Before the wrapping paper chaos begins, here’s a taste of what’s inside:
- Crafty fun: easy Christmas crafts and recycled paper bag decorations the kids will love making.
- Tasty treats: simple festive bakes and recipes to get little hands helping in the kitchen.
- Games and giggles: quick Christmas games to keep everyone laughing between presents.
- Festive inspiration: fun, feel-good ideas to make the holiday countdown a little sweeter.
Tinsel glistening under fairy lights, the aromatic fragrance of pine trees in the air, and happy sounds of children home on holidays. Christmas is a magical time of year.
But how do you keep the fun going for the little ones with all those hours to fill? Having activities set up and ready to go can be quite a challenge, and coming up with Christmas activities for toddlers and kids to keep their busy little hands and minds from mischief can be especially so. Let’s take a look at ideas for kids’ Christmas activities that will keep them happy for hours on end this festive season.
Christmas crafts for kids
Nothing beats Christmas crafts. Not only does it keep the little ones occupied, but it’s also a great way to add a touch of Christmas spirit to the day. Having a few quick and easy Christmas craft ideas for kids up your sleeve can be a life saver. Set them up and they’ll be happy for hours. Here are some of our favourite fun crafts to try:
Easy DIY Christmas decorations
Before you break out the glitter, roll up your sleeves and see how a few humble materials (and a little imagination) can turn everyday items into festive creations.
What can you make with recycled materials for kids?
You don’t need fancy supplies to get creative, just a few things from around the house. Recycled materials like brown paper bags, cardboard boxes, old magazines, or jars can all become Christmas crafts for kids. Turn paper bags into festive garlands, use cereal boxes for DIY gift tags, or transform jars into glowing lanterns with a little paint and glitter. It’s a fun, sustainable way to make something special together (and teach kids that creativity doesn’t have to come wrapped in plastic).
And if you’re ready to turn that inspiration into something extra delightful, we’ve got three easy projects that reuse our Bakers Delight brown paper bags. Each one is simple, sustainable and seriously fun: perfect for tree decorating, table styling or keeping the kids entertained while you finish your Christmas prep.
These DIY Christmas decorations take less than 30 minutes to make, making them ideal for rainy afternoons or post-lunch quiet time. Just grab your scissors, string and a few sparkly extras, then follow along with our step-by-step videos below.
Star Garland
Turn your Bakers Delight paper bags into a starry night! Cut out star shapes, decorate them with paint, glitter, or coloured pens, and string them together with twine or ribbon. This fun Christmas craft idea adds instant sparkle to doorways or Christmas trees, and little ones will love watching their stars twinkle once they’re up.
Easy Festive Garland
Bring the holiday cheer to life with a festive garland made from brown paper bag loops. Kids can paint, stamp or collage patterns onto each strip before linking them together. Hang it across a wall, window or the Christmas table for an instant holiday upgrade.
Reindeer Garland
Got a few extra paper bags? Turn them into a parade of reindeer faces! Cut out head shapes, add googly eyes, red noses and antlers (made from offcuts or pipe cleaners), then peg or tape them to a string. It’s an easy Christmas craft for toddlers that’s big on cuteness and Christmas charm.
Easy kid-friendly Christmas recipes
When the craft supplies are packed away and the sweet tooth kicks in, it's time to swap the glue stuck for the mixing spoon. After all, there’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than with festive treats! Baking can be a great way to spend quality time with those you love, while also serving up a delicious snack for after. So grab a bowl and a spatula, wrap yourselves in your finest Christmas themed aprons and mix up some tasty fun. Here are a couple of delicious festive recipes to try:
Reindeer Cake Pops
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and his flying team have never looked so scrumptious! Festive from inside out, this fun reindeer recipe is made from our Christmas Cake stirred-up with creamy chocolate and chilled in the freezer to create mouthwatering pops. Dipped in more chocolate for a truly decadent doe, they’re finished off with pretzel antlers and a red M&M mini for the nose. With no baking needed, this is a great one to make with toddlers right through to big kids.
Lemon Tart Eton Mess
A lovely layered creation that’s easy for little hands to make, this Lemon Tart Eton Mess tastes sublime. Bright and zesty Lemon Tarts broken into chunks are the heart of this creation, with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries for delicious colour. They’re fun for the kids to make, layering tiny handfuls of each ingredient, with dollops of whipped cream and a meringue kiss or two for crunch in between. It’s a work of art and dessert all in one!
Fun Christmas games for kids
Tis the season for joy, fun… and games! Here are some holly jolly Christmas game ideas to get you started:
- Christmas Charades: On small pieces of paper write the names of Christmas themed movies, music and books to act out for everyone to guess. For younger kids include Christmas actions to act out such as building a snowman, or putting up a Christmas tree.
- Pin the nose on Rudolph: Each person takes turns at pinning a red nose (made from paper or felt) onto a picture of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. The person who gets it closest to the correct position wins!
- Festive Treasure Hunt: Hide Christmas-themed items like candy canes, baubles or little toys around the house. Give the kids a list of things to find and see who can collect them all the fastest!
- Christmas Bingo: Make or download bingo cards but instead of numbers have festive pictures like Santa, presents, snowflakes, Christmas-lights, candy canes, baubles and stockings.
Wondering how to make Christmas games for kids even more jolly? How about prizes for the winners like Christmas crackers, a personalised bauble, or first dibs at the dessert table?
Activity books
Want an easy way to keep them entertained? An activity book loaded with kids’ Christmas colouring sheets, cut-outs, mazes, puzzles, and other fun challenges will keep them quietly occupied for ages. Whether you make your own or download our ready-made dough-lightful activity book, it’s a great option for quiet time, plus it can be a great addition to the table for after lunch down-time!
Elf on the Shelf
Bring the magic of Christmas to life with your own Elf on the Shelf. Legend has it that these tiny Santa’s helpers watch how the children behave and report back to Santa each night on whether they’ve good…or not. Get them even more excited by making this one of the fun Christmas activities that you do together!
Just print out our Bakers Delight Elf on the Shelf, cut it out, and get creative by adding glitter, fabric, cotton balls, and whatever else you like. Once their creations are complete, move the elf each night to a new spot, and pose them doing something fun like hanging out in the dollhouse, or skiing through flour on the floor.
How do you entertain kids at a Christmas party?
Entertaining kids at your next Christmas party is easy if you plan some activities ahead of time and have plenty of snacks on hand. Games, crafts and baking are wonderful, and if you sprinkle in a few extras like face painting, hand puppets, gingerbread house decorating, or getting them to put on a dance performance they’ll be merry and bright all night!
As the festive season draws near, remember that your local Bakers Delight has baked Christmas delights to make your festive feast easy. Not only do we have scrumptious Christmas Cakes, Lemon Tarts, and Fruit Mince Tarts, but a range of different recipes to help you curate the perfect Christmas menu.
Loving the DIY Christmas spirit? Head on over to our blog on easy homemade Christmas gifts for more fun, festive ways to get creative this season.
