Christmas Craft Ideas for Kids (Fun & Easy Early Years Activities)
Posted by EYR Team on 1st Dec 2025
read moreChristmas is the perfect time to get creative with children! Crafts helps develop fine motor skills, encourages imagination, and provides fun, hands-on learning opportunities. These easy Christmas craft ideas are perfect for early years settings or family activities at home. From making reindeer decorations and finger puppets to designing personalised wrapping paper and handprint cards, these projects are simple, low-cost, and full of festive fun.
Whether you’re a teacher looking for classroom activities or a parent searching for meaningful festive projects, this guide has everything you need to make Christmas magical for little ones.
Rudolph & Reindeer Decorations
Bring a touch of Christmas magic into your classroom or home with these adorable Rudolph and reindeer decorations. This simple craft uses everyday materials to create festive ornaments that children can proudly display. Perfect for developing fine motor skills and encouraging creative expression.
You will need:
How to:
- Start by cutting out the cups from the egg box. Paint them brown and leave to dry.
- Once dry, add a dot of glue to a pom pom and secure in place on the cup for the nose. Remember that Rudolph has a red nose!
- Next, grab your card and cut out some features, we chose antlers, some ears and a smile. Glue these all in place
- Finally, stack your decorated cups on top of each other to get your wobbly reindeers!
Christmas Finger Puppets
Finger puppets are a fun way for children to explore imaginative play and storytelling this Christmas. This craft is easy to follow, with bright and festive designs that little hands will love to decorate. A perfect indoor activity for sparking creativity and role-play.
You will need:
- Cardboard toilet roll tubes
- Coloured & corrugated card
- Pom poms
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
- Glue
How to:
- Start by covering the tube with either red card or red paint.
- Cut out a triangle of white card for the beard. Stick it onto the stop of the tube. Next, cut out a face and glue it onto the white card.
- Add googly eyes to the puppet and a nose using a dab of red paint.
- Next, make your Santa hat by cutting out a piece of red card and adding a white card trim. Finish it off with a mini pom pom at the end of the hat!
- Add any extras to your Father Christmas that you like! We went for coat buttons and a belt using more card and paint.
Handprint Christmas Cards
Turn little handprints into personalised Christmas cards that friends and family will treasure. This activity is simple, interactive, and ideal for helping children explore colours, textures, and patterns. A lovely keepsake that combines crafting fun with a personal touch.
You will need:
- Coloured card
- Paints
- Glue
- Scissors
- Collage materials
How to:
- Paint the child’s hand with a festive colour.
- Press their hand firmly onto the card to make the handprint.
- Let the paint dry.
- Add details with markers (eyes, hats, ornaments, etc.).
- Write a holiday message inside.
Lollystick Christmas Tree Decorations
These charming lolly stick decorations are a fun and budget-friendly way to create festive ornaments. Children can paint, decorate, and assemble each piece while learning about shapes and patterns. Perfect for classroom displays or hanging on your home Christmas tree.
You will need:
- Coloured lolly sticks
- Ribbon
- Felt or coloured paper
- Paint
- Collage materials
- Googly eyes
How to:
- Start by picking your favourite festive character (We used white felt and a red lolly stick to create Santa Claus)
- Trim a small piece of skin-toned card to use as the base of Santa's face. Next, attach two googly eyes and cut out the felt to make a beard. Add a hat by cutting out a piece of red paper and sticking a small white pom pom to the end.
- Add another piece of white felt and a black belt to the centre of the lolly stick.
- Use a black marker to draw buttons onto Santa's coat and add any other details such as his feet.
- Measure a small length of ribbon or string and glue it to the back of your lolly stick. Finally, set your Christmas tree decorations aside to dry until they are ready to hang on the tree!
Personalised Christmas Wrapping Paper
Make gift-giving extra special by creating personalised wrapping paper decorated by the children themselves. This craft encourages pattern-making, creativity, and hands-on learning. It’s a festive activity that doubles as a unique way to wrap presents for family and friends.
You will need:
- Any paper
- A selection of paints/colouring pens
- Pom poms
- Tweezers
- Additional collage materials like glitter, sequins and ribbon
How to:
- Start by preparing an area as this can get messy! Once you have a dedicated zone then you can roll out your chosen paper and weigh down the edges.
- Ask your little ones to pick up a pom pom using their tweezers – this is a great activity to strengthen grip and generally improve key fine motor skills that will serve your children well later on.
- Using the pom pom, guide your little ones into the paint and let them dab the paint covered pom pom all over the paper to create a masterpiece!
- Why not turn some of the pom pom paint marks into different festive pictures? We made holly by adding three red paint marks and adding leaves. We also made a snowman using two white marks and adding decorations like a nose, eyes and a hat!
Christmas crafting is a wonderful way to spend quality time with children while encouraging creativity and learning. By trying these activities, you’ll create keepsakes, festive decorations, and treasured memories that last long after the festive season.
We’d love to see your children’s creations! Share your photos on social media and tag us, or explore our full range of craft supplies to make your festive projects even more fun and engaging.
Looking for more seasonal craft inspiration? Check out some of our other blogs and stay entertained all year long!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest Christmas crafts for preschoolers?
Some of the simplest crafts include handprint cards, paper plate reindeer, finger puppets, and decorating lolly stick ornaments. These activities require minimal materials, make use of upcycling and are easy for young children to follow.
What can toddlers make for Christmas?
Toddlers enjoy messy and sensory-friendly crafts. Finger painting, handprint art, simple collage with coloured paper, or potato stamp wrapping paper are ideal. Always supervise toddlers and keep activities safe and simple.
How do I make Christmas crafts with recycled materials?
You can turn everyday items into festive decorations: toilet roll tubes can become reindeer, scrap paper can be folded into cards, and small boxes can be turned into gift containers.
What age group is this suitable for?
These activities are designed for early years children, roughly ages 2–6. Some crafts can be adapted for older children with added complexity or creativity.
How long do these activities take?
Most of these crafts take 10–30 minutes, making them perfect for short attention spans and keeping children engaged without feeling overwhelmed.