10 Ways to Prepare Your RV for the Christmas Holiday with Toddlers

The holiday season is a magical time! Making your RV festive is fun for toddlers and adds an exciting seasonal layer of adventure and creativity. Here’s how we deck the halls and prepare for Christmas in our fifth wheel, focusing on creating a toddler-friendly environment that keeps the spirit bright without adding stress.

Cozy Up the Mantle & Setup your Beloved Stockings

Having a fireplace in our RV is a game-changer during the holidays! There’s nothing like gathering around it for books, cuddles, and play on chilly winter mornings and nights. It also gives us a special place to hang our beloved stockings, making it easy for Santa to find them. Every Christmas, I adore bringing out our homemade stockings from our late Nana and they are a cherished part of our celebrations. Also, dress up the mantle with garlands, soft lights, and holiday decor that is easy to store, and adds some seasonal touches that bring warmth and cheer to your RV. Our mantle selections are as follows:

Elf on the Shelf Adventures, RV-Style

Elf on the Shelf is a big deal for our 2 and 4 year old toddlers, and we need to keep it simple in our RV. RV space is limited, especially spaces out of reach for our 2 year old, so finding creative spots for our Elf, Oprah Twinkletoes, will be a challenge. I’ve been searching for simple setups - and have command strips and masking tape ready to go. See our instagram @realizethatdream for our future reel on these setups. AND I’ll be excited to add more to this post after the holiday. 😆

Go for Easily Storable Decor

With limited storage in the RV, it’s crucial to choose holiday items that are compact and easy to store. Small, lightweight decorations like light strands, fabric decor, and soft pillows work beautifully and are easy to tuck away in vacuum storage bags after the season. Stick with a few favorite items that spark joy without overwhelming your RV space. The items we selected include:

Don’t Forget a Christmas Tree

This may sound a little crazy, but I didn’t think we could do Christmas right for our toddlers without a tree… and, I was correct. A lit tree brings an instant holiday glow to our space and the kids are obsessed! Weighing just under 6 lbs, we found the perfect 3’ tall pre-lit tree and have gathered non-breakable ornaments from our travels, reminding ourselves of the fun we’ve had. Our tree stores nicely behind our couch when it’s not in use.

Create Outdoor Holiday Spirit: Rope Lights & Window Lights

For the outside, rope lights create a festive boundary around the RV, and battery-powered lights in the windows make our camper sparkle. Choose lights that are easy to set up and store. Our toddlers love helping with these outdoor decorations, and the final look makes the whole setup feel extra special when they see it all aglow.

Craft a Christmas Wall

Holiday crafts are a great way to keep toddlers entertained, and you can create a “Christmas Craft Wall” to showcase their creations. Use sticky tack to hang paper snowflakes, handprint art, and other kid-friendly crafts (we love Hobby Lobby & Target’s Mondo Llama). This wall not only adds festive décor but also makes your little ones feel proud of their holiday work. A few of our selections include…

We are also excited to incorporate our new Christmas Around the World in Homeschool Days program featuring stories, crafts and recipes from cultures around the world into our routine! We want to introduce our toddlers to global cultures at a young age, while also traveling the US in our RV.

Pull Out the Christmas Pajamas

One of our favorite traditions is bringing out Christmas pajamas early in the season—and we’ve made it even more fun by involving our Elf on the Shelf! Our elf, Oprah, brings the kids their Christmas pajamas the day after Thanksgiving when she makes her grand arrival for the season.

This tradition started when our daughter was 2. Initially, we’d gift pajamas on Christmas Eve, but last year I thought, Why wait? By bringing them out earlier, we can enjoy them all season long! Now, it’s a cherished part of our holiday kickoff.

Bonus Tip: Christmas pajamas aren’t just for Christmas! On special movie nights during the year, when the kids have done an extra great job with listening or sharing, we make it even more magical by wearing our Christmas pajamas along with preparing our popcorn. If you’re looking for a fun, simple family idea, this one’s a winner!

Give Back to Your Local Community

Even if you’re not in your hometown, the holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community you’re currently visiting. During our travels, we’ve discovered unique ways to spread holiday cheer and teach our kids about generosity. For example, while staying in Corpus Christi, we came across a Salvation Army Angel Tree at Walmart, where we could pick a tag and provide gifts for someone in need. In larger cities, we’ve seen Giving Machines—part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ annual Light the World campaign. These vending machines allow you to “purchase” gifts for those in need around the world.

Whatever way you choose to give, it’s a great opportunity to show your kids the importance of helping others. Whether it’s donating toys, food, or time, these small acts of kindness make a big impact—and create meaningful holiday traditions that your children will carry with them for years to come.

Bring Out your Holiday Movie Faves

Nothing sets the holiday mood like cozying up with your favorite Christmas movies! Some of our family favorites include:

  • The Polar Express – A perfect pick for little ones who are starting to get excited about Santa (and trains).

  • Mickey & Minnie, Once Upon a Christmas – Short and sweet for those toddler attention spans.

  • Dr. Suess The Grinch (new animated version) – A holiday must-watch that always gets giggles!

And after the kids go to bed, Mom & Dad’s favorites…

  • Elf – Bringing laughs and holiday cheer.

  • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation – The ultimate chaotic and silly holiday experience.

  • Christmas with the Kranks – A lighthearted comedy about holiday joy.

Whether it’s family fun or a date-night vibe, holiday movie nights are an easy and enjoyable way to embrace the season.

Keep It Fun, Safe, and Toddler-Friendly

With toddlers, it’s tempting to aim for picture-perfect décor, but remember that practical, fun, and safe is the way to go! In an RV, kids can often reach everything, so opt for decorations that are lightweight, unbreakable, and easy to handle. A child-friendly holiday space is one where they can explore and play without constant “no’s” – making it all the more enjoyable for everyone.

Celebrating the holidays in an RV with toddlers is about making memories. With a little creativity, you can transform your RV into a cozy, festive, and toddler-friendly space that’s bursting with holiday cheer. Embrace the magic, keep it simple, and most importantly, have fun with your little ones as you celebrate the season in your own unique way!

Do you have suggestions for us?! Drop a comment!

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

This website contains some affiliate links to other websites including the Amazon Associate program. If you use the links provided and make a qualifying purchase, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we truly love, have made a difference in our lives, actually use during our adventures, and think you can benefit from too!

Previous
Previous

Air Travel with Toddlers, When you Live Full-time in your RV

Next
Next

Why you may want to Consider ‘Downgrading’ your RV Mattress to a Queen