Holidays are special times when ordinary routines are broken and there are new foods, visitors, and activities. The excitement can be overwhelming for young children. Although you want a holiday to be fun for your young child, remember that he may need some quiet one-on-one time with you. Take some time out of your hectic schedule to try one of these activities with him.
New Year’s Day
Your young child will probably be fast asleep long before the clock sticks midnight. Be she can still participate in some of the festivities. This is a great time to talk to her about the passage of time.
New Year’s Noisemakers
Your child will enjoy making noise and helping to celebrate the new year without having to stay up until midnight.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
What you need:
Pencil
Toilet paper tube
Scissors
Waxed paper
Masking tape
Crayons
1. Use the pencil to poke three holes on one side of the tube. Make holes in a straight line and leave at least 1” between them.
2. Cut a square of waxed paper large enough to cover the opening of the tube. Help your child secure the waxed paper over the end of the tube nearest the hold with a long pice of masking tape.
3. Let your child decorate the horn with crayons. Show her how to blow into the horn to make noise.
New Year’s Party Hat
You can adapt this basic craft and let your child make a hat for any special occasion.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
2 sheets construction paper in bright colors
Stapler
Crayons
Scissors
Glitter
White craft glue
1. Place the two pieces of paper together lengthwise so that they overlap by 1/2”. Staple them together.
2. Roll the paper into a cone, making sue that the bottom is wide enough to fit your child’s head. Overlap the paper at the seam and mark seam with a crayon.
3. Unroll the paper and cut off any excess.
4. Spread the paper flat and let your child use crayons and glitter to decorate one side of the paper.
5. Roll the paper back into a cone and staple it to create the hat.
Celebration Picture
Here is an unusual way for your child to create a festive picture.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
What you need:
Tempera paint
Pie tins
Paper noisemakers
Construction paper or poster board
Confetti
1. Pour the paint into the pie tins.
2. Have your child dip the curled-up end of the noisemaker into the paint.
3. Show your child how to aim the noisemaker at the paper and blow. The goal is to have the painted tip of the noisemaker strike the paper and leave a mark.
4. While the paint is still wet, your child can sprinkle some confetti onto her picture.
Pot Banger
The classic stereotype is true: Toddlers love to bang on pots and pans. New Year’s is the time to make a little noice anyhow, so why not have your child use a special pot-banging spoon?
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 30 minutes
What you need:
Tempera paint
Pie tin
Paintbrushes
Wooden kitchen spoon
White craft flue
Glitter
Ribbon (optional)
1. Pour the paint into the pie tin. Let your child paint the spoon however she wishes.
2. When the spoon is completely dry, show her how to coat the spoon with glue and then add glitter.
3. If you wish tie a ribbon around the handle.
Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air! Your toddler is just starting to learn about love and relationships. At this stage in his life, your toddler’s greatest love is probably you. But soon, his social world will be expanding. Talk about love and caring while you do these projects with him. Here is a great chance to reinforce recognition of the colors pink and red, too.
Heart Prints
This activity will help your child develop fine motor skills. You may also want to use this as an opportunity to talk about color and shape identification. You don’t have to lime your child to a simple sheet of paper. Perhaps she can print hearts onto a card or calendar.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Red and pink tempera paint
Pie tins
Scissors
Kitchen sponges
Clothespins
White construction paper or bond paper
1. Pour the paint into the pie tins.
2. Cut out heart shapes from the sponges. You can make other shapes too. Be sure that the sponge shapes are at least as large as a silver dollar.
3. Attach a clothespin to the back of the sponge. This will serve as a handle for you child.
4. Show your child how today the sponge hearts into the paint and then press them onto the paper to create a design.
Kisses
This activity will be particularly enticing if you have a child who likes to put on mommy’s makeup.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
What you need:
Lipstick in a variety of colors
White construction or bond paper
Facial tissue
1. Help your child apply the lipstick.
2. Show your child how to kiss the paper to make lip prints. If you use more than one color of lipstick, help your child use the tissue to remove the preceding color.
Valentine's Card
Here is a cut idea for your child to create a truly personalized Valentine's Day card.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
What you need:
1 sheet of white or pink construction paper
1 marker
Red tempera paint
Shallow pie tin
1. Fold the paper in half to create a card. On the front, write, "Thumbody Loves You!"
2. Pour a small amount of the paint into the pie tin. Help your child do dip her thumb into the paint.
3. Open the card and show your child now to press her thumb onto the paper to create prints. Let her make as many thumbprints as she wishes to decorate the card.
St. Patrick's Day
It is said that anyone can be Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Focus on the color green and share some of the legends and lore of this holiday with your child.
Living Shamrock
This is a fun gardening activity, but it takes patience to see the result.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Scissors
Kitchen sponges
Water
Shallow pie tin
Grass seeds
1. Cut the sponge into a shamrock shape.
2. Fill the pie tin with enough water to cover the bottom. Place the sponge in the water.
3. Help your child sprinkle the grass seeds onto the wet sponge.
4. Place the pie tin with the sponge in a sunny place. Keep teh sponge moist while the grass is sprouting.
Rainbow's End
This cute craft makes a pretty centerpiece for a holiday party. Add some gold-foil chocolate coins for extra excitement.
Activity for an individual chlld.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Scissors
Tolet paper tube
Black felt-tip marker
Paper plate
Crayons or colored markers
White craft glue
Gold sequins
1. Cut the toilet paper tube in half crosswise. Discard one half.
2. Have your child color the half tube black to make the pot.
3. Cut the paper plate in half. Discard one half.
4. Cut off the rim of the plate to create an arch shape. You may need to trim the width so that one end will fit into the "pot."
5. Encourage your child to color the arch with rainbow colors.
6. Let your child glue some gold sequins to th rim of the little black pot.
7. Balance the rainbow arch by inserting one end of it into the pot opening.
Pot-of-Gold Hunt
You will be promoting your child’d problem-solving skills while he plays this fun game. If you wish, you can substitute real treat basket for the paper pot of gold, just be sure t decorate it with plenty of cut-out gold coins!
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
Scissors
Colored construction paper
Masking tape
1. Cut the following shapes out of construction paper: 20 tiny green feet, 1 brown kettle, 10 small yellow circles, and an arch shape with different colors to form a rainbow.
2. Tape the yellow circles in the kettle shape to create the pot of gold.
3. Find a location to “hide” the pot of gold. Place it or tape it anywhere you wish.
4. Tape the green feet a few feet apart to form a path for your child to follow. Let them wind up the wall or under furniture to finally lead to the pot of gold.
5. Tell your child about how it is believed that a leprechaun can lead you to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Show him the footprints, and encourage him to follow them to the treasure.
Passover and Purim
Both of these holidays occur in the spring and they both celebrate the Jewish people’s freedom from oppression. These activities will help you introduce the history of Judaism and its culture to your toddler.
Matzo Ball Soup
This is a fun and tasty way to share a traditional holiday treat with your child.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons oil
8 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
1 small can carrots
1. Mix the matzo meal with the salt.
2. Add the eggs and the oil. Help your child slowly stir in the tablespoon of water. The batter should be thick and pasty.
3. Chill the batter for 10-15 minutes. While the batter is chilling, boil the water and add the bouillon cubes. Once the cubes have dissolved, drain the can of carrots and add them to the soup.
4. Remove the matzo batter from the refrigerator. Show your child how to roll the mixture into golf ball-size balls. If the mixture is too sticky, try wetting your child’s hands first.
5. Carefully drop the matzo balls into the boiling soup. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes
Purim Gragger
Purim gravers are the noisemakers that children shake when the name of Haman is mentioned during the reding of the Meglliah. Be mindful that the loose beans could be a choking hazard, supervise the use of the toy carefully.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 month
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
White craft glue
Scraps of paper and ribbon
2 paper cups
1/4 cup dried beans
Masking tape
1. Let your child glue paper and ribbon to the outside of the cups for decoration.
2. When the glue is dry, help her pour the beans into one of the cups.
3. Invert the second cup over the first and tape together.
Earth Day
It is not too early to start teaching your child to respect the earth and the environment. These simple activities are a great way to start.
Recycled Critters
There is no end to materials that you can use for this project. Ask your friends and family to save things that you could use.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
A variety of recycled containers and objects such as margarine tubs, toilet paper tubes, tissue boxes, lids, oatmeal canisters, buttons, soda bottles and fabric scraps
Glue or tape
Colored construction paper
Markers or crayons
1. Since out any containers, remove labels and check for sharp or loose parts.
2. Have your toddler glue or tape items together to create a creature.
3. Provide paper and markers or crayons for them to decorate.
4. Be sure to ask your toddler about what he made. Where does it live? What does it eat? Does it have a name?
Litter Grab
Older toddlers may enjoy joining in a community effort to pick up litter on earth day.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Salad tongs or wire gripper
Plastic or paper bag
1. Select a site for your child to pick up litter. You may need to go in advance to remove gas, cigarette butts, or any other hazardous materials.
2. Show your child how to use the tongs to pick up litter and place into the bag.
Trash Sort
You will need to check for sharp edges and rinse out containers before starting this activity.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 24-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Cleaned out plastic and glass containers and newspapers
Recycling bins
Demonstrate for your child how to sort the materials into glass, plastic and paper bins.
Easter
There are many symbols and traditions associated with this holiday. Easter eggs and the Easer Bunny may be the two most familiar to young children. Here are some simple activities tat your toddler is sure to enjoy.
Footprint Bunny
Both you and your child will delight in this cute holiday craft. Don’t worry if the end result does not look perfect—your child’s creativity is more important than the finished result.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
White and pink construction paper
Pencil
Scissors
White craft glue
Cotton ball
6 (3”) lengths of dark-colored yarn
Crayons
1. Have your child stand on a piece of white construction paper in stocking feet. Track the outline of her foot.
2. Cut out the foot shape. Cut out two long ears from the pink paper.
3. Show your child how to make a bunny, glue the ears onto the heel end of the cut-out foot and the cotton balls to the toe end.
4. Let your child decorate her bunny with the yarn and crayons.
Easter Egg Dye
You do not have to rely on a store-bought kit to dye Easter eggs. Here are some creative ideas for you to try.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Eggs
Coffee cups
1/4 cup of boiling water
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of food colouring
1. Make your own egg dye. In a coffee cup, combine 1/2 cup of boiling water, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon of food colouring. Repeat this process for each color.
2. You can also make natural dyes. Natural dyes require the eggs to soak for much longer times, sometimes as long as overnight. Remember the longer the egg is in the dye, the darker the color will be. Some materials to try include onion skins, beet juice, and tea leaves.
Fourth of July
Your toddler is too young to understand the history behind this holiday. Keep it simple, and explain the your are celebrating the country’s birthday. Your child will love being a part of the festivities.
Fireworks Painting
Your child will be practicing find motor skills as he makes this colorful pictures. If you are worried that he will suck paint through the straw, take a pin and poke a few small holes about 1/2” from the top of the straw.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Spoon
Tempera paint, sightly thinned
White construction or bond paper
Straw
1. Let your child use the spoon to place small blobs of different colors of paint on the paper.
2. Show your child how to use the straw to blow the paint around on the paper, staying fairly close to the paper without allowing the straw to touch it. Let him experiment. What happens when he holds the straw straight up, and what happens when he tilts the straw.
Handmade Flag
Let your child express his patriotism with this personalised version of the American flag. You can adapt this craft for any flag with stars.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
White craft glue
3 sheets white construction paper
3 sheets blue construction paper
Scissors
2 sheets red construction paper
White tempera paint
Shallow pie tin
1. Glue the white and blue papers side by side to form a large square, with the blue squares in he top left corner.
2. Ut (or help your child cut) the red paper into ten strips. Glue six of the strips together end to end to create three long stripes. Glue the red stripes to the white part of the square, with the longer stripes at the bottom.
3. Pour some white paint into the pie tin. Help your child dip his hands in the paint, and then press his hands on the blue square to make stars. (Don’t try for all fifty instead, you’re just going for the effects.)
Thanksgiving
This history of this holiday is more than your child can understand. Discussions about Pilgrims and Native Americans are not relevant to your child’s experience of the world around her. The turkey, on the other hand, is a concrete symbol of the Thanksgiving meal. You may also choose to have a discussion about abundance and thankfulness during the holiday.
Turkey Trap
Engage your child’s imagination with this activity This may become a family tradition for years to come.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
1 cardboard box
1 sturdy stick
A few kernels of corn
Feathers
Candy corn
1. Tell your child that you are going to trap a turkey for Thanksgiving.
2. Set the card board box upside down and prop up one end with the stick. Show your chid how the turkey will knock the stick over to make the box fall. Place some corn under the box to serve as bait.
3. Overnight, remove the corn and replace it with the feathers and candy corn. If you want, you can add a little not/poem from the Turkey: “You tried to catch me, but I can’t be beat. So I left them candy for you to eat.”
Thanksgiving Tablecloth
Your toddler will feel the she is truly contributing to the holiday then she helps make this festive tablecloth.
Activity for an individual child or a group.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
1 large light-coloured flat sheet (white or yellow works best)
Black fabric marker
Fabric paint
1. Spread the sheet somewhere with plenty of room for your child to work.
2. Have your child place her hand on the sheet palm down, with her fingers spread wide. Trace around her hand with the fabric marker. Repeat to create as many turkey as she wishes. Perhaps the rest of the family will add their turkey as well.
3. Allow her to use the fabric paint to embellish the turkey and to add any other decorations that she wishes.
Chanukah
Chanukah is a Jewish holiday steeped in traditions. Don’t forget to share some of your favourite ways to celebrate with your young child. This holiday lasts for eight days. Here are a few favourite activities to get you started with the celebration.
Handprint Menorah
This activity is a great way to reinforce Jewish holiday traditions as well as introduce your child to counting concepts.
Activities for an individual child.
Age groupL 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Blue tempera paint
Yellow tempera paint
2 pie tins
1 sheet construction paper
1. Pour the paint into separate pie tins. Have your child dip his hands in the blue paint and then press them flat onto the paper. His thumbs should overlap while his fingers should be spread apart.
2. Show him how the print resembles a menorah, with the thumb prints representing the Shamash. Count the eight candles with him.
3. Wash your child’s hands. Then have him dip one finger into the yellow paint. Help him press his finger over each candle to make a flame.
Wooden Star of David
Your child will be learning about shapes and geometry while he makes this well-known symbol.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
6 craft sticks
White craft glue
Blue and white tempera paints
2 shallow pie tins
Paintbrushes
1. Show your child how to arrange three craft sticks to form a triangle. Have your child glue these sticks together. Repeat for a second triangle.
2. Once dry, show your child how to play one triangle upside down over the other triangle to create the Star of David. Glue the triangles in place.
3. Let the star dry. Pour paint into pie tin and let your child decorate the star.
I Am a Driedel
Your toddler will enjoy spinning his body like a dreidel. The song can be sung to the traditional dreidel tune or to "Row Row Row Your Boat."
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 5 minutes
Teach your child the following song and then have him spin around while he sings it.
Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel.
I'm spinning all around.
Going slow and going fast.
Until I'm on the ground.
Tube Menorah
With this menorah, you can add all of the flames at one or have your child add a flame on each night of the holiday.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
Scissors
8 toilet paper tubes
1 paper towel tube
1 piece of cardboard 8” x 11”
White craft glue
Holiday gift wrap scraps
Yellow or orange tissue paper
1. Cut 4 (1/4”-long) slits on one end of each tube. Fold these table back. Arrange the tubes on the cardboard—the tall tube in The Center and four smaller tubes on each side. Glue in place.
2. Have your child glue the wrapping paper on the tubes for decoration. Encourage him to make the tall on (Shamash) stand out from the others.
3. Show your child how to crinkle a square of the tissue paper and stuff it into the top of a tube to represent a candle flame. Start with the centre candle and do the same for all of the others.
Christmas
Even your young toddler will be aware of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. It is hard to shelter her from the music, then commercials, the movies, the decorations, and everything else. She does not have to be a passive bystander, though. These activities will encourage her to contribute festive decorations for your home.
Hanging Lids
This is a simple way to create attractive ornaments. You may also use plastic lids, although it is harder t punch a hole in them.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
Hold punch
Lids from frozen juice cans
Pieces of yarn
Glitter, sequins, stickers, tinsel
White craft glue
1. Punch a hole 1/2” in from the edge of each lid. String and loop a piece of yarn so that your child can hang her ornament.
2. Have your child decorate both sides of the lids with the glitter and craft materials.
Handprint Wreath
This is a personalised holiday decoration. You may wish to do one with each member of the family.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 30-40 months
Duration of activity: 25 minutes
What you need:
Scissors
Paper plate
Green and red construction paper
Pencil
White craft glue
1. Cut the flat center out of the paper plate so that only the rim remains.
2. Have your child spread her fingers and lay her hand flat on the green construction paper. Trace around your child’s hand with the pencil to create a hand template.
3. Cut out a dozen hands from the template.
4. Cut out three red circles, about the size of a grape.
5. Help your child arrange the hands around the plate. You want the hands to overlap and the fingers to reach outward.
6. Help your chid glue the hands to the plate. Let her got on the red “berries” for a finishing touch.
Lacy Balls
You will be surprised at the elegant and delicate appearance of these ornaments. Remember that balloon pieces can be a choking hazard for young children; only an adult should pop the balloon and discard the pieces.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-40 months
Duration of activity: 1 hour
What you need:
Plastic bowl
1/2 cup white craft glue
1/2 cup liquid laundry starch
Lengths of yarn 1”-7” long
Small inflated balloons
1. In the bowl, mix the white craft glue with the liquid laundry starch.
2. How your toddler how to dip yarn into this mixture and drape around the blown-up balloon.
3. Have her repeat with additional yarn strands until a desired pattern or design is created. She should leave some gaps and not cover the balloons completely.
4. Once the yarn is dry, pop and remove the balloon.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday take this opportunity to share with your young child the heritage and history of African Americans.
Kwanzaa Placemat (Mkeka)
This is a personalised holiday decoration. You may wish to do one with each member of your family.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 20-40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
What you need:
Black, green, and red construction paper
Scissors
Masking tape
1. Fold a piece of black construction paper in half crosswise.
2. Cut slits from the folded center to about 1” away form the edge. Space the slits 1” apart. Unfold the paper.
3. Cut out red and green strips just a little thinner than 1” and as long as the black paper.
4. Help your child weave the strips though the black paper. Alternate the red and green strips and be sure to push each one snug against the previous one. Don’t worry if the pattern is not perfect.
5. Secure any loose ends with the tape.
Kwanzaa Colors
Here is a simple way to introduce your child to the traditional colors of Kwanzaa.
Activity for an individual child.
Age group: 18-30 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
What you need:
White craft glue
Water
Paper cup
Paintbrush
Green and red tissue paper
Black construction paper
1. Mix the glue with a small amount of water in a paper cup. The glue should be thin enough to paint on the paper with a brush.
2. Let your toddler tear the tissue paper into shreds.
3. Have him lay out the tissue paper on the black construction paper.
4. Help him paint over the tissue paper with the glue solution. Be careful he does not saturate the paper so much that it is soaked through.