December Activities for Kids

A collection of fun and easy December Activities for Kids! Learn about and celebrate the various holidays and festivals around the world in December with your child with crafts, books, recipes and activities.

Which December themed activity will you try first?

December Activities for Kids

Around the world, the December holidays bring joy, happiness, and a lot of delicious food.

This month there are so many fun holiday activities to choose from for your child. I wanted to highlight for you some activities that are a perfect fit for the month of December. There are many holidays this month around the world to learn about your child.

You can start off your December with a Holiday Virtual Field Trip! Explore holiday lights around the world, spend time with reindeer or experience a Christmas Free Farm and more!

Organize your month of December with our free monthly activity guide. Grab yours here!

Be sure to sign up for our FREE DECEMBER CALENDAR to use with your child!

If you’re looking for a few quick ideas for December these are my favorite posts.

• 50 Christmas Activities for Kids
• 20+ Christmas Science Activities
• 12 Days of Christmas Book Advent Calendar
• December Virtual Field Trips for Kids
• 100 Must-Read Christmas Books

Here are our top picks of December Themes and Activities for you to do this month with your child.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Chanukkah) is a Jewish holiday that lasts for eight nights and usually occurs in December. It is also known as the Festival of Lights.

Hanukkah celebrates a military victory of the Jews over foreign rulers. According to tradition, the Jews found only one small jar of lamp oil when they entered the Temple, enough for just one night. With the oil, they relit the Temple’s lamps. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight nights until more oil was obtained.

To celebrate the eight nights of Hanukkah people light candles on a branched candlestick called a menorah. They start with one candle and add a new candle each night. In addition to the lighting of the candles, gifts are exchanged and children play holiday games during Hanukkah.

• Easy Paper Plate Menorah Craft with Printable Template
• Cork Menorah Craft
• Paper Dreidel Craft and Activities
• Watercolor Dreidel Craft
• Paper Plate Star of David Suncatcher
• Star of David Tessellations

St. Lucia’s Day

The festival begins with a procession led by the St. Lucia designee, who is followed by young girls dressed in white and wearing lighted wreaths on their heads and boys dressed in white pajama-like costumes singing traditional songs.

The festival marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Scandinavia, and it is meant to bring hope and light during the darkest time of the year. Families celebrate with parades, special songs and delicious treats.

St. Lucia’s Day, the festival of lights celebrated in Sweden, Norway, and the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland on December 13 in honor of St. Lucia.

• Santa Lucia and Star Boy Ornaments
• DIY Saint Lucia Crown and Activities
• Lussekatter – St. Lucia Saffron Buns Recipe
• St. Lucia Day Printable

Las Posadas

Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus. A Mass is held each day after the procession, and, at the end of the church service, children break open piñatas filled with candy, toys, and, occasionally, money. The piñatas are usually crafted in the form of a star.

Las Posadas is celebrated in Mexico and some parts of the United States between December 16 and 24.

• Las Posadas Piñata Ornaments
• Las Posadas playset
• Paper Plate Poinsettia: Holiday Craft
• DIY Star Pinata
• Candy Cane Shaped Churros Recipe
• Galletas Mexican Cookie Recipe
• Spanish Christmas Color By Number Star Pinata
• Mexican Paper Star Ornament
• Mexican Buñuelos Recipe

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice, the longest night of the year, falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. The arrival of the Winter Solstice has been celebrated since ancient times. Both then and now, people use the sun, stars, and planets to keep track of time and seasons. We also look to nature to mark the change in seasons and understand more about the world around us and how it works.

Winter solstice traditions and yule celebrations celebrate the “birth of the sun.” And many contemporary holiday or Christmas traditions originate from these early pagan rituals and ancient earth-based winter solstice celebrations–as do many of the folktales.

The Winter Solstice and many of the traditions associated with it center around fire, light, and nature.

• Winter Solstice Paper Lanterns
• Winter Solstice Ornaments for Solstice Tree
• Make an Ice Lantern
• Solstice Lanterns with Snowflakes
• Winter Solstice Celebration Ideas
• Snowflake Stamping
• Heart Shaped Bird Seed Ornament for Winter Solstice Tree
• Make Dried Oranges for Solstice Tree
• Looking for Signs of Winter with Kids
• Orange Pomander Ornament

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve has many of its own customs and traditions. The most widely practiced one that still exists today is going to a Midnight Mass Church Service. In some families, people also exchange Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve day and eat special dinners together.

Children hang stockings up for the arrival of Santa Clause on Christmas Eve.

• Christmas Roll Sprinkle Sugar Cookies Recipe
• Make Your Own Reindeer Food
• Christmas Eve Traditions for Little Kids
• Fun Christmas Eve Traditions
• Christmas Movies for Kids
• Stocking Sight Word Activity
• Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt
• Stained Glass Nativity Craft

Christmas

Christmas is an annual festival celebrated on December 25 by Christians all over the world to honor the birth of Jesus Christ. For many people, Christmas is all about the Christmas tree, Christmas sweets, Santa Claus, and Christmas Carols. It has become a season of general celebration and giving presents.

The holiday is officially observed on December 25, but often celebrations begin a few days earlier and last until the new year. It is one of the most colorful and festive times of the year.

• 50 Christmas Activities for Kids
• 100 Must-Read Christmas Books for Kids
• Fingerprint Ornament Ideas
• 50 Gingerbread Activities for Kids
• 101 Reindeer Crafts and Activities for Kids
• 12 Days of Christmas Book Advent Calendar
• Family Christmas Games

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration held in the United States that honors African heritage in African-American culture. Kwanzaa is observed from December 26th to January 1st, and culminates in gift giving and a big feast.

The seven values are:

1. Unity (Umoja)
2. Collective Work & Responsibility (Ujima)
3. Self-determination (Kujichagulia
4. Purpose (Nia)
5. Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa)
6. Faith (Imani)
7. Creativity (Kuumba)

• Yarn Wrapped Kinara Craft
• Kwanzaa Coloring Pages
• Kwanzaa Coloring Pages from Crayola
• Kwanzaa Necklace Craft
• DIY Kwanzaa Kinara with Paper Tubes

New Year’s Eve

• Printable New Years Interview for Kids
• New Year’s Eve Activities for Kids
• New years Eve Party Ideas with Balloon Countdown

Three Kings Day

Although it’s a January holiday we wanted to also include Three Kings Day. At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day on January 6th. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts.

On this day in Spain, many children get their Christmas presents. In Puerto Rico, before children go to sleep on January 5, they leave a box with hay under their beds so the kings will leave good presents. In France, a delicious “kings’ cake” known as la galette des rois is baked. Bakers hide a coin, jewel, or little toy inside it.

• 3 Kings Toilet Paper Roll Craft
• Three Kings Hanging Garland
• Three Kings Day Crown Craft for Kids
• 3 Kings Watercolor Salt Art Project
• Rosca de Reyes (Kings Day Bread) Recipe
• K is for King Craft
• 3 Kings on Camels Handprint Craft

December Books for Kids

I’ve handpicked a collection of children’s books you can read this month to go along with the activities that I shared with you. I love doing storytime with a book, activity, and a snack the kids can make.

Head over now to see our complete list of recommended Christmas Books.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Take a moment to explore our 100 Must-Read Christmas Books Before They Turn Age 10.

If you’re exploring holidays around the world, you may also find our Diwali Books for Kids List helpful as you build your diverse bookshelf.

December Holidays Around the World

1. Hanukkah
2. St. Lucia’s Day
3. Las Posadas
4. Winter Solstice
5. Christmas Eve
6. Christmas
7. Kwanzaa
8. New Year’s Eve
9. Three Kings Day

Download our free December Activity Calendar for easy planning!

Hope you’ve enjoyed our complete collection of December activities for kids. Let us know which ones are your child’s favorite in the comments below.