Favorite Christmas Activities for Kids

Here's a post where I'm going to share some of my favorite holiday/Christmas activities to do with my daughter. Just thought I'd compile one list. I do apologize that I haven't been posting much lately, we've been busy with all the holiday seasons.

1. This is probably the absolute easiest to set up, and requires very little. You probably already have all or most of what is needed. Christmas Cookie Cutter Prints. 

To set this up all you need to do is put some washable tempera paint (preferably red or green) on a paper plate and then put out a piece of paper and a Christmas cookie cutter. We decided to use a Christmas tree shaped one. It really made a cute piece of Christmas decor.

2. Christmas Play Dough Mats. 

 This is a really good activity for when you're busy making the Christmas meal or addressing your Christmas cards or whatever. It's also good to do with your kids too. I found a few different printables for play dough mats with Christmas themes, and then laminated them with contact paper. Then gave them to my daughter with some homemade play dough.

3. Christmas Movies with Matching Stuffed Animals.

My daughter loves to watch Christmas movies with matching stuffed animals! The best way to make this happen is to go shopping on the sales after Christmas and get some Christmas stuffed animals for a low price. We've done Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas with Christmas Mickey and Minnie's, Rudolph with Rudolph and Abominable Snowman stuffed animals, and Frosty with a Frosty stuffed animal!

4. Advent. 

This is the first year my daughter has been really into doing the advent thing, and I'm so glad that her aunt gifted this to her. It's really nice quality, wooden, and has magnetic pieces that are so cute. You can buy one here.

5. Make a Christmas Necklace.

All you need to make a Christmas necklace is dry pasta (penne works well), two ziploc bags, red food coloring, green food coloring, some string that looks Christmas (I had red and white), rubbing alcohol, and tin foil. So all you need to do is put some pieces of pasta in one bag and some in another bag, and then you add just a little bit of rubbing alcohol into each bag (enough to coat the noodles, it helps the color stick). Then you put a few drops of each color into their bags and shake the bags up to coat all the noodles in color. Pour them onto some tin foil so they can dry and get rid of the alcohol smell. Have your little one string them onto the string in alternating order (this is a good fine motor activity). And then tie it around their neck!

6. Decorating Christmas Trees with Grandparents.

If you're able to take your child to their grandparents houses so they can help them decorate their Christmas trees I'm sure they would absolutely love it. Great bonding moments between grandchildren and grandparents.

7. Cinnamon Bear Craft

Now, this was something that Charlie got to do at a craft time at our library. I thought it was cool so I'm going to share a little bit about it. It reminded me of a gingerbread man. You cut out the shape of a teddy bear on tan cardstock and then have them draw on a face and glue on different buttons and Christmas ribbons. What made them cinnamon bears was how they cut out pieces of sandpaper for their bears hands and rubbed a cinnamon stick on the sandpaper.

8. Fine Motor Sticker Ornaments

This was another craft they did at the library. They just had them cut out an ornament shape onto construction paper and stick on craft foam stickers of various shapes. My daughter chose really little stars and when she was peeling the backs off she was definitely honing those fine motor skills.

10. Reindeer Play Dough.

Whip up a batch of chocolate play dough and give it to your little one with some googly eyes, brown pipe cleaners and red pom poms.