Christmas Activities for Kids: Printables, Crafts and Cookie Mornings
Updated: 4 days ago
December with children is a season of small rituals. A letter to Santa at the kitchen table. A morning of gingerbread and icing. A rainy afternoon with markers and an activity book. None of it needs to be elaborate. It needs a little planning and the right supplies in one place. Here is a plan for the month, with the supplies to keep in one basket.
This is my edit of Christmas activities for kids, with printables, craft supplies and a cookie morning plan. The printables come from Tiger Eleven Studio, my shop on Etsy, and every product is linked in my Christmas activities LTK post.
What are easy Christmas activities for kids at home?
Easy Christmas activities for kids at home include writing a letter to Santa, coloring and activity pages, building a gingerbread house, and decorating cookies. All of them use simple supplies and fit into an afternoon.
Ideas by time and energy:
Ten quiet minutes: a coloring page or a word search.
Half an hour: a letter to Santa, written and decorated.
One hour: a small gingerbread house from a kit.
A whole morning: a cookie morning with baking, icing and an apron for each helper.
A rainy day: a printable bundle with games and activity pages.
What makes these work is that the supplies are ready before the children are. Keep a basket with printables, markers, crayons and tape somewhere you can reach it in a moment.
Let children choose the order. One may want to start with cookies, another with a letter to Santa. A choice gives them a little ownership of the day, and it usually means less negotiating.
If you are also hosting this season, my Friendsgiving checklist has a timeline that works for any holiday gathering, and A Beautiful Thanksgiving Table shows a table children can help set.
How do Christmas printables make the holidays easier?
Printables are instant: you buy them, download them and print them at home. You can print as many copies as your household needs, so every child gets a page and a mistake is not a problem.
The three from Tiger Eleven Studio in my edit:
Letter to Santa kit. A printable kit for writing to Santa. Print it, fill it in and decorate it.
Christmas activity book. Printable activity and coloring pages for quiet time at home or at a restaurant.
Christmas printable bundle. A larger set for families who want several activities in one download.
Tips for printing:
Use plain printer paper for coloring and activity pages.
Use cardstock for anything that will be kept, like the letter to Santa.
Print a few extra copies of favorite pages for cousins and visiting friends.
Keep the digital files so you can print again next year.
Printables are also useful when you travel. Print a few pages before a long drive or a visit to grandparents, and pack them with a small bag of crayons. It is a quiet way to keep a car ride or a restaurant table calm.
They also make a thoughtful extra for a family you are visiting, and my hostess gifts under $50 post has small gifts for the host.
What craft supplies do kids need for Christmas crafts?
Most Christmas crafts need just three things: crayons, washable markers and paper. Add tape, glue sticks and child-safe scissors, and you can do almost every activity in this post.
The supplies in my edit:
Crayola mini Twistables. Twist-up crayons, so there is no sharpening and no peeling paper.
Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable markers. A washable line, which is what you want near a holiday tablecloth.
Crayola Super Tips markers. The tip makes both thin lines and broad strokes, which is useful for lettering a letter to Santa.
A simple craft basket:
Crayons and markers, each in their own cup.
A stack of printer paper and a few sheets of cardstock.
Glue sticks, tape and child-safe scissors.
Stickers or a little glitter, if you are brave.
A folder for finished work, so nothing gets lost.
Put the basket away between sessions. It makes it feel special when it comes out.
Washable markers and twist-up crayons suit younger children because they are easy to use without much help. Older children may want the Super Tips for lettering and small details.
How do you host a gingerbread house morning?
Set up one kit per child or per pair, put the icing and candy in small bowls, and cover the table with paper. Build the walls first, let the icing set, and only then decorate.
The pieces in my edit:
Mini gingerbread house village kit. Small houses mean every child gets their own, and the finished village looks beautiful together.
BaubleBar gingerbread craft kit. A gingerbread-themed craft kit, for children who would rather make something than eat it.
Little helper holiday apron. For small bakers, and for the photos.
A simple plan:
Cover the table with kraft paper you can throw away afterward.
Pre-assemble the walls for younger children and let them set.
Sort the candy into small bowls in the center of the table.
Give each child a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
Decorate in one sitting, then let the houses dry overnight.
Display the village on a tray or cake stand.
If the morning becomes an afternoon, that is fine. That is the point. Expect some candy to disappear before it reaches a roof. Keep a separate small bowl for eating, so the decorating bowls last.
How do you plan a Christmas cookie morning with kids?
Make the dough the day before, so the morning is all rolling, cutting and decorating. Give each child an apron, a small station and a plate for finished cookies.
Choose one simple dough, like a classic sugar cookie, and two or three cutter shapes. Too many options slow little hands down. Stars, trees and gingerbread figures are the easiest to decorate.
A cookie morning timeline:
The day before: make and chill the dough. Make the icing and store it covered in the refrigerator.
Breakfast: keep it simple, so the kitchen is free.
Rolling and cutting: one child rolls, one cuts, then switch.
Baking: an adult handles the oven. Children can clean up their stations while the cookies bake.
Cooling: cookies must cool completely before icing, so this is a good moment for a coloring page.
Decorating: icing, sprinkles and a lot of patience.
Packing: put a few cookies in a tin for a neighbor or grandparent.
A little helper apron for each child makes it feel like an occasion, and it saves the clothes underneath.
How do you keep kids busy over winter break?
Give each day one small plan, like a craft in the morning or a cookie afternoon, and leave the rest of the day free. A loose rhythm works better than a full schedule.
A simple week:
Monday: letter to Santa.
Tuesday: activity book and a walk.
Wednesday: gingerbread house morning.
Thursday: a library visit or a movie.
Friday: cookie morning.
Weekend: wrapping small gifts together.
Write the week on a small card and put it on the refrigerator. Children like to know what is coming, and it gives everyone something to look forward to.
For the grown-ups, there are quieter gift ideas, too: my best coffee-table books to give this Christmas and stocking stuffers she'll actually use. For the homes you will visit over the holidays, see The Hostess Gift Guide: 24 Gifts That Look Expensive.
Frequently asked questions
What age is a letter to Santa kit for?
Any child who can draw or write a few words can use one. Younger children can dictate their letter and decorate the page. Older children can write the whole letter themselves and add a drawing.
Do I need special paper for printables?
No. Plain printer paper works for coloring and activity pages. Cardstock is better for anything you want to keep.
How do I keep a gingerbread house from falling apart?
Let the walls set before you add the roof or decorations. Thick icing and a little patience are what hold it together.
Are Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable markers really washable?
They are part of Crayola's washable line, made for children. As with any marker, it is best to treat a spill quickly.
Where can I find these activities?
The printables are in the Tiger Eleven Studio Etsy shop. Every product in this post is linked in my Christmas activities LTK post, and all of my picks are on my LTK page.
Shop the edit: everything in this post is linked in my Christmas activities for kids LTK post.
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