5 Fun Christmas Activities for Kids!

Christmas is coming and its time to incorporate some fun activities for kids into OT sessions. You could easily do these at home too! 
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Each activity requires just a few supplies. Feel free to substitute items with what you have available! 

1. Christmas Pipe Cleaner Wand

You will need:
* A craft stick
* A Pipe Cleaner
* A Muffin Tray
* Pom Poms
* Another tray or bowl

Preparation - what to do:
* Ask your child to wind the pipe cleaner around the craft stick. 
* Ask your child to create a circle at the top of the stick to act as a "scoop". 
* Place a pom pom in each muffin tray hole. 

Activity - what to do:
* Ask your child to use their wand to scoop each pom pom and transfer to tray or bowl.

Alternative is to use the wand like an "egg and spoon"  race to carry annd transfer the  pom pom across the room.

Activity benefits:
* Encourage bilateral coordination.
* Encourage motor planing.
* Encourage eye-hand coordination. 
* Encourage crossing the midline (dependent on where you place the tray). 

2. Stacking Christmas Cups.
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You will need:
* 10 paper cups

Preparation - what to do:
* None!

Activity - what to do:
* Ask your child to stack the cups in a pyramid (4, 3, 2, 1). 

Alternative is to race a timer or race another person.

Activity benefits:
* Encourage bilateral coordination.
* Encourage motor planing.
* Encourage eye-hand coordination. 
* Encourage crossing the midline.

3. Elf Rescue

You will need:
* An elf on a small sled (or a small toy in a cardboard box).
* A toilet paper roll.
* A piece of wool.

Preparation - what to do:
* Attach the wool to the toilet paper roll on one end and sled on the other end. 
* Secure the elf to the sled.
* Optional pain the toilet paper roll. 

Activity - what to do:
* Ask your child to hold the toilet paper roll and wind up the wool to rescue the elf. 

Activity benefits:
* Encourage bilateral coordination.
* Encourage motor planing.
* Encourage eye-hand coordination. 
* Encourage crossing the midline. 

4. Christmas Card Puzzles!

You will need:
* Christmas cards or gift tags.
* Scissors
​* Optional - magnets

Preparation - what to do:
* Cut the Christmas cards or gift tags into the desired number of pieces. 
* Optional - attach magnetic paper to the back of the cards. 

Activity - what to do:
* Ask your child to match the pieces together to create the picture. 

The difficulty can be varied depending on the number of puzzle pieces cut and with how complicated the pictures are on the cards. 

Activity benefits:
* Encourage visual spatial awareness.
* Encourage visual discrimination.
*  Encourage visual closure skills. 
* Encourage problem solving skills. 

5. Christmas Tree Rings

You will need:
* Two Christmas craft trees (or alternatives could be empty plastic bottles, cardboard cones, etc).
* Plastic Rings (mine are from Twister Rings or an alternative are swimming toy rings).
* Balance Cushion

Preparation - what to do:
* Place trees within arms reach of balance cushion.

Activity - what to do:
* Ask your child to stand on the balance cushion and sort rings by colour over the trees. 

Activity benefits:
* Encourage bilateral coordination.
* Encourage motor planing.
* Encourage eye-hand coordination. 
* Encourage crossing the midline. 
* Encourage balance skills. 

Watch these 5 activities in action with this video link.

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A post shared by Cindy @ Your Kids OT ✏️□□□□ (@yourkidsot)

Are you looking for more activities, worksheets and FREE printables for Christmas!

You will find a variety here at  Your Kids OT. Click on the links below!

* Christmas Fun Sheets
* Christmas Activity Advent Calendar
* Christmas Social and Emotional Competencies
* Christmas Push Pin Tree
* Christmas Tree Craft
* Christmas Story Writing Prompts
* 2020 Holiday Activity Pack
* Christmas Tree Printable Pack 
* 2021 Christmas Free Printables 

So many activities to keep your children busy this holiday season! Let me know your favourites! 
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Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. â€‹â€‹â€‹
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