During the holiday season, you can create wonderful memories and connections as a family. Aside from watching favorite holiday movies and putting up the tree, here are some fun Montessori-inspired Christmas activities for preschoolers and toddlers.
From Christmas crafts to baking and giving back to those in need, here are some of my family's favorite Christmas activities. As a mom and former Montessori teacher, I make a list of activities to enjoy with my husband and three children each year. In this busy season, spending time as a family makes it all the more special.
20 Montessori-Inspired Christmas Activities for Kids
Discover 20 Christmas activities for toddlers and children. You can adapt the activities so they're appropriate for your child's skill level and interests.
1. Hang Christmas Lights
Hanging twinkling lights helps get everyone in the mood for the holidays. In addition to a main Christmas tree, our children have their own small tree. The smaller size makes it easier for them to hang the lights and ornaments.
Plus, we ask our children to help hang lights outside on our railing and in other easy to reach areas. They love helping, especially plugging in the lights to see the result!
2. Make Paper Chains
This simple holiday decoration is a classic. Grab some colored paper, a few glue sticks, and stickers, and it's off you go! To help your toddler practice cutting and build fine motor skills, draw some straight lines to make the slips of paper. Then, show your toddler how to cut on the line.
Then, show your little one how to make a pattern. You can try red and green, white and red, blue and white, or any other combination you prefer. Soon, you'll have lovely paper chains to hang around your home.
3. Decorate With Fresh Greens
The sensory experience of fresh greens can help prepare your home for the holidays. Purchase some greens or gather them from your own bushes. Then, show your child how to cut and arrange them.
They look lovely on a plate surrounding a candle, on windowsills, or a mantle. You can also add fake or real berries, ensuring your little one doesn't put them in their mouth.
4. Make Ornaments with Salt Dough
This classic holiday craft is perfect for making a keepsake and ornament with your little one. You'll need 2 cups of flour, a half cup of salt and 3/4 cup of warm water. First, mix the salt and flour together. Then, add the warm water and mix until too stiff, then knead the dough.
Next, roll out the dough on parchment paper. You can use cookie cutters to make different shapes. Or, make a large circle with a jar and have your child push their handprint into the dough. Use a kebab stick or similar to poke a hole in the top of your ornament.
Finally, bake the ornaments in a warm oven, about 250 degrees, for up to 2 hours. Monitor your ornaments and take them out just when they start to brown. Keep in mind that the larger and thicker your ornaments, the longer you will need to bake them.
When cooled, you can paint the ornaments and add a ribbon for hanging them up.
5. Make and Send Holiday Cards
Sending and receiving mail is fun for little ones. Build holiday cheer by making home-made cards and sending them to friends and family. You can also consider coordinating a visit to a local nursing home and giving out your cards there.
6. Make Christmas Cookies
Grab your Helper Tower and get busy baking. Children love decorating cookies. Try sprinkles, crushed candy canes, and chocolate chips. Your little one will love this classic holiday activity.
7. Paint a Christmas Themed Scene with Water Colors
Take some time looking at holiday themed paintings and photos. From Christmas trees to cardinals, wreaths, and model train villages, there are many topics from which to choose. Then, spend some time painting with water color paints.
Younger children may also enjoy using tempera paints and potato stamps. Carve a simple shape such as a star or Christmas tree into a halved potato. Then, show your little one how to dip it into paint and make a stamp.
8. Make a Holiday Wreath
Create a fun wreath by cutting out the middle of a paper plate or make a wreath together as a family. Your child can paint a paper plate wreath with festive colors and add red flowers made of tissue paper. Add some jingle bells to make the project extra fun.
9. Make a Holiday Board Game
Use a piece of poster paper to make a board game. Simply draw a typical layout, creating a series of squares to follow. Then, draw pictures of different holiday-themed scenes such as reindeer, Santa, candy canes, gingerbread men, etc.
If you'd like, you can add notes on some of the squares such as "You made cookies. Lose a turn." Or, "You helped a friend, roll again!"
Use dice and play pieces from another game. Simply roll the dice and move your pieces forward until you reach the end.
10. Take a Walk to See the Lights
Walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. Or, if it's too cold, you can go for a drive. As you look at the lights, name the shapes and colors you see.
11. Make Cinnamon Rolls
Another fun activity to enjoy in the kitchen is making cinnamon rolls. Little ones can help spread the sugar and cinnamon over the dough, roll them up, and cut the rolls.
12. Make Hot Chocolate
Make hot chocolate together. Have your child help prepare a tray of snacks and goodies to go with it. You can set out mini marshmallows, candy canes, and chocolate chips to garnish your hot chocolate.
Your toddler can help cut cheese and put out crackers on a plate. Other snacks your little one can help prepare are strawberries, cucumbers, or clementines.
13. Make a Sensory Bin
Fill a plastic bin with cotton balls or white kinetic sand. You can also add small pieces of greens, trucks, spoons, etc. for playing. Invite your little one to make little snow people, dig in the snow, and enjoy the bin.
14. Sew a Stocking
With supervision, even young children can enjoy sewing a stocking. Use a piece of felt to create the shape of a stocking. Then, show your little one how to use a needle and embroidery thread to add color and designs. Older children can learn to sew two pieces of felt together to make a functional stocking.
Alternatively, cut out shapes with felt and invite your little one to use fabric glue to attach them to their stocking.
15. Read Christmas Books
Go to the library or bookstore and find a few Christmas books to read. Snuggle up under a blanket to enjoy storytime.
16. Take a Meal to Someone in Need or Donate Canned Goods
Especially during the holidays, it's important to remember those in need. Help your child develop a sense of social service and responsibility by giving back. You can connect with a local soup kitchen to help serve a meal or donate food to your food bank.
17. Wrap Christmas Presents
Teach your child how wonderful it is to give to others by letting them make and wrap some presents. Your child may want to make an ornament to give to a grandparent or pick out a toy for a younger sibling. Show your child how to use wrapping paper to wrap their gift. Then, invite them to try!
18. Sing Christmas Carols
Singing helps your little one build their vocabulary and auditory skills. Try singing some carols together. Fun songs such as "Jingle Bells" and "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" are just a few to enjoy as a family.
19. Give Christmas Cookies to Neighbors and Friends
Need an excuse to bake more Christmas cookies? After baking, your toddler can help make up paper plates or tins of cookies to give away. Your little one will love giving away cookies they made, while also learning the importance of giving and sharing with others.
20. Role-Play a Favorite Christmas Story or Book
Young children love to play pretend. It doesn't take much to inspire your little one to pretend that they're Santa or act out the story of Rudolph. Improvise a few props and you'll be ready for a wonderful time of pretending and imagining together.
Enjoy These Holiday Activities for Toddlers!
Does your family have a fun holiday activity that you enjoy each year? Let us know what it is in the comments below.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy many moments of connection and joy with your little one.
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