The time has come to put up the Christmas tree. Maybe you’ve done it so many times before that it seems almost second nature. This year is different though. This year, you have a small baby and you want this year to be special. We have the perfect way for you to celebrate baby’s first Christmas and involve baby in the tree decorating with a little Christmas sensory play.
It had been 6 years since I had a baby around for this time of year. Six years since I had tiny hands putting everything in their mouth. Six years since I was surrounded by the awe and amazement of everything being new. So how are you supposed to decorate a tree with a tiny one grabbing, touching and mouthing everything in sight?
When Super B was tiny she mouthed EVERYTHING! Which is not safe around Christmas decorations! Especially the lights, and what Christmas is complete without the lights? That is when I got an idea for something really fun and exciting.
Simple Christmas Sensory Play
Materials Needed:
1 Plastic Jar
1 String of Christmas Lights
Using a plastic jar from the recycling bin, I loaded the jar with a string of lights and tightened the lid.
Sensory Play Success!
Super B couldn’t stop exploring the jar. She rolled it. She banged it.
She even ate it.
It gave her so much delight to get to experience the lights with all of her senses and not hear me say…
“Not for the mouth”
Babies+Christmas Lights= Instant Win!
I am not sure who had more fun playing with the jar of lights, me or Super B. I do know I felt safe letting her explore her first Christmas with all of her senses. The best part… this was such a simple way to include the baby in the Christmas celebrations.
Want More Ideas for Baby Sensory Play?
How do you celebrate Christmas with a baby around? What have you done to include a young child in the Christmas festivities while keeping safety in mind? Tell me about your baby’s first Christmas… I would love to hear! connect with me on on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribe by email. I can’t wait to hear your ideas.
*Please always supervise your infant/children during activities and stay at an arms length. Never leave your infants/children unattended during play or any activity.
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This is soooo sweet. I have a 9 month old boy, and it is sooo cute seeing him play with all the christmas decorations…I didn’t even bother with the breakables. Sometimes I have to put a gate around the tree (the gate is my otoman hahah), but great idea!!
Thank you so much. Luckily she isn’t completely moving yet. So the jar of lights was enough to keep her entertained. 🙂
This is GREAT!! One question….how did the lights stay lit without plugging in? This may be a big “DUHHH” answer but hey, its Monday! lol Thanks:)
Marissa, not a silly question. I can send you a picture of the set up. The lights were plugged in still and I just screwed the lid on over the light cord. That is why I claim supervision is still needed. It made the exploration much more accessible though. Let me know if you have more questions
This is such a cool idea! My daughter is 5 month old on christmas day and is obsessed with putting everything in her mouth! We held her up to look at the lights on the tree and of course the first thing she tried to do was rip them off. We have some battery powered lights, I’m totally going to do this in the next few days. LOVE your photos they are so cute!
I am so glad you liked it! please share a picture on facebook when you do this. I would love to see!
Oh Super B is adorable, her eyes fixated on those lights and her little tongue! I remember my sons 2nd Christmas when he had just turned one, it was a bit of a nightmare and a big fence was around the tree. This year now he’s two it’s so much easier!
Thank you so much. Super B just started crawling so I can only imagine what it would be like if she was a tad older.