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🎄 What We’re Using This Christmas (Amazon Favorites)
Here are a few things we’re loving and actually using this Christmas season:
🎄Kids’ Christmas Activity Book (Amazon)🎄Christmas Playdough Kit (Amazon)🎄Christmas Book Set (Amazon)🎄Easy Gingerbread House Kit (Amazon)🎄Washable Christmas Stampers (Amazon)🎄Christmas Fun Game (Amazon)🎄Kids’ Christmas Craft Set (Amazon) If you’re anything like me, when December arrives, it brings excitement… and a whole lot of overwhelm. There’s decorating, shopping, homeschool schedules, parties, baking, cleaning, and somehow trying to create magical memories for the kids all at the same time.
And let’s be honest—sometimes we want to do festive activities, but we’re exhausted, the supplies are scattered, and the last thing we want to do is pull out the glue gun, the glitter, and twelve tubs of craft boxes from the closet.
That’s exactly why I made this post.
These 50 Low-Prep Christmas Activities for Kids are simple, fun, screen-free, and require things you already have at home. No Amazon order. No craft store trip. No complicated steps.
Just real-life, doable Christmas fun for busy parents.
Whether you're homeschooling, trying to entertain the kids during winter break, or just wanting something joyful to fill the slow winter afternoons… I hope this list makes your life easier and your holiday season lighter.
Let’s dive in.
1. Pasta Christmas Tree Craft
One of my kids’ favorite super-simple crafts. Have them glue dry pasta (any shape!) into a Christmas tree outline on paper. Once dry, they color or paint it green, add little dots for ornaments, and you’re done. It turns out adorable and requires almost zero prep.
2. Paper Snowflakes
Grab printer paper and scissors. Fold, snip, reveal magic. Hang on windows for instant Christmas vibes.
3. Sock Snowman
Use an old white sock, fill it with rice (or stuffing from an old pillow), tie with rubber bands, and draw a face with marker. Add a scrap-fabric scarf.
4. Christmas Memory Game
Cut cardstock or paper into squares and draw pairs of simple Christmas pictures (tree, candy cane, stocking, etc.). Play like a classic memory match game.
5. DIY Wrapping Paper
Give the kids brown paper bags or leftover packing paper to decorate with markers, stamps, or fingerprints.
6. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Make a quick list of things to find around the house: something red, something cozy, something that jingles, etc.
7. Christmas Playdough Tray
Use homemade playdough (flour, salt, water) and add cookie cutters, buttons, ribbon scraps, and sticks.
8. Jingle Bell Shake Jars
Fill empty jars with rice, pasta, or beads to make homemade "jingle bells" for little ones.
9. Holiday Storytime Fort
Build a blanket fort and read Christmas books together inside with flashlights.
10. Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Stars
Cut tortillas into star shapes, brush with butter, sprinkle cinnamon sugar, bake for a quick festive snack.
11. Ornament Sorting for Toddlers
Give them unbreakable ornaments and have them sort by size, color, or type.
12. Christmas Charades
Use slips of paper with holiday actions: “wrapping presents,” “building a snowman,” etc.
13. DIY Reindeer Antlers
Cut antler shapes from cardboard and tape them onto a headband or strip of paper.
14. Cotton Ball Snow Art
Use glue and cotton balls to create snow scenes on paper.
15. Holiday Sticker Scenes
If you have leftover stickers from anywhere in the house, give kids a sheet of paper and let them create a scene.
16. Gingerbread House with Graham Crackers
Use graham crackers, icing, and whatever leftover snacks you have—cereal, pretzels, raisins.
17. Christmas Bingo
Sketch simple grid cards and fill with holiday symbols. Use cereal pieces as markers.
18. DIY Christmas Drum
An empty coffee can becomes a drum. Wrap in paper and decorate.
19. Holiday Dance Party
Turn on Christmas music and let kids dance with scarves, ribbons, or dish towels.
20. Cardboard Tube Reindeer
Use toilet paper rolls, draw a face, glue on paper antlers.
21. Christmas Countdown Paper Chain
Cut strips from any paper you have and staple or tape into a chain to countdown to Christmas.
22. Hot Cocoa Sensory Bin
Use dry rice or beans, add scoops, cups, and pretend marshmallows (cotton balls).
23. Gingerbread People Drawing
Print or draw gingerbread outlines. Let kids decorate with crayons, buttons, scraps.
24. Snowman Cups
Stack white plastic cups to make a giant snowman.
25. Christmas Color Hunt
Tell kids to find five green items, five red items, three gold items, and so on.
26. DIY Santa Beard Countdown
Draw Santa’s face. Each day, glue on one cotton ball to fill his beard.
27. Nature Ornament Walk
Collect sticks, pinecones, leaves, and make simple ornaments when you get home.
28. Christmas Puzzle Race
Cut a Christmas picture (from an old card or printout) into puzzle pieces.
29. Cookie Cutter Tracing
Trace cookie cutters onto paper and color.
30. Holiday Sensory Bottle
Fill a plastic bottle with water, glitter, food coloring, beads, or sequins.
31. Marshmallow & Toothpick Snowflakes
Build snowflake shapes with toothpicks and mini marshmallows.
32. Christmas Sticker Collage
Let toddlers dump all the random stickers onto one page — instant joy.
33. Christmas-Themed I-Spy Page
Draw a collection of shapes: trees, stars, mittens, hats, etc. Kids count how many of each.
34. DIY Snow Slime
If you have glue and baking soda, make fluffy “snow slime” by adding shaving cream.
35. Letter to Santa
A classic — but make it simple. Plain paper and crayons. No pressure, no perfection.
36. Candlelit Reading Hour
Turn off the lights, light a candle (or use LED candles), and read Christmas stories.
37. Christmas Kitchen Band
Hand kids pots, spoons, and measuring cups to make “Christmas music.” Loud but fun.
38. DIY Gift Tags
Cut shapes from cardstock or old cereal boxes and let kids decorate.
39. Christmas Shadow Puppets
Cut simple shapes (tree, star, angel) and tape to sticks. Use a flashlight on the wall.
40. Indoor Snowball Fight
Use balled-up socks. Safe, silly, great energy release.
41. Pinecone Painting
If you have pinecones around your yard, let kids paint the tips white or glittery.
42. Christmas Tape Roads
Use painter’s tape on the floor to create roads for toy cars heading to “Santa’s Workshop.”
43. Watercolor Ornament Painting
Cut circles from paper and let kids paint freely.
44. Christmas Movie Ticket Craft
Kids create “tickets” to that night’s holiday movie — adds excitement with zero prep.
45. Snowy Sensory Play
Use flour or baking soda in a bin for pretend snow. Add small toys.
46. Christmas Ribbon Dancing
Give kids leftover ribbon to dance and swirl around.
47. Build Santa’s Workshop with Blocks
Use whatever blocks you own—Duplos, wooden blocks, cardboard boxes.
48. Deck the Dollhouse
Kids decorate their dollhouse with scraps, small ornaments, homemade paper trees.
49. Christmas Bubble Bath
Add red and green cups or spoons to the bath for festive play.
50. Gratitude Garland
Cut paper strips, let kids write something they’re thankful for each day, and link them into a chain.
Why Low-Prep Christmas Activities Matter (Especially for Busy Moms)
If you’re reading this, I know you care about giving your kids a magical Christmas, but you don’t want burnout to be part of the holiday. These activities are:
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budget-friendly (you already own the supplies!)
-
mess-friendly (most involve paper, crayons, or simple materials)
-
homeschool-friendly
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easy to set up while you cook, fold laundry, or sip your coffee
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fun for multiple ages
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perfect for holiday downtime
The truth is, kids don’t need elaborate setups for memories to be meaningful. They just need connection, warmth, and creativity—and all of that can happen with a sheet of paper and a handful of pasta.
These small moments are the magic.
Final Thoughts
I hope this list helps your December feel lighter, easier, and filled with more joy than chaos. Save it to come back to whenever you need a quick idea.
And if you’re a busy mom, homeschooler, or just someone trying to make Christmas meaningful without losing your sanity—you’re in the right place. ❤️
If you want even more low-prep, cozy, meaningful activities for kids, be sure to check out the rest of my blog. I post new ideas all the time!
If you found this helpful, share this post, save it to Pinterest, or send it to a friend who needs easy Christmas activities this year. Small actions like that help my little blog grow more than you know.
Your support helps me keep creating helpful content for your home and homeschool.
And I’d love to hear from you:
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Which activity will your kids try first? Or do you have a low-prep favorite that I should add to the list?
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Nancy at Cleverly Kindred ❤️
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