10 Fun Toddler Christmas Ornament Crafts for Early Speech
By Speech Blubs Team•Feb 20, 2026
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Science of Crafting and Communication
- 1. The Classic Handprint Reindeer Ornament
- 2. Sensory Shaker Clear Ornaments
- 3. Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees
- 4. Pony Bead Star Ornaments
- 5. The "How Tall Am I?" Ribbon Keepsake
- 6. Finger Paint Masterpiece Frames
- 7. Photo Snow Globe Ornaments
- 8. Cinnamon Dough Scented Shapes
- 9. Pinecone "Forest" Trees
- 10. Pasta Wreath Ornaments
- Why "Smart Screen Time" Matters During the Holidays
- Tips for Success: Avoiding Over-Correction
- Integrating Speech Blubs Into Your Crafting Routine
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
Do you remember the first Christmas ornament you ever made? For many of us, it was a lopsided salt-dough star or a glitter-covered pinecone that our parents kept in a special box for decades. There is something truly magical about hanging a handmade creation on the tree, but for parents of toddlers, these moments are about more than just holiday decor. They are about connection, fine motor development, and, most importantly, language building. At Speech Blubs, our mission is to empower children to speak their minds and hearts, and we believe that the most profound learning happens through the joy of play.
The holiday season offers a unique sensory playground for "late talkers" and typically developing toddlers alike. From the "sticky" feel of glue to the "cold" sensation of paint and the "jingling" sound of bells, every craft is a vocabulary lesson waiting to happen. In this guide, we will explore 10 engaging toddler christmas ornament crafts that aren’t just beautiful keepsakes—they are strategic tools to help your child find their voice. We will show you how to turn a simple afternoon of crafting into a language-rich environment, supplementing the "smart screen time" they enjoy with our app to create a well-rounded developmental experience.
By the end of this post, you’ll have a toolbox of activities that foster a love for communication, build your child's confidence, and create joyful family moments that last far longer than the tinsel on the tree.
The Science of Crafting and Communication
Before we dive into the glitter and glue, it is helpful to understand why crafting is such a powerhouse for speech development. When your toddler reaches for a pom-pom or squeezes a glue bottle, they are practicing fine motor skills. Research shows a strong correlation between fine motor proficiency and language acquisition. The same areas of the brain that control precise hand movements are also involved in the complex motor planning required for speech.
At Speech Blubs, we lean heavily into the concept of video modeling, a scientifically proven method where children learn by watching and imitating their peers. Crafting provides the "real-world" application of this imitation. When you say "glue on" and demonstrate the action, and your child repeats the action and the word, they are building neural pathways for communication.
We understand that for the 1 in 4 children who need speech support, the journey can sometimes feel frustrating. Our founders grew up with speech problems themselves and created the tool they wished they had—one that blends scientific principles with play. Whether you are using our app to practice "Animal Kingdom" sounds or sitting at the kitchen table making reindeer, the goal is the same: reducing frustration and fostering a love for expressive language.
1. The Classic Handprint Reindeer Ornament
This is a staple for a reason. It captures a moment in time—the size of that tiny hand—while providing a fantastic opportunity to practice body parts and animal sounds.
What You’ll Need:
- Brown construction paper or cardstock
- Brown washable paint
- Googly eyes
- A small red pom-pom
- Festive ribbon
How to Build Speech:
As you paint your child’s hand, describe the sensation. Use words like "cold," "wet," and "tickle." When you stamp the hand onto the paper, say, "1, 2, 3... Press!" This helps with anticipation and sequencing. Once the handprint is dry, turn it upside down so the fingers become antlers and the palm becomes the face.
For a child who loves animals, this is the perfect time to open the "Animal Kingdom" section of Speech Blubs. You can watch your peers in the app make reindeer sounds or talk about "moo" and "baa" while you glue on the "eyes" and "nose." This reinforces the vocabulary across different mediums.
2. Sensory Shaker Clear Ornaments
If you are looking for a mess-free option that provides high sensory feedback, these "shaker" ornaments are perfect.
What You’ll Need:
- Clear plastic fillable ornaments (available at most craft stores)
- Small items: colorful pom-poms, sequins, jingle bells, or artificial snow
- Ribbon
How to Build Speech:
This activity is all about prepositions and descriptive adjectives. Encourage your toddler to put things "in" the ornament. Ask them, "Do you want the red pom-pom or the blue one?" This encourages choice-making, a fundamental step in communication.
Once the ornament is closed, it becomes a musical instrument. Shake it fast, shake it slow. Use the words "loud" and "quiet." If your child is struggling with certain sounds, you can even use the bells to practice syllable counting—shake the bell for every syllable in "Christ-mas." If you aren't sure where your child stands with their milestones, you can take our quick 3-minute preliminary screener to get a better understanding of their current level.
3. Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees
Popsicle sticks (or jumbo craft sticks) are easy for small hands to grasp, making them excellent for children still refining their grip.
What You’ll Need:
- 3 jumbo popsicle sticks per tree
- Green paint or markers
- Glue
- Stickers, buttons, or "gems" for ornaments
How to Build Speech:
Start by having your child paint the sticks green. This is a great time to practice the "G" sound. "Green," "Go," "Glue." Once the sticks are dry, help your child glue them into a triangle shape. Ask them, "What shape is this?"
As they decorate the tree with stickers or buttons, use the "First Words" section of the Speech Blubs app to mirror the objects they are using. If they are putting a "star" on top, find the star in the app and let them watch a peer say the word. This multi-sensory approach—seeing it, touching it, and hearing a peer say it—is what makes our "smart screen time" so effective.
4. Pony Bead Star Ornaments
This craft is excellent for older toddlers who are starting to develop the precision needed for stringing.
What You’ll Need:
- Pipe cleaners (gold or silver are fun!)
- Assorted pony beads
- Ribbon
How to Build Speech:
Threading beads onto a pipe cleaner requires focus and coordination. As your child strings each bead, you can practice counting. "One bead, two beads, three!" You can also work on "more." "Do you want more beads?"
The pipe cleaner is also a great tool for "molding." You can bend it into a circle, a square, or a star. Describe your actions: "Bend," "Twist," "Pull." Using action verbs during play helps children understand that language is a way to describe the world around them.
5. The "How Tall Am I?" Ribbon Keepsake
This is a beautiful, low-effort craft that focuses on the concept of "me" and "my body."
What You’ll Need:
- A piece of festive ribbon or yarn
- A cardstock cutout (a star or a circle)
- A photo of your child
How to Build Speech:
Measure your child from head to toe with the ribbon. Tell them, "Look how big you are!" Cut the ribbon to their exact height and tie it in a loop or a bow. On the cardstock, glue their photo and write their name and the year.
This activity builds self-awareness. Use the "Me" section in Speech Blubs to practice naming body parts like "head," "toes," and "eyes" while you are measuring. Seeing other children in the app identify these parts encourages your toddler to do the same. This creates a joyful family learning moment where the focus is on the child's growth and identity.
6. Finger Paint Masterpiece Frames
Sometimes the best art is the most "open-ended." This craft allows your child to be a "fine artist" without the pressure of a specific shape.
What You’ll Need:
- Heavy cardstock or painting paper
- Finger paints (red, green, gold)
- Small glass or plastic frames (2.5 inches square)
- Ribbon
How to Build Speech:
Let your toddler go wild with the finger paint. Don't worry about what it looks like! Focus on the process. Use "action" words like "smear," "splat," and "swirl." Once the painting is dry, use a template to cut out the best sections and place them in the frames.
These tiny "masterpieces" make wonderful gifts for grandparents. Help your child practice the phrase "For you" or "Gift" when they hand them over. Building the social-emotional side of communication is just as important as the vocabulary itself.
7. Photo Snow Globe Ornaments
Toddlers love looking at photos of themselves and their loved ones. This craft leverages that natural interest to build recognition skills.
What You’ll Need:
- Plastic snow globe ornaments
- A printed photo of your child (or the whole family)
- Artificial snow or glitter
- A small pine branch or miniature tree (optional)
How to Build Speech:
As you put the photo inside the globe, talk about who is in the picture. "There is Mommy! There is [Child's Name]!" This reinforces names and familial roles. When you add the "snow," ask the child, "Is it snowing?"
You can complement this by using the "Family" section of the app. Many parents find that after seeing peers in the app name "Mama" and "Papa," their toddlers are more motivated to try those words themselves. You can read more about parent success stories on our testimonials page to see how other families have used this method to spark their first words.
8. Cinnamon Dough Scented Shapes
The sense of smell is a powerful memory trigger and a great way to introduce "sensory" vocabulary.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup cinnamon
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- Cookie cutters
- Straw (to poke a hole for the ribbon)
How to Build Speech:
Mix the cinnamon and applesauce until it forms a dough. This is a very "tactile" experience. Use words like "sticky," "mushy," and "smelly." Ask, "Does it smell good?"
As you roll out the dough and use the cookie cutters, you can practice the names of the shapes. "Heart," "Star," "Tree." This is a fantastic "functional" activity. When the ornaments are dry and you hang them on the tree, every time you walk by, you can say, "Mmm, smell the cinnamon!" This repetitive sensory input helps cement the vocabulary in the child's mind.
9. Pinecone "Forest" Trees
Nature-based crafts are wonderful for introducing textures like "rough," "prickly," and "smooth."
What You’ll Need:
- Pinecones (collected from outside or bought)
- Green paint (optional)
- Small pom-poms (to act as ornaments)
- Glue
How to Build Speech:
If you go on a walk to find the pinecones, use that time to narrate the world. "Look, a tree!" "Big pinecone, small pinecone." Back at the table, as you glue the "ornaments" onto the pinecone, work on the "P" sound. "Pinecone," "Pom-pom," "Push."
Since these look like miniature trees, you can talk about "Big trees" and "Small trees." Concepts of size are foundational for early math and language. At Speech Blubs, we believe in providing a screen-free alternative to passive viewing, so we encourage you to use the app to learn the concepts, then take those concepts outside into the real world.
10. Pasta Wreath Ornaments
Dried pasta comes in so many fun shapes, making it a versatile (and affordable) craft material.
What You’ll Need:
- Cardboard cut into a donut/wreath shape
- Dried pasta (bowties or penne work best)
- Green paint
- Red ribbon or buttons
How to Build Speech:
Sorting the pasta is a great cognitive task. "Let's find all the bowties." As your child glues the pasta onto the cardboard, talk about the patterns.
Once the wreath is painted green and decorated with a red ribbon, you can practice the word "Wreath"—which can be a tricky "W" and "R" sound. Don't worry about perfect pronunciation. Focus on the effort and the joy. Our app is designed to build confidence, not to demand perfection. Frame these activities with the understanding that you are your child's best playmate and coach.
Why "Smart Screen Time" Matters During the Holidays
The holidays are busy, and we know that parents often need a few minutes to get things done—whether it's wrapping gifts or finishing a craft setup. This is where Speech Blubs fits in as a powerful supplement to your child's overall development plan. Unlike passive cartoons that offer little more than distraction, Speech Blubs provides a "smart screen time" experience.
When your child uses Speech Blubs on the App Store or Google Play, they aren't just watching a screen; they are engaging in an interactive dialogue. Our "video modeling" method relies on mirror neurons—specialized cells in the brain that fire both when we perform an action and when we see someone else perform it. When a child sees another child in the app successfully say a word, their brain is literally practicing the mechanics of that word.
We offer an immediate, effective, and joyful solution for families. But we also want to be transparent about the best way to use our tool.
Choosing the Right Plan for Your Family
We believe in building trust through transparency. We offer two main paths for families to join our community:
- Monthly Plan: For $14.99 per month, you get full access to the Speech Blubs app and its vast library of activities.
- Yearly Plan: At $59.99 per year, this is the clear best choice for most families, breaking down to just $4.99/month (a savings of 66%).
The Yearly plan isn't just more affordable; it includes high-value features that aren't available on the monthly plan, such as:
- A 7-day free trial so you can explore the app risk-free.
- The Reading Blubs app, which extends the learning into early literacy.
- Early access to new updates and a 24-hour support response time.
To get the full suite of features and the free trial, we highly recommend creating your account and selecting the Yearly plan.
Tips for Success: Avoiding Over-Correction
While doing these toddler christmas ornament crafts, it is tempting to constantly correct your child's speech. However, as child development experts, we encourage you to focus on the love for communication first. If your child says "Gue" instead of "Glue," instead of saying "No, say Glue," simply model the correct word back to them: "Yes, more glue!"
Our app follows this same philosophy. We don't want children to feel like they are "in therapy." We want them to feel like they are playing with friends. This approach builds the confidence needed to keep trying, even when sounds are difficult. We don't suggest guaranteed outcomes—every child is unique—but we do focus on fostering the foundational skills that make communication possible.
Integrating Speech Blubs Into Your Crafting Routine
How do you make the most of your "smart screen time" during the holidays? Here is a simple 3-step strategy:
- Watch Together: Pick a category in the app that matches your craft (like "Animal Kingdom" for the reindeer). Spend 10 minutes watching the video models together.
- Imitate during Crafting: As you build your ornament, bring up the words you just saw in the app. Use the same enthusiasm and facial expressions the kids in the app use.
- Celebrate Effort: Every time your child attempts a word or a gesture, celebrate it! This positive reinforcement is what turns a "late talker" into a "confident talker."
Our homepage has even more resources on how our methodology supports these joyful family learning moments.
Conclusion
The holidays are a season of gifts, but the greatest gift you can give your child is the ability to "speak their minds and hearts." Whether you are painting popsicle sticks, stringing beads, or exploring the world through Speech Blubs on the App Store, you are doing the important work of building connection.
These 10 toddler christmas ornament crafts are more than just activities to fill an afternoon; they are bridges to better communication. They provide the sensory input, the fine motor practice, and the vocabulary-rich environment that children need to thrive. Remember, your goal isn't a perfect ornament—it's a joyful moment of shared learning.
Are you ready to see how Speech Blubs can support your child's journey this holiday season? Start your 7-day free trial today by downloading the app on the App Store or Google Play. For the best value, be sure to select the Yearly plan, which includes the extra Reading Blubs app and early access to all our latest features. Let's make this the year your child finds their voice!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. My toddler is a "late talker." Are these crafts still appropriate?
Absolutely! In fact, these crafts are even more important for late talkers because they provide a non-verbal way to engage and learn. By focusing on sensory experiences (like the smell of cinnamon or the feel of cold paint), you are building the cognitive foundations for language. Pair these activities with Speech Blubs' "video modeling" to give your child peer-based examples of how to say the words associated with their crafts.
2. What if my child isn't interested in sitting still for crafts?
Many toddlers have short attention spans! Don't feel like you have to finish a craft in one sitting. Break it into 5-minute chunks. You can do the painting in the morning and the decorating in the afternoon. You can also use Speech Blubs as a "warm-up" to get them excited about the topic before you start the physical activity.
3. How does Speech Blubs differ from other apps or cartoons?
Speech Blubs is designed as "smart screen time." Unlike cartoons, which are passive, our app uses peer-to-peer video modeling to encourage active participation. We focus on specific speech and language milestones, and our method is backed by scientific principles like mirror neuron activation. We provide a tool for family connection, not just a way to keep a child occupied.
4. Is the Yearly plan really better than the Monthly plan?
Yes! The Yearly plan is our best value at $59.99 (only $4.99/month). Not only do you save 66% compared to the monthly price, but you also get a 7-day free trial, access to the Reading Blubs app, and priority support. It’s the most comprehensive way to support your child’s development throughout the entire year.