My toddler absolutely loves doing Christmas activities and I love to add a few in that are educational! **This post may contain affiliate links. A small commission may be earned.**
There are always so many crafts circling around the interest for Christmas, and while I love a good crafts moment (and there is a lot kids are learning there) – I still love to add in some educational activities for my toddler. I’ll add a few ways you can make these activities more advanced for older kids as well!
1. Matching Christmas Lights
What you need:
– Butcher Paper (White or Brown)
– Construction Paper
– Markers
– Tape or glue stick
1. On the butcher paper draw a line of Christmas lights, leave the lights as outlines only (don’t color them in) – we use our easel for this but you could hang the butcher paper on the wall too.
2. Cut out construction paper matching your Christmas lights colors and shapes.
3. Have your toddler match the colors of lights to the outlines. They can tape these on or glue them.
** You could also give your toddler label stickers in the matching colors instead of cutting the paper!
Make this more advanced – Add number and/or letters to your Christmas lights for your toddler to match!
Color recognition activities are great for toddlers, but if your toddler has moved onto letters or number recognition that’s an easy addition to this activity.
2. Christmas Hide and Seek
What you need:
– Butcher Paper (White or Brown)
– Construction paper (or you can use the holiday print outs at the bottom of the Christmas Activities page)
– Tape
– Makers
1. Draw the 6-8 Christmas themed items on your butcher paper – we use our easel for this!
**If you use the holiday print out, have your toddler color their pieces before hand to get some extra time from this activity**
2. On the construction paper draw the same Christmas themed items and cut them out.
3. Hang your construction paper pieces all around the house with painters for your toddler to find. Have them match the pieces to the butcher paper.
4. Hide them all over again because my toddler is usually saying “AGAIN” after this activity.
This is a great activity for movement (which is so great when you’ve been stuck inside for the week), but also matching! If you wanted to make this more advanced you could create all the same shapes with slight differences (similar to the matching Christmas Tree activity). This would be something like drawing 6 ornaments, but coloring them different colors or drawing them with different patterns.
3. Christmas Shape Sort
What you need:
– Butcher Paper (White or Brown)
– Construction paper
– Markers
– Tape
1. Hang your butcher paper up or on a table and draw 3-4 Christmas shapes (we did Candy Cane, Stocking, Christmas tree, Gingerbread Man – You can also do Snowmen, Reindeer, Ornament, Star, etc).
2. Cut out several of the shapes you chose on construction paper (I used my Cricut for this but you can just draw and cut them out). You can put these on various colors and in various sizes.
3. Hang your cut outs all around your living room and let your toddler find them.
4. Have them sort and hang them in the correct matching shapes.
Make it more advanced: ask your toddler to sort by color and then by size next!
4. Ornament or Snowflake Beading
What you need:
– Pipe Cleaners
– Christmas Colored Beads
1. Fold over one edge of a pipe cleaner so the beads don’t fall off.
2. Have your toddle thread beads filling all but 2 inches of the pipe cleaner.
3. Twist the two ends of the pipe cleaner together to create a circle and hook
4. Hang your ornaments!
Threading beads onto the pipe cleaners is a great fine motor skill for toddlers! If you want to make it more advanced you can have your toddler copy a pattern laid out for them.
5. Matching Christmas Trees
What you need:
– Cardstock
– Markers
– Scissors
1. On the cardstock draw several Christmas Trees with different patterns (lines, circles, squiggles, etc). You can also do different color patters too.
2. Cut the trees out and cut them in half.
3. Mix the trees up and let your toddler sort and match them!
If you have a younger toddler, you can lay out the bottom halves of the trees (or tape them to butcher paper) and let your toddler find and match the tops.
*Bring some movement! If you want your toddler to also get their body moving, do this one like the Christmas Hide and Seek. Tape half the trees to a piece of butcher paper or your easel. “Hide” the other halves on the walls in your home. Have your toddler run around finding the missing halves and then tape them with their matching piece!
Make this more advanced – One half could have a number and the other half would have that number of ornaments!
I hope you enjoy all these fun and educational toddler activities for Christmas. Activities don’t have to be complicated or involve a crazy set up. My motto is 90% of the time doing simple activities that keep my toddler occupied and don’t need a lot of help from me. Check out more indoor activities here! You’re doing great, mama. xx Ciara
