Playing Preschool with Busy Toddler: Christmas Unit - 12 Days of Christmas Magic (Part 2)

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This post is a continuation of a previous post: Christmas Unit - Symbols of Christmas. If you haven't read it, start there.

We've been using Busy Toddler's Playing Preschool for our homeschool preschool curriculum, and I've had so much fun creating these holiday units to complement the curriculum by pairing books with learning goals and activities on Busy Toddler's website.

See my previous post for:

Or download the entire printable PDF of the unit at the bottom of this post.

For the sake of ease, I have used different colors of text to designate whether specific books and topics are religious (RED) or non-religious (GREEN) or neutral (BLACK/BLUE) so please substitute as needed.

Shared Reading Stars, Stockings and Shepherds, Discover the Meaning of Christmas Symbols - Chabot, Shersta (I don't recommend reading the whole book at once. Just read the headings and look at the pictures).

Talking Points: What is a symbol? A symbol is something that stands for or represents something else (i.e. heart = love). What are some things we do at Christmastime? Why do we do them? We’re going to be learning why we celebrate the way we do!

Learning Activity: Draw simple symbols on Post-It Notes of what you will be reading about (tree, gifts, music note, wreath, candy cane, bell, star, dove, angel, cross, etc). Spread them out and read the heading on each page. As you read, ask your child to find the matching symbol. Note: word pictures are so helpful in helping children retain new information.

Easy Activity: Draw the same symbols on a large piece of butcher paper and tape it to the wall. Hide the Post-It Notes around the house and let your child play Busy Toddler’s Christmas Post-It Match. As they find them, remind them of the word that each symbol represents (crown = king, shepherd's hook = shepherd). You'll be learning more about each symbol later so don't expect mastery. Extension: When you’re done, let them color it like Busy Toddler’s Giant Christmas Art.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: “O Christmas Tree”

Shared Reading: Pick a Pine Tree - Toht, Patricia (non-religious)

Talking Points: What is special about a Christmas tree? What traditions do we have around getting/setting up our tree?

Learning Activity: Busy Toddler’s Ornament Sorting pre-math activity (sort by color, size, etc.) My taby loved this too!

Easy Activity: Adapt Busy Toddler’s Threading Station to make garland! I used penne noodles instead of cut up straws and attached a piece of twine to the end of the pipe cleaner to make a long strand. Pairs well with If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff.

Book Substitutions:

Note: St. Lucia’s Day, a festival of lights, is celebrated December 13th in Scandinavian countries

Suggested Christmas Carol: "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"

Shared Reading: Little Blue Truck’s Christmas - Schertle, Alice

Talking Points: What items do we put on our Christmas tree? What do we put on top? What do we put underneath?

Learning Activity: Make a cutout of a Christmas tree out of cardboard. Help your child wrap a string of lights around it, then put up sticky notes with how many ornaments they should hang on each tier. Extension: Make repeating patterns with ornaments.

Easy Activity: Busy Toddler’s Scoop and Transfer with non-breakable ornaments. Extension: Make your own Easy DIY Ornaments using Busy Toddler’s recipe.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Song: "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey

Shared Reading: Bear Stays Up for Christmas - Wilson, Karma

Talking Points: Why do we wrap presents at Christmas? What is the purpose of exchanging gifts?

Learning Activity: Teach your child how to wrap a present. Measure (or eye-ball it), cut, fold and tape. The goal is for them to see how a two-dimensional piece of paper becomes a three-dimensional shape. Add ribbons/bows and tags!

Easy Activity: Make a sensory bin of red and green rice (follow instructions for making Busy Toddler’s Rainbow Rice and add Christmas ornaments, LED string lights or cookie cutters)

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "Jingle Bells"

Shared Reading: Jingle Bells - Trapani, Iza (take a magical sleigh ride to learn about Christmas traditions around the world, diverse characters)

Talking Points: What are some songs we sing to celebrate Christmas? How do others celebrate around the world?

Learning Activity: Build shapes using jingle bells and pipe cleaner. Talk about how many points each shape has and how they join together. I actually drew shape outlines on file folders back when I was doing the Eggs unit (week 1, Friday) and working with play dough.

Easy Activity: Choose between Busy Toddler’s Easy Christmas Wreath Art activity or modify her Easy Clothes Pin Wreath for some fine motor skills practice. Scaffolding: use a smaller plate and mini clothes pins to make it a bit easier.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas"

Note: Saint Nicholas’s Day is celebrated December 6th.

Shared Reading: The Legend of St. Nicholas : A Story of Christmas Giving - Mackall, Dandi Daley

Talking Points: Who was Saint Nicholas? What did he do?

Learning Activity: Using socks or mini stockings from the dollar store, write a number on a piece of tape or dot sticker and adhere to each stocking. Ask your child to stuff the stockings with that number of candy canes or gold coins.

Easy Activity: Talk about want vs. need. Ask your child to think of someone who has a need or that they would like to give a gift. Help them to write a letter or draw picture for Saint Nicholas asking him to help. If it’s feasible, play the part of Saint Nicholas to fulfill the child’s request in secret. Extension: Observe the tradition of leaving your shoes by the door so Saint Nicholas can fill them with coins.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Shared Reading: The Christmas Magic - Thompson, Lauren

Talking Points: Who was Saint Nicholas/Santa? What did/does he do?

Learning Activity: Using socks or mini stockings from the dollar store, write a number on a piece of tape or dot sticker and adhere to each stocking. Ask your child to stuff the stockings with that number of candy canes or gold coins.

Easy Activity: Talk about want vs. need. Ask your child to think of someone who has a need or that they would like to give a gift. Help them to write a letter or draw picture for Saint Nicholas/Santa asking him to help. If it’s feasible, play the part of Santa to fulfill the child’s request in secret. Extension: Decorate a tissue box or wipes container to be Santa’s mailbox to mail him letters.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Shared Reading: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - May, Robert L.

Talking Points: What can we learn from the story about being kind? How can we show kindness to others? What should we do if someone is being unkind?

Learning Activity: On a sheet of butcher paper, draw simple reindeers, then give them different colored noses to practice color matching pom poms like Busy Toddler’s Match and Glue with Pom Poms fine motor activity. Make sure you have red ones for Rudolph! Extension: stretch cotton balls to make fog. Alternative: substitute pom poms for dot stickers and review the letters your child has learned so far like in Busy Toddler’s ABC Sticker Match.

Easy Activity: Give your child a box large enough for them to sit in and tell them it is Santa’s sleigh. Ask them to line up their stuffed animals to be the reindeer and role play driving Santa’s sleigh. Extension: Let them decorate Santa's sleigh like Busy Toddler’s Extreme Box Decorating activity.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (mentions candy canes)

Shared Reading: The Legend of the Candy Cane - The Inspirational Story of our Favorite Christmas Candy - Walburg, Lori (Kindle Unlimited)

Talking Points: St. Nicholas/Santa was said to put gold or gifts in stockings. Today candy canes are often used as stocking stuffers. What do you notice about candy canes (pattern, shape, different sizes)?

Learning Activity: Set up Busy Toddler’s Bubble Droppers Science Experiment but make it festive by adding candy candy canes! Like a real scientist, predict what will happen to the candy canes (initially, not much) then observe what happens over time (they dissolve).

Easy Activity: Give your child white and red play dough and show them how to roll each color into long pieces, then twist together and shape like a candy cane. Add peppermint extract or essential oil (not for children under 2.5) for a sensory experience.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" or “Angels We Have Heard on High”

Shared Reading: The Crippled Lamb - Lucado, Max

Talking Points: What does a shepherd do? Why do we call Jesus “The Good Shepherd”? Why do we call Jesus “the Lamb of God”?

Learning Activity: Practice counting sheep (cotton balls) by rolling a die (or pair of dice) and use a clothes pin to pick them and drop that number into a cup.

Easy Activity: Set up Busy Toddler’s Pom Pom Pour with cotton balls. Add water for extra fun!

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Song: "Christmas Cookies" by George Strait

Shared Reading: Cookies for Santa (The Story of how Santa’s favorite cookie saved Christmas) - America's Test Kitchen Kids and Johanna Tarkela

Talking Points: We are going to bake Christmas cookies. What shapes should the cookies be (what symbols of Christmas have we learned about)? Who is going to eat them (i.e. Santa) or who could we give them to?

Learning Activity: Bake Cookies (see Busy Toddler’s tips on baking with toddlers). Talk about measuring the ingredients, mixing, etc. Help them roll out the dough (pro tip: use a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat so it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin). Let them cut them out with cookie cutters. Show them how to get the most cookies out of each batch by fitting the shapes closely together. Alternative: Make it a STEM project and build a gingerbread house out of whatever you have on hand: graham crackers, Pop-Tarts, peanut butter, icing, etc. and decorate it with candy. Add confectioner's sugar for "snow".

Easy Activity: Let your child decorate some cookies. While they bake, try Busy Toddler’s Cookie Cutter Painting and/or Painting with Kitchen Tools.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "Do You Hear What I Hear?” or “Silver Bells”

Shared Reading: The Little Drummer Boy - Keats, Ezra Jack

Talking Points: Music is a big part of the holidays. Different objects make different sounds. How does the material they are made of affect the sound?

Learning Activity: Using a pair of tongs, let your child drop jingle bells into different types of small containers (oatmeal container, metal can, glass jar, plastic cup). Ask them to shake the containers and observe how the bells sound different (which are loud vs. soft). Extension: use different sizes of bells and experiment with how they sound different.

Easy Activity: Line a brownie pan or cookie sheet with paper. Add a few squirts of washable paint to the bottom of a cup (use multiple cups for more colors and drop in a few jingle bells, then use tongs to drop them onto the pan. Let your child roll the bells around to create their own process art. Ask them to observe whether the bells still jingle.

Book Substitutions:

Extension: Read a version of “The Nutcracker” and listen to “March of the Flowers” and “Nutcracker March” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by Tchaikovsky or view clips of the ballet on YouTube

Note: Three Kings Day (Ephiphany) will be celebrated January 6, 2021

Suggested Christmas Carol: "We Three Kings of Orient Are"

Shared Reading: The Story of the Three Wise Kings - dePaola, Tomie

Talking Points: Why did the three wise men travel to find Jesus? How did they find him? What gifts did they give him?

Learning Activity: One of the wise men brought Jesus gold. Make a ten-frame and practice number sense using a deck of cards (values 2-10) and gold coins. Let them choose a card, then show you the number of coins in their ten-frame. (Pro tip: make your ten frame on a piece of cardboard so you can store and re-use it).

Easy Activity: Let your child make "stained glass" out of tissue paper. Cut contact paper in the shape of a star or crown. Use painter’s tape to secure it to a window with the sticky side facing out. Let your child cut or tear tissue paper into small pieces, then decorate with them similar to Busy Toddler’s Sticky Wall.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Song: “Frosty the Snowman” or “White Christmas”

Shared Reading: Snowmen at Christmas - Buehner, Caralyn

Talking Points: Many people wish for a white Christmas. Do you predict there will be snow? What do you/would you like about snow?

Learning Activity: Make several snowmen out of white and black construction paper write numbers on the hat with chalk. Give your hole punch and ask them to punch that many holes in the snowman. Alternative: For a fun STEM challenge, give your child marshmallows, pretzel sticks, candy corn and chocolate chips and tell them to build a snowman.

Easy Activity: Set up Busy Toddler’s Snow Sensory Bin (you can make your own snow with a 1:1 ratio of baking soda and shaving cream).

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: “O Holy Night” or “Let There Be Peace on Earth”

Shared Reading: The Christmas Star - Pfister, Marcus

Talking Points: What role did the star play in the first Christmas (why was it important)? How can we practice peace at Christmas?

Learning Activity: Give your child 5-6 craft sticks and glue and ask them to build a star. There are at least two ways to do this, and they will probably need some help, but it’s a fun STEM challenge.

Easy Activity: Make a dove with your child's hand print using white paint or construction paper. Together we added the word "peace" using a salt painting technique (glue + salt, let dry, then paint with watercolor). Alternative: make a "peace" symbol.

Book Substitutions:

Suggested Christmas Carol: "Joy to the World" or "Silent Night"

Shared Reading: ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas - Nellist, Glenys (religious)

Talking Point: What do you know about the night Jesus was born? Who was there? Why was it so important?

Learning Activity: Using a nativity set or wooden peg dolls, retell the events leading up to Jesus’ birth. My Little People Nativity Set was still on the way at time of publication but I can't wait for my son to see it!

Easy Activity: Make a sensory bin of straw or paper filler and add farm animals and figurines. If you can find real straw, the smell definitely adds the sensory experience!

Book Substitutions:

Day 12 - Theme (non-religious): Santa’s Visit

Suggested Christmas Song: "Up on the Housetop"

Shared Reading: The Night Before Christmas - Moore, Clement C.

Talking Points: What traditions do we have on Christmas Eve? What is your favorite part? Do you recognize your name on any of the presents under the tree?

Learning Activity: Practice counting by putting the presents under the tree using my modification of Busy Toddler’s Sticker Trees with mini bows (in place of dot stickers).

Easy Activity: Use Busy Toddler’s Puzzle Unwrap activity to get ready to open presents! Or wrap the pieces from your advent calendar and put them all back!

Book Substitutions:

Here are some easy activities to keep those little hands busy while you put things away (or just sit-erv-ise).

I hope you enjoyed this celebration of Christmas magic with Busy's Toddler's activities! Stay tuned for more pairings of books and learning through play for upcoming holidays!

A printable version of this unit is available with your paid subscription. Click the link below to download.

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While you're here, visit my website to shop my Book Lists and discover more books based on your child's interest.

Next up: Playing Preschool with Busy Toddler: Valentine's Day Unit

See Also: Thanksgiving Unit - Introduction to Thankfulness, Playing Preschool with Busy Toddler: Halloween Unit, An Introduction to Playing Preschool with Busy Toddler