25 Days of Christmas Therapy Fun — Activities to Try at Home

The holidays are the perfect time to blend learning with play! Our team has put together 25 Christmas-themed occupational therapy and speech pathology activities to keep your child engaged, developing skills, and having fun during December. 🎄 Below are some easy ways to support therapy goals at home through festive play:

1. Christmas Fine Motor Fun ✂️

Cutting out snowflakes, gluing decorations, or colouring cards helps strengthen hand muscles and improve hand–eye coordination.Try at home: Create a “Santa’s Workshop” table with scissors, stickers, and paper scraps for cutting practice.

2. Sensory Snow Play ❄️

Make your own “snow” using shaving cream, cornstarch and water, or flour. Perfect for tactile exploration and calming sensory input.Therapist Tip: Add toy reindeers or spoons to scoop and pour for extra engagement.

3. Holiday Speech Sounds 🔔

Choose Christmas words that match your child’s target sounds (e.g. “s” in Santa, “r” in reindeer). Practice saying them in funny voices or while singing carols.

4. Festive Obstacle Course 🎄

Use wrapping paper tubes as hurdles, jump over “presents,” or balance along a “snow path” made of towels. Builds balance, strength, and coordination.

5. Christmas Craft Sequencing 🎨

Encourage your child to follow simple instructions (“First cut, then glue, then decorate!”). Supports planning and sequencing.

6. Ornament Threading Practice 🌟

Thread pasta, beads, or paper loops onto string to make garlands. Excellent for fine motor precision and bilateral coordination.

7. Jingle Bell Rhythm Speech 🎶

Use jingle bells to practice rhythm, syllables, or speech pacing. Shake once for each syllable in a word.

8. Gingerbread Dough Play 🍪

Create gingerbread-scented playdough using cinnamon and ginger. Encourage rolling, squishing, and describing textures.

9. Gift Wrapping Challenge 🎁

Cutting, folding, and taping gift wrap is great fine motor practice! Encourage independence by letting your child wrap small gifts.

10. Christmas Scavenger Hunt 🔍

Hide small decorations and give verbal or picture clues to find them. Builds comprehension, memory, and problem-solving.

11. Reindeer Yoga Poses 🦌

Try poses like “flying reindeer” (superman), “curling up like a snowball” (child’s pose), and “stretch like tinsel” (reach up tall). Promotes regulation and core strength.

12. Storytelling with Santa 📖

Make up silly Christmas stories together. Use prompts like “Santa lost his boots!” to encourage expressive language.

13. Christmas Cooking Communication 🍴

Cooking together provides opportunities to follow instructions, describe textures, and sequence actions. “First we mix, then we bake!”

14. Holiday Card Writing ✉️

Practice handwriting and spelling while creating Christmas cards. Add stickers and drawings for extra fun.

15. Elf Emotions Game 😊

Draw or act out elf faces showing different emotions. Practice recognising and naming feelings.

16. Candy Cane Sorting 🍭

Sort candy canes by colour, size, or pattern. Supports visual perception and attention to detail.

17. Christmas Song Charades 🎤

Act out carols without singing — others must guess the song! Great for expressive communication and social interaction.

18. Snowflake Cutting Challenge ❄️

Fold and cut paper to make snowflakes. This strengthens scissors skills and bilateral coordination.

19. Christmas Categories Game 🧠

See how many Christmas foods, songs, or presents you can name in 30 seconds. Boosts word retrieval and quick thinking.

20. Tree of Kindness 💚

Write acts of kindness on paper ornaments and hang them on a “Kindness Tree.” Builds emotional awareness and reflection.

21. Festive Following Directions 👉

Give fun, silly directions: “Clap like Santa!” or “Pretend to wrap a present!” Enhances listening and comprehension.

22. Santa’s Workshop Pretend Play 🧸

Encourage pretend play and cooperation — one child can be Santa, another can be the elf wrapping gifts!

23. Christmas Bingo 🎅

Create bingo cards with festive pictures or words. Say or describe each word to work on receptive and expressive language.

24. Holiday Gratitude Journal ❤️

End the day by writing or drawing something you’re grateful for. Promotes mindfulness and reflection.

25. Merry Christmas Together 🎁

Celebrate progress and connection! Therapy through play builds confidence and joy.