Need Some Christmas Themed Toy Ideas

[Lianne]

Either simple DIY or ideas to look for in the store (keep in mind I'm in Canada and have no credit card for online shopping.)

I have lots of activities - file folder games, popsicle stick puzzles, magnetic dress the Santa, etc.

For toys I have two plush singing snowmen, a couple puppets, a handful of Fisher Price Little People (Used to have tons but must have sold them), lots of books, and an I Spy bottle we made last year. I'm making that felt decorate the tree activity this weekend but I need some more ideas if anyone has any...

[Blackcat31]

You could try and find some cute Santa hats/elf hats or maybe outdoor clothing, like hats, boots, mittens and scarves and have a winter/Christmas themed dress up area.

You could also do some snow globe jars with oil/water and some dollar store Christmas trinkets inside.

[Cat Herder]

The biggest "hit" of the season, here, is simply tying little silver jingle bells to their shoes. lovethis

Crank up some music and let them go at it.

Hand bells are huge, too...

[Lianne]

I do have Santa hats in the dress up box but the dollar store sells elf hats. I should grab a couple. Might grab some stockings for them to fill with the regular playroom toys.

Snow globes would be a craft. I have lots of craft ideas. What I'm looking for is more to aide with free play time

[MamaBearCanada]

A wrapping station - Boxes of different sizes they can wrap with fabric and ribbon to make presents
If you have a wagon or sack they can fill it and deliver presents
They can stuff stockings with little toys
Fake soft felt snowballs for an indoor snowball fight
Mailboxes, envelopes, paper to make and deliver Christmas cards (I cut a slit out of cardboard boxes to make mailboxes then cover them in contact paper or let the kids paint them to decorate them)
Flashlights, sheet music, outdoor clothes, hand bells so they can go caroling
Pretend cook and serve Christmas dinner. You can get some Christmas napkins, dishcloths, aprons, plates and tablecloth from dollarstore.
White cardboard boxes or white sheets can be used to make an igloo

I have never tried this but if you are really adventurous you could make an indoor snowman. Stuff 3 white pillowcases (you could use bean bag filling, old cloths, paper) sew or glue pillowcases together to make snowman. Then using outdoor clothes dress him. You could also add Velcro so they can Velcro on eyes, nose, mouth, buttons etc.

[Blackcat31]

Ring the Bell
Cut a large bell shape out of a large piece of cardboard. Attach bells to a piece of ribbon. Then attach the ribbon to the top of the bell cutout. Let your children throw bean bags or balls through the hole and ring the bell.

Santa, Santa, Reindeer
Submitted by Connie
Play just like duck, duck, goose

Don't Touch the Bows
Put bows all throughout your classroom on the (floors, chairs, etc). Play music and have your children run around without touching the bows.

Pass The Christmas Fun
Have all your children sit in a circle. Have them all pass something fun (candy, small toys, crayons, etc) Have them pass the item around the circle (once they have one mastered you can have them pass two, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise) Play music and when you stop the music the child that is holding the item gets to keep it and then give one to another child that has not yet recieved an item. Continue the game until everyone has an item.

Mistletoe
Have all your children sit in a circle. Have them all pass mistletoe (use plastic or silk ones from the store) around the circle. Play music and when you stop the music everyone blows kisses to the person holding the mistletoe.

String some popcorn
Get some packing peanuts from your local shipping company and have the kids string popcorn.

Snowball toss
Ball up cotton socks or white tissue paper and throw snowballs in the house.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I have two tiny artificial trees that I use for decorating. One year, I had them on the coffee table and discovered that the kids wanted to decorate them. Now I set them up there on purpose, with materials for decorating (we've used mardi-gras necklaces, large wooden beads, paper and hole punch...anything they can stick onto the branches.) You could do the same with pine branches in a vase.

[Leanna]

Wrap a few cookie sheets in wrapping paper. Attach magnets to some of those stick-on Christmas bows and let them decorate the sheets. Could do sorting/patterning too.

[MBF]

last year I bought a Christmas cookie set at chapters, wooden, Velcro so you can pretend to slice them and put icing on. they loved them! I like chapters because you can pay online with debit and free shipping after $25.00

[Soccermom]

Either simple DIY or ideas to look for in the store (keep in mind I'm in Canada and have no credit card for online shopping.)

I have lots of activities - file folder games, popsicle stick puzzles, magnetic dress the Santa, etc.

For toys I have two plush singing snowmen, a couple puppets, a handful of Fisher Price Little People (Used to have tons but must have sold them), lots of books, and an I Spy bottle we made last year. I'm making that felt decorate the tree activity this weekend but I need some more ideas if anyone has any...

Santa hats, elf hats, old black boots and santa sacks in the dress up.

Big Felt Tree attached to the wall with Felt ornaments cut out so kids can keep decorating the tree over and over.

Felt Gingerbread men with shapes cut out of felt, googly eyes, string, ect... The kids can decorate and undecorated their gingerbread men.

Lots of themed coloring books with crayons.

A Christmas book bin with some cushions for kids to sit and read Christmas books (The kids here really love that).

Few toy catalogues and flyers for them to look through (This also seems to be a huge hit here. I get like 5-6 copies of the wishbook and the kids love it!)

Homemade Sleigh out of a box with a couple of reindeer teddy bears tied to the front (Or any plush that you can put reindeer antlers on).

Play cookies made of Clay, old milk cartons, cups, saucers and spoons to make tea, milk and cookies for Santa.

Hope these help. I like inexpensive, homemade toys for Holidays. The kids seem to really play a lot with them too!

[WImom]

Actual toys to buy - Little People has some cute Holiday sets. We have a Santa/reindeer one and Santa train that plays Christmas music. The kids play with them often in December.

[daycare]

Ring the Bell
Cut a large bell shape out of a large piece of cardboard. Attach bells to a piece of ribbon. Then attach the ribbon to the top of the bell cutout. Let your children throw bean bags or balls through the hole and ring the bell.

Santa, Santa, Reindeer
Submitted by Connie
Play just like duck, duck, goose

Don't Touch the Bows
Put bows all throughout your classroom on the (floors, chairs, etc). Play music and have your children run around without touching the bows.

Pass The Christmas Fun
Have all your children sit in a circle. Have them all pass something fun (candy, small toys, crayons, etc) Have them pass the item around the circle (once they have one mastered you can have them pass two, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise) Play music and when you stop the music the child that is holding the item gets to keep it and then give one to another child that has not yet recieved an item. Continue the game until everyone has an item.

Mistletoe
Have all your children sit in a circle. Have them all pass mistletoe (use plastic or silk ones from the store) around the circle. Play music and when you stop the music everyone blows kisses to the person holding the mistletoe.

String some popcorn
Get some packing peanuts from your local shipping company and have the kids string popcorn.

Snowball toss
Ball up cotton socks or white tissue paper and throw snowballs in the house.

I love these ideas!!! thanks for posting this

[countrymom]

last year my sister got me a small artificial tree for the daycare room. I would go to dollarama and buy those wooden ornaments (they come with the gold string and you have to pop them out of the wooden thing) and the kids would color them and glitter them and hang them on the tree. I also bought peppermint lights for the tree. Its so funny when you see how protective they are of their tree.