45 Fun Christmas Activities for Kids to Keep Them Busy All Holiday Season

This Post Contains Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure for Full Information.

Looking for festive ways to keep your kids entertained during Christmas break? Whether you’re trying to reduce screen time, create lasting family memories, or simply fill those long winter days with holiday magic, these Christmas activities are guaranteed to bring smiles. From creative crafts and delicious baking projects to exciting games and festive traditions, there’s something here for toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids alike. Get ready to make this holiday season the most fun and memorable one yet!

---

1. Decorate Christmas Cookies Together

Turn your kitchen into Santa’s bakery by decorating sugar cookies with colorful icing, sprinkles, candy canes, and festive toppings. Kids love creating their own edible masterpieces, and it’s a fun way to spend quality time together.

👉 Holiday Tip: Set up a decorating station with different toppings so every child can design unique cookies.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Cookie Decorating Kit

---

2. Make Homemade Christmas Ornaments

Gather craft supplies like popsicle sticks, felt, glitter, paint, and ribbon to create handmade ornaments that your family can treasure for years.

👉 Holiday Tip: Write the year on each ornament to build a meaningful holiday collection.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Ornament Craft Kit

---

3. Build a Gingerbread House

Creating a gingerbread house is a classic Christmas tradition that combines creativity, teamwork, and plenty of sweet treats.

👉 Holiday Tip: Cover your table with parchment paper for quick and easy cleanup.

🛍 Shop here:
Gingerbread House Kit

---

4. Create DIY Christmas Slime

Mix glitter, holiday confetti, and red or green food coloring into homemade slime for a sensory activity that kids absolutely love.

👉 Holiday Tip: Store slime in airtight containers so it stays fresh for days.

🛍 Shop here:
Slime Making Kit

---

5. Have a Christmas Movie Marathon

Snuggle under cozy blankets, make popcorn, sip hot chocolate, and enjoy favorite holiday classics together as a family.

👉 Holiday Tip: Let each child choose one Christmas movie to make everyone feel included.

🛍 Shop here:
Holiday Popcorn Bowl Set

---

6. Make Paper Snowflakes

Fold paper into different shapes and let kids cut creative patterns to reveal beautiful snowflakes they can hang around the house.

👉 Holiday Tip: Hang finished snowflakes on windows for a magical winter display.

🛍 Shop here:
Kids Craft Scissors Set

---

7. Go on a Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt

Take an evening drive or neighborhood walk and challenge kids to spot reindeer, snowmen, inflatable Santas, stars, and colorful light displays.

👉 Holiday Tip: Create a printable checklist before heading out.

🛍 Shop here:
Clipboards for Kids

---

8. Write Letters to Santa

Encourage children to practice writing while sharing their Christmas wishes, favorite memories, and kind deeds from the year.

👉 Holiday Tip: Decorate envelopes with stickers and festive stamps for extra excitement.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Stationery Set

---

9. Build an Indoor Christmas Fort

Use blankets, pillows, chairs, and fairy lights to create a magical holiday fort where kids can read, snack, or watch Christmas movies.

👉 Holiday Tip: Add battery-operated fairy lights to make the fort feel extra magical.

🛍 Shop here:
Battery Fairy Lights

---

10. Make Reindeer Food

Mix oats with edible glitter or festive sprinkles so kids can sprinkle “reindeer food” on the lawn for Santa’s helpers on Christmas Eve.

👉 Holiday Tip: Package leftovers in small bags for friends and neighbors.

🛍 Shop here:
Holiday Treat Bags

---

11. Paint Christmas Rocks

Collect smooth rocks and transform them into cheerful Santas, snowmen, elves, or Christmas trees to decorate your garden or give as gifts.

👉 Holiday Tip: Seal painted rocks with clear acrylic spray so they last longer.

🛍 Shop here:
Rock Painting Kit for Kids

---

12. Create Christmas Cards

Let kids design handmade Christmas cards with markers, glitter, stamps, and stickers to send to grandparents, teachers, or neighbors.

👉 Holiday Tip: Encourage children to write a personal holiday message inside every card.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Card Making Kit

---

13. Host a Christmas Pajama Party

Spend a day wearing matching Christmas pajamas while enjoying games, holiday music, treats, and festive family photos.

👉 Holiday Tip: End the party with hot chocolate and bedtime Christmas stories.

🛍 Shop here:
Matching Family Christmas Pajamas

---

14. Make Christmas Play Dough

Create homemade play dough scented with cinnamon or peppermint and add cookie cutters, rolling pins, and holiday-themed stamps.

👉 Holiday Tip: Store the dough in airtight containers for weeks of festive play.

🛍 Shop here:
Holiday Play Dough Tools

---

15. Read Christmas Books Together

Slow down each evening by reading festive picture books or holiday classics together. It’s a wonderful tradition that helps children wind down while creating lasting family memories.

👉 Holiday Tip: Let kids choose a different Christmas book every night leading up to Christmas.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Books for Kids

---

16. Host a Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Hide candy canes, ornaments, mini stockings, or tiny holiday toys around the house and let kids search for them using festive clues. This activity keeps children active and excited while encouraging teamwork.

👉 Holiday Tip: Offer small holiday treats or Christmas stickers as prizes for everyone who participates.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Scavenger Hunt Kit

---

17. Decorate Mini Christmas Trees

Give each child a small tabletop tree along with mini ornaments, ribbons, bows, and lights so they can design their own festive masterpiece.

👉 Holiday Tip: Hold a fun family “tree decorating contest” where everyone wins a prize.

🛍 Shop here:
Mini Artificial Christmas Tree

---

18. Make Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments

Create personalized keepsakes by pressing little hands into homemade salt dough and decorating them with festive paint and glitter after they dry.

👉 Holiday Tip: Write your child’s name and the year on the back before baking.

🛍 Shop here:
Acrylic Paint Set for Kids

---

19. Create a Christmas Countdown Chain

Cut colorful paper into strips and build a paper chain with one link for every day until Christmas. Kids can remove one link each morning as the big day gets closer.

👉 Holiday Tip: Write a fun holiday activity on the inside of each paper strip for an extra surprise.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Craft Paper Pack

---

20. Sing Christmas Karaoke

Turn your living room into a holiday concert by singing favorite Christmas songs together. Add microphones, costumes, and dancing to make it even more entertaining.

👉 Holiday Tip: Record performances so your family can laugh and enjoy them for years to come.

🛍 Shop here:
Kids Karaoke Machine

---

21. Make Christmas Hot Chocolate

Set up a hot chocolate station with marshmallows, whipped cream, candy canes, chocolate chips, and festive sprinkles for a delicious family treat.

👉 Holiday Tip: Let each child invent their own “signature” hot chocolate recipe.

🛍 Shop here:
Hot Chocolate Gift Set

---

22. Play Christmas Bingo

Print festive bingo cards featuring Santa, snowflakes, ornaments, reindeer, elves, and candy canes for a simple game that kids of all ages can enjoy.

👉 Holiday Tip: Use wrapped chocolates or mini candy canes as bingo markers and prizes.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Bingo Game

---

23. Make Popsicle Stick Christmas Crafts

Use popsicle sticks to build miniature Christmas trees, reindeer, snowflakes, and ornaments. Kids can paint and decorate each creation with glitter and gems.

👉 Holiday Tip: Glue magnets on the back to turn finished crafts into festive refrigerator decorations.

🛍 Shop here:
Popsicle Stick Craft Kit

---

24. Create a Christmas Photo Booth

Set up a festive backdrop with Santa hats, elf ears, oversized candy canes, and funny holiday props for a memorable family photo session.

👉 Holiday Tip: Print the funniest pictures and include them in your Christmas scrapbook.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Photo Booth Props

---

25. Play “Pin the Nose on Rudolph”

Give the classic party game a Christmas makeover by having kids blindfolded as they try to place Rudolph’s red nose in the correct spot.

👉 Holiday Tip: Laminate the game board so you can reuse it every holiday season.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Party Games for Kids

---

26. Make Christmas Friendship Bracelets

Kids can create festive bracelets using red, green, white, and gold beads to exchange with siblings, cousins, or friends.

👉 Holiday Tip: Add letter beads to spell out holiday words like “JOY,” “NOEL,” or “MERRY.”

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Bead Kit

---

27. Make Snowman Pancakes

Transform breakfast into a holiday celebration by stacking pancakes into cheerful snowmen decorated with fruit, whipped cream, and chocolate chips.

👉 Holiday Tip: Let each child decorate their own edible snowman before enjoying breakfast together.

🛍 Shop here:
Pancake Mold Set

---

28. Create Christmas Sticker Scenes

Give kids holiday-themed sticker books and large sheets of paper to design snowy villages, Santa’s workshop, or Christmas tree scenes.

👉 Holiday Tip: This is a great quiet-time activity for younger children.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Sticker Book

---

29. Bake Christmas Cupcakes

Decorate cupcakes with green frosting, edible snowflakes, sprinkles, and mini candy canes for a delicious holiday baking activity.

👉 Holiday Tip: Let kids package a few cupcakes as homemade gifts for neighbors or teachers.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Cupcake Decorating Kit

---

30. Build a Christmas LEGO Challenge

Challenge kids to build Santa’s sleigh, a Christmas tree, a snowman, or a gingerbread house using LEGO bricks. It’s a fantastic activity for creativity and problem-solving.

👉 Holiday Tip: Set a timer and vote on the funniest, tallest, or most creative holiday build.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas LEGO Set

---

31. Make DIY Christmas Gift Wrap

Let kids decorate plain wrapping paper using stamps, fingerprints, crayons, stickers, or painted handprints. Handmade gift wrap makes every present feel extra special.

👉 Holiday Tip: Use brown kraft paper for a rustic look that makes colorful artwork stand out.

🛍 Shop here:
Kids Stamp Set

---

32. Host a Christmas Dance Party

Turn on your favorite holiday playlist and let everyone dance around the living room. Add Santa hats, jingle bells, and glow sticks to make it even more exciting.

👉 Holiday Tip: Pause the music randomly for a fun Christmas version of freeze dance.

🛍 Shop here:
Bluetooth Party Speaker

---

33. Make Candy Cane Reindeer

Transform candy canes into adorable reindeer using googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and ribbon. These also make cute gifts for classmates and teachers.

👉 Holiday Tip: Attach a small tag with a holiday message before gifting them.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Craft Supplies Kit

---

34. Make a Christmas Time Capsule

Invite kids to write down their favorite holiday memories, draw pictures, and include small keepsakes in a decorated box to open next Christmas.

👉 Holiday Tip: Add a family photo and a list of everyone’s favorite Christmas traditions from the year.

🛍 Shop here:
Decorative Memory Box

---

35. Create Snowman Sock Crafts

Turn old white socks into adorable snowmen using rice, rubber bands, felt, buttons, and colorful scarves. It’s an inexpensive craft that’s always a hit.

👉 Holiday Tip: Display your finished snowmen on shelves or use them as festive table decorations.

🛍 Shop here:
Kids Felt Craft Kit

---

36. Have a Christmas Puzzle Challenge

Gather holiday-themed jigsaw puzzles and work together as a family to complete them over several cozy afternoons.

👉 Holiday Tip: Sort edge pieces first to make the puzzle easier for younger kids.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Jigsaw Puzzle

---

37. Make Holiday Bird Feeders

Spread peanut butter (or a nut-free alternative) on pinecones or toilet paper rolls, roll them in birdseed, and hang them outside for winter birds.

👉 Holiday Tip: Spend time watching which birds visit your homemade feeders.

🛍 Shop here:
Wild Bird Seed Mix

---

38. Put on a Christmas Puppet Show

Help kids make simple paper bag or sock puppets featuring Santa, elves, reindeer, and snowmen. Then let them perform their own holiday story.

👉 Holiday Tip: Record the puppet show so everyone can watch it again after Christmas.

🛍 Shop here:
Puppet Craft Kit

---

39. Create Christmas Scratch Art

Kids can reveal colorful holiday designs by scratching black-coated art paper into ornaments, snowflakes, Christmas trees, and festive patterns.

👉 Holiday Tip: Display finished artwork on the refrigerator or create a holiday gallery wall.

🛍 Shop here:
Scratch Art Paper Kit

---

40. Play Christmas Charades

Write holiday-themed words like snowman, Santa, gingerbread house, Christmas tree, or reindeer on slips of paper and let kids act them out.

👉 Holiday Tip: Divide into teams and keep score for friendly family competition.

🛍 Shop here:
Christmas Charades Game

---

41. Build a Balloon Christmas Tree

Tape green balloons to a wall in the shape of a Christmas tree and let kids decorate it with paper ornaments, bows, and stars.

👉 Holiday Tip: Hide small surprises inside a few balloons for extra excitement.

🛍 Shop here:
Green Balloon Garland Kit

---

42. Make DIY Christmas Scent Jars

Fill small jars with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, cloves, star anise, and cranberries to create festive holiday scents.

👉 Holiday Tip: Tie a ribbon around each jar to give them as thoughtful homemade gifts.

🛍 Shop here:
Glass Mason Jar Set

---

43. Create a Christmas Talent Show

Encourage every family member to perform a song, dance, magic trick, joke, or instrument performance for a fun evening of entertainment.

👉 Holiday Tip: Hand out playful award certificates so everyone leaves feeling like a winner.

🛍 Shop here:
Toy Microphone for Kids

---

44. Paint Mini Wooden Christmas Figures

Kids can paint unfinished wooden Santas, reindeer, snowflakes, and Christmas trees to create ornaments or holiday decorations.

👉 Holiday Tip: Finish with glitter glue for an extra festive sparkle.

🛍 Shop here:
Wood Christmas Craft Shapes

---

45. Have a Christmas Family Game Night

Wrap up the holiday season with an evening of board games, card games, holiday snacks, hot chocolate, and lots of laughter. It’s a simple tradition that everyone will remember.

👉 Holiday Tip: Let each family member choose one favorite game to play during the evening.

🛍 Shop here:
Family Board Games

---

Conclusion

Christmas is about more than presents—it’s about making memories together. These fun activities give kids plenty of opportunities to be creative, stay active, learn new skills, and spend meaningful time with family throughout the holiday season. Whether you’re baking cookies, crafting ornaments, singing Christmas songs, or building magical forts, every activity becomes part of the traditions your children will remember for years to come.

Save this post to your Pinterest board so you can come back to these fun Christmas activities all season long!