32 fun and simple Christmas crafts and activity ideas, that children of all ages can explore and enjoy. From arts, crafts and nature play to science and sensory. And the best bit is that most of them are made using recycled materials.
1. Pine cone Christmas trees
These simple but sweet little Christmas trees are so easy to make. All you need is a pine cone (How about going on a nature walk to find some). Some green paint and something to use as decorations like pom poms or hole punched coloured paper dots. Simply paint the pine cone green and then leave it to dry. Then you can add your decorations to the pine cone with a bit of glue. We also used a log slice as a little base for our Christmas tree.
2. Christmas lanterns, sweet jars and vases
You can easily turn old glass jars into Christmas lanterns, sweet jars and flower vases. All you need is a clean glass jar and either some paint or permanent marker pens. Then simply paint or draw on some red poppies. You can then either use the jar as vase for flowers, a pencil pot, sweet jar or lantern
You can use a tealight candle to light up your lantern, but if you do be careful to supervise children as the glass can get hot and never leave the lantern unattended as its a potential fire hazard.
3. Bottle top Christmas trees and decorations
Two great loose parts Christmas activities in one that encourage imagination and help develop fine motor skills. Its also a great way to re-use and recycle materials and even talk to children about the concept of waste and recycling.
All you need is some used bottle tops. Milk bottle tops in particular work well for this but you can use any type or colour of bottle. (Just please be aware of the choking hazard and make sure children are supervised at all times.)
The children can play with and arrange the bottles tops into any shape, pattern or picture they like. Or you could cut out some cardboard shapes as prompts. How about cutting a tree shape from a piece of cardboard and then painting it green. When the tree is dry the children can enjoy using the bottle tops as baubles to decorate the tree with.
4. Marshmallow snowman biscuits
You can easily decorate biscuits (home baked or store bought) to look like Snowmen using icing sugar or melted white chocolate, marshmallow and coloured icing. Simply spread the white icing sugar or melted white chocolate across the surface of the biscuits and then place two marshmallows on top (you can use more icing sugar or chocolate to stick them together) to form the snowmen body. Then use the coloured icing to paint on the snow mans face and details. You could also use sweets for the face and buttons or to form the scarf or arms for your snowmen.
5. Feed the Snowman
Feeding the snowman is a cute little activity that’s perfect for developing fine motor skills and stimulating imaginative play. All you need is an old cardboard box and some paint, paper or pens.
First cut a mouth shaped hole into the side of the box. Then paint, draw or stick on a snowman shape or figure. The children can have fun feeding the snowman anything they like or can find. We used some wool pom poms we made as they look like snowballs but you could also use crumpled balls of paper, sticks, stones* pieces of card, jam jar lids or milk bottle tops*.
6. Citrus peel play shapes
Instead of chucking away the peel from citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits. You could recycle and re-use them by turning them into colourful shapes for threading, sensory and loose parts play. They smell lovely, make fun Christmas decorations and are a great way to use up peel leftover from eating or baking. Click here for a handy guide to making Citrus peel play shapes.
7. Milk bottle snowmen
Another great way to use recycled materials is to turn a milk bottle into a snowman. You can easily draw, paint or stick on the snowman’s eyes, buttons, nose and mouth. You could also use a piece of scrap fabric, ribbon, wool or string for the scarf. Finally your snowman needs arms you can use cardboard for this or real sticks or twigs.
8. Milk bottle snowmen bowling
Milk bottle snowmen make great bowling pins. You just need to make 5-8 milk bottle snowman and place them in a bowling pin formation. The children can then have fun bowling with different sized balls (tennis, football, bouncy balls) to knock them over.
9. Egg carton Christmas hats
Egg carton Christmas hats are so quick and easy to make, especially for little learners. Simply cut out the bottom spikes from an egg carton. Then paint, colour or collage them in red and white. You can then then use them in role play as a decorations, story props or even fill them with sweets or presents to give as gifts.
10. Christmas ice play
Ice is a wonderful material for sensory and exploratory play. Its so easy to make and you can easily add extra sensory elements like scented herbs, flavoured oils, textured natural materials and colours. You can find 10 fun and festive ice play ideas here that children of all ages will enjoy.
Ice is a wonderful material for sensory and exploratory play. Its so easy to make and you can easily add extra sensory elements like scented herbs, flavoured oils, textured natural materials and colours. You can find 7 fun and festive ice play ideas that children of all ages will enjoy here.
11. Christmas sensory
Christmas is a great time for sensory exploration for younger children. You can easily use wrapping paper, tinsel, strings of beads and plastic decorations and flour as snow as they are all very tactile. Pine leaves, mint, cinnamon, ginger and rosemary add a wonderful scented sensory element. And you can use bells and tins to make noises and sounds. *Just please be aware of choking and strangulation hazards of any objects you use with younger children.
12. Wood slice snowmen
A great one for forest schools. You just need two wood slices (it helps if one is slightly smaller than the other. Glue them together to form the body and head of your snowmen.
You can either draw, paint or stick on the eyes, buttons, nose and mouth for your snowman. We used a piece of scrap material for the scarf but a ribbon also works really well. Finally if you want you can give your snowman arms using sticks or add a little hat.
13. Colour sorting Christmas tree game
Colour sorting Christmas tree game that’s perfect for developing fine motor skills and helping children with colour recognition. All you need is an old cardboard box and some paint, paper or pens. All you need to do is painting, draw or stick a Christmas tree onto the box and then cut multiple holes to represent different coloured baubles. Next make some coloured cardboard tokens or find different coloured balls or objects for the children to post through.
Notes: * Please always be aware of the choking hazard of small objects and never leave young children unsupervised. Don’t forget to make sure you have a way of getting the objects out, either by being able to open the box or by cutting a hole in the back or bottom so the children can retrieve anything that’s posted through.
14. Potato print homemade wrapping paper and cards.
Potato printing is a simple activity for children of ages, all you need is a potato cut in half, a bit of imagination and some paint to get started. You can easily use the potato prints to make patterns, pictures, Christmas cards and even recyclable wrapping paper. Click here for lots of Christmas print ideas.
15. Folded book Christmas trees
Folded book Christmas trees are a great way to reuse old books (like diary’s and year calendars). Older children can fold their own books and younger children can enjoy decorating the finished trees.
Simply fold down the top corner of a page towards the centre of the book. Fold the page again in half diagonally towards the centre of the book. Fold and tuck in the little triangular section at the bottom to form a neat triangle. Repeat for the next page and So and so on forth (see photo guide below) until you have a finished tree that you can now decorate or play with.
16. Christmas nature art
Nature art is a great indoor or outdoor activity that encourages creativity and fine motor skills and is engaging for children of all ages and abilities. All you need is some imagination and natural materials like leaves, sticks, stones, pine cones bark and grass ect. Click here to find Christmas themed nature art ideas.
17. Penguin pots
All you need to make these cute little penguin pots is a recycled pot, tub, tin or container. Simply cover the container in black paint, tape or paper. Then paint, stick or draw on the penguins eyes, beak, tummy and or feet. You can then then use them in role play as a decorations, story props or even fill them with sweets or presents to give as gifts.
18. Christmas cardboard tube crafts
Turn old wrapping paper or kitchen roll tubes into cute Christmas characters. You can then then use them in role play as a decorations, story props, napkin rings or even fill them with sweets or presents to give as gifts. Click here to find out more.
19. Fingerprint candy canes
Fingerprint candy canes are so quick and simple to make. You just need red and white paint. You can easily use the finger print candy canes to make patterns, pictures, Christmas cards and even recyclable wrapping paper
20. Christmas Science and Sensory activities
Cold winter days are a great time for indoor Science and Sensory play. You can find 14 fun and interesting Christmas Sensory and Science activities for children of all ages to enjoy and explore.
21. Hand print Christmas trees
Another quick and simple printing activity that you can use to make homemade Christmas cards or even gift as artwork to friends and family who might appreciate it. All you need is green pain and pens and or glue to add decorations to your tree. Simply paint your hand green and press it firmly onto paper or card to leave a hand print. Once the prints have dried you can draw, paint or stick on decorations onto your tree. How about adding a trunk, pot and star to your tree.
22. Sock snowmen
Sock snowmen are simple and easy to make for children of all ages. They are also a great way to reuse odd and old socks you no longer need or want. You can find a full photo guide and instructions to making these cute little snowmen here.
23. Homemade snow globes
Home made snow globes are easy and cheap to make. To make a dry snow globe all you need is:
- Old clean jam jars or plastic containers with lids.
- Fake snow in the form of flour , cornflour, tapioca flour, icing sugar, shredded paper, shredded tissue or desiccated coconut.
- Natural materials like pine or fir tree branches, Holly leaves, Ivy or pine cones or old Christmas toys or decorations for the centre pieces.
- Clay, blue tack or glue to attach your centre piece materials to.
Simply attach your centre piece materials to the inside of the lid (Please make sure you leave enough room at the edge to still screw it onto the jar or container). When they are dry/securely attached. Part fill the container with fake snow and then screw the lid on securely. Turn over your snowglobe and shakes to create a snowy scene.
To make a water snowg lobe you will need:
- Old clean jam jars * or plastic containers with water tight lids.
- Water with a drop of washing up liquid added.
- Glitter, fake snow, sparkles or sequins.
- Waterproof glue (for example pva would disolve but a glue gun works well)
- A centre piece, this needs to be something waterproof that you don’t mind gluing to the lid. You could use laminated photos, decorations, figurines or toys. (Things like santas, angels, elves, snowmen, trees, presents, robins, reindeers, houses and baubles may make fun centre pieces.
Simply attach the centre piece materials to the inside of the lid (Please make sure you leave enough room at the edge to still screw it onto the jar or container). When they are dry/securely attached. Fill the container with the water and fake snow and then glue and screw the lid on securely. When the lid it cry turn over your snow globe and shakes to create a snowy scene.
*Pretty please remember to supervise children if you use glass jars.
24. Pom pom reindeer
A very cute and Christmas craft. You can either make your own pom poms or use ready made ones for this. You just need two large brown or white pom poms, one small red pom pom or ball for the nose. Some eyes to stick on and sticks for the antlers.
25. Christmas star stick
We love finding and collecting sticks when we are out and about on walks, You can easily find similar sized sticks to make a cute little Christmas star decoration to hang on a tree or wall. All you need is six similar length sticks (you can always break them to the right length) and six pieces of old string, ribbon, tread or wool to tie the sticks together with. First tie three sticks together to form a triangle shape, next weave the other three sticks through the triangle frame and tie them into an upside down triangle shape on top to form the shape of your star. You can leave your Christmas star plain or decorate it with pens, paints, collage, fabric or beads.
26. Christmas rock art
We also love finding painted pebbles and rocks when we are out and about, it’s wonderful to see the creativity and love that people put into them. You can easily find pebbles to decorate yourself by looking in your garden, on a nature walk or along the shore. All you need then is some paint or permanent markers to paint or draw colourful Christmas designs onto the pebbles. *Safety note please be aware of the choking hazard of pebbles with smaller children. Click here to find lots of cute Christmas rock art ideas.
27. Christmas tree decorating game.
Such an easy and effective homemade game you can easily make using a recycled box, a dice and 4 different colours of felt, fabric or buttons. Simply cut a tree shape out of some green felt or fabric and glue it onto the base of shallow box. (Chocolate boxes are perfect for this.) Now you have your tree you need some decorations. You can cut out circles of different colours or use different coloured buttons for this.
Using a permanent marker or fabric pen mark the decorations on the back with numbers from 1-6. Divide the decorations out equally. When the children roll the dice they have to pick a decoration with a matching number to place on the tree. If they don’t have a matching number they skip a go. The winner is the first person to place all of their decorations in the tree.
28. Snowman fruit lollipops
A great snack time treat and activity for children of all ages. All you need is some slices of banana, strawberries, grape halves, clean wooden sticks or skewers, sprinkles or cake decorations. Simply thread the fruit onto the stick or skewer (be carefully with sharp skewers and younger children) to form a snowman. You can then press sprinkles or decorations into the banana slices to give your snowman a face and buttons.
29. Egg carton nativity camel
For this you will need an egg carton, 4 wooden pegs, a piece of cardboard, string or wool and a scrap of fabric. First cut out two joined sections of the bottom of the egg carton to form the camels body. Next attach the 4 pegs to the carton to form the legs. Then cut the piece of cardboard into the shape of the camels neck and head and glue or slot it into the end of the egg carton body. Finally glue on the fabric strip and string or wool to form the camels seat and tail. You could also paint, draw or glue eyes on to the camel.
30. Paper plate Christmas trees
Here are 8 simple and easy Christmas crafts you can try using paper plates or cardboard circles cut out from old boxes. We hate to waste anything and recycling and reusing materials is one of many small things we can all do to help the environment. So instead of chucking used cardboard boxes we like to find ways to use them in crafts and activities.
31. Salt dough decoration and gifts
Salt dough is such a great material to play and create with. It’s very tactile and easily to manipulate which helps develop fine motor skills and encourages creativity. It’s also really simple and cheap to make. The best part is when you have finished you can bake your creations to turn them into unique little keep sakes or gifts. You can find a simple and easy recipe for scented salt dough here.
You could use cookie cutters to cut out Christmas shapes like gingerbread men, stars and trees. Or you could press hand prints into the dough that you can then paint and decorate to look like snowmen, reindeer or even Christmas trees.
32. Paper mache Christmas decorations and pinatas
Paper mache Christmas characters are fun, cheap and easy Christmas decorations to make. It’s a great way to recycle newspapers or scrap paper and you can also fill them with sweets to turn into pinatas for party games. or use them as story props. Click here to find out more.
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