8 Quiet Activities to Keep Little Kids Occupied While You Wrap Gifts

Wrapping gifts with little kids around can turn into you hiding in your bedroom and taping boxes at top speed. If you want to be a little more relaxed—and not completely secretive—you need a few quiet activities up your sleeve.

These ideas keep kids busy and nearby without giving them scissors or letting them run through piles of wrapping paper.

A “busy basket” you only pull out at Christmas

Put together a small basket of special toys and activities that only comes out during December wrapping sessions: chunky puzzles, a few small figures, magnetic tiles, or simple matching cards.

Because they don’t see it all year, it feels exciting and new. When you’re done wrapping for the day, the basket goes away so it keeps its power.

Sticker books and reusable stickers

Sticker books and vinyl reusable stickers are gold. Kids can fill pages, peel things up, and move them around without needing your help every ten seconds.

Lay a tray or placemat down so you’re not scraping stickers off the table later. This is also one of those crafts that keeps everything flat and contained.

Audiobooks or read-aloud time

Put on an age-appropriate audiobook or kids’ podcast and set them up with coloring pages or blocks. The story gives their mind somewhere to go while their hands stay busy.

If they’re younger, record yourself reading one of their favorite books and play it back while they “read along” with the physical book.

Simple coloring or tracing pages

Print Christmas coloring sheets or tracing pages and give them crayons or colored pencils. Skip markers if you don’t want to stress about the table.

You can tape the pages down so they don’t slide everywhere. If you want it to feel more special, let them decorate envelopes or paper bags you’ll actually use.

A small “gift wrapping” corner of their own

Give them a few safe items—a stuffed animal, a small box, or toy cars—and scrap paper or tissue paper. Hand them a roll of painter’s tape instead of regular tape.

Painter’s tape is easier for small hands to work with and peels off surfaces more easily. They’ll feel like they’re wrapping “real” gifts while you tackle the actual presents.

Quiet sensory bin

Set up a basic sensory bin with dry items: rice, pasta, pom-poms, or cotton balls. Add scoops, cups, and a few small toys. Put an old sheet or cheap tablecloth under it to catch spills.

This isn’t completely mess-free, but it’s controlled. Most of the mess stays in one zone, and you can shake out the sheet when you’re done.

Washable window markers or gel clings

If you have a window near where you’re wrapping, give kids washable window markers or gel clings. They can decorate the glass and rearrange shapes while you work.

It feels like a big treat to them, and cleanup is a wet rag and maybe a quick swipe of glass cleaner.

“Mail center” play

Set up a simple mail center with envelopes, stickers, blank paper, and a basket or shoebox as a “mailbox.” Tell them they’re in charge of delivering Christmas mail to stuffed animals, siblings, or you.

They’ll spend a surprising amount of time drawing “letters,” stuffing envelopes, and popping them into the box while you get through several gifts.