By the Babbez team · Christmas play plan · Checked October 2026
Our Christmas activities for toddlers are short and simple, and all use one list of things gathered once. Our countdown gives one a day from Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 24 December 2026: a box sleigh, a paper tree, a letter to Santa, songs, walks and books, with about 103 minutes of set-up in total.
Key takeaways
- Our Five-Minute Rule: on all 18 weekdays set-up is about 5 minutes or less and the Mess Scale level is 1.
- Our Gather-Once Rule: 21 things on one list cover all 24 days, so everything is gathered once on 30 November.
- Colouring in today’s box isn’t really a craft; it is the countdown itself. 3 days of our countdown need no set-up.
What are easy Christmas activities for toddlers? Our 24-day countdown
According to the US OPM’s federal holiday list, Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026, so our countdown runs from Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 24 December 2026. Each day shows our set-up estimate, a mess level and the US CDC tips page the idea follows (1–2 or 2–3 years): the source of the idea, not an age limit.
| Day | Activity | Set-up | Mess level | CDC tips page (years) and tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 Dec | Start the countdown: Your toddler colours today’s box; repeat every morning. | about 1 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 exploring |
| Wed 2 Dec | Christmas book basket: Your toddler picks one of 3 Christmas books from a basket. | about 3 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 reading time |
| Thu 3 Dec | Red-and-green sock sort: Red socks in one basket, green in the other. | about 3 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 matching |
| Fri 4 Dec | Kitchen-drum parade: March room to room, drumming a pot to a Christmas song. | about 1 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 parade |
| Sat 5 Dec | Cardboard-box sleigh: Cut the flaps off a big box; pull the teddies across the rug. | about 10 min (our est.) | 2 Scraps | CDC 2–3 pretend play |
| Sun 6 Dec | Paper tree on the wall: Tape a paper tree up low; they stick on shapes cut from old cards. | about 15 min (our est.) | 2 Scraps | CDC 1–2 exploring |
| Mon 7 Dec | Where’s the reindeer?: Hide a soft toy in plain sight; they find it. | about 1 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 finding |
| Tue 8 Dec | Clap-along song: Sing a Christmas song; clap, stomp or wave on the chorus. | none (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 songs |
| Wed 9 Dec | Letter to Santa: They scribble a letter and post it in a shoebox postbox. | about 5 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 pretend play |
| Thu 10 Dec | Present tower: Stack empty boxes into a tower; they knock it down. | about 2 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 exploring |
| Fri 11 Dec | Decorations walk: Walk round the block spotting wreaths, stars and snowmen. | about 5 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 walks |
| Sat 12 Dec | Tear-and-tape snow picture: They tear printer paper; you both tape it onto kraft paper. | about 10 min (our est.) | 2 Scraps | CDC 1–2 exploring |
| Sun 13 Dec | Wrap and unwrap: Loosely wrap 3 familiar toys; they unwrap and you name them. | about 10 min (our est.) | 2 Scraps | CDC 1–2 finding |
| Mon 14 Dec | Dress in red and green: They help put on a red or green top, socks and a hat. | about 2 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 dressing |
| Tue 15 Dec | Box nesting puzzle: Give 3 or 4 boxes that fit inside each other; they find the order. | about 3 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 matching |
| Wed 16 Dec | Reread the favourite: Read the book they picked most since day 2. | none (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 reading time |
| Thu 17 Dec | Reindeer follow-the-leader: Take turns leading: stomp, tiptoe, gallop like reindeer. | none (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 parade |
| Fri 18 Dec | Card delivery: They post old Christmas cards to each person and teddy. | about 3 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 pretend play |
| Sat 19 Dec | Card halves puzzle: Cut 3 old cards in half; they match the halves. | about 5 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 matching |
| Sun 20 Dec | Gingerbread box house: Cut a door in the big box; they colour it and move in. | about 15 min (our est.) | 3 Spread out | CDC 2–3 pretend play |
| Mon 21 Dec | Who’s in the photo?: Look at last year’s Christmas photos; they find the hat, the dog. | about 2 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 finding |
| Tue 22 Dec | Musical statues: Play a Christmas song; everyone freezes when it stops. | about 1 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 songs |
| Wed 23 Dec | Park walk: Walk to the park and back, spotting decorations on the way. | about 5 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 2–3 walks |
| Thu 24 Dec | Pyjamas and one last book: They help with their pyjamas, then pick tonight’s book. | about 1 min (our est.) | 1 Tidy | CDC 1–2 dressing; 2–3 reading time |
Download our printable countdown (PDF)
Our PDF has the 24 boxes to colour in, the gather list and how each day works, on A4 or US Letter printed at actual size (we checked the margins).
The CDC tips behind the days
- Reading time: CDC lists for toddlers 2–3 years: “Set up a special time to read books with your toddler.”
- Finding: CDC lists for toddlers 1–2 years: “Ask them to find objects for you or name body parts and objects.”
- Matching: CDC lists for toddlers 1–2 years: “Play matching games with your toddler, like shape sorting and simple puzzles.”
- Exploring: CDC lists for toddlers 1–2 years: “Encourage them to explore and try new things.”
- Dressing: CDC lists for toddlers 1–2 years: “Encourage your child’s growing independence by letting them help with dressing themselves and feeding themselves.”
- Parade: CDC’s page for toddlers 2–3 years says: “Play parade or follow the leader with your toddler.”
- Pretend play: CDC lists for toddlers 2–3 years: “Encourage your child to take part in pretend play.”
- Walks: CDC lists for toddlers 2–3 years: “Help your child to explore things around them by taking them on a walk or wagon ride.”
- Songs: CDC lists for toddlers 2–3 years: “Teach your child simple songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider, or other cultural childhood rhymes.”
Source: CDC. These tips are quoted word for word from the US CDC’s Positive Parenting Tips pages for toddlers (1–2 years, last reviewed 20 Feb 2026; 2–3 years, last reviewed 29 Jan 2026). All CDC material on this page is otherwise available on the CDC website for no charge. Use of CDC material on this page, including links to CDC web pages, does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government of Babbez or its products or services.
How do I keep a toddler busy at Christmas without hours of prep?
The honest answer is to keep weekday set-up short. Our countdown follows the Five-Minute Rule: Monday to Friday, every day sets up in about 5 minutes or less and is level 1 (Tidy); the bigger set-ups and the paper scraps wait for Saturday and Sunday.
| Level | Mess afterwards | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Tidy | nothing to tidy up afterwards | 19 in our countdown |
| 2 Scraps | paper or tape bits to clear up | 4 in our countdown |
| 3 Spread out | a big box takes floor space all day, plus crayon on cardboard | 1 in our countdown |
We checked our plan over every row: the 5 set-ups over 5 minutes and the 5 level 2 or 3 days are all on the 6 weekend days; every weekday set-up is about 5 minutes or less.
The only level 3 day is the gingerbread box house: it takes over the floor for a day, so it sits on Sun 20 Dec, the last Sunday before Christmas in our plan. On the days you cut a box or cards, the US CDC’s list for toddlers 1–2 years includes this tip, word for word: “Keep sharp objects such as scissors, knives, and pens in a safe place.” (CDC).
What do I need for a toddler Christmas countdown?
Our countdown follows the Gather-Once Rule: every material in the 24 days comes from one list of things, gathered once on 30 November. In our count, 21 things on one list cover all 24 days:
- the printed countdown sheet
- chunky crayons
- Christmas or winter picture books (yours or the library’s)
- two laundry baskets or big bowls
- socks in red, green and other colours
- a pot and a wooden spoon
- one Christmas song to sing or play
- a delivery box big enough to sit in
- soft toys
- scissors (for you)
- wrapping paper or kraft paper
- masking tape or decorator’s tape
- old Christmas cards
- printer paper
- a shoebox
- empty boxes (cereal, tissue, shoe)
- coats and shoes
- three toys your toddler knows
- a red or green top, socks and a hat
- family photos (prints or a phone)
- pyjamas
Sizes in our plan: printer paper is US Letter, about 22 x 28 cm (8.5 x 11 inches), and A4 is fine; the paper tree is a length of about 91 cm (36 inches), its shapes are about 8 cm (3 inches) across and the old cards are about 13 x 18 cm (5 x 7 inches).
For crayon days, the US CDC’s list for toddlers 2–3 years includes: “Encourage your toddler not to put pencils or crayons in their mouth when coloring or drawing.” (CDC). For marks on clothes, see our stain guide.
How do you make a Christmas countdown work with a toddler?
Skip a day without guilt and repeat favourites; that is why our countdown has a Reread the favourite day. Swap any day that doesn’t fit how your family celebrates: the letter to Santa can go to a grandparent instead. For our dress days, see our no-fight dressing tips; for our walk days, our winter outerwear guide; for a rainy weekend, our rainy-day indoor activities.
Decorating and gift days: what the UK OPSS and US CPSC say
Quoted word for word:
- UK OPSS, on toys and electrical goods: “Only buy these types of product if they have appropriate marking and the name and address of the manufacturer on them.”
- CPSC: “Never leave candles unattended. Keep burning candles in sight and away from flammable items and put them out before leaving the room. Use flameless candles whenever possible.”
- CPSC: “Keep balls and toys with small parts away from children younger than three and keep deflated balloons away from children younger than eight.”
- CPSC: “Discard plastic wrapping and other packaging immediately after unwrapping gifts to prevent hazards.”
Buying for a baby too? See our baby gifts on a budget. Clothes: our toddler clothes guide and toddler clothes.
Frequently asked questions
How much set-up does a toddler Christmas countdown take?
Ours takes about 103 minutes of set-up across the 24 days: about 38 on the 18 weekdays and about 65 on the 6 weekend days, by our estimates.
How do you do a Christmas countdown with a toddler?
Your toddler colours one box of our countdown sheet each morning, then you do that day’s activity. Ours runs from Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 24 December 2026.
Sources: US CDC: Positive Parenting Tips: Toddlers (1–2 years old) and Toddlers (2–3 years old). US CPSC: Holiday Safety. UK Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS): Consumer products: staying safe. US OPM: Federal Holidays. NIST: Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8 (centimetres use NIST’s exact factor, 2.54, rounded). All read October 2026. CPSC, OPSS, OPM and NIST do not endorse Babbez. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The countdown and its rules are our own (editorial standards). General information, not medical or safety advice (content disclaimer, medical disclaimer).