6 Christmas Activities for Kids

The Christmas holidays can be a wonderful time for children and families. However, it can also be stressful trying to think of ways to keep little ones entertained when not at our Exeter nurseries. That’s where these simple but fun Christmas activities come in handy!

Discover some wonderfully easy and enjoyable Christmas activities that little kids and those young at heart can enjoy together. From adorable cards to winter walks, these activities will help all of you get in the Christmas spirit!

Christmas Bucket List

Toddlers are having some of their first experiences of getting into the holiday spirit. Writing Christmas lists for Santa is one way to help foster excitement for the holidays, but you can also do something more focused on time spent together as a family.

A Christmas bucket list is a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. Simply sit down and write out – either on individual cards or one piece of paper – all the things your young ones would like to do over Christmas. It might include visiting the park, getting presents, or seeing family.

Let the little ones decorate your bucket list (or cards) with wonderful Christmassy colours and leave it on the fridge door. Then, you and your little ones can have fun ticking off all the activities over the holidays.

Christmas Sensory Play

There are so many benefits of sensory play to young children, which is why it’s such a frequent part of any nursery experience. Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to add some festive cheer to your sensory play.

Fill the bottom of a plastic container with flour or shaving foam to create some quick and easy snow, then fill the container with all manner of colourful, tactile Christmas items. Ideas could include:

• Mini Christmas toys, such as Santa or snowmen.
• Christmas decorations, such as plastic baubles.
• Cooked pasta coloured red and green with food colouring.
• Glitter

Sensory play is a wonderful way for young children to develop their senses and further understand the world around them, which makes a Christmas-themed sensory experience perfect for connecting with this special time of year.

Fingerprint Christmas Cards

Finger painting is so good for little ones, allowing them to have fun and be creative while also developing things like fine motor skills. There are many ways finger painting can be used to create cute Christmas cards for little ones to give to friends and family.

• Finger Snowmen: Get a coloured card and put white paint on individual fingers. Finish with black dots for eyes and buttons, and a tiny carrot nose.
• Thumbprint Robins: Put a thumb in red paint and dab repeatedly across the card. Finish off with little black feet, eyes and beaks to create adorable little robins.
• Candy Cane Fingers: Alternate between red and white fingers in a line to create a candy cane pole.

Of course, you can just let your child’s imagination run wild and see what they can come up with! Maybe they can draw the things they love most about Christmas, or just play around with different colours and textures.

Winter Nature Walks

It can be tempting for all of us to simply hunker down indoors at this time of year. However, the new sensations of winter offer fantastic sensory experiences for little ones.

Everyone in the family can wrap up warm and enjoy a lovely winter stroll. Throw in some nature-based activities, such as scavenger hunts, making a nature box and word association, and you have an excellent developmental experience for your little one.

Paper Plate Christmas Faces

Paper plate crafts are incredibly entertaining and easy ways to get kids creating, so why not turn them into festive fun?

Cut out a small eye window near the top of the plate, then give your little ones materials to stick however they like. Red paper triangles can be made into Christmas hats, while cotton buds could be used for Santa’s beard, or as snow. Green pipe cleaners can be used to make Christmassy bows or as decorations like holly or wreaths. Let your little ones explore all the different colours and materials.

The eye window allows these Christmassy faces to be turned into masks – simply glue a stick to the bottom and allow your little ones to play as Santa or anyone else. The cut-out section can also make it easier to attach a ribbon so they can double up as personal Christmas decorations.

Christmas Toilet Roll Tree Decorations

Just like with paper plates, toilet rolls can be turned into charming homemade Christmas decorations with the help of some Christmas crafting.

Paint toilet rolls white to allow your children to craft their own mini snowmen. Or, use cotton buds and googly eyes to transform them into Christmas characters like Santa or his elves. Add some glue and glitter to make them especially festive.

Once your festive creations are done, use string or some leftover pipe cleaners to turn them into adorable Christmas tree decorations.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you and your little helpers have a wonderful festive holiday!