Now that it’s finally December, we can succumb to the fact that Christmas is just around the corner, and we are engulfed in it everywhere we turn. Whether it’s the beautiful lights that adorn every shopping mall, or the Christmas music you hear blaring everywhere, it’s finally here, and whilst the kids are on school vacation, why not keep them busy with a few Christmas crafts for kids?
Three favourite Christmas crafts for kids:
1. Marshmallow Snowmen
Here in the tropics, we never get a chance to build real snowmen, so why not let the kids make mini ones from marshmallows!
You will need:
- Wooden skewers
- Marshmallows
- Strawberry laces
- Pretzel sticks
- Food colouring or sprinkles (to make the face)
- M&Ms
Start by poking three marshmallows onto the wooden skewer to make the body of the snowmen, then either use food colouring to paint the eyes, nose and mouth onto the snowmen, or poke small sprinkles into the marshmallow to create the features.
Next stick a piece of M&Ms onto the top marshmallow to create the hat, and after cutting strawberry laces into short pieces, wrap one around the neck of the snowman to create a scarf! Don’t forget to add buttons on his body if you want to, and finally cut up pretzel sticks into short pieces and stick one either side of his body to create his arms.
2. Hand print Reindeer
You will need:
- Brown paper
- Pipe cleaners
- Colouring pens
- Coloured string
- Googly eyes
- Holepunch
To make this cute Christmas tree decoration, let your little one first draw around their hand on a piece of brown paper and cut it out (maybe get a grown up to help drawing and cutting!) before sticking on one googly eye on the thumb.
Using a holepunch, punch a hole just above the eye, and thread through a pipecleaner, before twisting to make antlers. Use colouring pens or pencils to create a red nose, and decorate the body of the reindeer, and then using the holepunch again, punch a hole towards the top of the reindeer in the middle and thread through a string, before tying into a bow and sliding onto a branch of the Christmas tree!
3. Candy Cane Plants
You will need:
- A small planter
- Fake snow
- Glitter
- Water
- Full sized candy canes
- Green small sweets such as M and Ms or tic tacs
This is a magical idea that I absolutely love to help your little ones into the Christmas spirit. First fill your pot with fake snow, before getting your child to plant the small green sweets you have chosen.
Ask them to water the pot and sprinkle on some glitter for that magical feel before going to bed. Once your little ones are in bed, plant the candy cane into the pot and the next morning, let them wake up and see what magic cheer has spread overnight!
Enjoy these Christmas crafts for kids with your little ones!