The holiday season is one of the most special and magical times of the year. You get to slow down, make memories with your little ones, and soak in all of the special moments that the season has to offer!

But with the holidays comes Christmas break, and having the kids home all day can make it a challenge to find activities that keep them engaged and entertained. Fortunately, holiday-themed snacks are a great way to make the season all the more festive and fun.

Today, I’m thrilled to share a list of my favorite Christmas snacks for kids. Not only are these an easy way to bring on extra festivity, they also double as enjoyable hands-on projects. Whether you’re looking for easy and healthy Christmas snacks or sugar-filled festive treats, there's a snack here for everyone to enjoy!

Make the Season Sweet: 10 Holiday Snacks for Kids

Healthy Snack Muffins

For this healthy holiday snack, we’re transforming regular snack muffins into super cute reindeers! It’s just as healthy, and we’re only adding a few festive ingredients.

Start off by following my homemade snack muffin recipe (feel free to sneak a few regular muffins for yourself before the fun starts, no judgement here). Once those are ready, gather up peanut butter, raspberries, chocolate chips, and pretzel twists for decorating. Now, let the fun begin! Spread peanut butter on the muffin top, use pretzel twists for antlers, a raspberry for the nose, and chocolate chips for the eyes.

And that’s it! It’s easy to make, and even easier to enjoy.

Banana Snowmen

Looking to incorporate holiday-themed snacks into breakfast time? These banana snowmen are a fantastic way to do just that!

For this recipe, you’ll need banana slices, strawberries, pretzel sticks, chocolate chips, and dried fruit (like papaya or mango). Use the banana slices to make the snowman itself, add pretzel sticks for the arms, chocolate chips for the buttons, eyes, and mouth, strawberries for the hat, and dried fruit for the nose.

This is a super easy snack to make, and your kids will love the festive touch it adds to breakfast. Plus, who could resist eating fruits shaped like snowmen?!

Green Pancakes

I’ve got a few Grinch-themed holiday snacks up my sleeve, and these green pancakes are one of them. You have to add a little Grinch magic to Christmas snack time, right?

This snack can be as simple or extravagant as you’d like. You can follow the green power pancake recipe, top with whipped cream, and serve it up as is or you can take it to the next level by turning your pancakes into the Grinch! And I promise, it’s easier than it sounds. Just use a half of a banana slice for each eye, strawberries for his Santa hat, and chocolate chips for his mouth. That’s it!

This is a healthier twist to traditional pancakes, and it’s sure to add some extra fun for your little ones to enjoy this Christmas season.

Grinch Kabobs

For our next Grinch-themed snack, we’ll be making Grinch fruit kabobs! This easy holiday treat is a healthy option that children will love and parents can appreciate.

To make these kabobs, grab toothpicks, banana slices, strawberry slices, green grapes, and some mini marshmallows. Next, layer your ingredients in order onto the toothpick! Start with your marshmallow, add your strawberry, follow up with your banana slice, and finish off with your grape.

These festive fruit kabobs are a blast to assemble, and they’re the perfect snack for little hands to help with.

Marshmallow Treats

You may have followed this recipe to make Halloween-themed treats, but we’re giving it a fun Christmas twist! This snack idea is versatile, entertaining, and little sweeter than some of our other options just keep your hawk eyes out to avoid a major sugar rush.

For this snack, your kids can transform marshmallows into fun Christmas characters! You can use red candy melts to make Santa, brown candy melts to make reindeer, green candy melts to make elves the options are endless!

These sugary holiday treats are the perfect way to celebrate the season. They’re festive, fun, and super exciting to eat!

Santa’s Sleigh Frozen Yogurt Cups

This snack idea is a bit more intricate, but so worth it in the end. Your kids will have tons of fun making Santa’s sleigh, and it’s great for creating lasting memories!

We’re taking this super yummy frozen yogurt cup recipe and taking it up a notch to create Santa and his present-filled sleigh! Instead of scattering fruit throughout the cup, place them on one end to replicate presents in the back of the sleigh. Next, use pretzel twists for sleigh runners and a teddy graham for Santa. If you want to add reindeer, use small round crackers and follow the steps we used for our reindeer in the first snack recipe!

What better way to build the anticipation for Santa’s big arrival than by creating his present-filled sleigh during snack time?

Apple Christmas Tree

Decorating Christmas trees made from apples is much more fun because you don’t have to deal with the messy, spiky needles of the actual Christmas tree. And, you get a tasty, healthy snack afterwards!

You’re just going to take some apple slices, lay them in the shape of a Christmas tree, and decorate them with pretty much whatever you want! Use things like grapes, raisins, blueberries, cheerios, and raspberries for ornaments, homemade fruit roll ups for “tinsel,” and a sprinkle of powdered sugar for “snow.”

This snack idea is also a fantastic way to introduce different food textures to your kids in an interactive and festive way.

Rice Crispy Treat Trees

If you’re like me, one rice crispy treat is never enough they’re just too yummy! That’s why I LOVE this healthy rice crispy treat recipe; I don’t have to feel as bad or worry about my kids consuming a bunch of weird 14-letter word ingredients found in the regular snack.

Start by following my healthy rice crispy recipe, then add green food coloring into your mix to make it extra festive. Use Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutters to create individual snacks, and let your kids decorate! You can make them as sweet or healthy as you’d like use M&Ms, icing, and sprinkles for a sweeter option, or, go with raspberries, blueberries, and cinnamon for a healthier twist.

Not only is it a healthy alternative to a traditional sweet snack, but it’s also a fun and easy way to get into the Christmas spirit!

Candy Cane Fruit

Candy canes are fun to eat during the holidays, but let’s be honest, they’re not the most ideal “snack.” Why not make a snack that’s shaped like a candy cane, but is ten times healthier to eat and super fun to make?

Take a banana and a few strawberries, cut them into slices, and arrange them into that traditional candy-cane shape. It’s truly that easy! Not only is it a healthier alternative, it’s a super easy way to get into the holiday spirit.

If you want to make this activity more interactive, you could set up a “candy cane creation station” where your little ones are able to creatively make their own candy canes. You could include a small cup of powdered sugar, a little bowl of whipped cream, and maybe even some fun holiday-themed sprinkles!

Reindeer Snack Bars

While we’ve done a handful of reindeer-themed snack ideas, none of them have used this healthy snack bar recipe. This is one of my favorite guilt-free treats that my whole family enjoys, and they’re much better than the sugar-filled snack bars from the supermarket.

For this snack idea, we’re just going to follow the recipe and add a few fun Christmas twists to turn these snack bars into reindeer! Add mini chocolate chips (or pretzels) for the antlers, a cranberry or raspberry for the nose, and edible googly eyes for some added fun for the kids.

If you haven’t made this snack before, now is the perfect time to do so! Your kids will crave it all year long.

How To Make Kids Snacks Healthy During the Holidays

Incorporate fruit for a healthier sweet.

The best thing about incorporating fruits into holiday snack time is that they’re already naturally sweet and they’re loaded with vitamins! When it comes to making kids’ snacks, the more fruits, the better. Kids love a colorful plate because it makes it look more fun and appealing!

Use creative presentations to make snacks intriguing.

As parents, we’ve learned by now that kids are much more likely to participate in something when it just looks fun. When you transform a regular snack into something themed and festive, it can make eating exciting. So much so that your kiddos probably won’t even realize that what they’re eating is healthy!

Trade out artificial flavors for natural alternatives.

Instead of a bunch of sugar-laden desserts, there are tons of naturally-sweetened options that are just as delicious and even more satisfying. While it’s fun (and rewarding) to have a sweet treat every now and then, swapping out artificial flavors and sugars for fresh berries, oats, and Greek yogurt can help to balance out those cravings and avoid the dreaded sugar crash.

Involve your kids in the set-up process.

Just like it’s beneficial to let your kids help set up sensory activities, involving them in holiday snack prep makes it exciting! Especially if you create little “build your own” stations it makes them feel involved, and really works to stimulate their desire to partake in healthy eating. And, if you’re worried about the mess, I have the perfect thing to help keep things organized (or as much as they can be with little ones)!

Which fun holiday snacks are you making with your kids this season?

From Christmas parties to early morning breakfasts, these holiday snacks are fun, engaging, and delicious. There’s no better way to celebrate the season with your little ones than by making their day festive and exciting in as many ways as possible and these festive treats are a sure way to create treasured memories for years to come.

For more appetizing meals and hands-on activities for your kids, visit the Mothercould blog! For more in-depth tutorials, helpful recipes, and useful parenting hacks, download the Mothercould in your Pocket resource!

What are your go-to snacks during the holidays? Are there any tips and tricks you use to keep your snacks healthy and just as appetizing? Let me know—I love hearing from you guys! Happy holidays!

MAKE THE SEASON SWEET: 10 HOLIDAY SNACKS FOR KIDS