10 Doable Holiday Activities & Crafts for Kids

Looking for doable holiday activities & crafts for kids? They are only this little once, so creating memories with them in this fun way is the best way to spend the season. Christmas time is here and now is the time to soak up family time and memories with our kids.Of course, there are fun adventures to be had like December Events, pics with Santa, seeing Christmas Lights, Ice Skating, Holiday Trains, Holiday Markets, and more!

Here are 10 relatively simple, doable holiday activities & crafts for kids at various ages. Pick and choose what works best for your kiddo, their age, and your family!

This is such a fun and easy project with children that gets them really excited. First, share that you plan to make a deer family solely from nature materials (and a hot glue gun!). After you gather various sizes sticks, plan to have a larger stick for the body, medium size for the head, and smaller sizes for the four legs, neck, and tail. Cut the sticks to the best size and get to glueing.

Full disclosure, I used our large tree trimming cutters to cut the sticks to size and a hot glue gun for placing the items where they are supposed to go. So, while this is fun, kids really help “direct” a lot of this and it’s more hands on for parents when we actually make the deer. We end our creation with adding a red nose and antlers and ears. The kids can play with them and are so proud that they found all the natural items. It is an old fashioned toy and I love it! It also reminds me of the natural elements at the Smithsonian Botanic Gardens Holiday Train Display!

A shoe box can go a long way! Providing children with a shoe box, colored paper, scissors, string, glue, and tape allows kids to really use their imagination! They can create a wintery paper scene that they are proud of. Let the kids create plays and stories to go along with the scene for extra fun!

A homemade ornament is a must this holiday season! I love to get the children’s school photos and use one to make an ornament. It is already printed (!!) and all I need to do is provide some craft materials. I like to place the photo on a hard sheet of paper so it is less likely to get bent over the years. I lightly hot glue the edges so it will stay put. We typically like to use popsicle sticks to frame the photo. We add to it with pom poms, glitter, beads, ribbon, stickers, bells, felt fabric, etc. Let your imagination go wild with your kiddo. It is fun to design something like this with them. They are so proud of themselves.

Create a fun “snowy” space for kids to have fun with their little toys. Use an enclosed container like a tray or large Tupperware and fill it with snow filling (or rice). Then throw in some pine cones, a little light, small trees, mini houses, mini shovel to move snow, their favorite mini toys, and voila, they have a holiday play space to explore and have fun in! This is a neat, doable holiday activities that you can really throw together!

These sweet baby toes won’t last forever! Capture these tiny feet with some paint on a sheet of paper and make sure you have all your materials on hand! Colored paper, washable acrylic paint, paint brush, and a wet wash cloth or wet wipes! Pro tip- when doing this with your baby, place them in their highchair so they wiggle less or keep them close in your lap and have your partner or friend help keep things secure. Also, tape the paper(s) down to a flat surface so it doesn’t slip or smudge during this craft time.

To make a reindeer bookmark for yourself, grandparents, aunts, etc. paint the bottom of your child’s foot brown and simply smush the bottom of the foot on the paper. It may take a few tries and that’s ok. Be easy on yourself and your baby/toddler–this is supposed to be fun! Once the paint dries on the paper, create antlers, eyes, and a nose. Once things are dry, cut out the bookmark. I actually like to use a laminator for items like this since it is less likely to get damaged. With kids it is amazing how often you’ll find yourself using a laminator! Lastly, use a punch hole at the top and tie a ribbon. And done! This would be great to mail with holiday cards too!

For older kids, have them make finger prints on a rectangular strip of paper and they can create a myriad of things once the paint dries. Some examples are penguins, bugs, reindeer faces, Santa faces, heart shapes, etc. Older kids can get really creative with this! Laminate, punch a hole, and tie a ribbon on top to complete the bookmark.

Create a cork board Christmas Tree with your kiddo! Here is the full tutorial on our site. I made this one with a large box that we got in the mail and the children had a blast. We only needed a large box, scissors, paint, ribbon, twine, mini clothespins, paper, and paint. It was fun to create and assemble with the children. It is a big statement for not a lot of money!

I love this play dough recipe! Simply add some cinnamon to a batch or peppermint and you now have holiday play dough! Offer children tools and cookie cutters from the kitchen for extra fun. After all, we are trying to create memories and smell is a great way to capture and make new memories!

This activity is for older kids and something anyone can learn to do! Make your very own wreath. The materials needed are fresh greens (grab some free scraps at a local Christmas tree farm or lot!), wreath hoop ($1 at the Dollar tree!), floral wire, and wire cutters or scissors to trim the branches.

Grab a grouping of leaves to make a bunch (about 4-6 stems that are about 5-7 inches long and width varies!), then place them on your concave hoop and use the floral wire to wrap the leaves securely at the base about five times. Next grab another bunch and place them on the hoop to cover where the bottom part of the previous section is. Continue this process until the wreath is full and pretty. Keep wrapping the wire and do not cut it until the end when it is completely secure!

Embellish the wreath with pine cones, mini gifts, crosses, berries, or ribbon. And hang it up! Better yet, invite buddies over to have a wreath making party! We hosted Deck the Walls again this year and it was so fun!

This classic countdown never gets old! Use fun colored paper, scissors, and a stapler to make a countdown garland. To add to this activity, write a kind thing you can do for someone each day on the sheet of paper. Or write a prayer request on each slip of paper to say a prayer for that person, place, or thing. Little activities like this add up to spread more goodness and kindness around our world! And it all starts at home!

10. Sticker Art

What are your favorite doable holiday activities & crafts for kids? Please share!