10 Festive Christmas Activities for the Family

1. DIY Wrapping Paper by Stay at Home Activity Mom

This project is a fun way to let your older kids get involved in the wrapping process. Set aside some time to make multiple sheets of wrapping paper, let it dry, and then you are ready to wrap. This could even be done throughout the year using the gift recipients favorite colors. Click on the link for step by step instructions.

2. Present Patterns by Stay at Home Activity Mom

You probably are getting quite a pile of boxes this time of year. This activity is a creative way to repurpose them. Cut them into pieces and cover with clear packing tape so you can use them again and again. This activity was done with colorful holiday tape but craft tape would work fine too, it just wouldn't be quite as festive.

3. Math Christmas Tree by My Busy Kid

It's awesome when an activity can combine numbers with art and this activity does just that! Your child will count the number of dots on the sticker and place it as an "ornament" on the corresponding number on the tree. This skill is called "subitizing", where the end goal would be for your child to eventually recognize the value of a certain group of dots together without having to actually count them.

4. Build a Snowman Kit by Stay at Home Activity Mom

This kit comes with everything you need to build this snowman. This would be great for a stocking stuffer or as a new activity on the airplane on your way to visit family for the holidays. Grab one before they are sold out!

5. Christmas Sensory Bin by Stay at Home Activity Mom

Kids love hands on play such as sensory bins. This is a great activity to setup next to you while you work on addressing holiday cards or wrapping gifts. You can see what they are doing and chat with them along the way, all while getting some things checked off your to do list. It can be easily adapted to a variety of holiday items/trinkets you have around the house. If you add water to your bin be sure to set this up on top of a plastic tablecloth or beach towel.

6. Build a Cardboard Snowman by Craft Monsterz

This is another variation of "building a snowman". Wrap some old shipping boxes in white paper or paint them white and let them dry overnight. Then, let your kids use their creativity to decorate the snowman. Depending on how you attach the decorations (velcro vs. glue) this is an activity that can be done over and over again. Now that sounds fun!

7. Candy Cane Hang by Stay at Home Activity Mom

String, tape, and candy canes are all you need for this activity challenge. See how many candy canes you can get to balance on the string. This would be a good one for older kids home on winter break as well. Maybe you can even have a family challenge where everyone competes against each other to hang the most, or do it the fastest without knocking any down, etc!

8. Christmas Craft Kit by Stay at Home Activity Mom

Winter Break can be a great time to have the kids home from school but sometimes you need a little something to help entertain them in a hands on way... this kit is perfect for that! It would also be a great gift to send cousins, grandkids, etc. Click on the link to see all the items included in this kit. It really is a fun one!

9. Paper Roll Christmas Tree by Hello Wonderful_Co

Projects used by recycling materials you already have around the house are not only fun but great for the environment too. Grab some toilet paper rolls and use some craft supplies to complete this activity. Perfect for a rainy day or to make as decorations for your holiday dinner table.

10. 25 Days of Christmas by Stay at Home Activity Mom

A special part of the holidays is being able to spend more time with your family doing festive things. Below is a list of family fun activities that help create some lasting holiday memories that aren't just focused on opening presents. The "25 Days of Christmas" activity below can be adapted to meet the needs of your family. One fun idea is to write a different activity on 25 slips of paper and tuck them into some sort of advent calendar. Each day you can take turns opening the paper and completing your family activity for the day. You could even make this into a paper chain that you rip open each day or somehow have your Elf deliver the activity idea each morning. This can be modified in so many ways... do them all or just a few, either way you are creating core memories for your children.

We hope these ideas help kick start your holiday season! Tag Stay at Home Activity Mom in some of the activities you choose. We love to see what you are up to. Happy Holidays!