The holiday season is a perfect time to bring joy, creativity, and learning into your classroom. From arts and crafts to sensory play, these activities are designed to be engaging, budget-friendly, and adaptable for all age groups. Below are holiday-inspired activities tailored for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children, along with a few extra ideas to make your classroom festivities even more special.
Infant Activity: Merry Christmas Mistletoe Footprints
Celebrate the season with adorable keepsakes by creating Mistletoe Footprints. This simple art activity uses your infants’ tiny feet to make festive decorations that parents will treasure.
Materials needed
small painting canvas
red and green paint
paint brushes
white paper
red ribbon
Christmas stickers
Instructions:
Place a piece of paper on the floor under the canvas to catch excess paint.
Have the infants dip their feet into green paint and stamp onto the white paper in a circular pattern, mimicking mistletoe leaves.
Repeat with red paint to blend and add festive flair.
Allow the painting to dry completely.
Attach a red ribbon to the top of the canvas and add Christmas stickers for sparkle.
Add final touches with a paintbrush by dotting extra colors around the canvas.
Display the masterpiece in your classroom for all to admire! This activity brings art into the lesson and adds a personal, festive touch to your classroom décor.
Toddler Activity: Ornament Sensory Bin
Engage toddlers with a colorful, hands-on sensory experience that introduces textures, colors, and shapes.
Materials Needed:
Small colorful ornaments (plastic or wood)
Water
Spatulas and spoons
Instructions:
Fill a large, shallow container with clean water.
Add colorful ornaments to the water, ensuring there’s space for toddlers to scoop and grab.
Provide spatulas or spoons and encourage toddlers to scoop ornaments out of the water.
Allow the children to explore the different textures, colors, and shapes as they play.
This activity stimulates sensory development, imagination, and fine motor skills while keeping toddlers entertained during the holiday season.
Preschool Activity: Tree Painting
This classic holiday craft allows preschoolers to showcase their artistic talents while strengthening their coordination and creativity.
Materials Needed:
Green construction paper
Red, white, yellow, and gold paint
Pre-drawn Christmas tree outline
Paintbrushes
Paint plates
Instructions:
Lay green construction paper on a flat surface and provide each child with a pre-drawn Christmas tree outline.
Fill plates with small amounts of paint in festive colors.
Encourage children to use paintbrushes to decorate the tree with colorful dots, creating ornaments.
Once the painting is complete, allow it to dry before displaying their work.
This activity is simple, festive, and helps build creativity, teamwork, and gross motor skills.
School-AgeRS Activity: Tabletop Bowling
Bring friendly competition into your classroom with a festive twist on traditional bowling.
Materials Needed:
Red and green plastic cups
Large cotton balls
Paper for scorecards
Flat tabletop surface
Instructions:
Set up a pyramid of stacked cups at one end of the table.
Place a cotton ball 1–2 feet away from the cups.
Take turns rolling the cotton ball to knock down the cups.
Record scores on paper and offer small prizes for winners.
This fun and easy game improves hand-eye coordination, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Tabletop bowling is a great game to ignite friendly competition while improving hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and teamwork. The game is easy to set up, requires minimal supplies, and can be played anywhere. It also helps teach the young ones about the importance of sportsmanship and healthy competition.
Other Activities
Traditional dress-up clothing.
There's no perfect way to celebrate the holidays than by adding cultural diversity into your classroom. One great activity for doing this is with dress-up clothing. Invite your children to dress up in traditional holiday clothing from different cultures. This can be anything from a sari, kimono, dirndl, or sombrero. This activity encourages cultural appreciation, diversity, and understanding among your children. It also offers children a chance to learn about the traditions and customs of different cultures. And it's a fabulous way to get them creative while having fun simultaneously.
Holiday-inspired songs to sing or read holiday-themed books
Another great way to celebrate the holidays in your classroom is by singing holiday-inspired songs and reading festive books. Some fun song options include "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Frosty the Snowman." And for book options, some popular classics include "The Night Before Christmas" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas." With these holiday-inspired songs and books, your children can get into the festive spirit, learn about different cultural traditions, and have fun celebrating the holidays together.
From sensory bins to creative crafts, these activities offer something special for every age group. Incorporate these budget-friendly ideas into your classroom to ensure a joyful and enriching holiday season.
Happy Holidays from Elite Educational Enterprises!
Reference:
Joyfully Thriving. (n.d.). 12 Best Christmas Song Books for Kids. Retrieved from https://joyfullythriving.com/christmas-song-books/
Recommended Course: Age-Appropriate Learning Experiences
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Meet the Authors
The Elite Educational Enterprises Team is passionate about empowering early childhood educators, leaders, and childcare providers with the tools and resources they need to create thriving learning environments. With a commitment to high-quality training and professional development, our team is dedicated to supporting educators in making a meaningful impact on children, families, and communities.
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