Safety first: Always supervise little ones, and skip small parts for kids who still put things in their mouths. Please read our play safety notes before you start.
Key takeaways
- Mix one fine motor and one gross motor activity each day. Wiggly kids focus better after they move.
- Most ideas use tongs, pom-poms, paper, tape and boxes you already have.
- Jingle bells, pom-poms and golf tees are fine for ages 3 to 5 with an adult close by, but keep them away from babies and toddlers who mouth things.
- Every gross motor game here fits in a living room or a classroom rug area.
In this post29 sections
- Fine Motor Christmas Activities for Preschoolers
- 1. Pom-pom tree with tongs
- 2. Hammer golf tees into a foam present
- 3. Jingle bell spoon transfer
- 4. Playdough Christmas tree
- 5. Lacing ornament cards
- 6. Clothespin wreath
- Gross Motor Christmas Games (Indoor, Small Spaces)
- 7. Reindeer hop course
- 8. Snowball toss into the chimney
- 9. Jingle freeze dance
- 10. Santa says
- 11. Present relay
- Christmas Math and Counting Activities
- 12. Count the ornaments
- 13. Gingerbread pattern strips
- 14. Big, medium, small gift sort
- Christmas Literacy and Letter Activities
- 15. Letter ornament hunt
- 16. Name candy cane
- 17. Christmas story basket
- 18. Letter sounds in a stocking
- Large Group and Circle Time Christmas Activities
- 19. Pass the present
- 20. Parachute snowstorm
- 21. Hide the reindeer (hot and cold)
- A 5-Day Preschool Christmas Plan
- Free Printable Christmas Activities for Preschool
- FAQ
Fine Motor Christmas Activities for Preschoolers
Fine motor work builds the hand strength kids need for holding a pencil and using scissors. These turn that practice into Christmas play.
1Pom-pom tree with tongs
Draw a big Christmas tree on paper with circles for ornaments. Kids use tongs to pick up pom-poms and drop one on each circle. Squeezing tongs works the same muscles as holding a pencil.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper, green marker, pom-poms, kid tongs.
Safety: pom-poms are a choking risk for kids who still mouth things, so stay close.
- Make it harder with smaller pom-poms or tweezers for 5-year-olds.
2Hammer golf tees into a foam present
Wrap a thick foam block like a gift and let kids tap plastic golf tees into the top with a toy hammer. It's loud, satisfying and great for hand-eye coordination.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a thick foam block, wrapping paper, a bow, plastic golf tees, a toy wooden hammer.
Safety: use plastic tees and a toy hammer, and keep tees away from younger siblings.
- Call out a color: "Hammer in a red tee!"
3Jingle bell spoon transfer
Put large jingle bells in a bowl and a muffin tin across the table. Kids carry one bell at a time on a spoon to each cup. The jingle tells you when one drops.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: large jingle bells, a bowl, a spoon, a muffin tin.
Safety: jingle bells are small parts, so this is for ages 3 and up with an adult right there; count them in and out.
- Put a number card in each muffin cup and have kids drop in that many bells.
4Playdough Christmas tree
Shape green playdough into a cone tree. Kids press in short pipe cleaner pieces as tinsel and lights, then top it with a playdough star.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: green and yellow playdough, pipe cleaners cut into 2-inch pieces.
Safety: an adult cuts the pipe cleaners and folds the sharp ends; playdough isn't food.
- Add Christmas cookie cutters for kids who'd rather stamp shapes.
5Lacing ornament cards
Cut ornament shapes from a cereal box, punch holes around the edge and give kids a piece of yarn with tape on the tip. Lacing builds focus and two-handed control.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: cardboard, a hole punch, yarn, tape.
Safety: keep yarn shorter than 12 inches and put it away after play.
- Hang the finished cards on the tree. They're unbreakable.
6Clothespin wreath
Paint a paper plate ring green, then let kids clip red and green clothespins all around the edge. Pinching clothespins is tough work for small hands.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes plus paint drying.
Mess: low.
Supplies: a paper plate, green paint, wooden clothespins.
Safety: clothespins can pinch, so show kids how to hold the ends.
- Make a red-green-red pattern for a bonus math skill.
Gross Motor Christmas Games (Indoor, Small Spaces)
Cold days mean lots of indoor time. These gross motor Christmas activities for preschoolers burn off energy without a gym.
7Reindeer hop course
Tape a hopping path on the floor with squares, zigzags and a jump line. Kids hop like reindeer to the end, then try it backward or on one foot.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: painter's tape.
Safety: clear the area of furniture corners and play in socks with grips or bare feet.
- Name each move: Dasher dash, Prancer prance, Comet jump.
8Snowball toss into the chimney
Turn a laundry basket into a chimney with red paper bricks. Kids toss crumpled paper or rolled socks from a tape line, then step back for the next round.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: a laundry basket, red paper, tape, scrap paper or socks.
Safety: soft snowballs only, and nobody stands near the basket while others throw.
- Count the snowballs that land in together at the end.
9Jingle freeze dance
Play a Christmas song and let everyone dance. When the music stops, kids freeze like a snowman. Add a move each round: freeze on one foot, freeze reaching up.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: music.
Safety: clear a space and play on a rug, not a slippery floor.
- In a group, nobody is out. Everyone keeps dancing.
10Santa says
It's Simon Says with a Christmas twist. "Santa says stomp like a reindeer. Santa says stretch tall like a tree. Wrap a present!" Kids practice listening and balance at the same time.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: none.
Safety: keep moves on the ground and give everyone arm's-length space.
- Let a child be Santa after a few rounds.
11Present relay
Wrap empty boxes in Christmas paper. Kids carry one present at a time from the start line to a laundry basket "sleigh" and race back. Try big boxes with two hands, then tiny boxes balanced on a plate.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 15 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: empty boxes, wrapping paper, a laundry basket, tape.
Safety: walk-only rule in tight spaces.
- Reuse the boxes for the size sort in idea 14.
Christmas Math and Counting Activities
Counting, sorting and patterns are easy to sneak into December. These use the same pom-poms and boxes from above.
12Count the ornaments
Cut five paper trees and write a number from 1 to 5 on each trunk. Kids add that many pom-pom ornaments to each tree. Go to 10 for older preschoolers.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: green paper, a marker, pom-poms.
Safety: the same pom-pom note applies: stay close with kids who mouth things.
- Use dots instead of numerals for kids who are still learning numbers.
13Gingerbread pattern strips
Cut brown paper gingerbread shapes and red paper hearts. Start a pattern on a paper strip (gingerbread, heart, gingerbread) and kids glue on what comes next.
Ages: 4 to 5.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: brown and red paper, a paper strip, a glue stick.
Safety: an adult cuts the shapes, or use child-safe scissors with help.
- Try an ABB pattern once AB is easy.
14Big, medium, small gift sort
Line up wrapped boxes in three sizes. Kids sort them onto big, medium and small mats, then put them in order from smallest to biggest.
Ages: 3 to 4.
Prep: 5 minutes (reuse the relay boxes).
Mess: none.
Supplies: wrapped boxes, three paper mats.
Safety: nothing to watch for here.
- Ask: which box is the heaviest? Then check by holding them.
Christmas Literacy and Letter Activities
These keep letters playful. Pick the version that matches where your child is right now.
15Letter ornament hunt
Write capital letters on paper ornaments and hide them around the room. Kids find one, say the letter and stick it on a matching spot on a felt or paper tree.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: paper, a marker, tape or a felt board.
Safety: hide them low so nobody climbs.
- Older kids can match lowercase ornaments to capital spots.
16Name candy cane
Draw a big candy cane outline and write your child's name in stripes along it. Kids trace each letter in red, then color the stripes in between.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper, a red crayon or marker.
Safety: nothing to watch for here.
- For new writers, use a highlighter for the letters so they trace over it.
17Christmas story basket
Fill a basket with a winter picture book and a few props that match the story: a toy reindeer, a hat, a mitten, a toy sleigh. After the read-aloud, kids retell the story using the props.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a picture book, 4 or 5 toys from the house.
Safety: props bigger than a toilet paper tube for kids who still mouth things.
- Ask: what happened first? What happened at the end?
18Letter sounds in a stocking
Put five small toys in a stocking. Kids pull one out, say its name and the first sound, then find that letter on a card. Ball, bear, car and duck are easy starters.
Ages: 4 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a stocking, 5 toys, letter cards.
Safety: toys bigger than a toilet paper tube opening if younger siblings are near.
- Swap the toys each day for new sounds.
Large Group and Circle Time Christmas Activities
These work for a class of 15, a playdate or a family party. Everyone plays at once, so nobody waits long. For a 10 minute circle time plan and how to split a big class into stations, see how to run Christmas large group activities for preschool.
19Pass the present
Wrap a small prize in many layers of paper, with a movement card in each layer ("hop 5 times"). Pass it around the circle while music plays. When it stops, that child unwraps a layer and everyone does the move.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 15 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: wrapping paper, tape, movement cards, music, a small prize like stickers.
Safety: no candy prize in a class with allergies; stickers work for everyone.
- Make sure the music stops on every child once.
20Parachute snowstorm
Toss crumpled white paper balls onto a play parachute or a flat bedsheet. Kids hold the edge and shake it gently, then hard, to make a snowstorm. Count how many snowballs stay on.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: a play parachute or a flat sheet, scrap paper.
Safety: keep the sheet low and nobody goes underneath while it's shaking.
- Try a "gentle snow" round first so younger kids get the hang of it.
21Hide the reindeer (hot and cold)
One child leaves the circle while you hide a toy reindeer. When they come back, the group sings or claps louder as they get closer and softer as they move away.
Ages: 3 to 5.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a toy reindeer.
Safety: hide it at floor or table height.
- Quiet kids often love being the clapping crowd more than the finder.
A 5-Day Preschool Christmas Plan
Pair one sit-down activity with one moving game each day. Here's a sample week using the ideas above.
| Day | Fine motor | Gross motor | Math or letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pom-pom tree (1) | Reindeer hop (7) | Count the ornaments (12) |
| Tuesday | Golf tee present (2) | Snowball toss (8) | Letter ornament hunt (15) |
| Wednesday | Jingle bell transfer (3) | Jingle freeze dance (9) | Gingerbread patterns (13) |
| Thursday | Playdough tree (4) | Present relay (11) | Gift size sort (14) |
| Friday | Clothespin wreath (6) | Parachute snowstorm (20) | Story basket (17) |
Free Printable Christmas Activities for Preschool
Short on prep time? Our free 50 Screen-Free Activities pack has activity cards for ages 2 to 6, each with prep, mess and supplies. Grab it below.
Want crafts too? See our easy preschool Christmas crafts for ages 3 to 5 and the new reindeer crafts for kids. Younger siblings will love these Christmas sensory bins for toddlers and Christmas activities for toddlers at home. If you teach, our classroom elf ideas pair well with this list.
For a ready-to-print December, the Christmas Activity Pack has a 24-day countdown, picture bingo for up to 6 players, an I spy counting page, word searches and coloring pages for ages 3 to 8.
Frequently asked questions
What are fine motor Christmas activities for preschoolers?
Try a pom-pom tree with tongs, hammering golf tees into a foam present, a jingle bell spoon transfer, a playdough Christmas tree, lacing ornament cards and a clothespin wreath. Each builds the hand strength kids need for pencils and scissors.
What are Christmas gross motor games for a preschool classroom?
A taped reindeer hop course, a snowball toss into a laundry basket chimney, jingle freeze dance, Santa Says and a present relay all fit in a classroom rug area or a living room.
How do you do Christmas activities with a large group or at circle time?
Pick games where everyone plays at once: pass the present with a movement card in each layer, a parachute snowstorm, or a hot and cold reindeer hunt where the group claps louder as the finder gets close.
Are there free printable Christmas activities for preschool?
Yes. Our free 50 Screen-Free Activities pack has activity cards for ages 2 to 6. For Christmas-specific pages, the Christmas Activity Pack has a countdown, bingo, an I spy counting page and coloring pages.
What Christmas math and literacy activities work for preschool?
Count the ornaments on numbered paper trees, make gingerbread pattern strips, sort gift boxes by size, go on a letter ornament hunt, trace a name candy cane and retell a story with a Christmas story basket.
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