10 Christmas Activities To Do With Your One Year Old

It's true what they say, Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. But watching my children get into the festive spirit makes it even more special. With that being said however I do struggle thinking up age appropriate festive activities for my youngest. This post will hopefully help and inspire you as well as myself to indulge in festivities with your one year old.

I love the stage my one year old is at, at the moment. Her personality is coming through and she's developing more and more each day. Having an older child as well however, the age difference is prominent. There are plenty of Christmas activities my eldest will love whereas I know my youngest will show little to no interest in. Today however we're focussing on our littlest littles. Here's my list of ten fun festive activities your one year old will love.

_{[Photo by Benjamin Escher on Unsplash]}

Festive Activities For Your One Year Old

1. Make Christmas Inspired Sensory Shakers

I love sensory shakers! Not only are they visually stimulating and interesting to your toddler, but they're also ridiculously easy to make. There are literally only three steps you need to complete to make your Christmas sensory shaker this year:

1. Clean and dry your clear plastic bottle
2. Fill with Christmas crafts
3. Screw the lid back on

It really is as easy as that! I find pom poms, glitter and other small Christmas crafts work best. I usually pick mine up from hobbycraft as they have a fantastic selection of festive miniatures and I can't resist the cuteness.

2. Playdoh Christmas Trees

Not only is playdoh brilliant for you one year olds fine motor skills but it's really fun and entertaining for them too. An easy way of making it festive is my using any green playdoh you have and transforming it into Christmas trees.

You could cut the tree shapes out for your toddler and have them decorate it with pom poms or other coloured playdoh balls. I'm inclined to use pom poms or crafts as I hate my kids mixing the playdoh colours. I know they love it, but having five pots of brown playdoh isn't exciting to me.

3. Festive Sensory Boards

I think of sensory boards with an 'anything goes' type of attitude. I'm very much of the opinion that anything is interesting to a child and they can make play from absolutely everything. Sensory boards are all about allowing your child to explore different textures and materials to stimulate their senses. Items you can add to your festive sensory board include:

• Crinkled wrapping paper
• Fur cones
• Sticky bows
• Ribbons
• Tree cut offs
• Fake snow
• Red / white / green pom poms
• Christmas cake toppers
• Mini stocking for putting things in
• Felt green tree

4. Illumination Walks

Another great sensory activity for your small person is getting out on an illumination walk. At this time of year it gets dark pretty early so illumination walks can be booked in early in the aim to not disrupt your bed time routine too much.

When we lived in Yorkshire, Stokeld Park was our local festive illumination walk. It's one I'd definitely recommend if you're close by. Now we're in the North East I need to scout out our nearest, but it's definitely on my list.

Illumination walks are so beneficial for our little peoples sensory needs. We love them as they're fun for all the family.

5. Sticky Bow Sensory Play

Similar to sensory boards you could incorporate sticky bows used to decorate presents into your toddlers play. This will not only improve their hand eye coordination, but their fine motor skills and creativity too.

There are many possibilities when it comes to free play. You might find your one year old likes to stick them to crafts, they might prefer more structural play, they might just like playing with the bows themselves. Sticky bows are one of those brilliant 'toys but not toys' type of product. The perfect addition to your small person's craft box.

_{[Photo by Benjamin Escher on Unsplash]}

6. Read Christmas Books

A tale as old as time! There's nothing more festive and cosy than snuggling up with your toddler and reading them a story. I know a lot of people do book advent with a Christmas read every day from 1st - 24th December which is a lovely way to ring in the festivities.

There are so many different books available, for a variety of different ages. You're definitely not going to struggle finding the perfect one to read to your toddler.

The Best Christmas Books For 1 Year Olds

• That's Not My Reindeer... – A tactile favourite with different textures to explore and simple repetitive text that's perfect for little hands.
• Dear Santa – A classic interactive book where babies can lift the flaps to discover which present Santa has chosen. Peekaboo Santa – A fun peekaboo story with sturdy flaps that encourages interaction and anticipation.
• Where's Mrs Claus? – Soft felt flaps make this a great first Christmas book for curious toddlers.
• Santa's Noisy Day – Press the buttons to hear festive sounds while following Santa on his Christmas Eve adventures.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Christmas 123 – Combines counting with festive illustrations in a simple, engaging format.
• Spot's First Christmas – Join Spot as he enjoys Christmas traditions like decorating the tree and opening presents.
• The Snowman – A gentle introduction to the beloved Christmas story with beautiful illustrations.
• Elmer's Christmas – Follow Elmer the colourful elephant as he helps prepare for a magical Christmas celebration.
• The Gruffalo's Child: A Festive Winter Story – While not strictly a Christmas story, it's perfect for cosy festive reading during the festive season.

7. DIY Christmas Photoshoot

Your baby's first Christmas is such a special milestone, and you don't need a professional photographer or expensive props to capture beautiful festive memories. With a few simple ideas, you can create adorable Christmas photos at home using things you already have.

Let's take a look at a few different 1 year old Christmas photoshoot ideas:

Christmas Tree Photoshoot

Your Christmas tree makes the perfect backdrop for a festive photoshoot with your one year old. Capture those magical little moments as they discover the twinkling lights, reach for the decorations, sit beside the tree, or cuddle their favourite Christmas toy. At this age, natural photos often create the most treasured memories, so don’t worry about creating the perfect pose. Simply let your little one explore and capture their curiosity.

Christmas Pyjama Photoshoot

Christmas pyjamas are a simple and adorable way to create cosy festive photos at home. Whether your one year old is snuggled up on the sofa, reading a Christmas book, playing with toys, or enjoying Christmas morning excitement, festive pyjamas instantly add a seasonal touch. Matching family pyjamas can also make a lovely keepsake photo for your baby’s first Christmas.

Christmas Book Photos

A festive story makes a lovely prop for a cosy Christmas photoshoot. Take photos of your one year old looking through their favourite Christmas book, pointing at the pictures, or enjoying story time with you. Books create natural interaction and help capture those quiet, meaningful moments that make Christmas feel special.

Christmas Outfit Photos

Festive outfits are an easy way to add some Christmas magic to your photos. Whether your little one is wearing a Christmas jumper, festive dress, knitted hat, or cosy pyjamas, focus on capturing their personality rather than creating a perfect pose. Photos of them playing, laughing, walking, or exploring will often become your favourite memories.

8. Watch Christmas Movies

Similar to the reading pointer, there's nothing better than snuggling up on the sofa to watch a good festive movie. With countless streaming services available nowadays all you have to do is search 'Christmas' and you'll be presented with a list long.

9. Make Christmas Cards

I'll be honest, I tried making Christmas cards with my eldest when she was younger and it was a disaster. So here's hoping you have better luck than I did!

I found finger painting was the easiest thing to do at this age. Either that or doing hand prints and using a black sharpie pen to detail something festive. There are plenty of Christmas craft ideas on Pinterest for this sort of thing. And to be fair, even if they do turn out to be a disaster, your family members will still think they're cute right?

Oh, and please use washable paint! Things are definitely going to get messy!

10. Make Tree Decorations

A couple of months ago I visited the Pottery Loft in Billingham where the girls painted a couple of different ceramic pieces. Next week we'll be visiting again to make our Christmas decorations, plus a few pieces which will make easy presents from the kids to their grandparents.

Of course you could book a ceramics class local to yourself, but you could also do salt dough ornaments (much more affordably) at home. The recipe is really easy and the process itself is fun for all the family. To make salt dough all you need is:

• 2 Cups plain flour
• 1 Cup salt
• 1 Cup water

Mix it all together and away you go. Once you've made your ornaments from the salt dough they need baking in the oven for a couple of hours at a low heat, around 120.

What festive traditions will you be doing with your family this year? Are there any festive activities you'll be taking from my list to do with your small people?