December with kids at home is magical — and, on cold or rainy days, very long. When the screens have been on too long and everyone is restless, these 20 Christmas activities keep kids busy, creative, and genuinely happy, using supplies most USA homes already have.
1. Build a Gingerbread House (From a Kit or Scratch)
A $10 to $15 gingerbread house kit from Walmart or Target is the classic December project. Let kids decorate freely — perfection is not the point, and the slightly crooked houses are always the favorites in photos.
2. Make Salt Dough Ornaments
Mix flour, salt, and water into dough, cut star and tree shapes with cookie cutters, bake low until hard, and paint. These ornaments cost almost nothing, keep for years, and make beloved grandparent gifts.
3. Write Letters to Santa — and Mail Them
Set out paper, crayons, and stickers for Santa letters, then actually mail them or leave them by the fireplace. Younger kids can draw their wish list instead of writing it.
4. Christmas Scavenger Hunt Around the House
Hide small candy canes or ornaments and write simple clues (“I keep milk cold” for the fridge). A 15-minute hunt burns off more energy than an hour of television.
5. Decorate Paper Bag Luminaries
Fold down the tops of brown paper bags, drop in a battery candle, and line them along a porch or hallway. They look beautiful at dusk and cost under $5 for a whole row.
6. Bake and Decorate Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookie dough, a few cutters, and basic icing are enough. Give each child their own baking sheet so everyone decorates their own batch — and eats the evidence.
7. Make a Paper Chain Countdown
Cut red and green construction paper into strips, loop them into a chain, and tear one off each day until Christmas. It teaches counting and patience at the same time.
8. Build a Fort and Read Christmas Books
Drape blankets over chairs, add string lights, and read holiday picture books inside. A fort turns an ordinary story into an event kids ask to repeat.
9. Create Handmade Gift Wrap
Let kids stamp plain brown kraft paper with potato stamps, sponge shapes, or handprints. Handmade wrap makes even a small gift feel special — and keeps little hands busy for an hour.
10. Snow Sensory Play (Real or Fake)
If it snows, bring a bin of clean snow inside for scooping and molding. No snow? Mix baking soda and conditioner into fake snow — it molds like the real thing and vacuums up easily.
11. Christmas Bingo and Board Games
Print a free Christmas bingo card online or play a family board game with a holiday twist: winner picks the evening’s Christmas movie. Keep games short for younger kids.
12. Make Reindeer Food for Christmas Eve
Mix oats and sprinkles into small bags labeled “reindeer food” to sprinkle on the lawn on Christmas Eve. Kids love the tradition, and it costs almost nothing.
13. Decorate a Mini Tree for Their Room
A small tabletop tree ($10 to $15) with unbreakable ornaments gives kids their own tree to decorate — and redecorate — as many times as they like.
14. Christmas Karaoke and Dance Party
Put on a holiday playlist and dance in the living room. Add simple instruments — pots, shakers, jingle bells — for a full family band performance.
15. Make Popcorn Garlands
String popped popcorn (and cranberries, for older kids) onto thread for a classic tree garland. It is delightfully old-fashioned, and snacking while stringing is part of the fun.
16. Kindness Advent Calendar
Instead of chocolate, fill an advent calendar with kindness tasks: “compliment a sibling,” “donate a toy,” “draw a picture for grandma.” Kids remember this one all year.
17. Build a Snowman (or a Snow Family)
When snow falls, get outside: a snowman, snow angels, and a snowball target practice session are the best free activities December offers. Warm cocoa afterward is mandatory.
18. Christmas Science: Growing Candy Canes
Dissolve sugar in water, hang a string in the jar, and watch crystals grow over a week — a “candy cane crystal” experiment that doubles as a science lesson and a decoration.
19. Put On a Christmas Play
Kids write a short play, make costumes from old clothes and wrapping paper, and perform it for the family after dinner. Even a five-minute show earns a standing ovation.
20. Family Puzzle Night by the Tree
A 500-piece holiday puzzle on the coffee table becomes a week-long family project — everyone adds a few pieces when they pass by, and finishing it together feels like a small Christmas miracle.
Tips for Screen-Free Days That Actually Work
Rotate activities rather than planning a full day: two structured activities, free play, and one outdoor burst beat a packed schedule. Keep supplies in one box so setup takes minutes, and let kids choose between two options — choice prevents arguments before they start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep kids entertained all winter break?
You do not need a new activity every hour. A mix of one craft, one active game, and one quiet activity per day, repeated with variations, covers most days happily.
What Christmas activities work for toddlers?
Sensory play, simple stamping, decorating a felt tree on the wall, and dancing to holiday music are all toddler-friendly and low-mess with a little supervision.
Are these activities expensive?
Almost all cost under $15, and many use supplies already at home — paper, flour, popcorn, and blankets. The most memorable ones are usually the cheapest.
The best Christmas activities are not the most elaborate ones. They are the ones where kids create something, laugh a lot, and end the day with a story to tell — no screen required.