We are about to enter that sweet little time of the year! Christmas time is a great opportunity to gather family members, friends and develop a stronger bond with our loved ones as the celebration reminds of the importance of Jesus for the christians and the gathering brings feelings of compassion, love and joy.
Also with that, comes an amazing opportunity to stimulate the children’s learning process by teaching them new concepts about the celebration and even develop different skills through fun, family-friendly activities such as Christmas crafts.
With that in mind, we selected 5 ideas of crafts to entertain the kiddos and teach them some new abilities. Follow through!
1 – Santa Advent Calendar
A Santa Advent Calendar is a Christmas craft that can be done and interacted with, till the day the celebration comes. Besides the creative part of designing it, an advent calendar can help children get in touch with feelings related to anxiousness and develop patience.
You can use the internet for some design reference or let the kids make their own version of the calendar. Give them paper, colorful materials and encourage them to plan and make the structure of the dates along with the design.
Once they are done, stick the calendar to a surface they can see everyday. Tell them to count the days till the celebration by crossing them on the calendar. If you want, you can develop small Christmas activities along the days to get them engaged with the celebration and its waiting time.
2 – Pinecone Tree Craft
It’s a good opportunity to take the kids outdoors and look for pinecones. Be sure that your region actually has pine trees planted. If you can’t find any, it is possible to buy pinecones from craft stores.
Help your children set up a painting station and give them paint, brushes, water and a cloth if they need to clean any mess. Ask your children what they are planning to do and let them express their creativity through art! Once it’s done, put it to dry and use a thread to hang the pinecones on the Christmas tree!
3 – Sparkly Snowflake Ornament Craft
One way to decorate a tree with a Christmas craft is to make a snowflake ornament. Different materials can be used for this one, such as cardboard, paper or even pipe cleaners.
Search for snowflake shapes on pinterest and get your kids an idea of how to design it. Give them scissors but make sure they are appropriate for children to avoid accidents. Once the shape is done, the little ones will need glue and some glitter. Let them do the full design and watch them be proud of their creation!
4 – Bead candy canes
Making a candy cane using beads is another option to decorate the Christmas tree. Having something handmade that a kid is proud of is a good way to boost their creativity, self confidence and motor skills.
Get some white and red beads and a couple of pipe cleaners. Show your kids how to place the pipe cleaner through the beads and let them do it in their own time. Help them when they ask for it. Once the beads are all in, bend it a little bit to find the ideal shape of a sugar cane.
But pay attention: As beads are very small pieces, don’t ever let children unattended when doing this craft. Also, this craft is not recommended for young children.
5 – Cupcake wrapper Christmas trees
What better way to decorate than using a kid’s art? Take the measurements of the cupcakes so you can fit a sleeve in it. Once you have the shaped mold, cut pieces of paper and let your kid draw and paint – using atoxic pigment, of course –. Let them explore their creativity and portray their own perception of what Christmas represents to them!
Easy peasy, right? Making Christmas crafts is a way to stimulate your children’s development and self expression through art, and an opportunity to strengthen the bond among family and friends. Now that you know some good easy crafts to make with your kids, time to get your hands dirty!
Did you enjoy this content? Get some more information on our blogpost about how art can be beneficial to kids!
