It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Celebrate the upcoming festive season with delightful Christmas countdown crafts for preschoolers. These crafts add holiday cheer and let little ones showcase their artistic skills. Each crafted piece becomes a symbol of anticipation and joy.
Get ready for a magical journey filled with glitter, glue, and endless fun. Explore enchanting Christmas countdown craft ideas for your enthusiastic preschoolers. Bring the spirit of Christmas into your homes and classrooms in a colorful and crafty way!
Great Ideas for Christmas Countdown Crafts for Preschoolers
Engaging in a Christmas countdown craft with your kids is a delightful and meaningful way to anticipate the holiday season. These activities not only strengthen the festive spirit but are also a great way to foster a strong bond between parents and young kids. These crafts are a bundle of fun, allowing little kids to unleash their creativity and enthusiasm.
Witnessing the joy and pride on their faces as each craft takes shape is an experience in itself. The vibrant colors, the sparkle of glitter, and the joy of creation. It all contributes to an atmosphere of celebration and cheer. The countdown crafts serve as an enjoyable activity that combines the anticipation of the Christmas season with the joy of spending quality time with the whole family.
Paper Chains and Garlands
Make a Paper Chain: Gather colorful paper and help the preschoolers cut strips. Assist them in linking the strips together to form a paper chain. Each day, remove one link, counting down to the exciting day of Christmas.
Gratitude Garland: Create a garland using paper strips. Each day, have preschoolers write or draw something they are thankful for, contributing to a beautiful gratitude garland.
Snowflake Cutouts: Collaborate with the preschoolers to cut out snowflake shapes from paper. Attach them to a string, and remove one snowflake each day, counting down to Christmas.
Christmas Countdown Chain with Activities: Write different holiday activities on paper strips and create a chain. Remove one link each day, unveiling a new activity to engage in as you countdown to Christmas.
Adding a Piece to Create a Picture Christmas Countdown Activities
Paper Plate Snow Globe: Craft a paper plate snow globe with a small window. Each day, let the preschoolers add a new cotton ball “snowflake,” gradually transforming the scene as Christmas approaches.
Nativity Puzzle: Print or draw a simple nativity scene and cut it into puzzle pieces. Add one piece daily, eventually revealing the complete nativity scene as Christmas approaches.
Decorate a Class Christmas Tree: Each day, have preschoolers add a decoration to a communal Christmas tree. Witness the tree evolve into a fully decorated masterpiece as Christmas time draws near.
Santa’s Sleigh Ride: Craft a sleigh out of paper or cardboard and add presents. Remove one present each day, imagining Santa’s sleigh becoming lighter as Christmas Eve approaches.
Remove One a Day
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Engage the preschoolers in crafting charming reindeer faces using paper plates, googly eyes, pom poms, and construction paper. Remove one nose each day, waiting until the final day to add Rudolph’s iconic red nose.
Advent Calendar with Treats: Create homemade advent calendars where each day reveals a different holiday treat. As they enjoy their daily surprise, preschoolers can reflect on the anticipation and joy of Christmas.
There are a lot of store-bought advent calendars but nothing compares to to diy advent calendar ideas. You can use small cups, bowls, toilet paper rolls, and other small things to hold treats and trinkets. The dollar store is great for grabbing these candies and toys.
Christmas Tree Countdown: Draw or cut out a Christmas tree shape and affix it to a wall. Start by adding numbered ornaments. Each day, let the preschoolers remove one ornament from the tree.
Jingle Bell Bracelet: String jingle bells onto pipe cleaners, creating festive bracelets. Each day, remove one bell, producing a jingling reminder as Christmas draws near.
Gingerbread House Countdown: Provide gingerbread house templates for decoration. Let the preschoolers express their creativity with markers and stickers. Remove one “candy” decoration each day, adding to the anticipation.
Popsicle Stick Ornaments: Provide popsicle sticks for creating unique ornaments. Remove one ornament each day from their collection, celebrating the approach of Christmas.
Christmas Sock Countdown: Hang festive socks on a string, numbering them. Each day, let the preschoolers take down one sock, creating a visual countdown to Christmas.
Candy Cane Countdown: Craft a candy cane shape using paper or felt and add numbered stripes. Remove one stripe each day, symbolizing the sweet journey towards Christmas.
Snowman
Snowman Countdown: Shape a snowman and attach numbered buttons for a festive countdown. Take off one button each day, making the snowman smaller as you approach the joyful occasion of Christmas.
Snowman Ball Toss Game: Create a snowman on a large poster board with numbered circles. Let preschoolers toss a small ball, removing a numbered circle each day in this interactive countdown game.
Handprints
Holiday Handprints: Capture the preschoolers’ handprints in different colors. Arrange them in the shape of a Christmas tree, and delightfully remove one handprint daily, marking the progress towards Christmas.
Handprint Wreath: Trace and cut out handprints from green construction paper. Collaborate with the preschoolers to glue these handprints in a circle, forming a delightful wreath. Add a paper bow, and each day, remove one handprint from the wreath.
Christmas Tree Handprint Cards: Make Christmas cards. Assist preschoolers in creating handprint Christmas tree cards. Remove one card each day, unveiling a personalized and heartfelt collection.
Santa
Santa’s Beard Calendar: Craft a Santa face with a long beard using cotton balls. Remove one cotton ball each day, revealing Santa’s face as Christmas approaches.
Santa Beard Countdown: Create a jolly Santa face using paper, and attach a soft cotton ball beard. Playfully remove one cotton ball each day, marking the passage of time as you approach the festive celebration of Christmas.
Fun Christmas Crafts Countdown
Decorate Ornaments: Offer plain ornaments or cut ornament shapes from sturdy cardboard. Encourage the preschoolers to express their creativity by decorating these ornaments with vibrant markers, cheerful stickers, or sparkling glitter.
Christmas Countdown Coloring Pages: Print coloring pages with numbers for each day. Encourage the preschoolers to color one section daily, adding a visual countdown to Christmas. These Printable Christmas Bookmarks to Color are so much fun.
Holiday Sticker Calendar: Create a calendar on poster board with numbered days. Allow the preschoolers to place a festive sticker on the corresponding number each day, making the countdown interactive.
Days of Christmas Activities/ Christmas Activity Ideas
Countdown to Kindness: Write simple acts of kindness on cards. Let preschoolers perform one act each day, fostering a sense of generosity and warmth as Christmas approaches.
Santa’s Workshop Playdough Station: Set up a playdough station with Christmas-themed cookie cutters. Remove one cutter each day, allowing preschoolers to explore their creativity in Santa’s workshop.
Christmas Carol Karaoke: Introduce a new Christmas carol each day and let preschoolers sing along. Create a countdown by checking off each carol, building musical excitement towards Christmas.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt: Set up a simple holiday-themed scavenger hunt. Remove one clue each day, leading preschoolers to a delightful surprise on Christmas.
Elf on the Shelf: Incorporate an elf into your countdown, moving it to a different spot each day and discussing the holiday excitement with preschoolers.
Winter Animal Crafts: Create simple crafts featuring winter animals like penguins, polar bears, and reindeer. Do a new craft each day.
Holiday Storytime: Read a different Christmas story each day. Remove a book from the lineup as part of the countdown, building anticipation through storytelling.
Hot Cocoa Countdown: Count down to Christmas with a hot cocoa station. Add a new topping or add in each day, creating a delightful and tasty countdown
Play Games: There are so many different types of games to play for Christmas. When you are looking for some that are a little different than the norm, I love Printable Christmas Bingo Cards, Printable Christmas Tic Tac Toe Game, and Roll & Draw A Snowman Printable.
Final Thoughts on Christmas Countdown Crafts for Preschoolers
Make the days leading up to Christmas as fun and exciting as the holiday itself with these creative countdown activities. Not only do these activities build anticipation for Christmas, but they also stimulate creativity, fine motor skills, and sensory development in preschoolers.
Each day, as we remove one activity, add something, or do something new, younger kids and older kids alike will be delighted by the surprise of what comes next. Let the holiday spirit fill your preschool and let the festive Christmas countdown idea fun begin.
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