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Christmas and New Year activity ideas for schools and clubs

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The best Christmas and New Year activity ideas for schools and clubs are simple, low-cost, and adaptable. They include festive crafts, creative art projects, sensory trays, quick games, printable activity sheets, family activities, and New Year celebrations that work across EYFS, primary, and holiday clubs.

The ideas in this blog help engage children in the final weeks of term and support wraparound care and holiday programmes.

Make your festive club planning easier with a streamlined booking and management system. Contact us today to see how MagicBooking can support your school or club.

Quick, easy and fun Christmas activities for schools and clubs

These ideas need minimal preparation and work well for busy staff managing mixed-age groups.

• Winter treasure hunt: Create a checklist of items to find outdoors, such as pinecones, frost patterns or seasonal colours.
• Festive bingo: Use printable bingo sheets with icons instead of words to support younger children.
• Make-your-own story starters: Give children seasonal prompts to create short winter tales.
• Christmas sensory trays (EYFS): Include pine branches, jingle bells, soft fabric, ribbon, cinnamon sticks and artificial snow.
• Simple science activities: Freezing and melting experiments, salt-and-ice patterns, or making glitter “snowstorm” jars.
• Five-minute table tasks for wraparound clubs: Colouring pages, pattern-matching sheets, number-based puzzles, or quick craft challenges.
• Christmas science activities: Introduce quick festive experiments that require only basic materials. Children can explore melting rates with ice shapes, test how salt affects frost, create safe fizzy “snow” reactions, or make colour-changing winter potions.
• Christmas movies: Set the children up with hot chocolate, candy canes, and a movie that celebrates the festive season. This is a great end-of-day activity to wind down.
• Build your own secret santa: Help the children make Christmas gifts, board games, or advent calendars for one another in a game of secret santa.

EYFS note: Easy Christmas activities for EYFS, including Christmas sensory activities and sensory Christmas activities, work well for younger learners and babies when adapted with soft, safe materials. These options also support Christmas activities for babies and provide fresh Christmas activities ideas that staff can implement with very little preparation.

If you want to save time on admin while running busy Christmas sessions, request a demo of MagicBooking and learn how to simplify bookings, payments and registers.

Festive craft and art ideas children enjoy

Crafts should be achievable and engaging for all ages. Avoid generic ideas by adding detail, guidance or optional upgrades.

Simple craft activities for EYFS and primary

• Ribbon wreaths: Children tie short lengths of leftover ribbon onto a circular card frame.
• Fingerprint lights: Create light-bulb patterns using washable paint and children’s fingerprints.
• Gingerbread people templates: Children design characters using paper cut-outs, encouraging storytelling and role play. Or even use real gingerbread, and the children can make a gingerbread house.
• Christmas cards: Present a few Christmas card ideas for school for the children to choose from and replicate.
• Christmas decorations and Christmas trees: Show the children how to make Christmas tree decorations that they can use to decorate the class tree as a team.

Low-prep art activities

• One-colour art challenge: Pupils create a Christmas picture using only shades of red or green.
• Paper mosaic baubles: Use scrap paper and card to make textured decorations.
• Shadow drawing with fairy lights: Place objects near a small light source and draw the shadow outlines.

Fun fact: A recent study found that 92% of children aged 6–12 say creativity helps boost their confidence, with children linking creative activities not just to fun, but to stronger problem-solving skills, resilience and self-belief.

Printable activity sheets and templates

• Christmas activity worksheets e.g. Canva’s Christmas activity sheet
• Christmas booklet activities e.g. Twinkle Christmas activity packet
• Christmas activity printables e.g. Superstar’s Christmas activity printout
• Christmas art activities for 2 year olds e.g. Words for life Christmas reading together
• Christmas craft activities KS1 e.g. BBC’s CBeebies crafts
• KS3 Christmas art activities e.g. Hobbycraft
• Printable Christmas activities e.g. Woodland Trust Nature Detectives
• Christmas activity books e.g. BBC Bitesize’s winter holiday pack

Give staff more time to focus on activities, not paperwork. Speak with our team to see how MagicBooking reduces daily admin for schools and clubs.

Christmas party and event ideas for clubs

These Christmas fun activities work well for after-school clubs, breakfast clubs, and one-off December events.

• Activity stations: Run short-timed simple Christmas art activities such as paper-chain races, ornament decorating, or simple STEM challenges.
• Calm-down zone: A quiet space with books, sensory items and soft lighting for children who need a break. This especially works for Christmas activities for toddlers.
• Christmas music corner: Use school-safe playlists or instrumental tracks suitable for primary settings.
• Festive pass-the-parcel: Include activity prompts in each layer, such as “name three winter animals” or “draw a snowflake”.
• Christmas party activities: Host a Christmas themed party with fun, simple party games e.g. pin the nose on Rudolph, fancy dress competition, and throwing hoops on a reindeer antler target.

You could also consider Christmas fair ideas for schools to raise some money for children’s charities this Christmas e.g. CAFOD and children in need.

Christmas music for children

Here are 3–5 of the best Christmas songs to do with children, perfect for schools, clubs, EYFS and holiday programmes. Christmas carols are a great option when seeking early years Christmas activities.

All are simple, upbeat, easy to learn, and widely used in UK schools at Christmas time:

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Easy actions, simple melody, and great for whole-group singing.
2. Jingle Bells - A classic with repetitive lyrics and lots of energy. Works brilliantly with props like bells or shakers.
3. We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Short, friendly and ideal for end-of-day performances or assemblies.
4. When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney - Very popular with EYFS and KS1. Fun actions and easy verses.
5. Frosty the Snowman - A storytelling song children enjoy acting out - perfect for clubs and festive sessions.

Note: If you’re unsure about Christmas music for schools, you can search YouTube for specific playlists like Christmas music for primary schools.

If you are preparing end-of-term events or holiday clubs, book a demo of MagicBooking and see how easy it is to manage attendance and parent communication in one place.

Affordable festive activities for families and holiday clubs

Below are some ideas for Christmas activities for families that can be used at pick-up time or during holiday club programmes.

• Family photo frame craft: Children decorate a card frame to take home.
• Community kindness tree: Each leaf lists something a child did to help another person.
• Winter reading challenge: Choose story prompts from the National Literacy Trust winter lists.
• Outdoor night-lights walk: Use torchlight to spot winter shapes and textures in early evening.
• Make-at-home activity packs: Include a colouring sheet, a simple craft, and a written challenge.

If you’re looking for Christmas activities at home or family activities on Christmas, Penguin has an online guide. Families can get extra festive with Christmas eve activities.

Holiday clubs run more smoothly when bookings and schedules are clear and organised. Contact MagicBooking for a tailored walkthrough of our platform.

New Year’s Eve and New Year activity ideas for children

New Year activities help clubs fill the quieter days between Christmas and term restart. They work well for children’s New Year’s Eve parties and holiday clubs.

• Wishes wall: Children write hopes for the new year on paper stars.
• Countdown chains: Each link shows a goal or fun challenge for January.
• New Year sensory bottles: Glitter, water and food colouring sealed in clear bottles.
• “Year in review” cards: Children list something they learned, enjoyed, and want to try next year.
• Simple New Year crafts for young children: Firework art using paint splatter, chalk or sponge prints. All work as new years childrens crafts.
• Childrens new years eve party: Host a party with easy games (musical chairs, pass the parcel, or karaoke) or organise a field trip to a fireworks show.

Quick ideas by age group

Age Group	Christmas Ideas	New Year Ideas	Resources
EYFS	sensory trays, simple crafts	glitter timelines, wishes stars	EYFS guidance, BBC Teach
KS1	card-making, mosaic baubles	countdown chains	printable templates
KS2	science activities, quizzes	reflection cards, small group challenges	STEM.org.uk, free worksheets

The above New Years activities also work as New Year’s Eve activities and New Years Day activities.

Plan the new school year with confidence by improving how you manage wraparound care and activities. Request a demo to explore how MagicBooking can support your goals.

Local outings and London-based activities

Schools and clubs that plan trips during December can choose from many Christmas activities London options. There are also Christmas in London activities suitable for mixed-age groups, along with broader Christmas activities in London that work well for holiday clubs.

Providers looking for a wider range of ideas may also explore activities London Christmas listings. Many venues also offer Childrens Christmas activities London that are safe, structured and easy to organise.

Suggested outings and ideas

• Museum Christmas trails at the National Gallery, Museum of London Docklands, and the Natural History Museum.
• Free outdoor light installations, such as Covent Garden’s winter lights, Southbank Winter Light Festival, and Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights.
• West End shows, including family-friendly productions like Elf The Musical or seasonal concerts.
• Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park for rides, shows, ice slides and themed workshops.
• The five winter story worlds at The Story Museum, which provide immersive story areas and guided sessions. This could be a suitable option when seeking Christmas activities for infants and young ones.
• Nutcracker Christmas trail events hosted by galleries, shopping districts or cultural centres.
• Kew Gardens Christmas trail, featuring large-scale light displays and music.
• Hampton Court Palace ice rink for supervised skating sessions.
• London Transport Museum festive events, such as craft days and storytelling.
• Local council winter fairs, which often include craft activities, outdoor markets and family sessions.

These outings offer varied experiences and can support both educational aims and festive celebration across all age groups.

If you want a more efficient way to run your clubs throughout the year, speak with us today. MagicBooking can help your team deliver high-quality experiences with less admin.

Final tips for running festive programmes

• Keep activities short, structured and predictable.
• Offer choices so children feel in control.
• Prepare a quiet, sensory-friendly space for breaks.
• Check materials for allergens and suitability across ages.
• Build in weather-safe alternatives for outdoor plans.
• Use low-cost resources and recycled materials where possible.

Remember to keep it playful. Educational research emphasises that learning through play supports social, emotional and cognitive development, with play building communication, problem-solving and cooperation skills.

If you’re already planning ahead for 2026, read our previous blogs on 25 fun Halloween activities, and summer activities.

Final word on Christmas activities and New Year ideas

A strong programme of Christmas activities and Christmas activity ideas can help schools, clubs and holiday providers offer calm, enjoyable sessions throughout December.

Simple Christmas craft activities, Christmas art activities, and low-prep tasks give children meaningful experiences, while Christmas holiday activities and New Year's Eve activities support programmes that run into January.

By planning early and choosing activities that are easy to deliver, staff can create festive moments that children remember and enjoy every year.

If you want to run your clubs with less admin and more focus on children, book a demo of MagicBooking today. Our team will show you how to simplify bookings, payments and attendance so you can deliver excellent programmes all year round.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When do the schools break up for Christmas 2026?

Most schools in England and Wales finish for the Christmas holiday around mid to late December (e.g. 19/12/2025 or 18/12/2026) for the Christmas break, though exact dates vary by local authority.

When does schools go back after Christmas 2026?

Schools usually return after Christmas in the first week of January; many pupils start their new term on Monday 5 January 2026 or Monday 4 January 2027 after the Christmas and New Year holiday.

What is the best Christmas activity?

Simple, creative group activities - like festive craft projects and storytelling - boost children’s wellbeing and confidence while supporting learning, making Christmas craft activities and Christmas activity ideas among the most effective and engaging.

What is on for free in London for Christmas?

London offers many free Christmas activities such as walking the city’s twinkling Christmas lights, visiting iconic festive displays in Covent Garden or Regent Street, and attending free seasonal markets and carol events that don’t charge entry.

How to make Christmas more fun?

Making Christmas more fun for children often involves hands-on, playful experiences like sensory trays, winter games, and group art activities that encourage creativity and shared laughter during Christmas activities.

What is the most Christmassy place in the UK?

Edinburgh’s Christmas market, set in East Princes Street Gardens with festive stalls, an ice rink and merry-go-rounds, has been ranked among the most Christmassy and visually stunning in the UK by travel experts.

What are good New Years activities for children?

Good New Year’s activities for children include goals and reflection tasks like “wishes walls,” countdown chains and themed art projects that encourage celebration, review of the past year, and fun planning for the year ahead.