ChristmasActivity Pack

Family friendly activities you can do from home

 INDEX
Paul Hollywood’s Mince
CHRISTMAS BAKING
Why not try your hand at some Christmassy baking? These recipes
Pies ................................................. 4
are perfect for sharing with children, or if you just fancy getting
festive in the kitchen. Mary Berry’s Gingerbread
Difficulty ratings:
House ............................................ 6
One bauble – Easy
Two baubles – A bit more work Stained Glass Window
Three baubles – Difficult but delicious
Biscuits ......................................... 8

CHRISTMAS CRAFTING 10
Paper Plate Santa ....................................
Here is a selection of some wonderful crafty things you can make at
home with your children.
Felt Santa Handprint ............................... 12
Pinecone Christmas Tree ................... 13

Christmas Wordsearch .......................... 14

CHRISTMAS
Christmas Spot the Difference .......... 15
ACTIVITIES Will Santa be able to come? .............. 16
Christmas colouring in .......................... 17
Christmas around the world ............. 18
What have you enjoyed this year ... 20
Be a good neighbour ............................ 21
 Christmas Baking
PAUL HOLLYWOOD’S METHOD

Mince Pies
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. To
make the sweet pastry, rub the flour, butter,
sugar and egg together with a splash of
DIFFICULTY cold water until it just comes together as a
dough. Do not over work the dough. Wrap
the pastry in cling film and set aside to chill
in the fridge while you make the filling.

To make the filling, turn the mincemeat

out into a bowl, grate the zest of the
tangerines into the mincemeat, then
peel and chop the fruit. Throw the
tangerine and apple pieces into the
bowl and blend by hand..

Roll out the pastry to a 3mm/1/8in thickness. With a round pastry cutter, cut
out 6 x 9cm/3½in discs of pastry. Press the pastry into the muffin cups and fill
each one with a good helping of the mincemeat mixture, so that it reaches
three-quarters of the way up the side of the pastry-lined cup.

INGREDIENTS: With a fluted pastry cutter, cut

For the pastry (or you could choose to buy out 6 x 8cm/3¼ in pastry circles
pre-made chilled pastry) for the lids (slightly bigger than
375g/13oz plain flour the top of the muffin cups).
250g/9oz butter, softened Place a lid on top of each pie
125g/4oz caster sugar, plus extra for and gently push down. Sprinkle
sprinkling with caster sugar.
1 medium free-range egg

For the filling Bake for 20 minutes, then

2 x 400g/14oz jars mincemeat transfer to a wire rack to
2 tangerines, zest grated and flesh chopped cool. Dust with icing sugar.
1 apple, finely diced

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 Christmas Baking
MARY BERRY’S Meanwhile place the boiled sweets

Gingerbread
in a pestle and mortar and crush to a
rough sand texture.

House
Remove the gingerbread from the
oven. Trim the windows if the mixture
has spread and sprinkle the crushed
DIFFICULTY sweets into the windows. Return all
the gingerbread to the oven and Pipe some icing along the wall edges
METHOD continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or and join the house together on the
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (fan until the sweets have melted and iced cake board. Leave the icing to
180C). Melt the butter, sugar and syrup the gingerbread is firm. Remove dry and harden for a minimum of 4
together in a large pan. Sieve the flour, from the oven and leave to cool for hours, but preferably overnight.
bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger a few minutes, then trim around the
together into a large bowl and make a Cut the pointed ends of the cocktail
templates again to give clean, sharp
well in the centre. Pour in the melted sticks into 1cm/½in pieces (you
edges. Leave to cool completely.
butter mixture, stir it in and, when cool should have 12 small pointed pieces).
For the icing, whisk the egg whites in a Push the blunt end of the cocktail
enough to handle, knead to a stiff dough.
large bowl until frothy. Using a wooden stick pieces into the sloping edges
Divide the mixture into five equally- spoon or a hand-held electric mixer of the front and back of the house,
sized pieces, cut one of these pieces in on slow speed, add the icing sugar leaving the pointed ends sticking out
half (so you have six pieces in total). Roll a tablespoonful at a time. Stir in the to act as peg supports to attach the
each piece out on a sheet of greaseproof lemon juice and beat the icing until it roof. (Remember to remove the sharp
paper to ¾cm/⅓in thick. Using the
INGREDIENTS: is very stiff and white and stands up in cocktail sticks from your gingerbread
templates, cut out the sections for the peaks. Cover the surface with a damp house before eating it, to avoid a
375g/13oz unsalted butter
roof, sides, front and back of the house. cloth if not using immediately. choking hazard.) Pipe icing between
300g/10½oz dark muscovado sugar
Slide onto three baking trays lined with the cocktail sticks and fix the two
150g/5½oz golden syrup Spoon a little of the icing into a piping
baking parchment. roof panels onto the house. Pipe icing
900g/2lb plain flour bag fitted with a medium plain nozzle.
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda Using the template as a guide, a ruler around the base and edges of the
Pipe blobs of icing on the back of
2 tbsp ground ginger and the rim of a cup, cut out the arched chimney and attach to the roof.
each chocolate button and stick,
For the icing windows on the front and sides of the overlapping onto the two roof sections, To decorate, pipe icing along the
3 free-range egg whites house. Using a star cutter, cut out a star to create a tile effect. Transfer some apex and edges of the roof to look like
675g/1½lb icing sugar, sifted in the front and back of the house. Using icing to another piping bag fitted with snow and icicles. Stick the front door
3 tsp lemon juice a knife, cut out the door on the front and a small plain nozzle and pipe frames in place with icing. Cut the back door
back of the house and place the doors around the windows, doors and stars into three pieces to use as props to
separately on the baking trays. to decorate. Spoon six tablespoons keep the trees upright. Decorate the
TO DECORATE
of the icing over the cake board and, Christmas trees with piped icing and
15 yellow or orange boiled sweets Re-roll the trimmings and use to cut out
using a palette knife, spread the icing fix them onto the cake board with
1 x 30cm/12in square cake board the chimney pieces, three Christmas
to cover the board in a thick snow icing and gingerbread props. Dust
200g/7oz giant milk chocolate buttons trees and three triangles to use as
effect which will create a base to stick the roof with icing sugar.
6 cocktail sticks supports to help the trees stand upright.
the house on to.
Bake the gingerbread for 7-8 minutes.

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 Christmas Baking
INGREDIENTS:

Stained
150g/5½oz butter, softened Turn the dough onto a floured work surface
100g/3½oz muscovado sugar and roll out to about 1cm/½in thick. Cut out

Glass
1 large free-range egg biscuit shapes (such as stars or Christmas
250g/9oz plain flour, plus extra for trees) and place onto the lined baking tray
flouring

Window
(you may need more than one tray, or to
1 tsp baking powder cook in batches).
pinch salt

Biscuits
1 tbsp mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pack boiled coloured sweets

DIFFICULTY

METHOD
Using a smaller cutter or a small knife
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/
cut out the centre of each biscuit. Place
Gas 4 and line a baking tray with
a boiled sweet into the hole (cut in half if
parchment paper.
your hole is smaller than 2.5cm/1in) and
place in the preheated oven to cook for
Using an electric hand whisk, whisk
15 minutes, or until golden-brown and
together the butter and sugar
crisp with the sweet melted.
in a large bowl. Once lightened
and creamy add the egg and mix
thoroughly.

As soon as the biscuits are

baked and while they are still
warm, use a straw to poke a
hole out of the top of each
biscuit. Be careful not to make
this hole too near the edge of
Make it with less the biscuit. Once the melted
plastic and instead sweets have hardened, transfer

use unwrapped boiled to a wire rack to cool. Thread

Sift in the flour, baking powder, a length of string, ribbon or
coloured sweets
salt, and mixed spice and then add florist’s wire through the hole
(from your local
the vanilla extract and mix with a and hang the biscuits on the
sweet shop) Christmas tree so the lights can
wooden spoon until you reach a
biscuit dough consistency. shine through the centres.

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 Christmas Crafting
Paper Plate
Make it recyclable
and instead of paint,
Santa Claus METHOD
Start by getting an adult to cut the top
stick coloured paper third section off of your paper plate.
to the plate for skin and Paint the inside circle of the paper

remove eyes and nose plate with your skin tone paint and set
it aside to dry.
from plate before
recycling.

Draw a large triangle shape on your red cardstock paper and have an adult
cut it out. Put a dot at the top of my paper at the 6-inch mark and then used a
ruler to draw a line down to each bottom corner to make the triangle shape.

Use your circle punch to cut out two 2-inch circles from your white cardstock
paper, or get an adult cut them out by hand. Get an adult to cut one of the
circles in half. Also, cut about a 3/4-inch strip from your white paper to use as
the brim of the Santa hat.

As soon as your paper plate has

finished drying, use your glue to
assemble your Santa together.

Start by adding glue to the back of

your paper plate and glue it onto your
large triangle, about in the middle.
YOU WILL NEED
Next glue your 2-inch circle at the top
Paper plate of your triangle. Also, glue your white
Skin tone acrylic paint strip at the top of your paper plate to
Paint brush form the brim of the hat.
12-inch by 12-inch red cardstock paper
White cardstock paper
(cut out two 2-inch circles and a 3/4-
Continue by gluing on your large
inch strip)
googly eyes. Next glue on your two
2-inch circle punch (optional)
half circles to form a moustache and
2 large googly eyes
finally glue your red pom pom right
Red pom pom
on top of your moustache to finish
scissors
your Santa.
Glue

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 Christmas Crafting
Felt CHRISTMAS
Pinecone
SANTA
handprint
TREE
YOU WILL NEED
Pinecones
To make it
YOU WILL NEED Acrylic paint
Yellow paper biodegradable, use
1 sheet of white felt
Glue plant-based food colouring
1 sheet of red felt
1 sheet of skin coloured felt diluted with 4x water
Googly eyes and soak your pine cone
Needle overnight then use edible
Thread glitter and icing sugar to
Red and white pom poms for nose decorate.
and hat/ cotton wool
To make it a reuse Glue
METHOD
project, instead of felt, Glitter (optional) Go on a lovely walk and forage for some
make Santa out of old pinecones! Or, purchase some from a craft
scrap fabric. Like old socks shop.
(washed), tea towels or METHOD
Once you’ve got your pinecones, paint
unwanted clothes. Place your hand on the white felt and draw
them in green acrylic paint and leave to dry.
around it. Ask an adult to carefully cut your
handprint out.

Ask an adult to cut out a thumb print red

hat and a skin coloured section for Santa’s
When your green pinecones are
face.
dry, paint little speckles of different

Stick the face down first, then add the eyes. coloured paint onto them to look like

Now, stick the hat on. Once you have your Christmas lights.

hat on stick on a pom pom or white circle

Ask an adult to cut you out a yellow
on the end of Santa’s hat.
star and glue it to the top of your
pinecone.
Add either cotton wool or white felt for the
hat brim and moustache. For the finishing touch, add white
paint to look like snow on the edges of
Add glitter if you like and then ask your adult
your pinecone.
to attach thread and make a thread loop for
your decoration to hang on the tree!
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 Christmas Activities
Christmas SPOT THE
Word search
Try to find all the hidden words about Christmas.
DIFFERENCE
Remember words can be diagonal vertical, horizontal
forward or backwards.
Can you spot 10 differences
We have found the first word to help get you started!

R E F K M C Y Y Y S J X M

E K E S N F N S C J S L I

E Q S R W H E A X E W I S

D K K L T I N R A T S G T

N B C T K D S L E I G H L

I C A O Y R A S K E T T E

E Z O C I H A S H B L S T

R C A S G N I K C O T S O

N N I U T B S C V D Y B W

E C F A W R O F P Z H B C

1. SANTA 6. STAR
2. TREE 7. SLEIGH
3. LIGHTS 8. COOKIES
4. REINDEER 9. MISTLETOE
5. STOCKINGS 10. CANDYCANE

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 Christmas Activities
Will Santa be able Christmas
to come this year? COLOURING IN
We’re sure that Santa will be able to get to
you this Christmas Eve because he has lots of
safety measures to keep himself, his workers,
the reindeer and all of you very safe whilst he
delivers presents.

But we all need to keep doing our bit too. Tick the
things that we can all do to protect each other.

Wear a face mask

Having a banana milkshake

Keep a safe distance from other people

Eat too many mince pies

Buy a new car

Stay at home and get a test if you have

symptoms

Wear a silly hat

Wash your hands regularly

Watch a film

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 Christmas Christmas is celebrated differently all around the world. We’ve
picked a few places for you to find out more about. Different

WORLD
around the world religions may celebrate Christmas differently to you. Which
traditions do you like the sound of?

BELARUS JAPAN
In Belarus Kaliady is celebrated, and In Japan, Christmas is not seen
this is traditionally the time between as a religious holiday but a time
Christmas and the New Year. to spread happiness. Due to a
‘Kaliady’ comes from the Latin for successful marketing campaign by
THE NETHERLANDS calendar and the name comes from KFC, fried chicken is traditionally
In The Netherlands their biggest celebration day is 5th December, the old pre-christian pagan winter eaten on Christmas day.
when Sinterklaas brings children their presents! Children solstice celebrations. New Year is
leave out a shoe by the fireplace filled with hay and carrots to traditionally a bigger holiday than
encourage Sinterklaas to leave them small presents and treats. Christmas in Belarus.
Sinterklaas is different to Santa Claus, who also visits on Christmas
Eve. Christmas Day in The Netherlands is much quieter, and
usually celebrated with a family meal and a church service.

ARGENTINA
In Argentina, the main Christmas GHANA
celebrations take part on Christmas Eve. In Ghana, Christmas is
Their Christmas meal takes place late celebrated from 20th
VIETNAM
on Christmas Eve at 10/11pm at night, December right through In Vietnam, Christmas isn’t an official
and is sometimes served in the garden! until the first week of holiday as most people believe it is
Midnight is then marked with fireworks. January. Christmas a Christian holiday. Christmas Eve is
celebrations in Ghana celebrated instead of Christmas Day,
also focus on the cocoa with people throwing confetti, taking
bean, as December pictures of Christmas decorations and
marks the start of the cafes and restaurants open late.
cocoa bean harvest.

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 Christmas Activities
Being a good neighbour
Write down a list of all the things Some people have had some difficult times recently
you’ve enjoyed about this year and need our help. Why not write a letter to a
it’s been a little different to other years but you may have enjoyed neighbour or relative using the template below.
more time with your family, or extra walks. Then, write down what
you want to do next year. This can be a New Year’s Resolution, or
even a wish list!

• Dear neighbour

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