15 Christmas Songs for Toddlers with Actions and Movements
These Christmas songs for toddlers are the fastest way to get little bodies moving, big holiday feelings processed, and everyone ready for whatever comes next. Whether you’re a preschool teacher counting down to winter break or a mom trying to make it through one more transition without losing your cool, this list of 15 festive movement songs was made for exactly that moment.
Why Christmas Songs with Movements Work for Toddlers
The holidays can be chaotic for grown-ups and kids alike. The holiday rush is fun to get swept up in, but it can sometimes leave everyone feeling frazzled. As a mom, we want to make every moment count this time of year and not lose our cool with our high-energy preschoolers, even when we are on our last ounce of patience! What has been the most challenging for my preschooler during the holidays has been the transitions into and out of every highly anticipated festive activity. To keep these moments simple and fun, I have been utilizing these holiday songs and motions. My preschooler loves them, they’re easy to remember in the moment, and it sprinkles in some extra holiday magic — so he sees fun, singing mom instead of holiday-stressed-out mom.
Toddlers’ little bodies experience emotions all the way from the top of their heads to the tips of their toes. When they get excited, they literally cannot contain it to just their brain. Movement and motion help children process these big feelings, taking the confusing surges of energy in their body and giving an outlet for that energy to go. Once that excited energy has been processed, their minds and bodies are more ready and able to focus on the next bit of holiday fun. That’s why these movement songs are perfect for circle time! Get the holiday wiggles out so they can focus on thoughtfully crafting their letter to Santa or carefully decorating their salt dough ornament.
If you love using songs as a learning tool year-round, rhyming songs are another wonderful way to keep building language skills between the holiday festivities.
15 Festive Christmas Songs for Toddlers with Simple Actions
1. Jingle Bells
For this song, having something for your toddler or preschooler to shake makes it fun and easy to get them to move their body. Shake along with them, demonstrating how to shake on the beat.
Teacher Mama Tip: Egg shakers are the easiest instrument for toddlers to hold.
Lyrics:
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh. O’er the fields we go, laughing all the way. Bells on bobtails ring, making spirits bright. What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight.
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!
2. Up on the Housetop
Encourage your children to tap up on their head when the song says “up” and down on their feet when the song says “down.”
Teacher Mama Tip: If you have older preschoolers, you could start practicing snapping with them on the “click, click, click.” This skill may be harder for younger toddlers.
Lyrics:
Up on the housetop reindeer paws, Out jumps Good Old Santa Claus. Down through the chimney with lots of toys, All for the little ones Christmas joys.
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go? Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go? Up on the housetop, click, click, click, Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick!
First comes the stocking of little Nell, Oh, dear Santa, fill it well. Give her a dolly that laughs and cries, One that will open and shut her eyes.
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go? Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go? Up on the housetop, click, click, click, Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick!
Next comes the stocking of little Will, Oh, just see what a glorious fill. Here is a hammer and lots of tacks, Also a ball and a whip that cracks.
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go? Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t go? Up on the housetop, click, click, click, Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick! Up on the housetop, click, click, click, Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick!
3. Five Little Snowmen
This song is great for a finger play! Begin with all five fingers standing tall, and as each snowman melts away, put a finger down until there are no snowmen left!
Teacher Mama Tip: For bigger body movements with this song, have your children melt down like the snowman at the end with their whole body, then jump back up to start the next verse.
Lyrics: (To the tune of Five Little Ducks)
Five little snowmen were standing in a row, Each wore a hat and a big red bow. Out came the sun and it was hot all day. One little snowman melted away.
(Continue for four, three, two, and one — until no snowmen are left!)
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Get your toddler to pretend to be a reindeer! Put your hands on top of your head pointing out like antlers, and point to your nose when singing about Rudolph’s red nose.
Teacher Mama Tip: This song would be great for a whole class transition from one place to another. Have your preschoolers pretend to be reindeer while “flying” in a line to neatly and happily get where your class is going.
🎵 Watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on YouTube →
5. I’m a Little Christmas Tree
If your preschooler needs to stretch and calm down, sing this song while stretching as you pretend to be a Christmas tree together. When the balls drop at the end, fall to the floor together before stretching back up to sing again.
Teacher Mama Tip: If you wanted to give each child in your class some individual attention, you could go around the room and “decorate” a few of their trees by pretending to put ornaments on each time you sing “here are my branches…” Sing this song enough times so that each child gets decorated.
Lyrics: (To the tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a little Christmas tree tall and straight, Here are my branches for you to decorate. First you put the star on the very top, Just be careful that my balls don’t drop.
6. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
This classic Christmas carol is great for rhythmic clapping! Clap along to the beat, encouraging your children to listen closely to find the right rhythm.
Teacher Mama Tip: Clapping on the beat is so fun! Mix it up by patting your knees, tapping the floor like a pretend drum, or trying to clap on the off-beat for a challenge.
Lyrics:
We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding; Oh, bring us a figgy pudding; Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We won’t go until we get some; We won’t go until we get some; We won’t go until we get some, so bring some out here.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
7. Frosty the Snowman
Roll your arms along with this song as you pretend to make a snowman!
Teacher Mama Tip: This song is pretty lengthy — get your preschoolers to listen closely for the word “snow” and challenge them to roll their arms each time they hear that word.
🎵 Watch Frosty the Snowman on YouTube →
8. Deck the Halls
This is another great song to introduce instruments to your toddler. Maracas, tambourines, egg shakers, or bells help your child shake their body and get some great movement.
Teacher Mama Tip: Try to get your toddler to hold still on the words, then shake it all out on the Fa la las!
Lyrics:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
See the blazing Yule before us, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la la la, la la la la. While I tell of Yuletide treasure, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
9. Santa’s Coming
Wiggle your belly like a bowl full of jelly on the Ho Ho Hos!
Teacher Mama Tip: Like the original B-I-N-G-O song, you could clap instead of saying the first Ho in the second verse, the first two Hos in the third verse, and so on.
🎵 Watch Santa’s Coming on YouTube →
10. Little Snowflake
With floating arms out to the side, help slow your child’s body down with this sweet song. You can slowly move around the room until the snowflake falls on your head, nose, or hand, then touch your hand to that corresponding body part and freeze. When the music picks back up, continue floating around the room.
Teacher Mama Tip: Pick your child’s favorite body parts to swap out for head, nose, or hand. My son loves talking about his hair and eyes right now, so that would be an easy swap.
🎵 Watch Little Snowflake by Super Simple Songs on YouTube →
11. Ring the Bells
This song is great for echo singing or call and response. Have your preschooler listen closely and then repeat each line after you while ringing bells. Sing this one many times until they have it!
Teacher Mama Tip: Make it easier to learn call and response by designating who is singing with a bell. When you sing, ring the bell and then hand it over to your child for their turn. They will quickly learn that they should wait to sing until they are ringing the bell. It also helps with learning turn taking, which we practice a lot at our house!
🎵 Watch Ring the Bells by Love to Sing on YouTube →
12. Christmas Wiggle
Need a festive song to help get those wiggles out? Wiggle along to Christmas Wiggle together!
Teacher Mama Tip: Some kids are very intuitive dancers, while others need some instruction to feel comfortable joining. If you notice a child apprehensive to wiggling, try giving them some specific ways to wiggle their body, like shaking their foot or waving their hands above their head.
Lyrics: (To the tune of Wiggle Song by Moo Music)
Let’s do the Christmas wiggle, Christmas wiggle, Christmas wiggle, Let’s do the Christmas wiggle all day long!
Let’s do the Christmas wiggle, Christmas wiggle, Christmas wiggle, Let’s do the Christmas wiggle all day long!
Wiggle your arms, Wiggle your fingers, Wiggle your ears and nose.
Wiggle your hips, Wiggle your legs, Wiggle your feet and toes!
Let’s do the Christmas wiggle, Christmas wiggle, Christmas wiggle, Let’s do the Christmas wiggle all day long!
13. Sleeping Santa
Practice your quiet voice and loud voice with Sleeping Santa. Try to be as quiet as you can until you call out loud that the Christmas bells are ringing! Hand bells would be great here if you have them.
Teacher Mama Tip: This could become a turn taking lesson by letting one child pretend to be Sleeping Santa, lying on the floor with their eyes closed until the Christmas bells ring. Because this song is short, each child could have a turn.
🎵 Watch Sleeping Santa on YouTube →
14. Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star
Get those little finger muscles warmed up by doing the following motions to this song.
Teacher Mama Tip: This tune is so classic, children will likely immediately recognize it. See if you all can hum it together after singing a few times. Humming will support their body calming down as it requires much deeper breaths.
Lyrics: (To the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Twinkle, twinkle Christmas star (twinkle fingers) How I wonder what you are (tap index fingers to temples) Up above the world so high (point up as high as you can) Like a diamond in the sky (make diamond shape with index fingers and thumbs together) Twinkle, twinkle Christmas star (twinkle fingers) How I wonder what you are (tap index fingers to temples)
15. Marching to the North Pole
March around the room together as you pretend to travel to the North Pole.
Teacher Mama Tip: This would be another great song for a walking transition. See how well your preschoolers can march while staying in line!
Lyrics: (To the tune of The Ants Go Marching)
We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah
We’re marching, marching one by one The little elves stopped to join the fun And we all go marching down to see Santa
We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah
We’re marching, marching two by two The reindeer winked as they flew And we all go marching down to see Santa
We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah
We’re marching, marching three by three Mrs. Claus waved merrily And we all go marching down to see Santa
We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah
We’re marching, marching, four by four We see a present, could there be more? And we all go marching down to see Santa
We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah We’re marching to the North Pole, Hurrah, hurrah
We’re marching, marching five by five Santa’s here, let’s dance a jive! And we all went marching down to see Santa
Tips for Managing Holiday Energy
This time of year, everyone is antsy for the big day! Do your best to keep instructions short and simple. Sometimes having no instructions works best — just start singing and doing the motions until everyone catches on. With younger toddlers, having visuals to support the songs can help them follow along. You could print out a picture that correlates with each movement or instrument, or even a picture that represents each song so the children can anticipate the next activity.
When incorporating instruments, use them as intentionally as possible. When my son gets an egg shaker in his hand, it’s only a matter of time until it becomes a ball. Try to have a true purpose for the instruments, like shaking to a particular word or practicing loud versus quiet.
If your toddler or preschooler is not following along with the listed instructions for movement, but is enjoying the song and moving in their own way, let them! The point is to get their body moving to expel holiday energy, not mimic the motions perfectly. As long as they are moving and having fun, these Christmas songs are working exactly as they should.
If you feel as though your child is only ramping themselves up with more energy, start singing much, much quieter but with more theatrical facial expressions. Suddenly, they will become quieter too, so they don’t miss something interesting!
For more structured December music time, our December listening center with QR codes pairs holiday books with audio — a great quiet-time companion to these active songs.
Making memories with your little ones this time of year doesn’t have to be elaborate. A few songs, some silly motions, and a whole lot of holiday spirit is all you need. Pull this list up whenever you need it — on your phone in the middle of circle time, on the drive to a holiday party, or anytime you need to redirect some of that big Christmas excitement. Pair the singing with our Five Beautiful Christmas Trees booklet for a complete holiday circle time your kids will ask to do again and again.
Frequently Asked Questions
With 2-year-olds, they are still practicing that mind-body connection, so their fine motor development is still a work in progress. Try movements that use their whole body, like reaching, jumping, spinning, and clapping. Repetition is also key for this age — 2-year-olds need lots of practice before committing things to memory, and as a bonus, they also love doing things over and over! From this list, Jingle Bells (with egg shakers), Christmas Wiggle, and Marching to the North Pole are ideal starting points for the youngest crowd.
My best teacher tip for holiday circle time is the present box. Toddlers love the suspense of not knowing what’s inside! Simply place a visual of what’s coming next in circle time inside a colorfully decorated and wrapped present box, and really put on your acting hat as you peek inside, pretending to see something incredible. You could even get the children to make guesses about what they think could be inside. Using this as a transition between circle time activities is sure to keep the children on the carpet.
There are so many simple Christmas songs! It is fun to have songs that go along with pictures and instruments, but songs without any need for equipment are miraculous this time of year, when you’re just trying to get through circle time until holiday break. Try using songs with hand motions like “I’m a Little Christmas Tree,” “Five Little Snowmen,” or “Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star” — all three have original lyrics included above and require zero supplies.
Two to four songs is a sweet spot for most toddler and preschool circle times. Start with an energizing song to get the wiggles out (Jingle Bells, Christmas Wiggle, or Marching to the North Pole work great), move through one or two in the middle, and close with something calmer to bring their bodies back down (Little Snowflake or Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star are perfect for this). That arc — energize, engage, calm — keeps kids regulated without ramping them up right before the next activity.
Let them find their own way in. Some children are natural movers and will jump right in; others need to watch for a few rounds before they feel ready to participate. If a child seems hesitant, try giving them a specific, low-stakes role — hand them an egg shaker, or ask them to be your special helper. And if they never quite sync up with the “official” motions but are still moving and smiling, that is a win. The goal is joyful movement, not perfect execution.
