need a little more me time or quiet time at the holidays – there is so much going on and so much to do, I am always feeling overwhelmed. And as much as I love holiday movies, I don’t love having the TV on for long periods of time for my toddlers.
These 5 activities are perfect because they really are a low effort set up and your toddler can do them independently for the most part! This really helps me when I just want to relax and have my coffee in the morning. I also want to mention they are low mess. For these 5 activities there is no painting, no beads, no markers to worry about. The prep is maybe 5 minutes of drawing and/or cutting some shapes out for your toddler, but other than that – it’s easy!
I also found the coolest indoor or outdoor balance beams that are perfect to set up when you don’t want to set up an activity for your toddler. They would make the best Christmas present
Check out the Full 25+ Activities of Christmas for more crafts, activities, and keepsakes to do this holiday season.
5 Low Effort Toddler Activities to do at Christmas Time
- Matching Christmas Trees
What you need:
– Cardstock
– Markers
– Scissors
a. Draw up some Christmas trees and decorate them with different patterns and colors. Have one tree be red ornaments, one be blue ornaments, one be zig zags, etc.
b. Cut the trees in half (I did horizontally)
c. Either line up the bottoms and have your toddler find the matching tops or have all the pieces mixed around – you choose the difficulty!
d. To add some movement in, you can also tape the tops around the room and then have your toddler run around to find them before they match them! - Sticker Christmas Tree
What you need:
– Butcher Paper
– Markers
– Stickers
a. Hang up a piece of butcher paper on your wall or use your easel.
b. Draw a Christmas tree outline big on the paper
c. Let your toddler decorate the tree with the different colored stickers they have!
d. If you want to make this more educational, you can draw on several ornaments and lights to have your toddler color match to. - Hide and Seek – Christmas
What you need:
– Construction Paper or Christmas Printouts (Find some on the 25 Activities for Christmas Page!)
– Painters Tape
– Easel or wall to match the pictures up to
a. Print out your 6-8 Christmas pictures or draw your own on construction paper (you need two of each to be able to match them)
b. Tape one of every picture to your easel or wall for your toddler to match their missing ones to.
c. Hide the other set of pictures all around the room or your house.
d. Have your toddler run around trying to find all the pictures and then match them to their pair!
This is a great activity to not only keep your toddler entertained but also to get your toddler moving around when you’ve been stuck inside all day! My toddlers always love this one and want to do it over again. - Color Match Christmas Lights
What you need:
– Construction Paper
– Easel or Butcher Paper
– Markers
– Glue Stick
a. Cut out several Christmas lights from construction paper (make sure you match your construction paper colors to your markers)
b. Draw a squiggly line and little rectangles for the Christmas lights to sit on.
c. In all the different colors, draw the outlines of the Christmas lights.
d. Either give your toddler the glue stick or put glue on the light outlines yourself.
e. Have your toddler glue their construction paper lights to their matching color.
FUN IDEA: You could do this all over large sheet of butcher paper and use it as wrapping paper too! - Christmas Shape Sort
What you need:
– Butcher Paper
– Construction Paper
– Marker
– Painter’s Tape
a. Draw 3-5 large Christmas shapes on your butcher paper.
b. Cut out several of those same shapes in various colors and sizes.
c. Hang these shapes around your room or home.
d. Have your toddler run around and find the shapes and then organize them into their correct shapes on the butcher paper.
When they’ve done all the shapes you can move into colors or size to keep the fun going!
I hope you love all these ideas and they keep your toddlers entertained this holiday season! For more fun activities to do this winter, be sure to check out all the indoor activities and crafts I have. You’re doing a great job, mama. xx Ciara.
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