Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Lemon Lime Adventures embraced child led inquiry with this pine cone experiment – I certainly learnt a thing or two from this activity!!
2. Little Bins for Little Hands used ice blocks to engineer a Christmas tree – all ages will love this one!
3. 123 Homeschool for Me show us another way to engineer a Christmas tree; this time using different sized craft sticks and Lego blocks – how would you build and balance?
4. The Kavanaugh Report uses Montessori principles to create this simple sensory Christmas matching game. Babies and toddlers will love exploring this activity in their own way.

Kids in the Kitchen.

Even if you aren't the best baker there is always something easy to make with the children at Christmas time and you won't be short of helpers to prep some of these yummy festive treats.

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Kidgredients shares her easy recipe for Christmas butter cookies – make sure to let the children decorate with a few treats and they make perfect gifts for parents!
2. The OT Toolbox keeps morning and afternoon tea healthy with this apple tree! Why not encourage the older children to create their own version to eat or share.
3. What We Can Do With Paper & Glue made their own festive ice pops to share. Lots of hands on fun here!
4. Picklebums shows us how to turn the festive taste of gingerbread into cupcakes – seriously….who could resist?

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Meri Cherry went Christmas Crazy with these cookies! Find out how they also used a hammer to make these treats!
2. Creative Kids Snacks put together these cute little Grinch party popper treats. I know you don't have time to make them but I bet the school age children would love to do this as an activity if you provide the materials!
3. Mumlyfe has put together this brilliant idea you can use to gift to the children or parents at the end of the year (without spending hours on it!). Children 3 years up will also love helping you make some to give to their play friends. You can even download a free printable…so simple!
4. The Kitchen is my Playground uses only 3 ingredients to make these cinnamon ornament cookies – they would also make lovely gifts for the children to ice and take home.

If you are looking for something to share on the party table why not try Kidgredients Cream Cheese Christmas Bauble Dip

Make some of these easy Baked Cheddar Crackers from Winter Monroe to go with it!

Festive Fine Motor Fun

So many possibilities to help strengthen and challenge those fine motor muscles and control with these loose Christmas themed activities suitable for a wide range of ages.

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Crafty Morning shows us how to use buttons and a canvas to create unique kid made wreaths.
2. You Clever Monkey shares this fabulous free printable with you to invite fine motor play. They will never even know they are working on strengthening their muscles and control while having fun.
3. Left Brain Craft Brain turns tinkering into trees with this simple nuts, bolts and washers activity perfectly suited to little hands.
4. Fantastic Fun and Learning turn egg cartons from the recycle bin into festive fine motor trees instead!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Living Montessori Now set up this simple invitation to decorate a Christmas tree – this activity is easy to modify or increase the challenge for a variety of age groups.
2. Teach Preschool  keeps the play simple with this magnetic bow activity. Ask parents to help you collect the bows or visit your local $2 shop to keep it budget friendly!
3. Buggy and Buddy  used felt pieces to create this invitation to decorate a tree. You can use larger felt circles for smaller hands if they are still working on that pincer grip and getting frustrated!
4. The Craft Train shares an old fine motor favourite with these yarn wrapped stars – a fantastic activity for vacation care and school age children!

Love gingerbread houses but not so keen on baking and decorating one with a large group of children? Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls shows you how to turn a cardboard box into a no mess fine motor activity instead with this velcro gingerbread house that they can decorate over and over again….genius!

Language, Literacy, Listening, Music and Dramatic Play Ideas.

You don't need a Christmas theme to incorporate music, movement, literacy and listening activities…but it does make it a little more fun at this time of year! Try some of these ideas….

Create your own Christmas reading corner using these tips from My Little Bookcase.

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Picklebums created these Christmas challenge cards for children to use as prompts for drawing, building or charades and you can download all of the cards free so make sure to pop over and grab your set!
2. No Time for Flashcards added sound to their painting with these jingle bell brushes.
3. Childhood 101 introduces opportunities for early literacy and creativity with this Christmas Card make and write station – easy to set up but hours of fun waiting to happen and suitable for a variety of ages.
4. Nurturestore shares some easy yet fun Christmas listening games with us – my favourite is the jingle bell boxes!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Play & Learn Everyday put together this song basket as an invitation to create and sing Christmas songs.
2. The Imagination Tree  set up this fun post office writing table invitation to encourage early writing skills and imaginative role play .
3. Picklebums shows you how to make these sweet Elf finger-puppets then sing the song – toddlers will love them! Download the free printable here.
4. PreK Pages set up this busy gift wrapping centre for the children to explore in various ways. So simple but lots of hands on exploration here!

Playbased Parenting used this list of fabulous Christmas books to create a sweet free advent calendar.

Christmas Nature Play

We love finding ways to explore, investigate and incorporate nature into all of our play experiences and Christmas provides even more opportunities for children to interact with nature. Feel like it's all a bit hard to do? Try some of the easy ideas below and you'll soon find yourself embracing nature play everyday!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Mother Natured shows us how to make eco friendly confetti from nature – perfect for all that Christmas craft.
2. We turned our old wheelbarrows into Christmas themed mobile small worlds. See how you can get started creating something similar here.
3. Danya Banya turns gumnuts and seed pods into unique Christmas decorations. A fantastic activity for the schoolies!
4. Little Bins for Little Hands put together a beautiful evergreen winter nature ice melt that is both science and sensory play. Modify the natural materials to suit the region you live in.

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. The Pinterested Parent used salt dough and nature for the children to create  unique wreaths and winter wonderlands.
2. Mother Natured  set up this nature craft station as an invitation for the children to decorate their own tree using ornaments made simply from nature!
3. Danya Banya got beautifully messy making these pine cone Christmas tree keepsakes.
4. Mother Natured again uses leaves as a simple base to create gorgeous tree ornaments from nature. I know this would be a hit in many vacation care programs for school age children!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Mother Natured  layers different sized leaves to build these individual Christmas trees. Use them to decorate the table, tree or give as a gift. This activity is one for the older children and should keep those fingers busy for awhile!
2. What Can We Do with Paper & Glue  embraces all that nature has to offer with this simple sensory tray for children of all ages to explore and investigate. Only natural materials and no drying needed!
3. Little Bins for Little Hands combines sensory, science and fine motor play with this evergreen goop/oobleck play.
4. What Can We Do with Paper & Glue used only a few materials to make these lovely yarn wrapped pinecones – use them as ornaments or display in glass bowls and jars on the table!

Inspiration featured below from The Empowered Educator

Children will love helping you make these cute Santa pots then choosing and planting a special flower, herb or vegetable seedling to give as gift to family. See how here.

Easy Christmas Ornaments for Children to Make.

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. One Little Project turned pom poms and pine cones into creative and colourful hanging ornaments. You can modify this activity for younger children by simply turning the pine cone upright and showing children how to poke pom poms into the gaps.
2. The Craft Train shows you how to put together these ‘design an ornament' packs for kids to do on their own. They would make a great class gift!
3. Babble Dabble Do raided the recycle bin to make this tin can tree – stand back and let the decorating begin!
4. My Bored Toddler shares this oh so simple ornament activity perfect for toddler attention spans (and the need to see a finished product quickly!) Only 2 materials required.

Inspiration featured below from The Empowered Educator

Use this easy recipe to make your own white ‘clay dough' and then show the children how to turn them into nature ornaments to hang or take home!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Fireflies & Mudpies turns wood cookies into keepsakes using the children’s drawings and I think you will agree that they are the perfect Christmas gift for families and a wonderful way for children to express themselves creatively at this time of the year.
2. The Empowered Educator goes back to basics with these paper plate wreaths – still as popular with toddlers today as when I first made them with a group of children over 20 years ago. Just use the materials you have available, no need to buy anything new!
3. Laughing Kids Learn show you how simple these beautiful sequinned ornaments are to make and they will keep the kids busy for quite a while!
4. Mumlyfe shares a simple sewing project for older children using colourful felt pieces to make these bauble ornaments. A great introduction to sewing for children!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. We used our favourite microwave salt dough recipe to make these quick and easy ornaments. Toddlers and schoolies all joined in the fun!
2. Domestically Speakingturned wood cookies into rustic ornaments and mini geoboards using nails and a little twine – love them!
3. Loving these colourful salt dough suncatchers from Homegrown Friends
4. Red Ted Art uses pom poms to create simple soft wreaths. Children of all ages can get creative with this activity!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Pink Stripey Socks collected sticks and twigs then added some colourful string and wool for children to make their own ornaments.
2. Picklebums turns fusible beads into colourful and quick Christmas ornaments – this one is on our list to try in the holidays!
3. Laughing Kids Learn shares how to make this Christmas ornament with a special hidden surprise (or two)  inside.
4. My Bored Toddler shows us how easy it is to involve toddlers in simple Christmas fun. This activity not only uses up paper from the recycle bin but also works those fine motor skills. And best of all it's so easy to set up and clean up!

Exploring with the Senses at Christmas Time.

This is a wonderful time of the year to introduce activities and environments that invite children to use their senses in different ways. Listen to little bells ringing, smell new spices like cinnamon and cloves, touch different paper textures and natural materials, taste wonderful Christmas treats, investigate lights , colour and reflection and so much more…let's get started!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Meri Cherry turned plain cloud dough into something a little more festive to explore.
2. You have to try this Christmas bauble slime activity – so much fun, easy to set up and really works those fine motor muscles too! See how we played here!
3. I love the possibilities and challenge of these magnetic sensory bottles created by No Time for Flashcards!
4. Lemon Lime Adventures made sure baby experienced the wonder of Christmas time with this sensory light jar. So easy to make, you must try it!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. We had so much fun making these sensory Christmas trees. The activity used recycled materials and was easy to modify and keep the interest of toddlers through to school age children. See how we set up here.
2. Red Ted Art turned items from nature and a little ice into beautiful hanging ornaments. Find out how here.
3. How inviting does this ‘make a reindeer' chocolate playdough invitation from Fantastic Fun & Learning look? So many wonderful textures to explore!
4. Mama, Papa, Bubba engages the senses with smells of the festive season as they paint with spices.

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. My Bored Toddler made some gingerbread goop/oobleck to invite lots of sensory, messy play for all ages.
2. Teaching Mama shows us how to create this simple sensory bottle made even more fun the more you shake it!
3. Sensory tubs and trays don't need to be complicated or fussy to set up. The Imagination Tree shares some ideas for materials here.
4. Playdough is a wonderful sensory medium for all ages to work and create with. Add some little baubles and Christmas cookie cutters to extend the festive theme. See what we used here.

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Little Bins for Little Hands uses mirrors, shiny loose parts and other Christmas materials to set up this mirror play activity for baby and toddler to investigate the science of reflections and patterns.
2. Laughing Kids Learn used a sheet of contact sticky paper to set up a festive collage activity suitable for a variety of ages to express themselves creatively.
3. It's so easy to make your own puffy paint and even easier to give it a Christmas colour theme. Find my simple recipe to use here.
4. These mini sensory bottles from The Kavanaugh Report are such a simple way to help baby and toddler explore with their senses. Each bottle was set up with contents to evoke a unique sensory response.

Moving those Muscles.

It's always a good time for children to be given opportunities to move and strengthen muscles while challenging balance and emerging skills both indoors and out, but here are a few fun festive ideas you might not have tried before!

Inspiration featured below from left to right – 

1. Childhood 101 turns an obstacle course into festive sensory fun that will have everyone moving in different ways while challenging muscles and engaging listening skills. Can you get through the course without jingling the bells?
2. Be a Fun Mum set up this tinsel tent as an inviting space outdoors to encourage drawing, reading, imagination and creative play.
3. The Inspired Treehouse shares this easy-to-set-up holiday activity that will ensure children work on balance, motor planning, coordination, and core strength!
4. Learning 4 Kids shows us how to make and use these twiggy shakers to get those bodies moving for some simple Christmas fun.

I hope you have found a new yet easy idea you might like to try soon. Remember this is meant to be a fun time of year so step back, take a breath and let the play evolve as it always does! (getting messy is always a great stress reliever if you are having one of those days though 😉 ) What simple Christmas or end of year activity, or gift do you like to do with the children each year?