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Screen-Free Christmas Break Activities for Ages 1–5
🎄 Updated for the 2026 holidays · · picks drawn from the site's top-rated guides
Two weeks home with little ones can feel long. This plan gives you one simple, mostly free activity a day for the days before and after Christmas, with ideas for ages 1–2 and 3–5. Most need things you already have; a few picks below make the setup easier.
1–2 yrs2–3 yrs3–4 yrs4–6 yrs
What to Avoid
- Small decorations, beads, pom-poms and bows within reach of children under 3
- Cotton balls, rice or dried beans in sensory bins without close supervision for children who still mouth objects
- Hot drinks and hot oven trays within a toddler's reach while baking
- Overpacked days. One planned activity a day is plenty; free play fills the rest
Testing & Certifications to Look For
ASTM F963 / CPSIA tested (US toy safety)ASTM D4236 labeling on art suppliesClear age ranges published by the brandSide rails on all sides for kitchen helper towers
Free Printable: 12 Days of Screen-Free Christmas
- Our free 6-page PDF has 12 cut-apart activity cards (paper chain countdown, winter nature walk, blanket fort story time, jingle dance party and more) plus two coloring pages. Open one a day, in any order. Download the free printable (PDF) →
- Want more for the whole month? The Holiday Screen-Free Activity Pack ($5.99, 24 pages) adds a Dec 1–24 countdown tree, 24 activity cards, I spy pages, a cookie-baking helper checklist and 8 coloring pages. See the Holiday Activity Pack →
Week 1: The Days Before Christmas
- Day 1, paper chain countdown: one loop per day left, and tear one off each morning. Ages 1–2 pick colors while you tape.
- Day 2, decorate a tree they're allowed to touch: a felt, wooden or magnetic tree keeps little hands busy and away from the real one. Toddler-proof tree ideas →
- Day 3, bake together: let them pour, stir and decorate cookies from a sturdy step or tower, and keep them away from the hot oven. Kitchen helper activities →
- Day 4, winter nature walk: collect a pinecone, a stick and a leaf, then talk about how each one feels.
- Day 5, wrap-a-box practice: give them empty boxes, scrap paper and tape. Older kids can wrap; younger ones love unwrapping.
- Day 6, blanket fort story time with a flashlight, or holiday audio stories for quiet time. Yoto vs. Toniebox →
- Day 7, count the lights on an evening walk or drive. How high can they count?
Week 2: The Days After Christmas
- Day 8, toy rotation: put half the new gifts away for January so each one gets real attention.
- Day 9, thank-you drawings: kids scribble or draw a picture for each gift-giver, and you add a line.
- Day 10, snowy scoop bin: cotton balls or real snow in a tray with cups and spoons. Stay close with toddlers.
- Day 11, holiday floor puzzle or mitten match: mix up mittens and socks and find the pairs.
- Day 12, dough day: roll, cut and stamp play dough with cookie cutters.
- Day 13, sink water play: a step stool, a towel on the floor and plastic-free cups and spoons in a sink of warm water.
- Day 14, noon "New Year" countdown: a dance party and a paper-streamer drop at lunchtime, so nobody has to stay up late.
Our Picks
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Before Christmas
A Christmas Tree Toddlers Are Allowed to Decorate
Constant redirecting away from the real tree
Giving toddlers their own tree to decorate redirects the urge to grab. Options include Melissa & Doug's wooden tree with 24 magnetic ornaments, Wee Gallery's lacing ornaments (ages 3+), and PicassoTiles magnetic tile tree sets (the 60pc nano set is labeled ages 3+).
Melissa & Doug Countdown to Christmas: wooden tree with 24 magnetic ornaments and a star; Wee Gallery Festive Fun: 6 thick boards with 6 laces; check each set's age label
Why we picked it: Placing, stacking and lacing build fine-motor control and hand-eye coordination, and a tree they're allowed to touch makes the real one easier to leave alone.
Kids Cooking & Baking Tool Sets
Heavy adult whisks, spatulas, and glass measuring cups
Kid-sized whisks, spatulas, rolling pins, and measuring cups let little helpers mix, mash, and measure without fumbling with grown-up tools. Baking sets bundle cookie cutters and recipes for a ready-made rainy-day activity.
Kid-sized utensils, measuring cups and spoons; Tovla Jr. lists BPA-free, food-safe materials; Handstand Kitchen says its utensils are food grade
Why we picked it: Scooping, leveling, and pouring ingredients practices hand-eye coordination and early math like counting and comparing amounts. Smaller handles let kids do the steps themselves instead of watching.
Toddler Kitchen Helper Towers
Toddlers on wobbly chairs at the counter
A sturdy tower with side rails brings toddlers safely up to counter height for holiday baking, washing veggies, and stirring. It's real practical life work.
Wood with rails, adjustable platform, some fold flat
Why we picked it: Side rails on all sides help keep toddlers from stepping off the edge, which is the main risk of standing on a regular chair or stool at the counter.
Christmas Stories for Yoto and Toniebox
Holiday movies on repeat
Seasonal audio makes car rides and quiet time feel festive without a screen. Options include Christmas Tales, A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Nutcracker on tonies, plus Ladybird Stories for Christmas on Yoto.
Tonies figurines play on Toniebox players; Yoto cards play on Yoto players. The two systems are not cross-compatible
Why we picked it: Holiday stories and music add seasonal fun to the quiet hours of December with no extra screen time. Check that each title matches your player, because tonies and Yoto content isn't interchangeable.
After Christmas
Modeling Dough & Sensory Play Sets
Scented, glitter-filled slime
Rolling, cutting, and stamping dough builds hand strength for future writing, and a sensory set keeps little hands busy at the table.
Dough tools and molds, wooden or silicone sensory toys
Why we picked it: Squeezing, rolling, and cutting dough strengthens the small hand muscles kids later use to hold a pencil.
Holiday Floor Puzzles & Matching Games
Puzzle apps and TV marathons
Big floor puzzles with Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, and animals make a cozy family activity, and matching tiles keep older toddlers busy on their own.
Large thick-board puzzle pieces, matching tiles
Why we picked it: Large puzzles and matching games build visual discrimination, memory, and turn-taking, and they're easy for the whole family to join.
Sensory Bin with Lid
Messy floor play
Contains the mess, stores easily
BPA-free
Why we picked it: A lidded bin keeps rice, beans, or sand contained, which makes sensory play easy enough to do often and quick to put away.
Non-Toxic Finger Paint & Watercolor Set
Synthetic poster paints with harsh preservatives
Formulated with natural food-grade ingredients and plant-based pigments that wash off skin and high-chair trays effortlessly with warm water.
Food-grade ingredients & natural pigments, non-toxic ASTM D4236 certified
Why we picked it: ASTM D4236 is the U.S. labeling standard that requires art materials to be reviewed for chronic health hazards, and washable paints clean up with water.
More Holiday Ideas
- Need more cold-day ideas for January? Winter indoor activities for toddlers →
- Still shopping? Our plastic-free toddler gift guide sorts picks by wood, beeswax and organic cotton. Plastic-free toddler gifts →
- Counting down with an advent calendar? Screen-free advent calendars →
12 Days of Screen-Free Christmas (Free Printable)
Twelve cut-apart activity cards for cozy December days with babies, toddlers and preschoolers, plus two coloring pages. A free sampler from our Holiday Screen-Free Activity Pack. Enter your email and the download appears right here.
More 2026 Holiday Gift Guides
Black Friday Deals to Watch13 gift picks →
Last-Minute Gifts by Age13 gift picks →
Baby's First Christmas4 gift picks →
Gifts for 1-Year-Olds4 gift picks →
Gifts for 2-Year-Olds4 gift picks →
Gifts for Ages 3–44 gift picks →
Toddler Stocking Stuffers4 gift picks →
Winter Indoor Play Gifts4 gift picks →Plastic-Free Toddler Gifts12 gift picks →FAQs
How do I keep toddlers busy over Christmas break without screens?
Plan one simple activity a day, such as baking, a nature walk, a blanket fort or a sensory bin, and let free play fill the rest. Rotating new gifts and keeping some toys put away also helps.
Are these activities OK for 1-year-olds?
Most are, with close supervision. Skip small decorations and loose sensory fillers for children who still put things in their mouths, and use the 'Ages 1–2' tips on the printable cards.
Is the 12 Days of Screen-Free Christmas printable free?
Yes. It's a free 6-page PDF with 12 activity cards and two coloring pages. The longer Holiday Screen-Free Activity Pack is a separate paid printable.
What if we're traveling over the break?
Pick the cards that need no supplies, like counting lights, the snowman freeze game or mitten match, and bring a few screen-free audio stories for the car.
Get the free Low-Tox & Screen-Free Starter Kit
8 printable pages for parents of little ones: 10 easy lower-tox swaps, screen-free bingo, a week planner and a one-page “where to start” checklist. The download appears right here, and we’ll email you our free Nursery & Playroom Checklist plus 3 short emails over the next week, then one short email a week.