20 Christmas Activities for Kids — From Toddler to Pre-Teen
Christmas activities for kids that don't require a Pinterest board — sorted by age and effort level.
Updated May 20, 2026
The best Christmas activities for kids are the ones you can pull off on a Tuesday evening without prep. This list skips the elaborate crafts that look great on Instagram but require six trips to the craft store. Everything here is doable with kitchen-cabinet supplies.
Toddler (ages 2-4)
- Paper chain countdown — strips of construction paper, glue stick, tear one off each evening
- Salt dough ornaments — flour + salt + water, cookie cutters, bake at low heat, paint with whatever you have
- Christmas book bin — wrap 24 picture books from the library, open one each night
- Hot chocolate "bar" — small bowls of marshmallows, sprinkles, crushed candy cane
- Pine cone bird feeders — peanut butter + birdseed, hung on the porch
Ages 5-7
- Gingerbread house from a kit — far less stressful than from scratch
- Holiday card station — pre-cut cardstock, stickers, markers; one card per night for relatives
- Christmas movie + popcorn night — let them pick from a curated list
- Bake & deliver to neighbors — a paper plate of cookies, a handmade card, two doors down
- Ornament-making craft — beads, pipe cleaners, ribbon, googly eyes
Ages 8-12
- Cookie exchange among friends — each kid bakes one type, brings a dozen, swaps
- Plan one meal for the family — they shop, they cook, you supervise
- Christmas Eve scavenger hunt to find pajamas
- A real handwritten letter to one relative (with a stamp they mail themselves)
- "Adopt a family" through a local nonprofit — shop together, talk about it after
Activities for the whole family
- Drive through Christmas lights with hot chocolate in travel mugs
- Decorate the tree together with music and snacks — schedule it like an event
- Holiday movie marathon weekend — three movies, pajamas all day
- Bake one big thing together — sticky buns for Christmas morning, made the night before
- Christmas Eve box — a tradition of one box with PJs, a movie, a snack, a book
What to skip
- Activities that require materials you don't have
- Activities that need a full hour of setup
- Anything that creates more mess than the activity is worth
- Three activities crammed into a single afternoon
Use the gift list manager
If you're tracking gifts for multiple kids, the gift list manager keeps everyone's list separate with budgets and purchase status.
Still need help?
See our gifts for kids guide for age-appropriate gift ideas.