So I thought I’d share  5 fun Christmas activities you could do with toddlers and even interested preschoolers that could facilitate language development.  Of course they are all brilliant ideas out there floating around on the net but I thought I’d share some of the ones I especially enjoy.  So here goes!

1.  Christmas Tree Sticky Mural:  I LOVE this idea by No Time for Flash Cards.  Simply grab some green paper, add some contact paper (sticky side UP) over the top and give your toddler a bucket full of fun objects, beads, stickers, etc. to decorate as they see fit.  You could have your own tree side by side and use some self and parallel talk to explain what  you and your child is doing, or if your child is able to answer questions and create simple explanations, s/he can describe her/his creation. (picture below from No Time for Flash Cards, see link above)

2.  Magnetic Can Christmas Tree:  this is the perfect no mess activity for your toddler.  Thank you Teach Me Mommy for such a simple and clever idea.  As you can see below, grab a couple of metal cans of differing sizes, simple cover with green paper and let your toddler decorate the cans with a bunch of holiday magnets!  I bet you could even incorporate siblings in this activity.  Give each child a can and let them decorate than let them problem solve to stack them at the end to make a “tree”.  Remember to talk encourage your child to talk about what he/she did to decorate the tree.

3.  Build a Snowman-foam dough: As you all know I’m a HUGE fan of sensory activities and this is no exception. Thanks to Crayon Box Chronicles we have a simple fun way to make some foam dough to shape a snowman.  When making this activity, we can talk about sizes (small, medium, large) of balls used to make the snowman as well as body parts. What do we need and what are we missing!  Such a fun and simple activity for winter!

4.  Christmas Sensory Tub:  Another great sensory play activity from Adventures at Home with Mum suggesting dying some rice red and green, adding some fun Christmas objects and allowing your child freedom to play and create as s/he wishes.  To avoid chocking, you may want to use larger objects.  But be sure that your child does not put objects into his/her mouth if they are small.  Watch your child for a while, let them lead you in play. You just may be surprised by their creativity!

5.  Christmas Sensory Stamping:  This activity is super easy to implement at home. You just need some non-toxic paint,  Christmas cookie cutters and paper and voila’!  You have the perfect toddler activity.  Thank you Mummy Musings and Mayhem for this idea.

So here are 5 simple toddler Christmas activities you can do at home to facilitate language development. Remember to keep it fun and follow your child’s lead.  You just might have some fun too!  Thank you to all the bloggers out there sharing their wonderful ideas.  Our children most definitely benefit from your brilliance!

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!