This Healthy Sparkling Christmas Punch is a fun twist on the classic version – but made with wholesome ingredients that is perfect for kids ages 1 and up! Plus, each kid get to make their own DIY Fruit Skewers to garnish their fancy “grown up” drink. Great for any holiday, birthday or gathering all year long.

Graphic for Post - Healthy Sparkling Christmas Punch for Toddler + Kids.- with DIY fruit sticks with image of Small girl holding a glass of healthy Christmas punch

Healthy Christmas Punch

This Healthy Sparkling Christmas Punch is a fun twist on the classic version – minus the soda, sorbet and added sugar!

This punch is made with orange juice, pineapple juice, cherry juice and any amount of sparkling water you prefer. That means you can add just a splash of punch to a full glass of sparkling water if you are having a gathering and know there is a cookie bar in your near future. Or you can add half a cup of punch and fill the rest with sparkling water if this is the star of the show. It really can be customizable to any age of kids and your preferences.

Plus, there is a DIY Fruit Stick portion of the recipe that the kids go bananas over! All fancy drinks need a fun fruit garnish, and this punch is no exception. But because fruit inside of a drink may become a choking hazard, we simply put that fruit onto a stick of them. Or should I say, they put their own fruit on a stick for themselves.

Not only are you letting them get a fancy “grown-up” drink, but you are letting them make their own fruit stick to garnish their drink! Seriously, they will act like you are giving them millions of dollars. It’s all in the small things right?

  • Clear pitcher filled with cherry juice
  • Clear pitcher with ingredients for kid and toddler punch.
  • clear pitcher filled with Christmas punch and slices of fruit.
  • Clear pitcher with juice, ice and fruit for chirstmas punch

Reasons to Love this Healthy Christmas Punch

  • can make it by the glass, pitcher or in a punch bowl
  • great for toddlers and bigger kids
  • DIY fruit sticks makes every kid feel special
  • can customize how much juice/sparking water is in each cup
  • can use juices with no added sugar to keep it a little healthier
  • great for the holidays, birthday parties or any gathering
  • can use cherry, pomegranate or cranberry juice (my kids preferred cherry juice while I like pomegranate juice better)
  • can place the juice in real cups or sippy cups – with fruit stick on the side
  • Spread of pitcher with Christmas punch and a plate with fruit and sticks for kids to make them.
  • Round white plate with assortment of fruit on it with small kids hands making their own fruit sticks.
  • Small kid hands making their own fruit sticks for drink
  • Small hands making their own fruit sticks for their drinks.
  • 2 kids with glasses of Christmas punch.

How to Make this Healthy Christmas Punch for Toddlers and Kids

You can easily make this punch by the glass, pitcher or in a punch bowl.

  • Pour the orange juice, pineapple juice and cherry (or pomegranate juice) into a pitcher and stir.
  • Add in a few slices of lemon, lime and/or orange. This step is completely optional but looks pretty in the pitcher.
  • Add in a few cups of ice.
  • Pour the juice into each kids cup – you can add just splash or up to half a glass full depending on how much juice you want each kid to have. I did this because for toddlers, you might want to serve them just a splash of juice and the rest sparkling water to keep their juice intake on the lower side.
  • Have each kid grab a stick and tread with whatever fruits they want on it. Place the stick on top or inside of the each glass of punch and head to the grown up bar to make your own drink;)

How to Make the DIY fruit Sticks

  • On a plate or cutting board, arrange a few cups worth of fruit.
  • Have a small cup filled with sticks. These are the ones I used. These ones would also work and are sparkly.
  • Let each kid pick and thread their fruit on their stick. They can either lay their fruit stick on top of their punch or place it inside of it.

Some fruit suggestions:

  • strawberries – sliced, cut in half or cut into a heart
  • apples – chunks (depending on kids ages), long sticks, cut-out using a cookie cutter, plain or sprinkled with cinnamon. You can toss the cut apples in a little lemon juice to prevent browning. 
  • pears – chunks (depending on kids ages), long sticks, cut-out using a cookie cutter, plain or sprinkled with a little cinnamon. 
  • raspberries
  • blackberries
  • blueberries
  • pineapple chunks
  • frozen and then thawed pitted cherries – wrap them in a towel before serving to remove some of the pigment
  • orange wedges 
  • wedges of lemons or limes – kids usually love the tartness more than you would think
Small girl holding a glass of healthy Christmas punch

MORE FUN HOLIDAY RECIPES FOR TODDLER

2 kids with glasses of Christmas punch.

Get the recipe: Healthy Christmas Punch

5 stars (9 ratings)
This Healthy Sparkling Christmas Punch is a fun twist on the classic version – but made with wholesome ingredients that is perfect for kids ages 1 and up!
Yield: 12 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

For a Glass

  • 2 oz good quality organge juice
  • 1 oz pineapple juice
  • 1 oz cherry or pomegranate juice
  • 3-4 oz sparkling water or seltzer

For a Pitcher

  • 2 cups good quality orange juice
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 cup cherry or pomegranate juice
  • 36 ounces sparkling water or seltzer
  • slices of lime, lemon and/or oranges (optional)
  • ice, for the pitcher

Fruit Sticks

  • chopped fruit or berries (see below for suggestions)
  • 12 sticks or cocktail stirrers (cut off any pointy ends)

Instructions 

For a Glass

  • Pour the organe juice, pineapple juice and cherry juice into a glass and stir. Add in a few ice cubes. Pour in the sparkling water.
  • Tread 4-5 pieces of chopped fruit on a stick and place on top of the drink.

For a Pitcher

  • Pour the orange juice, pineapple juice and cherry juice into a glass pitcher and stir. Add in 1-2 cups of ice cubes.
  • Place the chopped fruit on a plate along with a handful of sticks or stirring sticks for the kids to make their own fruit stick.
  • Pour the desired amount of juice into each kids cup and then fill the rest of the way up with sparking water. I like to keep the juice and sparkling water seperate so you can adjust the amount of juice you serve depending on your kids age. You can also add the sparkling water straight to the pitcher as well.

Notes

Age: great for toddlers and kids 1 years and up
Juices: I made this recipe with juices made with only fruit and that had no added sugar or fruit concentrate to keep the added sugar low. You can use whichever brands you feel comfortable with. 
Added Honey: with that said, if your punch is just a little too tart, feel free to add in a few tablespoons of honey or agave nectar into the punch. 
Storage: you can mix the juices together ahead of time and add in the slices of citrus fruit and sparking water right before serving. A pitcher of juice will stay good in the fridge for 2-3 days. 
Punch Bowl: you can easily make this recipe in a punch bowl by doubling or tripling the recipe depending on how big your punch bowl is. 
Fruit Sticks: I don’t like to serve my kids chunks of fruit in their drinks because it might be a choking hazard. But having them make and eat the fruit off a stick makes the drink so much fun for them! Plus, it’s a great activity for them to do all night long. 
Here are some fruit suggestions;
  • strawberries – sliced, cut in half or cut into a heart
  • apples – chunks (depending on kids ages), long sticks, cut-out using a cookie cutter, plain or sprinkled with cinnamon. You can toss the cut apples in a little lemon juice to prevent browning. 
  • pears – chunks (depending on kids ages), long sticks, cut-out using a cookie cutter, plain or sprinkled with a little cinnamon. 
  • raspberries
  • blackberries
  • blueberries
  • pineapple chunks
  • frozen and then thawed pitted cherries – wrap them in a towel before serving to remove some of the pigment
  • orange wedges 
  • wedges of lemons or limes – kids usually love the tartness more than you would think
Sticks for Fruit: I used these, but these would also be fun (plus, they are sparkly)
Sugar Rim: if you want to get really fancy, you an always sugar the rim of each kids glass. 
Calories: 36kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.6g, Protein: 0.5g, Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 2mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 6.6g, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg

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