Easy Kid-Friendly Christmas Decorations That Are Sure to Make Merry Memories

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Ever since I got married, decorating my house for Christmas has been one of my favorite holiday traditions. When we first had kids, I was a bit worried about how I would even get the tree, garland, and lights up, let alone keep everything safe for the kids and the decorations — a herculean task, if ever there was one. After a few messy years, though, I fell in love with the challenge of finding kid-friendly Christmas decorations.

I wanted to make a list where parents and families could find safer (read: fragile, messy, potentially harmful) decor. I took all the tips and tricks I’ve learned — not just as a parent, but as a parenting editor who speaks with other parents and brands all the time — to find quality products that are durable, easy to use, and appealing to both kids and their parents. You don’t need to sacrifice style just because you’re a parent, regardless of how active your kids are or how little time you have to decorate. You can get the same high-end aesthetic quality while keeping an eye on what makes sense for your family.

And it’s true that while your kiddos are little, some things you may favor — like delicate glass and hand-blown ornaments — are going to be off limits for a while. But there are a ton of great alternatives that make an equally festive statement, including personalized baby’s first ornaments your kids can help with. As for the tree itself, choosing an easy-to-assemble, pre-lit, artificial Christmas tree (like our favorite from Balsam Hill) is the way to go for both aesthetics and ease. I also suggest a slim tree for most families because if you choose to fence it off, they have a lot less real estate at the bottom that you’ll need to cordon off.

I’ve rounded up my favorites — trees I’ve assembled, ornaments, and various and sundry other holiday wonders — and brought them here to you. Check out the top kid-friendly Christmas decorations below!

Silverado Slim Flip Christmas Tree

This breathtaking Balsam Hill tree could not be easier to put together. It comes in a box in three pieces, complete with two sets of gloves to wear when you fluff out the stems. The 7-foot tree has almost 3000 stems and 900 lights. There are no connecting wires, either. You just line up the pieces, and the whole thing works perfectly, using only one plug.

It’s called a “flip” tree because it literally flips down when you assemble it. The whole thing took me about 15 minutes to assemble and to fluff out, making it by far the easiest tree I’ve ever had the joy of putting together. It also comes with a very sturdy stand and storage bag, which I love. Kids can easily help you do this without you needing to worry that they’re going to break one of the limbs or prevent the lights from working — both are things that have happened to me in the past.

I’m a huge fan of the gentle glow of this tree and the ample areas at the ends of the branches for ornament hanging — it’s simply a real stunner. Balsam Hill is a brand like LL Bean, Frontgate, and Garnet Hill that routinely puts out quality home items all year long but really shines over the holidays.

More: Christmas Gifts for Mom She Won’t Forget

Freshly Fallen Snowcrest Slim Profile Tree

I am a sucker for a flocked tree — I can’t help it. They’re just so magical and festive. This luxurious Front Gate tree has the same sort of fast setup as the Balsam Hill, but no gloves or bag included, sadly. (Get on that, Frontgate!) It comes together in a flash, and all of the different shapes and sizes of the tips really make for a wonderful canvas for ornaments, garlands, and more.

Another benefit of flocked trees is that they make colored ornaments and flowers really pop. My orange ornaments look like stained glass hanging from this tree. This tree is slightly taller at 7.5 feet and boasts almost 2.500 tips and a whopping 1,650 remote-controlled lights. It’s a much softer flocked tree than you’re expecting, and it doesn’t flake off like flocking from a spray or a bag, which means that you don’t need to constantly vacuum under it to keep your kids from rolling in fake snow.

I admit to having a love affair with Frontgate, and going in, I was likely going to be a bit biased as I have purchased so much from them for my home. To even the field, I sent pictures of the tree to pretty much everyone in my friend group for opinions and had my husband (who never decorates) help set this tree up, and everyone was extremely impressed with its beauty.

Hammered Metal Christmas Tree Collar Decorations

This tree collar is basically the easiest way to keep kids’ hands off the base of the tree, and it’s really cute. It’s hammered metal and comes apart on the sides so that it’s not only easy to install onto your tree but also easy to store in itself without taking up a ton of space.

Traditional tree skirts get bunched up and often damaged by young ones, having a tree collar that stays put prevents that from happening.

Rustic White Tree Collar

This tree collar is just like the red one above, but it’s a bit more rustic and a bit smaller. What I love most about it is that it shines a bit when the light from the tree reflects on the inside. It’s a pine tree motif with pinecones dotted all along the sides. Like the red collar, it, too, comes apart on the sides, storing even smaller than that one.

For families who are storing more than your average, this collar is four-parts that sink into each other to take up minimal space in your garage.

Knitted Christmas Tree Skirt

A knit tree skirt reminds me a bit of a baby blanket, which feels just right for a new family. Unless, again, you have cats. They’ll use this as a potential ball of yarn. That’s the only reason I don’t have this one. However, my neighbor does, and I am oh so envious.

If you don’t like the look of the collar, but you want a durable tree skirt that isn’t “precious,” but still gorgeous and traditional, this is a wonderful choice.

Premium Dried Blood Orange Slices

Fair warning: Buy two of these. One for the tree and one for your cocktails. I promise — they’re really tasty, and once you figure that out, you will want them for more than just decoration. But really, all you need to do is poke them with a skewer or straw and string kitchen twine through them, hang them on the tree as garland or as ornaments, and they’re beautiful.

They look like stained glass, and at the end of the year, you can just toss them. They’re not going to break or mold, and if someone gnaws on them, it’s safe.

White Poinsettia Flowers for Christmas Tree

Trust me — 20 clip-on poinsettia flowers go a long way on a tree. The white and silver are one of my favorite combinations on a dark green tree. They shine really well with the Christmas lights, whether colored or white. They’re pretty hard to destroy, as well. And if you’re worried about the clips, you can absolutely reuse the twine and tie them on.

They’re fairly crush-proof, take up a good amount of real estate, which cuts decoration time, and when you’re tired of them, they’re great as bows on gifts.

20 Sets DIY Gingerbread Man Foam Craft Kits

These Christmas ornament kits are maximum fun and minimal mess. There’s no glue required for your kids to make these cool foam gingerbread men, as they’re adhesive stickers! They’re adorable, and you’ll bring them back out year after year, remembering how and when you made them the first time. They’re soft, they’re inexpensive, and they’re not hideous.

Christmas Tree Picks Spray Set of 12

A few years ago, I made one of my trees (yes, I’m that person) with mostly entirely decorative sprays like this. It was a bold choice that really made a statement, and I still use these sprays in regular design, which eliminates the need of worrying if kids or cats knock them off the tree.

I like these for families because they are so easy for kids to put on the tree. All they need to do is stick it between the branches. There’s no wire or tying required, and it makes kids feel like they’re helping.

Baby Ornament Keepsake Kit

I think that dipping your baby’s hands or feet into a clay ornament is a rite of passage at this point — it just feels like an essential part of modern parenting. With this keepsake kit, you get to make two ornaments with this kit for about $10. It comes with paint, easels, and ribbon as well.

12 Pack Artificial Red Berry Stems

Red berries scream “Christmas” to me. And like with the dried oranges, I love the way these pop on flocked trees, but they’re also a lovely, warm addition to green trees. This is a 12-pack of stems, which just slide right between the tips, not needing any special clips. Like the sprays above, kids have no problem getting these on the tree; there are no tiny branches involved, just point and insert.

These can come off, though, so go with these when your little one is over 3.

Design Set of 6 Vintage Retro Christmas Ornaments

Pretty, retro-style, indestructible ornaments? Sign me up. These metal-framed ornaments have a delicate shine on the surface, making them look like the greeting cards they’re fashioned after. They’re a bit kitschy but really lovely overall. They’re not the fanciest, but somehow, the style of them make them look like they are.

They look great, they come on an extra-long ribbon for easy hanging, and if they’re stepped on, they survive.

Pack Poinsettias Artificial Christmas Flowers

Nothing says Christmas like poinsettias, am I right? I pulled all of these chic artificial flowers apart to give me many more flowers to decorate with separately, but you could totally place them in groupings as well. I’ve done that in the past, and it does make a statement. The leaves are velvety and matte, and the stamens are gold and shiny.

Like the Diyasy flowers, they’re all about making an impact with a piece of decor that takes very little time and effort while delivering a punch of color. They’re affordable, hard to destroy, and children can place them themselves.

Solid Color Double Face Satin Ribbon

For under $9, you get 25 yards of ribbon that you can double knot bow on the ends of the tree branch tips. If you can’t untie them at the end of the holiday, you can snip them off and not feel bad about it because it wasn’t expensive. Plus, it’s good for wrapping presents — in fact, most of the ornaments on this list are great on packages.

Christmas Tree Decoration

Felt balls make for great garland. They look like snowballs, which could not be more fun. These are bigger, about the size of a baby fist, which is great for younger kids, because they’re hard to get their whole mouth around, which is pretty much the whole point of this garland.

You can use this to tie on mantels, around bannisters, on the tree, or even around bookshelves. They’re versatile, soft, and affordable.

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