Why not get ready to try a few or all of these Christmas play ideas for toddlers to preschoolers! We have so many fun December activities from Christmas sensory bins and more. We love coming up with new Christmas activities for little ones!
25 CHRISTMAS PLAY IDEAS FOR KIDS
ADVENT ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS
It just dawned on me what a perfect advent calendar idea this would be for kids! Easy play ideas and holiday activities everyday until Christmas. We also have a great list of tips and hints for busy families to create a simple countdown calendar.
Grab some note cards and envelopes, write out a list of Christmas activities, make sure to gather supplies. Leave a card on his or her plate each morning for breakfast or decorate a small tree {clip cards on with mini clothespins}! Check out more examples here..
Not into an Advent Calendar? Why not pick and choose a few of the following Christmas play ideas to do this month! All of these December activities use easy supplies you can get at the grocery store. I bet you have most of them already!
25 FUN-FILLED CHRISTMAS PLAY IDEAS FOR TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS
What kinds of Christmas activities are there? You and your kids can enjoy our favorite Christmas slime recipe and make gingerbread slime, turn candy canes into peppermint salt dough, put together Christmas sensory bins, make I SPY bottles, and so much more!
Our Christmas play ideas are filled with wonderful tactile experiences and many of them are also simple science experiments. There is even a very fun ice melting idea you have to check out.
NEW! CHRISTMAS PLAYDOUGH TRAY AND MATH PRINTABLE
NEW! CHRISTMAS GLITTER JARS
GINGERBREAD SLIME
Are we baking cookies or making slime? Whether you love baking gingerbread man cookies, are planning a gingerbread theme lesson, or just love anything scented, our gingerbread slime recipe with liquid starch is the answer.
GINGERBREAD PLAY DOUGH
Playdough is on my must-do list for December activities for toddlers. What’s better than a scented dough, and a tray of inspiration to bake their own cookies!
We paired this Christmas activity with one of our favorite Christmas books called the Gingerbread Mouse! A very simple book about a little mouse, a new gingerbread house, and a little girl who befriends her and gives the mouse a gingerbread cookie.
EDIBLE GINGERBREAD SLIME
Taste-safe and perfect for kids of all ages to enjoy!
CHRISTMAS CLOUD DOUGH
Awesome Christmas cloud dough you can make yourself! We first played with homemade cloud dough just over a year ago! Â It has an amazing texture, crumbly, and moldable at the same time. Our Christmas cloud dough recipe feels amazing on the hands and smells like cookies.
PEPPERMINT SALT DOUGH
Easy no-cook salt dough recipe for Christmas play! We livened it up with a wonderful peppermint scent and natural coloring too! I love no-cook dough for how easy it is to make.
CHRSITMAS I SPY BOTTLES
Christmas in a bottle with simple to make Christmas sensory bottles that double as I Spy games for kids! Make a few different bottles and take them on a go or use them as a quiet time activity during the holidays.
Sensory bottles are awesome for visual sensory play and are often called calm down bottles for relaxing and reducing anxiety.
CINNAMON SENSORY RICE {WITH BOOK IDEA}
Cinnamon sensory bin is a wonderful treat for tactile sensory play for the body! Rice sensory bins are one of the simplest forms of sensory play and so easy to put together quickly.
HOLIDAY SLIME
No holiday would be complete without a freshly made batch of homemade slime. Cookies too I suppose! I just happen to be much better at whipping up homemade slime then I am whipping up homemade cookies. Check out these holiday slime recipes for the best Christmas activities.
PEPPERMINT WATER SENSORY BIN
Who doesn’t want to play with candy especially when you can learn a little science while you are at it. Check out how we use a classic holiday candy to do some simple peppermint water science.
ERUPTING ORNAMENTS
Last year’s Christmas baking soda science cookie cutters activity was also great fun, but this is definitely a must-try activity! Make a great December activity with erupting holiday ornaments!
Baking soda and vinegar science activities are perfect for young kids and provide a hands-on learning experience too. We love anything that fizzes, bangs, and pops!
MAGNETIC SENSORY BIN
Have your kids ever explored magnets and Christmas science? Do they love sensory bins? Here’s the perfect opportunity to create a Christmas magnet activity and sensory play experiment in one.
SANTA’S ICY WINTER HANDS
What do you get when you fill a plastic glove with water and freeze? Santa’s frozen hands will amaze your kids and keep them busy for maybe even a whole hour!
PEPPERMINT OOBLECK
Christmas is an excellent time of the year to put a little twist on classic science experiments! That’s how we decided to try peppermint oobleck!
CHRISTMAS SAND FOAM
This simple Christmas sand foam only uses two ingredients, shaving cream and sand. Our first play recipe was sandbox sand foam, but this time I used red craft sand for a Christmas theme!
CHRISTMAS SENSORY BIN WITH ORNAMENTS
Our Christmas ornament sensory bin is super simple to set up and store as well. Grab a container with a well fitting lid for Christmas play all month long!
CHRISTMAS SENSORY BIN WITH WATER
Setting up a simple Christmas activity can be so easy if you go with something like our Christmas sensory table! Add plastic ornaments for active hands to dump, pour, and fill along with a baster for awesome fine motor skills. Simple sensory play for a Christmas win!
CANDY CANE RICE SENSORY BIN
CHRISTMAS SAND SENSORY BIN
CHRISTMAS TREASURE BASKET FOR TODDLERS
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITY WITH PLAYDOUGH
These Christmas play ideas are truly quick and easy with a simple set up! I wouldn’t have it any other way. I want our Christmas activities to be fast, frugal, and fun to share with my son any day of the year.
Make a list, check it twice, and gather your supplies!
WHICH CHRISTMAS PLAY IDEAS WILL YOU TRY THIS SEASON?
Click on the image below or on the link for fun and easy Christmas science experiments.
This is really cool ideas! I got many options of craft and activities for my kids on this Christmas . Thanks for sharing this!
Awesome! I am glad you found it helpful!