December is a strange month for children. School winds down into nativity plays and Christmas jumper day, the excitement winds up, and somewhere in between there are long, dark afternoons that need filling before anyone is allowed near a present.
This guide is full of festive things to make and play that need nothing more than paper, scissors, a pack of cards and whatever is lurking in the recycling. They work for the countdown, for the strange days between Christmas and New Year, and for keeping the peace on Christmas Eve when everyone is fizzing.
Deck the Halls (With Things You Made Yourself)
Homemade decorations are cheaper than shop ones and far more likely to make it out of the box every year. A paper chain made by a six-year-old in 2026 becomes a family heirloom by about 2035.
Set up a decorations table with a wipeable cloth, and let children work at their own pace. Little ones can do the cutting-out shapes and gluing; older children can take on snowflakes, stars and anything fiddly.
- Paper chains from strips of coloured paper, old wrapping paper or magazine pages
- Folded paper snowflakes, each one different
- Salt dough or cardboard tree ornaments, painted and hung with ribbon
- Pine cones from the park, dabbed with white paint for snow
- A window scene of trees and stars cut from black paper
Keep a 'decorations we made' box. Getting it down each December becomes a tradition all of its own.
Card Tricks: Homemade Cards and Gift Tags
A homemade card is the kind of present grandparents actually keep. Fold a sheet of card in half, then let children decorate the front however they like: potato-print Christmas trees, fingerprint robins, a collage from last year's cards, or a drawing of the family as reindeer.
Save the off-cuts for gift tags. A hole punch and a bit of string or ribbon turns a scrap of card into something that looks like you meant it.
Let the Games Begin (Crackers Optional)
Christmas is the one time of year when a whole room of people of every age is in the same place with nothing to do after lunch. Old-fashioned party games come into their own: they need no kit, they work for toddlers and grandparents together, and they're a good excuse for grown-ups to sit down.
Mix lively games with calm ones. A burst of musical statues before lunch, then a round of charades or a card game while the food goes down, keeps everyone from overheating, especially the cook.
- Charades with a Christmas twist: films, songs and things you'd find in a stocking
- Pass the parcel, wrapped with a forfeit or a joke between each layer
- Musical statues or musical bumps to festive songs
- The chocolate game, with dice, a hat, scarf and gloves, and a knife and fork for a bar of chocolate
- Snap or pairs, using a pack of cards or homemade Christmas picture cards
Out and About: Fresh Air Before the Feast
A winter walk does wonders for children who have been indoors all week. Turn it into a mission: count the inflatable snowmen, spot the best-lit house on the street, or collect the makings of a table decoration.
It gets dark from about four o'clock in December, so plan outdoor games for the middle of the day, or embrace the dark with torches and a hunt for the brightest Christmas lights.
Wrap up in layers, take hats and gloves, and give younger children something bright or reflective to wear if you're out as it gets dark.
Silent Night? Calm Ideas for Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is when excitement peaks and patience runs lowest. Calm, cosy activities help: a Christmas story read aloud, a jigsaw on the kitchen table, setting out a plate for the reindeer, or writing a list of what everyone is looking forward to.
A gentle treasure hunt with a small reward at the end, such as new pyjamas or a book, can be a lovely tradition and uses up the last of the fidgets before bed.
Ideas to try
Folded Paper Snowflakes
Fold, snip and unfold to reveal a snowflake that nobody else in the world has.
You'll need: Thin white paper or baking paper, Child-safe scissors, Something round to draw around, like a plate
- Cut a circle or square of paper.
- Fold it in half, then in half again, then into thirds to make a narrow wedge.
- Snip small shapes out of both long edges, keeping some of the fold uncut.
- Unfold slowly and flatten under a book.
- Stick them to a window or thread them on cotton to hang.
Paper Chain Countdown
A paper chain with one link to tear off each day until Christmas.
You'll need: Strips of coloured paper or old wrapping paper, Glue stick or sticky tape, A pen
- Cut strips about 2cm by 15cm, one for each day left.
- Write a small treat or activity on some strips, such as 'make a card' or 'winter walk'.
- Loop the first strip into a ring and glue it.
- Thread the next strip through and glue it, and keep going.
- Hang it up and tear off one link each morning.
Fingerprint Robin Cards
Turn a thumbprint into a robin and send it to someone special.
You'll need: Card folded in half, Brown and red paint or ink pads, Black and orange felt tips, Wet wipes
- Press a thumb into brown paint and print a body on the card.
- Add a smaller red fingerprint on the front for the robin's chest.
- Once dry, draw a beak, an eye, legs and a branch.
- Write a message inside.
- Make a few more for grandparents, teachers or neighbours.
Christmas Charades
Act out Christmas films, songs and stocking presents without saying a word.
You'll need: Slips of paper, A pen, A hat or bowl
- Everyone writes a few Christmas films, songs or presents on slips of paper.
- Fold the slips and put them in the hat.
- Take turns to pick one and act it out without speaking.
- The first person to guess has the next go.
- For younger children, use simple things like 'snowman' or 'reindeer'.
The Chocolate Game
Roll a six, pull on a hat, scarf and gloves, and try to eat chocolate with a knife and fork before someone else rolls a six.
You'll need: A dice, A hat, scarf and gloves, A plate, knife and fork, A bar of chocolate, still wrapped
- Sit in a circle with the clothes and the chocolate in the middle.
- Take turns to roll the dice.
- Whoever rolls a six puts on the hat, scarf and gloves and starts unwrapping and eating with the knife and fork.
- As soon as someone else rolls a six, they take over.
- Keep going until the chocolate is gone.
🧑 Grown-up help needed
Christmas Eve Treasure Hunt
Rhyming clues lead around the house to a small treat waiting at the end.
You'll need: Paper and a pen for clues, A small treat such as pyjamas, a book or a chocolate coin
- Hide the treat, then work backwards writing five or six clues.
- Make each clue point to the next hiding place, for example 'Where the milk keeps cool all day'.
- Use pictures instead of words for children who aren't reading yet.
- Hand over the first clue and let the hunt begin.
- Finish at the treat, ideally near bedtime.
Christmas Lights Spotting Walk
Head out after dark with a torch and a checklist of things to spot.
You'll need: Warm coats, hats and gloves, A torch, A spotting list: a star, a snowman, a reindeer, blue lights, a wreath
- Make a spotting list together before you go.
- Wrap up warm and set off just after dark.
- Tick things off as you see them.
- Vote for the best-lit house on the way home.
- Warm up with a hot drink when you get back.
🧑 Grown-up help needed
Pine Cone Snow Trees
Turn pine cones from the park into little snowy Christmas trees.
You'll need: Pine cones, collected and dried, White and green paint, Old paintbrushes, Glitter or small pom-poms (optional)
- Collect pine cones on a walk and dry them indoors for a day or two.
- Paint the tips of the scales white for snow, or green for a tree.
- Add tiny pom-poms as baubles once the paint is dry.
- Stand them on a windowsill or use them as a table decoration.
🧑 The grown-up bit
Small parts from crackers, glitter and pom-poms are a choking risk for under-3s, so keep them away from baby brothers and sisters. Supervise scissors with younger children, and keep homemade decorations away from candles, fairy-light transformers and the fire. For the chocolate game, younger players need help with the knife, and check for allergies before any food game.
Questions parents ask
What can my kids do on Christmas Day that isn't screens?
Party games such as charades, pass the parcel and musical statues work for every age at once. A walk after lunch, a new jigsaw or a card game with grandparents are good calm options for the afternoon.
What's a good Christmas craft for a 4-year-old?
Paper chains, fingerprint robin cards and painting pine cones are all easy for small hands. Do the cutting for them, and let them do the sticking, printing and painting.
How do I keep kids calm on Christmas Eve?
Plan something active in the day, such as a walk or a lights hunt, then calm activities in the evening: a story, setting out the reindeer plate, or a short treasure hunt that ends with new pyjamas or a book before bed.