Easy and Fun Santa Claus Activities for Toddlers!
The holiday season is the perfect time of year to bring out the glitter, cotton balls, and Christmas spirit! If you’re looking for fun Santa Claus activities for toddlers. These simple and festive Santa crafts and activities will make your littlest kids giggle with joy while building fine motor skills and celebrating the magic of Christmas.
Each of these ideas is easy peasy, made from supplies you probably already have, like construction paper, pom poms, googly eyes, and paper plates.
Let’s dive into 10 fun and easy Santa Claus activities for toddlers your kids will love!
Updated: 10/16/2025
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Table of Contents
🎅 10 Fun Santa Claus Activities for Toddlers (Crafts + Play Ideas)
As a mom of four little ones under 10, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to keep a toddler entertained all day. That’s why I’m so excited to share these adorable Christmas-themed activities; they’re simple, fun, and always a huge hit in our home. If your days need a little extra holiday magic (and calm!), these 10 ideas are sure to bring big smiles to your kids and a bit of peace to your day.
1. Cotton Ball Santa Craft
This easy Santa craft uses cotton balls for Santa’s iconic white beard. Have your toddler glue cotton balls onto Santa’s face. It’s a fun way to work on fine motor skills and celebrate the spirit of the season. Add googly eyes and a red pom pom nose for extra fun! For this activity, you can download the FREE template below.
Download your FREE printable template here.
2. Paper Plate Santa Face
Grab a paper plate, white paper, and some craft supplies for a simple Santa craft. Let your child paint Santa’s hat with non-toxic paint and glue on a cotton ball trim. It’s the perfect Christmas craft for kids of all ages, and the results look adorable hanging on your Christmas tree.
3. Santa Handprint Craft
Turn your child’s handprints into a keepsake! This Santa handprint craft captures little hands in the cutest way. Trace your toddler’s hand on white paper, cut it out, and add red construction paper for the hat. This delightful way to celebrate Christmas morning makes a great card for grandparents, too.
4. Popsicle Stick Santa
Using popsicle sticks (or craft sticks), glue three together to form a triangle. Paint the top red for Santa’s hat and glue cotton balls on for the trim. Add a pom pom nose and googly eyes to complete your simple Santa. This fun craft is also great for older siblings to help with!
5. Toilet Paper Roll Santa
Make good use of empty toilet paper rolls by turning them into adorable Santa puppets. Wrap each roll in red paper, glue on a cotton ball beard, and decorate with googly eyes. It’s a wonderful way to make your own festive decorations without spending much.
6. Toddler-Friendly Santa Jars
Turn small plastic jars or recycled baby food containers into adorable Santa decorations! Instead of glass, use plastic jars or cups for safety. Let your toddler help paint the jar red with washable, non-toxic paint. Once dry, glue on a black paper “belt” and a yellow square buckle for Santa’s outfit. Add a cotton ball trim around the lid and a small pom pom on top for Santa’s hat.
You can fill the jar with mini marshmallows, red pom poms, or cotton balls to make it soft and fun for little hands. It’s a cute, mess-free activity that encourages creativity and fine motor skills while keeping toddlers safe and entertained!
7. Contact Paper Santa Collage
Stick a sheet of clear contact paper on a window, sticky side up. Let your toddler place red paper scraps, pom poms, and bits of cotton to build Santa’s face. This simple craft is a great sensory experience and looks festive when the light shines through!
8. Pom Pom Beard Race
Draw Santa’s face on a baking tray or white paper and outline Santa’s beard. You can also use the template from the first activity. Give your toddler a spoon or tweezers and let them race to fill the beard with pom poms.
It’s a fun activity that strengthens fine motor skills and keeps your little kids entertained while you prep for Christmas Day.
9. Contact Paper Santa Claus
Stick clear contact paper on a window, sticky side up, and let your toddler press on red paper scraps, cotton balls, and pom poms to build Santa’s face.
This sensory experience is a fun way to work on early learning while creating festive decorations that shine beautifully in the light.
10. Santa’s Cookie Cutter Playdough
Set out red and white playdough along with cookie cutters shaped like Santa hats, stars, and trees. Encourage your littlest kids to decorate their creations with small pom poms or beads.
This fun Santa play idea encourages fine motor skills and is a great way to sneak in a little Montessori school-style sensory play.
🎄 More Festive Fun for the Holiday Season 🎅
Keep the Christmas magic alive with these family-friendly ideas from The Foreign Mom:
✨ 12 Days of Christmas Ideas for Families – Fun, meaningful activities to make every day of the season special.
🎁 Elf on the Shelf Ideas – Creative, funny, and magical elf setups your kids will love waking up to!
❄️ Winter Wonderland Activity Worksheets for Kids – Keep little hands busy with printable winter puzzles, coloring pages, and more.
🖍️ Free Printable Christmas Activity Book – A festive bundle packed with games, crafts, and learning fun.
💌 Free Printable Letters to Santa Template – Let your kids write to Santa and capture the joy of Christmas magic!
Final Thoughts
There’s no better way to enjoy the holidays than crafting with your little ones. These Santa Claus crafts are perfect for kids of all ages—from curious toddlers to older children eager to help. With simple materials like paper plates, pom poms, and cotton balls, you can make festive decorations and lasting memories.
So grab your hot glue gun, crank up the Christmas music, and let your kids create their own version of jolly old Saint Nick. These Santa Claus activities for toddlers will fill your home with laughter, love, and the true spirit of the season.
🎅 FAQ: Santa Claus Activities for Toddlers 🎄
The best activities are simple, hands-on, and sensory-based. Try crafts like Santa handprints, pom pom beard tracing, or contact paper collages. Toddlers love interactive ideas that let them touch, glue, and play while exploring textures and colors.
Yes! With a little supervision, toddlers can do most of these crafts. Stick to safe, non-toxic materials like cotton balls, construction paper, and washable paint. Let them get messy — that’s part of the fun and learning!
These crafts and games strengthen fine motor skills, encourage creativity, and boost language development as you talk about shapes, colors, and Christmas traditions together.
Most crafts use items you likely already have — paper plates, cotton balls, pom poms, googly eyes, glue sticks, and red construction paper. You can also download a free printable template for some of the projects to make prep even easier.
Absolutely! Just make sure to avoid choking hazards like small beads or buttons for children under 3. Always supervise playtime and use age-appropriate materials such as large pom poms or foam stickers.
Most can be done in 10–20 minutes, perfect for short toddler attention spans. You can even break them into smaller steps throughout the day to keep your child entertained longer.
Definitely! These Santa-themed ideas are classroom-friendly and great for group play. Teachers and caregivers love how simple they are to set up and clean up afterward.
Explore these other holiday favorites from The Foreign Mom:
🎄 12 Days of Christmas Ideas for Families
🧝♂️ Elf on the Shelf Ideas
❄️ Winter Wonderland Activity Worksheets for Kids
🖍️ Free Printable Christmas Activity Book
💌 Free Printable Letters to Santa Template
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