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Christmas is full of magical crafts, but I also love sneaking in a few educational holiday activities that help with fine motor skills, color recognition, matching, and problem-solving. These ideas are toddler-approved, easy to set up, and can be adapted for preschoolers and older kids too.
If you’re looking for ways to keep little hands busy and learning during the holiday season, here are five fun activities you can try and most use supplies you probably already have at home.
We use our easel for so many of these activities. It’s the perfect spot for drawing, painting, matching games, and more. If you’re looking for a Christmas gift that will get years of use, an easel is a great choice for toddlers and preschoolers.
1. Matching Christmas Lights
Skills: Color recognition, shape matching, letter & number recognition (optional)
You’ll need:
- Butcher paper (white or brown)
- Construction paper
- Markers
- Tape or glue stick
How to play:
- Draw a strand of Christmas lights on butcher paper, leaving the bulbs as outlines.
- Cut out construction paper bulbs that match your drawn lights in shape and color.
- Have your toddler match the cutouts to the outlines, attaching them with tape or glue.
Make it mess-free: Instead of paper cutouts, use colored label stickers that match your bulbs.
Make it more advanced: Add numbers or letters to each bulb so your toddler can match based on those instead of just color.
2. Christmas Hide & Seek
Skills: Matching, memory, gross motor skills
You’ll need:
- Butcher paper
- Construction paper or Christmas printables
- Tape
- Markers
One of my favorite hacks is laminating pieces of these activities whenever possible. It makes them sturdy and reusable, so your toddler can enjoy them again and again without wear and tear — perfect for busy holiday seasons! [our favorite laminator]
How to play:
- Draw 6–8 Christmas-themed items (ornament, candy cane, stocking, tree, etc.) on butcher paper. Free Print out at the bottom of this post if you don’t want to draw!
- On construction paper, draw the same items and cut them out.
- Hide the cutouts around the house with painter’s tape
- Have your toddler find them and match them to the butcher paper outlines.
Make it more advanced: Create similar shapes with small differences, like ornaments with different patterns or colors.
You can also turn it into a counting game. Draw ornaments, Christmas trees, or presents with a certain number of dots, lines, or decorations, then have your preschooler match them to the correct number written on the butcher paper.
3. Christmas Shape Sort
Skills: Shape recognition, sorting, size comparison
You’ll need:
- Butcher paper
- Construction paper
- Markers
- Tape
How to play:
- Draw 3–4 Christmas shapes on butcher paper (examples: candy cane, stocking, tree, gingerbread man).
- Cut matching shapes from construction paper in different colors and sizes.
- Hide them around your living room and let your toddler find them.
- Have them sort by shape. Then by color or size for an extra challenge.
4. Ornament or Snowflake Beading
Skills: Fine motor skills, pattern recognition
You’ll need:
How to play:
- Fold one end of the pipe cleaner to keep beads from sliding off.
- Have your toddler thread beads until about 2 inches remain unfilled.
- Twist ends together to form a circle or snowflake shape.
- Hang the ornaments on your tree or in your child’s room.
Make it more advanced: Create a bead pattern for your toddler to copy.
5. Matching Christmas Trees
Skills: Pattern recognition, matching, counting
You’ll need:
- Cardstock
- Markers
- Scissors
How to play:
- Draw several Christmas trees, each with a unique pattern (stripes, dots, zigzags, different colors).
- Cut them out and then cut each tree in half.
- Mix the halves and have your toddler find the matches.
Add movement: Tape half the trees to a wall or easel, then hide the other halves around the house for your toddler to find.
Make it more advanced: Put a number on one half and draw that number of ornaments on the other half.
Why These Work for the Holidays
These activities are simple to prep, fun to play, and sneak in early learning skills, all while keeping your toddler engaged during the busy holiday season.
Remember, activities don’t need to be complicated or picture-perfect to be valuable. Most days, my goal is to set up something my toddler can do independently for a few minutes while I get a hot cup of coffee (or finish the Christmas wrapping).
You’re doing great, mama.
Looking for more Christmas fun? Check out my 25+ Christmas Crafts, Activities, and Keepsakes Calendar for a full month of magical ideas. xx, Ciara
