12 Easy Christmas Activities for Toddlers at Home

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If you have a toddler at home during Christmas, you already know how quickly they can go from happily playing to pulling every ornament off the tree.

That’s why I love having a few easy Christmas activities ready to keep little ones entertained.

I’m talking about simple games, Christmas crafts, and activities that don’t require a bunch of supplies or an hour of preparation.

Some are perfect for getting those little legs moving, while others are great when you need a quieter activity.

Here are 12 easy Christmas activities for toddlers at home that you can try throughout the holiday season.

Shop My Favorite Christmas Activity Supplies for Toddlers

If you’re planning some Christmas activities with your toddler, I put together an Amazon Idea List with my favorite supplies to make things easier.

I included Christmas coloring books, jumbo crayons, Christmas stickers, washable paint, board books, and other fun finds for little ones.

You can shop everything in one place and pick out the activities you want to try with your toddler.

Shop All My Christmas Activity Finds for Toddlers

12 Easy Christmas Activities for Toddlers

1. Play Reindeer Freeze Dance

If your toddler loves dancing, this Christmas movement game is such a fun way to get them moving.

Put on a Christmas song and call out silly movements for your toddler to copy.

You could say:

Stomp like a reindeer
Tiptoe like an elf
March like a toy soldier

When you pause the music, everyone has to freeze!

Then start the music again and call out another movement.

For younger toddlers, I would start with just three movements so they have time to figure out what they’re supposed to do.

And don’t worry if your toddler doesn’t freeze every time. Half the fun is watching them figure it out.

I put together a separate post with more movement ideas and simple instructions in Reindeer Freeze Dance for Toddlers.

2. Have a Christmas Color Hunt

This is one of my favorite Christmas activities for toddlers because you can use toys you already have around the house.

Grab a basket and ask your toddler to find something red.

Maybe it’s a red toy car, a red building block, or a red stuffed animal.

Once they bring it back, ask them to find something green.

Start by finding the first toy together so they understand the game.

Then let your toddler choose which color to search for next.

You can keep it to red and green for a Christmas theme or add other colors if your toddler wants to keep playing.

It’s a fun way to practice recognizing colors while keeping little ones busy.

I also wrote a full guide to Christmas Color Hunt for Toddlers Using Toys You Already Have with ideas for making the game easier for younger toddlers.

3. Decorate a Paper Christmas Tree

You don’t need paint, glitter, or a bunch of craft supplies to make a cute Christmas tree craft with your toddler.

Cut a large Christmas tree shape out of green construction paper and give your toddler some crayons.

Let them decorate the tree with colorful ornaments, squiggly lines, and whatever else they want to draw.

You can even draw a few circles on the tree and ask them to color in the ornaments.

When they’re finished, hang their Christmas tree on the refrigerator or tape it to a wall.

And if they spend the entire time scribbling in one spot, that’s perfectly fine too.

It’s their Christmas tree!

4. Make a Christmas Story Basket

If you’re looking for a quieter Christmas activity, put together a little Christmas story basket.

Grab a basket and fill it with a few Christmas board books or picture books.

You could also include a soft Christmas blanket or a stuffed reindeer to make story time extra cozy.

Let your toddler choose which book they want to read.

You can point out Christmas trees, Santa, reindeer, and other familiar things in the pictures.

Ask simple questions like, “Can you find the snowman?” or “Where’s the Christmas tree?”

Younger toddlers might only want to look at a few pages before moving on, and that’s okay.

You can leave the basket somewhere they can reach it and let them explore the books throughout December.

5. Play Christmas Toy Delivery

This is a fun pretend-play game for toddlers who love carrying things around the house.

Grab a few toys, a basket, and two spots in the room.

Tell your toddler they’re helping Santa deliver presents.

Have them pick up one toy at a time and carry it to the delivery basket.

Once all the toys have been delivered, you can switch the baskets and start again.

You could even pretend to be Santa and say, “Special delivery!” every time they bring you a toy.

For younger toddlers, keep the baskets close together.

Older toddlers might enjoy carrying their deliveries across the living room.

It’s simple, but sometimes that’s exactly the kind of activity little kids enjoy most.

6. Make a Christmas Sticker Picture

If your toddler loves stickers, this is an easy Christmas activity to set up.

Grab a sheet of paper and some large, toddler-friendly Christmas stickers.

You can draw a Christmas tree on the paper or simply let them place stickers wherever they want.

If you’re using a tree picture, encourage them to decorate it with ornaments, stars, or presents.

Peeling and placing stickers also gives toddlers a chance to practice using their fingers.

Just make sure the stickers are appropriate for your child’s age and supervise little ones who still put things in their mouths.

And don’t be surprised if half the stickers end up on their shirt instead of the paper.

7. Have a Christmas Stuffed Animal Parade

Gather a few stuffed animals and line them up in the living room.

Tell your toddler it’s time for the Christmas parade!

Put on some Christmas music and let them carry their favorite stuffed animal around the room.

You can march together, wave to the other stuffed animals, or pretend the toys are watching the parade.

If your toddler enjoys pretend play, you could give each stuffed animal a special job.

Maybe the teddy bear is Santa, the puppy is a reindeer, and the bunny is delivering presents.

This is a cute activity for toddlers who have lots of energy but aren’t quite ready for games with complicated rules.

8. Sort Red and Green Toys

Here’s another easy Christmas activity that uses things you probably already have.

Gather a few large red and green toys and place them in a pile.

Set out two baskets or containers.

Show your toddler how to put red toys in one basket and green toys in the other.

Then let them try sorting the rest.

If your toddler is still learning colors, sit beside them and help name each color as they pick up a toy.

You can also start with just a few toys instead of a huge pile.

And if they decide to dump everything out and start over, well, that’s pretty normal toddler behavior.

9. Make a Christmas Handprint Picture

If you enjoy keeping your kids’ little artwork, a Christmas handprint picture is such a cute activity.

Use washable, child-safe paint and help your toddler make a handprint on a piece of paper.

Once it dries, you can turn it into a Christmas tree, reindeer, or another simple holiday picture.

For a Christmas tree, a green handprint with the fingers pointing down can become the branches.

Add a star at the top and write your toddler’s name and the year.

If your toddler doesn’t like getting paint on their hands, you can trace their hand instead and let them color it.

I love activities like this because you end up with a little keepsake to look back on when they’re older.

10. Build a Christmas Present Tower

If your toddler loves stacking blocks, try turning it into a Christmas activity.

Gather some large building blocks or small empty boxes that are safe for your child’s age.

Pretend they’re Christmas presents and help your toddler stack them into a tower.

Count each present as you add it.

Then let your toddler knock the tower down and build it again.

You could even pretend you’re stacking presents in Santa’s workshop.

Toddlers usually love knocking things over just as much as building them, so this activity can keep them entertained for quite a while.

11. Have a Christmas Animal Movement Game

This is another fun way to get toddlers moving, especially when they’ve been inside all day.

Call out a Christmas animal or character and show your toddler how to move.

For example:

Hop like a Christmas bunny
Walk slowly like a polar bear
Prance like a reindeer
Waddle like a penguin
Stretch up tall like a Christmas tree

Let your toddler copy each movement.

You can switch movements whenever they’re ready or let them choose what to do next.

And if they come up with their own silly Christmas movement, even better.

This is a great activity when you want something active but don’t have time to set up a game.

12. Have a Christmas Coloring Afternoon

Sometimes the easiest activity is exactly what you need.

Set out some Christmas coloring pages and a few large crayons, then let your toddler color.

You could choose pictures of Christmas trees, Santa, reindeer, snowmen, or presents.

If your toddler is still learning how to use crayons, don’t worry about staying inside the lines.

Let them scribble, experiment with colors, and enjoy making their own pictures.

You can even sit down and color alongside them.

I like this activity for those afternoons when everyone needs something a little calmer before dinner.

How to Keep Christmas Activities Fun for Toddlers

One thing I’ve learned about toddler activities is that simple usually works best.

You don’t need to plan an entire afternoon around one activity.

Sometimes a toddler will play a game for 15 minutes. Other times, they’re finished after two.

And that’s okay.

I like having a mix of activities ready so we can switch things up depending on everyone’s mood.

If the kids have lots of energy, we can play Reindeer Freeze Dance or have a Christmas parade.

If they need something quieter, we can pull out the Christmas story basket or decorate a paper tree.

You can also repeat the same activities throughout December. Toddlers often enjoy playing familiar games again and again.

Shop Christmas Activity Supplies for Toddlers

Ready to try some of these activities with your little one? I’ve put together an Amazon Idea List with Christmas crafts, coloring supplies, books, and toys that are perfect for keeping toddlers entertained throughout December.

You can browse all my favorite finds and pick out everything you need for your favorite activities.

Shop All My Christmas Activity Finds for Toddlers

More Christmas Activities for Kids

If you’re looking for more ways to keep your kids entertained during the holidays, check out these posts:

Whether your toddler loves dancing, coloring, playing with toys, or listening to Christmas stories, there are plenty of fun ways to enjoy the holiday season together.

And sometimes the activities that take the least amount of planning end up being the ones they want to do over and over again.