Advent activities for toddlers, ten minutes at a time.

What works at this age

• Keep it to 10 or 15 minutes. Stop while it is still fun.
• Open the door at the same time each day, for example after breakfast. The ritual matters more than the activity.
• Choose things they can touch, shake, rustle or pour. Sensory play beats crafts with lots of steps.
• Repeat favourites. A toddler will happily do the jingle-bell dance five times in December.
• Grown-ups handle the scissors, the oven and anything small enough to swallow.

A sample calendar for a two-year-old

Made by Advent of Play for a two-year-old, mostly indoors, free only, with 15 minutes on weekdays.

1. 1TueStart a daily December photo10 min · Free
2. 2WedScrunch and rustle wrapping paper15 min · Free
3. 3ThuDo a scarf dance10 min · Free
4. 4FriSurprise a neighbour20 min · Free
5. 5SatDecorate the treeAbout an hour · Free
6. 6SunBuild an indoor obstacle course45 min · Free
7. 7MonLie under the fairy lights15 min · Free
8. 8TueRoll a ball back and forth10 min · Free
9. 9WedSing winter lullabies10 min · Free
10. 10ThuPlay sort-the-socks snowballs10 min · Free
11. 11FriFeel the cold with ice in a bag10 min · Free
12. 12SatMake salt dough ornamentsAbout an hour · Free
13. 13SunUnwrap a box of treasures15 min · Free
14. 14MonRead a touch-and-feel book10 min · Free
15. 15TueExplore a winter treasure basket15 min · Free
16. 16WedTell the story of the day they were born15 min · Free
17. 17ThuPlay freeze dance15 min · Free
18. 18FriPlay balloon keepy-uppy15 min · Free
19. 19SatHave an extra-long story time45 min · Free
20. 20SunHave a board game nightAbout an hour · Free
21. 21MonMix magic reindeer food15 min · Free
22. 22TueGive a warm lotion massage15 min · Free
23. 23WedVideo call someone far away20 min · Free
24. 24ThuLight candles and share wishes20 min · Free

Every family gets a different calendar. Yours depends on your children’s ages, interests, time and budget.

Sensory play

• Make a glitter snow bottle

  A grown-up fills a small plastic bottle with water, glitter and a few sequins, then glues and tapes the lid shut. Shake it and watch the snow swirl, or roll it across the floor to chase.

  20 minCosts a littleUp to 3

  You need: Plastic bottle, glitter, strong glue and tape

• Feel the cold with ice in a bag

  Put a few ice cubes and a drop of food colouring in a zip bag, seal it well and tape it to a tray. Let them squish and pat it as it melts. Say “cold!” together.

  10 minFreeUp to 3

  You need: Ice cubes, a strong zip bag, tape

• Explore a winter treasure basket

  Fill a basket with safe things to feel: a wooden spoon, a soft mitten, a metal whisk, a big pine cone, a piece of ribbon. Sit close and let them explore one at a time.

  15 minFreeUp to 2

  You need: A basket and everyday objects bigger than their fist

• Scrunch and rustle wrapping paper

  Give your little one big sheets of paper or tissue to scrunch, wave and tear, and hide a favourite toy underneath for them to find. Take the tape off first.

  15 minFreeUp to 2

  You need: Big sheets of wrapping paper or tissue

• Unwrap a box of treasures

  Loosely wrap a cardboard box with a few of their own toys inside. Help them pull the paper off. The box will probably be the favourite part.

  15 minFreeUp to 3

  You need: A box, paper, some of their toys

• Bring the snow inside

  Fill a bowl with snow, guess how long it takes to melt and how much water it makes. Check every half hour.

  15 minFreeAges 1 to 8

  You need: A bowl of snow

Music and moving

• Shake the jingle bells

  Sing a winter song and shake bells or a rattle to the beat: fast, slow, loud, quiet. Use a baby rattle or bells sewn firmly into a sock, never loose ones.

  10 minCosts a littleUp to 3

  You need: A baby rattle or bells sewn into a sock

• Play the saucepan drums

  Put out pots, pans and plastic bowls upside down with a wooden spoon each, and drum along to your favourite songs. Loud is allowed.

  15 minFreeUp to 4

  You need: Pots, bowls, wooden spoons

• Do a scarf dance

  Wave scarves or tea towels to music: slow like falling snow, fast like a blizzard, still like ice.

  10 minFreeUp to 6

  You need: Scarves, music

• Play freeze dance

  Dance when the music plays and freeze like a snowman when it stops. Anyone who wobbles becomes the DJ.

  15 minFreeAges 2 to 10

  You need: Music

• Have a kitchen dance party

  Each person picks two songs. Turn the lights down, turn the music up and dance until dinner is ready.

  20 minFreeUp to 12

  You need: Music

• Go for a cardboard box sleigh ride

  Put a cushion in a big cardboard box, sit your little one in it and pull them slowly around the house, jingling and saying hello to the rooms.

  15 minFreeUp to 3

  You need: A big box, a cushion

Simple making

• Make handprint cards

  Paint little hands and press them onto card to make reindeer, trees or snowmen. Send them to grandparents.

  30 minFreeUp to 8

  You need: Card, washable paint

• Make a hand or footprint keepsake

  Press your little one’s hand or foot in baby-safe paint and print it on card, or press it into salt dough a grown-up made. Turn it into a reindeer, a tree or a gift for a grandparent.

  30 minCosts a littleUp to 3

  You need: Baby-safe paint or salt dough, card, wipes

• Make a paper plate wreath

  Cut the middle out of a paper plate and cover the ring with torn green paper, handprints or leaves from the garden.

  30 minFreeAges 2 to 8

  You need: A paper plate, green paper, glue

• Make a sticker winter scene

  Draw a simple hill and sky, then let little ones fill it with stars, dots and shape stickers for snow and trees.

  15 minCosts a littleAges 2 to 5

  You need: Paper, stickers

• Decorate a paper gingerbread house

  Cut a house shape from brown paper and decorate it with paper sweets, buttons, stickers and white paint icing.

  25 minFreeAges 2 to 7

  You need: Brown paper, stickers, glue

• Make salt dough ornaments

  Mix 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt and ½ cup water. Roll, cut shapes, poke a hole for string and bake at 120 °C / 250 °F for 2 hours. Paint them tomorrow.

  About an hourFreeAges 2 to 12

  You need: Flour, salt, water, cookie cutters

Cosy rituals

• Lie under the fairy lights

  Turn the big lights off, lie on a blanket by the tree or the fairy lights and watch them twinkle together. Talk softly about the colours.

  15 minFreeUp to 2

  You need: A blanket, some lights

• Sing winter lullabies

  Dim the lights and sing slow songs about snow, stars and sleepy animals. Make up a verse with your baby’s name in it.

  10 minFreeUp to 3

• Read a touch-and-feel book

  Read a board book with flaps or textures, or a winter picture book, and let them pat and turn the pages. Do it on their tummy for tummy time.

  10 minFreeUp to 2

  You need: A board book

• Wrap books to unwrap

  Wrap a few of your own books (old favourites count) and unwrap one each evening for bedtime this week.

  30 minFreeAges 1 to 10

  You need: Books you own, paper

• Play window-spotting

  Sit by the window with a warm drink and spot birds, red cars, dogs, lights and people in hats. Who sees the most?

  10 minFreeAges 1 to 6

  You need: A window

• Start a daily December photo

  Pick one spot, like the same chair or the same window, and take a photo of your little one there every day this month. Watch them change.

  10 minFreeUp to 4

  You need: A phone

Questions