Celebrating the true meaning of Christmas with toddlers can be fun, educational, and hands-on.
These 14 Jesus-focused Christmas activities help little ones learn about the Nativity story, kindness, and the spirit of giving, while exploring crafts, sensory play, and interactive learning.
1. Nativity Play Dough Scene
Provide toddlers with green, brown, and yellow play-dough to create a simple Nativity scene.
Add small figurines of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and animals.
Toddlers can shape and place the figures, building fine motor skills while exploring the story of Jesus’ birth.
2. Baby Jesus Paper Craft
Give toddlers a simple paper manger template and let them color, glue, or decorate it with soft materials.
Add a small paper figure of baby Jesus. This craft helps toddlers connect visually to the story and encourages creativity.
3. Nativity Sensory Bin
Fill a bin with straw, sand, soft animal figures, and miniature Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus figures.
Toddlers can explore textures while retelling the Christmas story through hands-on play, reinforcing sensory learning and storytelling.
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4. Star of Bethlehem Painting
Draw large stars on paper and provide gold or yellow paint.
Toddlers can stamp or brush paint to create the Star of Bethlehem.
This simple art project emphasizes key symbols of Christmas while allowing creative expression.
5. Baby Jesus Footprint Keepsake
Use washable paint to press toddlers’ feet onto paper, turning it into a manger scene with simple drawings of Mary, Joseph, and animals.
This is a sentimental keepsake that connects your child to the story of Jesus’ birth.
6. Nativity Felt Board Story
Create a felt board with cutouts of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, angels, and animals.
Toddlers can move the pieces to recreate the Nativity scene.
Felt boards encourage imagination, sequencing, and interactive storytelling.
7. Angel Ornament Craft
Provide toddler-safe materials to make simple angel ornaments using paper, felt, or foam.
Emphasize that angels announced Jesus’ birth.
Decorating and hanging the angels helps toddlers celebrate the spiritual side of Christmas.
8. Baby Jesus Basket Counting Game
Use small baskets or paper cutouts to “place” baby Jesus and animal figures.
Encourage toddlers to count the animals or figures as they add them to the manger.
This activity combines early math skills with the Nativity story.
9. Nativity Coloring Pages
Provide large, simple coloring pages depicting the Nativity scene.
Toddlers can use crayons, markers, or stickers to decorate.
Coloring reinforces fine motor development while familiarizing them with the Christmas story.
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10. Baby Jesus Story Time
Read toddler-friendly Nativity books aloud and ask simple questions about the story.
Encourage toddlers to point out characters or repeat phrases.
Storytime fosters language development and introduces the meaning of Christmas.
11. Star Garland Craft
Cut out star shapes and let toddlers decorate them with gold or silver glitter, stickers, or crayons.
String the stars together to hang as a garland.
This activity represents the guiding star that led the wise men to baby Jesus.
12. Nativity Puzzle Play
Provide simple wooden or cardboard puzzles depicting the Nativity scene.
Toddlers can assemble the pieces, which helps with problem-solving, hand-eye coordination, and familiarizing them with the story of Jesus.
13. Sensory “Stable” Play
Create a miniature stable using a small box, hay or shredded paper, and figurines of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.
Toddlers can explore textures while role-playing the Nativity story, building imagination and sensory skills.
14. Baby Jesus Advent Countdown
Make a simple countdown chain to Christmas where toddlers add a small figure or sticker of baby Jesus each day.
This teaches patience, anticipation, and helps toddlers visually connect to the birth of Jesus.
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