These Christmas activities for kids are 40 ideas sorted by age (2 to 4, 5 to 7, 8 to 12 and the whole family), each with the time it takes and what it costs. There is also a free printable 24-door advent calendar with one easy activity for every day from December 1 to December 24, and a checklist for the grown-up.
Quick answer: The best Christmas activities for kids are short, hands-on and cheap. This guide gives 40 ideas in four age groups, each marked 10 minutes, 30 minutes or an afternoon, and free, under $5 or $5 to $20. A free printable calendar adds 24 activities, one for each day from December 1 to 24.
Christmas 2026 falls on Friday, December 25, so there are 24 days to fill from December 1. Everything here uses things most homes already have: paper, crayons, tape, cotton balls and a few kitchen items. The Elf on the Shelf setups and the joke lists have their own pages, so they are not repeated here: see easy Elf on the Shelf ideas and Christmas jokes for kids.
Pick Christmas activities for kids by time
The fastest way to choose is by the time you have: 10 of the 40 ideas take 10 minutes, 22 take about 30 minutes and 8 fill an afternoon. The table lists every idea in each time slot, so you can pick one without reading the whole page.
| Time you have | Ages 2 to 4 | Ages 5 to 7 | Ages 8 to 12 | Whole family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | Snowball toss, Ornament sort, Shaker band, Wrap a teddy | Christmas I spy, Spot the difference, Pipe-cleaner candy canes | Six-word stories | Pass-the-story circle, Video message |
| 30 minutes | Cotton ball snow hill, Playdough cookie shop, Finger-paint tree, Felt board tree, Box sleigh ride | Christmas scavenger hunt, Handprint reindeer, Coffee filter snowflakes, Potato-stamp wrapping paper, Santa’s workshop obstacle course, Gift tags from old cards | Hot cocoa gift jars, Origami stars and trees, Make a treasure hunt, Christmas comic strip, Finger-knit a scarf, Learn a carol | Christmas bingo, Christmas trivia night, Family talent show, Photo booth, Family cookbook page |
| Afternoon | Tree lot visit | Paper bag puppet show | Stop-motion movie, Cook one dish, Invent a board game | Winter walk centerpiece, Around-the-world dinner, Volunteer together |
Cost levels count only what you would probably have to buy. Paper, crayons, markers, tape, glue, scissors and basic baking staples are assumed. Prices vary by store, so treat the three levels as rough guides.
Advent activities for kids: the free 24-day calendar
The printable advent calendar is a one-page set of 24 numbered doors, each with one short activity written on it, plus a second page that lists the same 24 activities as a checklist for the grown-up. Kids do the day’s activity and then color in the door. It prints on US Letter or A4 and works in black and white.
An advent calendar counts down the days to Christmas. According to Wikipedia’s Advent calendar article, many reusable paper and wooden calendars begin on December 1, while others start on the first Sunday of Advent. That is the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is November 29 in 2026, according to Wikipedia’s Advent article. This calendar starts on December 1 and ends on Christmas Eve.
How the 24 days are planned:
- Weekends hold the longer ideas. Doors 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 are Saturdays and Sundays in 2026, so they hold the light walk, the baking, the graham cracker house, the holiday event, the outing and the cookie delivery.
- Most weeknight ideas take 15 to 45 minutes, such as a card, a story or hot cocoa. The Friday movie night is the one long weeknight idea, at about 2 hours.
- Kindness days are spread out on doors 2, 14, 16 and 20, so no week is all about getting.
- The last three days slow down: a gift-wrapping hour, a family time capsule and a quiet Christmas Eve story.
Door 21 marks the winter solstice. In the United States it falls on Monday, December 21, 2026, according to the table on Wikipedia’s December solstice page, which gives the moment as 20:50 UTC. It is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
The 24 doors at a glance
| Door | Day in 2026 | Activity | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuesday, Dec 1 | Hang one favorite decoration each | 10 min |
| 2 | Wednesday, Dec 2 | Write a card to a friend | 20 min |
| 3 | Thursday, Dec 3 | Cocoa and marshmallows | 15 min |
| 4 | Friday, Dec 4 | Pajama movie night | 2 hours |
| 5 | Saturday, Dec 5 | Walk to see Christmas lights | 45 min |
| 6 | Sunday, Dec 6 | Bake sugar cookies | Afternoon |
| 7 | Monday, Dec 7 | Cut paper snowflakes | 20 min |
| 8 | Tuesday, Dec 8 | Read a Christmas story aloud | 20 min |
| 9 | Wednesday, Dec 9 | Color a picture to give away | 20 min |
| 10 | Thursday, Dec 10 | Make a pine cone bird feeder | 30 min |
| 11 | Friday, Dec 11 | Living-room dance party | 15 min |
| 12 | Saturday, Dec 12 | Build a graham cracker house | Afternoon |
| 13 | Sunday, Dec 13 | Visit a holiday event | Afternoon |
| 14 | Monday, Dec 14 | Pack 3 toys or books to donate | 20 min |
| 15 | Tuesday, Dec 15 | Make foil star ornaments | 30 min |
| 16 | Wednesday, Dec 16 | Thank a teacher or helper | 20 min |
| 17 | Thursday, Dec 17 | Breakfast-for-dinner picnic | 45 min |
| 18 | Friday, Dec 18 | Christmas bingo night | 45 min |
| 19 | Saturday, Dec 19 | Sledding, skating or a long walk | Afternoon |
| 20 | Sunday, Dec 20 | Take cookies to a neighbor | 45 min |
| 21 | Monday, Dec 21 | Shortest-day lights-off evening | 30 min |
| 22 | Tuesday, Dec 22 | Wrap gifts together | 45 min |
| 23 | Wednesday, Dec 23 | Write a family time capsule | 30 min |
| 24 | Thursday, Dec 24 | Story, then pajamas ready | 20 min |
On door 9, print a page from our Christmas coloring pages. On door 18, use Christmas bingo cards or Christmas trivia. To count the sleeps as you go, the Christmas countdown shows how many days are left.
Christmas activities for preschoolers (ages 2 to 4)
Christmas activities for preschoolers work best when they are short, messy in a washable way and finished in 10 to 30 minutes. Each idea below needs a grown-up close by, and none uses small loose parts that a child under 3 could put in the mouth.
| # | Idea | How to do it | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowball toss | Scrunch scrap paper into balls and toss them into a laundry basket from a few steps away. | 10 minutes | Free |
| 2 | Ornament sort | Sort a basket of large, unbreakable ornaments into red, green and silver piles. | 10 minutes | Free |
| 3 | Shaker band | A grown-up seals a spoonful of dried rice in a small plastic bottle with tape over the cap. Shake it along to music. | 10 minutes | Free |
| 4 | Wrap a teddy | Wrap a soft toy in tissue paper while a grown-up ties the ribbon. | 10 minutes | Under $5 |
| 5 | Cotton ball snow hill | Glue cotton balls onto blue paper to make a snowy hill. Keep the cotton balls out of mouths. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 6 | Playdough cookie shop | Roll store-bought playdough, press it with cookie cutters and “bake” the cookies on a tray. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 7 | Finger-paint tree | Make a green handprint tree with washable paint, then add red fingerprint ornaments. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 8 | Felt board tree | Cut a big felt tree and some large felt shapes, and let your child stick on the ornaments. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 9 | Box sleigh ride | Pull a child sitting in a large cardboard box slowly across a carpet. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 10 | Tree lot visit | Visit a Christmas tree lot or garden center to smell the pines and spot the lights. | Afternoon | Free |
Activities for ages 5 to 7
Children aged 5 to 7 like a clear goal, such as finding a list of items or finishing a craft they can give away. These ten ideas mix quick printable games with simple crafts.
| # | Idea | How to do it | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Christmas scavenger hunt | Hunt around the house for the items on our printable list: Christmas scavenger hunt. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 12 | Christmas I spy | Find the hidden objects in the picture: Christmas I spy. | 10 minutes | Free |
| 13 | Spot the difference | Race a sibling to find every difference: Christmas spot the difference. | 10 minutes | Free |
| 14 | Handprint reindeer | Trace a hand on brown paper, turn the fingers into antlers and add eyes and a red nose. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 15 | Coffee filter snowflakes | Color a flat coffee filter with washable markers, spritz it lightly with water and let it dry flat. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 16 | Potato-stamp wrapping paper | A grown-up cuts star and tree shapes into potato halves. Children stamp them in paint on plain paper. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 17 | Santa’s workshop obstacle course | Crawl under a table, hop over pillows and zigzag between cushions along a path of tape. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 18 | Pipe-cleaner candy canes | Twist a red and a white pipe cleaner together, bend a hook and tie it to a gift. | 10 minutes | Under $5 |
| 19 | Gift tags from old cards | Cut tag shapes from old Christmas cards and punch a hole for the ribbon. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 20 | Paper bag puppet show | Make four puppets (elf, reindeer, snowman and Santa) from paper bags and put on a show for the family. | Afternoon | Under $5 |
Activities for ages 8 to 12
Older kids want real projects with a result they can show, such as a film, a game they invented or a dish they cooked. These ten ideas give them that, with a grown-up nearby for knives, ovens and scissors work.
| # | Idea | How to do it | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Stop-motion movie | Use a phone or tablet camera with toys or paper cutouts to make a 20-second Christmas clip. | Afternoon | Free |
| 22 | Hot cocoa gift jars | Fill jars with cocoa mix and mini marshmallows and add a tag. They make easy gifts for teachers. | 30 minutes | $5 to $20 |
| 23 | Origami stars and trees | Fold paper squares into stars and trees by following a library book or an online tutorial. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 24 | Make a treasure hunt | Write six clues that lead a younger sibling to a hidden surprise. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 25 | Christmas comic strip | Draw a six-panel comic about an elf, a snowman or a reindeer with a problem on Christmas Eve. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 26 | Finger-knit a scarf | Finger-knit a short scarf for a stuffed animal. It needs only yarn and your fingers. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 27 | Cook one dish | Choose, prepare and serve one side dish or dessert for a family meal, with a grown-up nearby for knives and the oven. | Afternoon | $5 to $20 |
| 28 | Learn a carol | Pick one carol and learn its tune on a keyboard, recorder or ukulele. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 29 | Invent a board game | Design a Christmas board game on cardboard, with a path, dice and a deck of cards. | Afternoon | Under $5 |
| 30 | Six-word stories | Write as many six-word Christmas stories as you can in ten minutes, then read the best aloud. | 10 minutes | Free |
Whole family Christmas activity ideas
Whole family Christmas activity ideas should let everyone from a toddler to a grandparent join in. These ten ideas need no skills, and most can be done in the living room.
| # | Idea | How to do it | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Christmas bingo | Play a round of Christmas bingo cards with small prizes. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 32 | Christmas trivia night | Split into teams and play Christmas trivia. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 33 | Family talent show | Everyone gets two minutes to sing, tell a story or show a trick. Clap loudly. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 34 | Photo booth | Hang a sheet, make paper glasses, hats and mustaches on sticks, and take silly photos for your cards. | 30 minutes | Under $5 |
| 35 | Pass-the-story circle | One person starts a Christmas story with a sentence and each person adds the next one. | 10 minutes | Free |
| 36 | Video message | Record a one-minute video greeting for relatives who live far away. | 10 minutes | Free |
| 37 | Winter walk centerpiece | Collect pine cones and fallen evergreen twigs on a walk and arrange them as a table centerpiece. Take only what is on the ground. | Afternoon | Free |
| 38 | Family cookbook page | Each person writes or draws a favorite holiday food and why they love it. Staple the pages into a booklet. | 30 minutes | Free |
| 39 | Around-the-world dinner | Pick a country, read how people there celebrate winter holidays and cook one dish from it. | Afternoon | $5 to $20 |
| 40 | Volunteer together | Help at a food bank or community meal. Call ahead to ask about age rules. | Afternoon | Free |
Free ideas are the biggest group: 25 of the 40 cost nothing, 12 cost under $5 and 3 cost $5 to $20.
For a gift swap that grandparents and small children can play sitting down, read one of these three LEFT and RIGHT gift stories with 17, 21 or 29 passes.
How do you fit Christmas activities for kids into a busy December?
Plan one small activity per day and keep the bigger ones for weekends. A simple routine makes it easy to stick with:
- Print the calendar on December 1 and hang it where the children can reach it.
- On Sunday, read the next week’s doors and buy anything missing, such as milk for cocoa or a stamp for a card.
- Do the weekday idea at the same time each day, for example straight after dinner, so it becomes a habit.
- Let the child color the door as soon as the activity is done.
- Swap freely. If it rains on the outing day, trade it with a weeknight idea. A missed day is not a problem; do it the next day or skip it.
Christmas activity safety: scissors, candles, glue, baking and small parts
Most Christmas craft and kitchen accidents are easy to prevent with a grown-up on hand and a few fixed rules. Use this table as a quick check before each activity.
| Item | Plain rule |
|---|---|
| Scissors | Give children who are learning to cut blunt-tipped child scissors and let them cut paper only. A grown-up cuts cardboard, foil, felt, plastic and potatoes. |
| Candles | Use battery or LED candles for children’s activities such as door 21. For real candles, the National Fire Protection Association says to keep them at least 12 inches from anything that can burn and to blow them out before leaving the room or going to bed. |
| Hot glue | Hot glue burns skin even on a low-temperature setting. Keep it for grown-ups and use tape, glue sticks or school glue for children’s crafts. |
| Baking and hot drinks | A grown-up handles the oven, the stove and hot liquids. The American Burn Association says to keep hot drinks away from table and counter edges. Let cocoa cool before a child drinks it. |
| Raw dough | Do not let children eat or play with dough made with raw flour or raw eggs. The CDC includes homemade play dough and holiday ornament dough in this advice. Use store-bought playdough for the cookie shop idea. |
| Small parts | Keep beads, buttons, googly eyes, small ornaments and cotton balls away from children under 3. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission bans small parts in toys for that age because they can block a young child’s throat. |
| Allergies | Check for food allergies before the cookie, cocoa and bird feeder days. Use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter if anyone is allergic. |
Frequently asked questions
7 quick answers
What are good Christmas activities for toddlers and preschoolers?
Short, hands-on ideas such as a snowball toss, an ornament sort, a playdough cookie shop or a finger-paint tree. The table for ages 2 to 4 lists ten, and each takes 10 to 30 minutes with a grown-up nearby.
How many days are in an advent calendar?
A children’s advent calendar usually has 24 doors, one for each day from December 1 to Christmas Eve. Church Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is November 29 in 2026.
What are cheap Christmas activities for kids?
There are 25 free ideas in the list, such as a scavenger hunt, a handprint reindeer, a family talent show and a six-word story contest. Another 12 cost under $5.
What Christmas activities take only 10 minutes?
There are 10 ten-minute ideas, including a snowball toss, Christmas I spy, pipe-cleaner candy canes and a video message to relatives. The time table near the top lists all of them.
How do I use the printable advent activity calendar?
Print page 1 and hang it up. Each day, do the activity on that door and let your child color it in. Page 2 is a checklist with what you need and how long each activity takes. Both pages print on Letter or A4.
What if we miss a day of the calendar?
Swap it. The doors are a guide, not a rule, so move an idea to another day or skip it. Only the weekend outings need a little planning, so keep them for Saturday or Sunday.
Are these activities safe for young children?
They are written for children with a grown-up nearby. Scissors, hot glue, ovens, hot drinks and candles are for grown-ups to handle, and small parts must stay away from children under 3. The safety table above has the details.
More Christmas printables and ideas
- Christmas worksheets for kids and winter worksheets
- Christmas countdown calendar printables
- Christmas word search printables
- Christmas I spy, spot the difference and a scavenger hunt
- Easy Elf on the Shelf ideas and Christmas jokes for kids
- Arrival and goodbye letters for the Elf on the Shelf in three versions, plus 60 elf name ideas
- Find your North Pole elf name from your birth month, with printable name tags and ID badges
- Christmas games with a 60-second clock, sorted easy to hard, for a family or class party
- Calendar maker for your own December planner
- Kwanzaa activities for kids for the week after Christmas, December 26 to January 1
- 90-number Christmas tambola tickets for the family party, with prizes named after bells, stockings and Santa
- Quiz for Christmas evening with 20 family questions and 60 for adults
Sources
- Advent calendar, Wikipedia (when calendars begin)
- Advent, Wikipedia (Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas)
- December solstice, Wikipedia (the 2026 date)
- Candle safety, National Fire Protection Association
- Pediatric scalds, American Burn Association
- Raw flour and dough, CDC
- Small parts ban, US Consumer Product Safety Commission
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