7 Things That Keep a Toddler Busy in the Three Weeks Before Christmas

Not a gift guide. Sorted by one question: can they do it on their own, while December happens around them?

Verified age ranges · Small parts flagged · Real reviews

Updated September 2026

Mia Rowe

Written by Mia Rowe

Mia's Mom Hacks. Two under five, and a lot of tested gear.

Everyone writes the Christmas gift list in October. Nobody writes the one I actually needed, which is what to do with a toddler for the three weeks before Christmas.

Because that is the part that broke me the first year. The tree goes up and suddenly the house is full of things she is not allowed to touch. Ornaments, wrapped boxes, the good candles, a hundred small breakable objects at exactly her eye level. And I am busier than I am in any other month, so I have less patience for it, not more.

By the second week I had said no so many times I could hear it in my own voice.

So last year I stopped looking for gifts and started looking for something else entirely. What can she do by herself, in the same room as me, while I get on with December?

That is the only thing this list is ranked on. Ages and small parts are checked per product, not guessed, and I have flagged anything that comes apart.

December is three weeks of telling a toddler no. That is the real problem, and a gift guide does not touch it.

1. Montessori Christmas Tree

★★★★★ 4.7 out of 5, 151 reviews

"Excellent Christmas Surprise! I got the Christmas tree for my toddler and she absolutely loved it! She was not happy when we had to take it down in the new year! It will definitely be going back up next year!!"

EricaVerified
Toddler placing felt ornaments onto the wall-hung felt Christmas tree
The felt Montessori Christmas Tree hung on a wall Child placing ornaments on the felt tree Child decorating the tree on their own Parent and child decorating together Child in front of the finished tree What is included: felt tree, 26 ornaments, fairy lights and hook Close up of the felt quality Tree dimensions, 95cm tall by 70cm wide How the felt tree compares to a real tree
Ages
18 months to 6 years
Why It Is First
It is the only thing here that is about December itself. A felt tree that hangs at their height, with 26 ornaments that attach and pull off again.
The December Test
The real tree went up and became a three-week argument. This one goes up on the same day, at her height, and she is allowed to wreck it and rebuild it as many times as she likes. That is the whole trade.
What Is In The Box
The felt tree, 95cm tall by 70cm wide, 26 felt ornaments on velcro, a string of LED fairy lights and a hook. It rolls up and goes back in the box in January.
Small Parts
Yes. The 26 ornaments detach, which is the entire point of it, so it wants the same supervision as anything else with pieces.
See the Christmas Tree

2. Montessori Busy Board

★★★★★ 4.8 out of 5, 1,156 reviews

"So happy with the busy board from Toddla.co! My 3 yr old loves it. It keeps him occupied long enough and it’s so lightweight and compact all ready to take out with us. Definitely would recommend :)"

TiaraVerified
Toddler working the buckles and zips on the Montessori busy board
Montessori Busy Board in blue Montessori Busy Board in pink The activities on each page Developmental benefits of the busy board Child using the board independently The board folded and fitting in a nappy bag Using the board on a car ride Using the board on a flight Close up of the busy board activities Two siblings using the busy board together
Ages
6 months to 5 years. Under 18 months, supervised
Why It Made The List
Buckles, zips, laces and a clock face, and none of it needs me sitting next to her explaining it.
The December Test
December is the errand month. The line at the post office, the click-and-collect bay, the third supermarket run in a week. This is the only thing that folds into a bag and works in all of them, and it is the reason I am not handing her a phone in the car.
Small Parts
The letters, shapes and puzzle pieces come off, because that is the activity. Nothing is small enough to go in a mouth, but they are pieces, and in December they end up under the tree with everything else.
See the Busy Board

3. Suction Fidget Spinner (3 Pack)

★★★★★ 4.9 out of 5, 38 reviews

"The suction spinners are a huuuge hit with out one year old, even on the plane trip we stuck them on the window and it entertained him for small blocks of time (and also stopped him from lowering the window cover on takeoff/landing). He’s maybe a little young for the busy book just yet, not overly interested but I can see him loving it in the next few years!"

EmmaVerified
Spinners suction-cupped to a high chair tray while a toddler turns them
The three suction fidget spinners The large suction cups that hold them in place A child occupied by the spinners on a tray Materials and safety of the spinners The spinners stuck to the side of a bath Colours and spinning motion for early learning
Ages
6 months to 3 years
Why It Made The List
Three spinners on suction bases that stick to anything flat. They do not get thrown, because they do not come off unless you pull them off.
The December Test
This is the cooking one. They go on the high chair tray, and I get the twenty minutes it takes to get something in the oven without somebody attached to my leg. The window of the car on the drive to my in-laws is the other place they earn their money.
Small Parts
None. Three pieces, each too big to swallow and stuck down anyway.
See the Spinners

4. 7-in-1 Montessori Cube

★★★★★ 4.7 out of 5, 93 reviews

"This 2-sided toy has several activities, a noisemaker, and buttons to slide. The dexterity of some of the activities might be more appropriate for someone 1-2 years old, but there is enough here to keep the visual and tactile interest of younger babies."

B***NVerified
Baby turning the dials and sliding the buttons on the Montessori cube
The 7-in-1 Montessori Cube The seven activities on the cube The cube closed up Using the cube on a car ride Cube attached to a stroller Using the cube at home Cube size, 4.7 inches each side
Ages
Around 12 months and up, based on what parents report rather than a published range
Why It Made The List
Seven activities on one cube, and it stays where you put it instead of migrating across the floor.
The December Test
Floor space is the thing you run out of in December. The tree takes a corner, the presents take another, and the room shrinks. This asks for one square of carpet and gives back a genuine stretch of quiet.
Small Parts
None that come away in normal use.
See the Cube

5. Montessori Geometric Eggs

★★★★★ 4.8 out of 5, 1,149 reviews

"We are very pleased with the geometric eggs - my granddaughter really enjoys opening and closing them, they are a good size for her hands. They were easy to order, and swiftly dispatched. Regular tracking information was provided too. Thank you for a great shopping experience."

Ela M.Verified
Toddler matching the two halves of the geometric eggs
Montessori Geometric Eggs set in the carton Geometric eggs opened to show the shapes inside Close ups of the egg shapes and colours Egg sized for small hands Child playing with the geometric eggs Developmental benefits of the geometric eggs Sizing of the eggs and carton
Ages
12 months and up
Why It Made The List
Twelve eggs that come apart and go back together, matched by shape. The twist is the same wrist movement as a doorknob or a jar lid.
The December Test
This is the one that travels to other people's houses. It works on a dining table, in a tray, in the corner of a room that is not childproofed, which in December is most rooms you end up in.
Small Parts
Yes, the egg halves. Not suitable under one, and worth counting back into the carton before you leave somewhere.
See the Geometric Eggs

6. Sensory Fruits and Veggies Sorting Set

★★★★★ 4.7 out of 5, 128 reviews

"Perfect gift for my my granddaughters first birthday. The colors are bright and the size is perfect for toddlers! Kiddos will learn while they play. Good quality toy that will last. Oh, and it’s washable!!"

Q***PVerified
Child sorting the plush fruits and vegetables into baskets
The sensory fruits and veggies sorting set Child sorting the plush produce Suitable from six months Colour recognition through sorting Soft and safe materials with no small parts The set is machine washable Size guide for the sorting set
Ages
6 months and up
Why It Made The List
All plush, nothing to lose, and it goes in the machine.
The December Test
The stretch between Christmas and New Year, when nobody knows what day it is and everything anyone touches is sticky. This is the only thing on the list I can wash and hand straight back.
Small Parts
None.
See the Sorting Set

7. Whale Bath Toy

★★★★★ 4.8 out of 5, 1,141 reviews

"The ultimate bath toy. The whale bath toy has so many awesome features. My son is obsessed. Bath time is now is absolute favourite time of the day."

Tamara P.Verified
Light-up whale sprinkling water in the bath
The whale bath toy in grey The whale bath toy in white The whale lighting up in the water Child playing with the whale in the bath The whale sprinkling water at bath time The whale in use during a bath Close up of the whale bath toy
Ages
6 months and up
Why It Made The List
It lights up and sprinkles water, and it turns a five minute bath into a twenty minute one.
The December Test
It fails the test the rest of this list passes, and I am keeping it anyway. Bath is not solo play and never will be. But it is already in the day, it is the one slot in a dark month that is genuinely carved out, and this is the thing that makes it long enough to matter.
Small Parts
None. Sealed battery box.
See the Whale

One Last Thing

If you take one thing from this, make it the question rather than any particular toy on the list. Not what should I buy her for Christmas, which you have twenty other lists for. Just: what is she allowed to do on her own, in this room, while I do the rest of it?

Answer that and the three weeks stop being something you get through.

And a thing I did not expect, which the reviews on the tree keep saying too: the trouble comes in January. You take it down, and they are not remotely ready for it to be over. Ours went back in the box with a lot of protesting and came straight back out the following November, which I have decided to count as the toy paying for itself.

Mia