Christmas tot school at home: 4 simple December themes for toddlers

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December with a toddler can feel like two things at once. It is sparkly and sweet, and it is also a month of late nights, changed plans and a very excited little person who has no idea why there is suddenly a tree in the living room.

That is exactly why a little tot school rhythm helps. Not more to do, but something steady in the middle of the season: one small, hands-on activity at the same time each day, with a Christmas theme your toddler can touch, smell and sing about.

Below you will find four simple December themes, one for each week, with an easy idea for every weekday. Most of them use things you already have. Take what works, skip what doesn't, and know that a week you miss completely changes nothing.

How Christmas tot school works

If you are new to this, tot school is simply a short, predictable time together with one hands-on activity. In December, I would keep it even lighter than usual:

• Keep it to 15 minutes or less. Stop while it is still fun. Five happy minutes counts.
• Choose one theme a week. Repetition is how toddlers learn, so the same tree or the same song all week is a feature, not a flaw.
• Plan four days, not five. December is full. Doing three or four of these in a week is plenty.
• Say yes to their version. If your toddler would rather pour the pinecones than sort them, they are still learning.

You will only need a few basics. Set each activity on a wooden Montessori tray (a baking sheet works just as well), so your toddler can see where the activity lives. A wooden scoops and tongs set handles all the scooping and transferring, and Melissa & Doug Jumbo Triangular Crayons are easy for small hands to grip.

A quick safety note before we start: pinecones, bells, pom poms and ornament pieces are for closely supervised play. Anything small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube is a choking hazard for children under 3. Always check the age label on toys, and keep real holly and mistletoe berries out of reach.

Week 1: Evergreen trees

Start the month with the thing your toddler is already staring at. This theme is all about green, big and small, and the smell of pine.

• Read and talk. Read a Christmas tree book or simply stand by the tree and name what you see: green, tall, soft, prickly.
• Fine motor. Use tongs to move large pinecones from one bowl to another. Stack the pieces of a wooden Christmas tree stacking toy, or simply take them off and put them back on again.
• Match and sort. Sort pinecones or paper trees into two piles: big and small.
• Art and mess. Draw a big triangle on paper and let your toddler scribble it green. Add stickers as ornaments.
• Move and sing. Stretch tall like a tree, then curl up small like a pinecone.

If you don't want little hands on the real tree, a felt Christmas tree with ornaments gives them one that is all theirs to decorate. Ornaments can come on and off all week. Keep an eye on small pieces, and skip any add-on lights with little batteries.

Week 2: Stars and lights

As the days get darker, toddlers notice lights everywhere. This week is lovely for late afternoons, when the sun goes down early.

• Read and talk. Read Bear Stays Up for Christmas and talk about what happens at night. Who is awake? Who is sleeping?
• Fine motor. Press star-shaped cookie cutters into play dough. Store-bought is easiest, and supervise so it stays out of little mouths.
• Match and sort. Cut yellow paper stars in two sizes and match each one to its outline.
• Art and mess. Glue or sticker yellow stars onto dark paper. For a 3 year old, try painting with Crayola Washable Kids Paint (labeled ages 3 and up).
• Move and sing. Turn off the lights, sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and make your hands twinkle, or go on a short evening walk to spot lights on houses.

Week 3: Bells and baking

This is the week for sounds and smells, and it is a nice one for grandparents or older siblings to join.

• Read and talk. Read Who Says Ho Ho Ho? together and say the "ho ho ho" as loudly as you both like.
• Fine motor. Stir, scoop and pour dry oats in a big bowl with a wooden spoon, like baking. This one is for supervised play, so stay close.
• Match and sort. Play with a wooden Christmas cookie set and sort the cookies by shape or color. It is labeled for ages 3 and up, so for younger toddlers, cut cookie shapes from cardboard instead.
• Art and mess. Decorate a paper gingerbread shape with crayons and stickers.
• Move and sing. Jingle along to "Jingle Bells" with wooden jingle hand bells, playing fast, slow, loud and quiet. Check that each bell is firmly attached before and after play, and put them up high afterward.

If your toddler wants to help with real baking, let them pour measured flour and stir. Toddlers shouldn't taste raw dough or batter, so keep that for the grown-up finishing touches.

Week 4: Wrapping and giving

The last week before Christmas tends to be the busiest, so keep this one especially light. Toddlers love the wrapping as much as the gifts.

• Read and talk. Revisit a favorite book from earlier in the month. Familiar stories are calming when routines wobble.
• Fine motor. Wrap small blocks in tissue paper together, then unwrap them again and again. Sticker dots work well instead of tape.
• Match and sort. Line up a few empty boxes and match each lid to its box, or put them in order from small to big.
• Art and mess. Stamp a roll of plain paper with a halved apple or a sponge. Then use it as wrapping paper for grandparents.
• Move and sing. Deliver a "present" to each room, or to each family member, with a big walk and a little song.

Keep long ribbon and string out of play, and clear away plastic wrapping as soon as you are done. If your family celebrates differently, or you would rather keep it wintry, swap this week's boxes for a snow theme with cotton balls and blue paper.

How to change it by age

The themes stay the same. What changes is how much you offer.

12 to 18 months. Focus on one sense at a time: holding a big pinecone with you, feeling felt, shaking a bell together, turning pages of a board book. Everything stays within arm's reach, and nothing goes on a shelf that can't go in a mouth.

2 year olds. The five-day list above is written with this age in mind. Keep sorting to two groups, and show the activity once, slowly, without many words.

3 year olds. Add a little stretch: count three stars out loud, sort into three groups, cut a paper strip with safety scissors, or help set up the tray.

A note on December days: if tot school slips because of a visit, a nap or a meltdown, that is simply December. Pick it up the next day, or don't.

Want something ready for those quiet five-minute moments? My Christmas Toddler Activity Book has 29 print-at-home pages of Christmas tracing, matching and counting, with one simple task per page.

Your December supply checklist

Gather these on a Sunday afternoon and put them in one basket, so the month is ready when you are.

• Tray or baking sheet
• Two small bowls and tongs or a scoop
• Large pinecones, washed and dried
• Chunky crayons and plain paper
• Green and yellow paper, stickers and a glue stick
• Play dough and star cookie cutters
• Dry oats and a big mixing bowl
• Tissue paper, sticker dots and empty boxes
• Two or three Christmas books

Anything you plan to order is worth ordering early, since holiday shipping gets slower as December gets closer.

Shop the list

• wooden Montessori tray: one tray, one activity, all month.
• wooden scoops and tongs set: for scooping and transferring every week.
• Melissa & Doug Jumbo Triangular Crayons: a sturdy, easy grip for tiny artists.
• Pearhead wooden Christmas tree stacking toy: a seasonal twist on a classic stacker.
• felt Christmas tree with ornaments: a tree they can decorate again and again.
• Bear Stays Up for Christmas: a cozy read-aloud for Week 2.
• Who Says Ho Ho Ho?: a sweet Christmas board book for little ones.
• wooden jingle hand bells: rhythm and "Jingle Bells" in one.
• Melissa & Doug Slice & Bake Christmas Cookie Play Set: sweet pretend baking, labeled for ages 3 and up.
• Crayola Washable Kids Paint: easy painting for 3 year olds, labeled for ages 3 and up.

A gentle month, one small tray at a time

Pick one theme, set out one tray, and let that be enough. Your toddler won't remember whether you did every activity. They will remember the smell of pine, the jingling, and sitting close to you on a dark December afternoon.

If you are starting from scratch, my post on tot school at home: a simple weekly rhythm for 2-year-olds walks you through the basics, and the Christmas Toddler Activity Book is there for extra calm moments. For more tot school ideas in your inbox, join the free Nest Notes letter at the bottom of this page.

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