How to Decorate for Christmas with Small Kids

Create magical, kid-friendly Christmas decorations that are safe, fun, and involve your little ones in the holiday spirit.

1. Start with Safety First. Before you bring out any decorations, do a quick safety check. Put breakable ornaments on higher branches of your tree, or skip them entirely this year. Secure your Christmas tree to the wall with fishing line or a tree anchor to prevent tipping. Keep small ornaments and decorations that could be choking hazards out of reach of children under 3. Replace glass ornaments with shatterproof alternatives made of wood, fabric, or plastic. If you use lights, check that all cords are in good condition and consider using battery-operated LED lights to avoid electrical hazards.
2. Create Kid-Friendly Ornaments Together. Turn ornament-making into a fun family activity. Help your children make salt dough ornaments using just flour, salt, and water – they can use cookie cutters and paint them once dry. Create photo ornaments by gluing family pictures to cardstock and adding ribbon hangers. Let kids decorate plain wooden or plastic ornaments with stickers, markers, or paint. Make paper snowflakes together and hang them around the house. These homemade decorations will be treasures for years to come and give kids ownership over your Christmas decor.
3. Set Up a Special Kids' Christmas Area. Designate a low table or corner of a room as your children's special Christmas space. Let them arrange their own small tree (real or artificial) or create a winter village with their toys and decorations. Give them their own box of unbreakable decorations to arrange however they want. This gives them creative freedom while keeping your main decorations intact. Include battery-operated fairy lights they can safely handle and move around.
4. Make Decorating a Gradual Process. Don't try to decorate everything in one day. Spread it out over several weekends so kids don't get overwhelmed or overstimulated. Start with outdoor decorations, then move to the main tree, and finish with smaller touches around the house. Let children help with age-appropriate tasks like hanging garland at their eye level or placing unbreakable ornaments on lower tree branches. Take breaks for snacks and let excitement build naturally over time.
5. Choose Practical Decorating Solutions. Opt for decorations that can withstand curious hands and accidental bumps. Use fabric or felt garland instead of delicate tinsel. Choose LED lights that stay cool to the touch. Consider a smaller tabletop tree in addition to or instead of a large floor tree. Place breakable decorations on mantels, high shelves, or in rooms where children spend less time. Use removable wall decals for windows and walls – kids love helping to place these and they're easy to reposition.
6. Establish Simple Decoration Rules. Create a few clear, simple rules about Christmas decorations that everyone can understand. Examples might include 'We look with our eyes, not our hands' for special ornaments, or 'Ask before touching the tree lights.' Explain which decorations are okay for them to handle and which are just for looking. Praise them when they follow the rules and gently redirect when they forget. Keep consequences simple and immediate – if they can't be gentle with decorations, they need to play in a different room for a while.