Christmas Activities for Toddlers (With What's Already in the House)

1. A wrapping station

Put an empty box, a few scraps of wrapping paper, and a roll of tape on the table. Show them once how tape sticks paper to cardboard, then let them wrap the same box again and again. Two-year-olds will use too much tape. That's the activity.

2. Paper chains from junk mail

Tear junk mail or wrapping scraps into strips. Loop, tape, repeat. A paper ripping start is enough for one-year-olds; older toddlers can help you join the loops. Hang the chain on a door handle when it is long enough to dangle.

3. Cotton-ball snow

Draw a simple hill or tree on paper, or skip the drawing and use a sheet of contact paper stuck sticky-side out on a window. Hand over cotton balls and let them press “snow” on. Same idea as cotton ball clouds, just white and winter-shaped.

Full contact paper collage guide →

4. Help in the kitchen

If you're already baking, give them a spoon, a bowl of flour to stir, or a few raisins to push into dough. They're not decorating a tray of cookies. They're standing on a chair next to you, which is the part they wanted. Helping bake has the setup that keeps the mess on one surface.

5. Sticker wrapping

Stickers on paper, on a box, on a “card” folded from junk mail. No glue, no scissors, and it looks enough like wrapping to them. Sticker play is the everyday version if the holiday stickers run out.

6. A quiet Christmas corner

Drape a blanket over two chairs, toss in a cushion and a book or two, and call it their spot while the house is louder than usual. A blanket fort is still a blanket fort in December. The name is optional.