15 Fun & Easy Christmas Activities for Preschoolers

The preschool years are full of wonder — and at Christmas, that wonder multiplies. From sparkling lights to the excitement of Santa’s visit, this is the perfect time to engage little hands and big imaginations. But with so much energy (and a holiday to-do list a mile long), you need activities that are fun, easy to set up, and educational.

This guide is packed with Christmas activities for preschoolers that blend festive joy with skill-building play. From crafts and games to early learning printables, these ideas will keep your 3–5-year-old engaged while developing fine motor skills, creativity, and early academic concepts.

Want to see how these preschool ideas fit into a bigger holiday plan? Visit our complete list of Christmas activities for kids, organized by age group for easy holiday planning.

Why Holiday Activities Are Perfect for Preschoolers

At ages 3–5, preschoolers are brimming with curiosity and ready to explore more complex activities than toddlers. Choosing Christmas activities for preschoolers isn’t just about keeping them busy — it’s about channeling their energy into experiences that build important skills:

• Fine motor skills through coloring, tracing, cutting, and gluing.
• Cognitive development with pattern recognition, counting, and shape matching.
• Language skills as they learn new holiday-themed words and stories.
• Creativity and imagination through pretend play and art.

By offering age-appropriate challenges, you can make the season magical and meaningful.

These early learning ideas are just one part of our broader guide to fun Christmas activities for kids, which features age-based activities from toddlers to kindergarteners.

15 Screen-Free Christmas Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers thrive when learning feels like play — and the holidays provide endless inspiration. These Christmas Activities for Preschoolers ideas are simple to prep, safe for little hands, and perfect for both home and classroom use.

1. Christmas Pattern Block Mats

Print festive designs like trees, stockings, or snowflakes and let preschoolers fill them with pattern blocks.

Why preschoolers love it: It’s like building a puzzle, but with endless design possibilities.

2. Dot Marker Ornament Printables

Give them Christmas dot Art sheets where they can stamp colorful “baubles.” kids fill in shapes, outlines, or themed images using colorful dot markers — also known as bingo daubers or paint daubers. These chunky, easy-to-hold markers are perfect for little hands and ideal for developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and color recognition.

Why preschoolers love it: The dots create instant results, and the stamping motion is satisfying.

3. Color & Cut Santa Beard Craft

Draw or print Santa’s face without his beard, then have kids color it and cut along simple lines to create fluffy strips.

Why preschoolers love it: Cutting is exciting at this age, and adding color makes it personal.

4. Gingerbread Shape Matching Game

Provide gingerbread outlines with shapes on them and matching cutouts to glue in place.

Why preschoolers love it: It’s a festive puzzle that helps with shape recognition.

5. Letter to Santa with Traceable Lines

Use lined paper with traceable letters so kids can “write” their wish lists to Santa.

Why preschoolers love it: They feel grown-up “writing” to Santa while practicing early writing skills.

Want ready-to-print festive worksheets like these? Download our Christmas Activity Pages Printable Bundle for instant holiday fun!

6. Paper Roll Snowman Craft

Paint toilet paper rolls white and add paper hats, scarves, and faces.

Why preschoolers love it: They love transforming simple materials into a cute character.

7. Reindeer Antler Ring Toss

Make reindeer antlers from cardboard or buy inflatable ones, then toss rings made from pipe cleaners or rope.

Why preschoolers love it: It’s active, silly, and great for group play.

8. Christmas Counting Clip Cards

Cards with pictures of ornaments, candy canes, or stockings that kids count and mark with clothespins.

Why preschoolers love it: The “click” of the clothespin is fun and builds hand strength.

9. Simple Paper Chain Advent Calendar

Cut red and green strips, loop them together, and remove one each day until Christmas.

Why preschoolers love it: They get a visual countdown and enjoy the cutting and looping process.

10. Mitten Matching Memory Game

Print mittens in pairs with different patterns and have kids flip them over to find matches.

Why preschoolers love it: It’s a seasonal twist on a classic game they already love.

Looking for even more hands-on learning games? Our Christmas Activity Pages Bundle is perfect for preschool holiday fun — print and play anytime!

11. Holiday Shape Stamping

Cut sponges into stars, trees, and gingerbread men, then let preschoolers stamp them with paint.

Why preschoolers love it: They get bold, colorful results in seconds.

12. Jingle Bell Balance Game

Have kids carry jingle bells on spoons across the room without dropping them.

Why preschoolers love it: It’s a fun challenge that gets them moving.

13. Pretend Play Christmas Bakery

Set up a play kitchen with pretend cookies, rolling pins, and mixing bowls for “holiday baking.”

Why preschoolers love it: They can act out real-life holiday traditions.

14. Build a Popsicle Stick Star

Glue sticks together to form a star, then decorate with glitter and sequins.

Why preschoolers love it: It feels like a “big kid” craft they can hang on the tree.

15. Christmas Story Sequencing Cards

Print cards showing the steps of a holiday story or tradition and have kids put them in order.

Why preschoolers love it: It combines storytelling with problem-solving.

Get holiday fun without the prep! The Christmas Activity Pages Printable Bundle gives you crafts, games, and worksheets perfect for preschoolers — just print and enjoy.

Tips for Easy & Engaging Christmas Activities for Preschoolers

When choosing Christmas activities for preschoolers, balance challenge with fun. Keep projects short (10–20 minutes), provide clear visual examples, and have materials ready before you start. Encourage independence, but step in when they need help with trickier steps like cutting or gluing. Most importantly, focus on the joy of creating and celebrating — the finished product is just a bonus.

More Christmas Fun for Little Ones

If you’ve enjoyed these Christmas activities for preschoolers, we have even more ways to keep the holiday spirit alive. From free coloring pages to complete printable bundles, you’ll find everything you need for screen-free festive fun.

1. 8-in-1 Christmas Activity Pages Bundle

Make holiday prep stress-free with our Christmas Activity Pages Printable Bundle — packed with crafts, games, and worksheets for ages 2–8. With lifetime access, you can print them every Christmas for years to come.

Inside the Christmas Activity Pages Printable Bundle, you’ll find:

• 129+ Christmas Coloring pages – Fun, festive, and screen-free!
• 35 Christmas dot marker printables – Featuring 35 themed pages like Santa, ornaments, and holiday animals
• 47 Mixed Christmas Activity Pages Printable: mazes, dot-to-dot, scissor skills, Counting, Shadow matching, crosswords… and more.
• 30 Christmas Cut and paste worksheets – Build-a-tree, decorate-a-snowman, and more
• 31 Christmas Scissor skills & cutting practice sheets – Perfect for fine motor development
• I Spy Christmas games – Great for attention and visual scanning

This bundle is ideal for:

• Teachers setting up festive classroom activity stations
• Homeschooling parents seeking simple, ready-to-use holiday lessons
• Caregivers wanting quiet, engaging crafts for kids during winter break

Explore the Full Christmas Activity Pages Bundle NOW.

2. Free Christmas Coloring Pages for Kids

Keep creativity flowing with our 45+ free Christmas coloring pages. This bundle includes:

• 15 Free Magical Christmas Tree Coloring Pages for Kids,
• Free Color by Number Christmas Pages for Kids,
• Free Magical Christmas Reindeer Coloring Pages for Kids,
• Free Festive Christmas Ornament Coloring Pages for Kids.

Each offering a unique way to add holiday cheer to the Christmas Activities for Preschoolers listed in this article.

Final Thoughts

The magic of Christmas isn’t in the biggest gifts — it’s in the little moments you share together. These Christmas activities for preschoolers give you the chance to laugh, create, and connect with your child during the most wonderful time of the year. From making paper chains to pretending you’re in a Christmas bakery, every moment spent together becomes a memory they’ll treasure.

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