Rhonda

Bells / Trees/ Stockings cut out 3 of each. Hold two of them back to back and place the third one so it is half on one and half on the other. Glue them in place. Add a hanger. Makes it a 3D effect

Roll a square of Christmas paper into a cone and tape in place or glue in place. Glue on a hanger or poke through a metal Christmas hook. We put popcorn or candy in them. You can just leave them empty or you can put little wrapped gift boxed in them or little toys for the look of it.

Cut out pictures of the kids use pinking shears or cut in an oval or star shape. Punch a hole at the top and string with ribbon for a quick ornament.

You can use a warming tray and put a piece of white copy paper on it. Give the child a crayon and let them color on the paper while it is on the warming tray. The crayon will melt and make an interesting picture. If you use regular copy paper you will get a stained glass effect . Then cut out a star shape or any shape from where the kids colored and hang it on the tree. The coloring doesn’t have to have any shape or design to it. Give them more than one color of crayon and let them put color wherever they want. I used this one year for valentine’s and cut out the kids’ coloring into hearts. You could cut out hearts and hang that on the tree. I did this with Jake and Joe(2 of my grandsons) when they were one year old. You can do hand on hand with a little one and they get to do something too.

Use old Christmas cards or glue leftover Christmas paper to card stock and let the kids cut out an interesting Snowman or tree or anything that might hang on the tree. Punch a hole and hang with a ribbon or hook
Cut out a tree and give the kids buttons and felt or fabric scraps and ribbon pieces or any other kind of embellishments. Let them glue on in any fashion they want.
You could cut out a snowman and let them decorate the snowman too. You can use glitter or candy sprinkles to decorate(using glue of course)

Cut out a shape like a tree or stocking. Give them tissue paper or any other kind of paper and let them shred it into small pieces. Then coat the shape with glue and let them stick the shreds onto it til it is completely covered. The preschool teacher where I worked did this with a pumpkin and gave them orange paper to shred.


If you have access to wood cut out some wood squares and let them paint the wood squares as if they were presents. Then attach a hook or ribbon and hang from tree. I have some my older grandkids did when they were younger. I don’t know what Hobby Lobby has but they may have some craft wood squares.

We did some signs one year by applying glue in places on wood and letting the kids sprinkle glitter on it. We did one where there were trees in a row on a board. It turned out really cute. You can also get glue with glitter all ready in it.

Cut out a felt or cardboard stocking. Punch holes around the edge and give them large embroidery needles with yarn. They can run the yarn through the holes and decorate the stocking. They make large embroidery needles. The ones I had were blunt and about 3” long.



If you have access to a roll of white paper -roll out a section and let the kids stamp or color on the paper. Use as wrapping paper or you can do handprints or footprints.

Layout the roll of paper or a sheet of paper and let the kids paint. Run little cars in paint and let them roll across the paper for a fun look. Use an apple half and dip in paint to print on paper for a star stamp. Cut out and hang on the tree. Let them use any roller (cookie cutter type or rolling pin with shapes on it) and roll that across the paper after dipping in paint. If you use nontoxic paint it will wash off. No harm done.

Make salt dough or cinnamon dough and let them cut out with cookie cutters. Cut a hole to hang with. Let dry for a few days in a cool place or put in 200 degree oven til dry.
I don’t remember how long but you could look it up online probably.

Make salt dough cookies(not edible) and put a popsicle stick in it. When they are dry tie a ribbon around the stick and hang on the tree. I did this for an open house and made chocolate chip cookies and used the sticks for cookie lollipops.

Use a silver pipe cleaner and have the kids put clear beads on the pipe cleaner for an icycle to hang on the tree.

I had the kids make snowmen last year with a large Styrofoam ball for the body and a smaller Styrofoam ball for the head. Cut out some fabric for a scarf and vest and glue on. I cut out a circle of felt for a hat. You can use buttons for the snowman’s stomach and use a carrot sliver for a nose. Buttons or raisins for eyes or choc chip for eyes. Red hots for the mouth. Batting for snow around the bottom. I sliced off the bottom of the Styrofoam ball so it would sit flat. You can glue it to a cardboard square if you want more stability. Felt rolled into a cone makes a great hat too.


Use a toilet paper tube and put candy in it or leave it empty. Lay it on some christmas wrapping paper. fold it over and tape it. Twist the ends like a tootsie roll and tie with a ribbon. Hang it on the tree.

Give the kids paper and let them cut out snowflakes. Then hang them on the tree.

Stained Glass Pretzels--
Crush various colors of Lifesavers(generic ones don't taste as good)
Lay some aluminum foil on a cookie tray. Layout several large pretzels on the tray. Spoon crushed lifesavers into the holes in the pretzel. Put in a 200 degree oven til the lifesavers melt. Take out and poke a hole in the melted candy to use for a hook and let cool.
Really pretty.



Feel free to add anything you do with your kids!

purplemem

Rhonda,
I love this thread.

Make orange/clove balls. Poke small holes with toothpicks into a fresh orange. Poke whole cloves into the orange. Smells great for days.

Decorate grapevine wreaths with red/green/gold/silver fabric scraps.

Make cinnamon/applesauce ornaments. Let dry for a few days, then paint. The house will smell so yummy.

String popcorn for the tree.

Alternate green/red beads on pipe cleaner for a mini wreath for the tree.

Cover wooden birdhouses with glitter and candy for mini gingerbread house ornaments.

Take a styrofoam ball and cover with ribbon and sequins. Use pearl ended pins to secure the ribbons and sequins.

sueisallaboutquilts

Rhonda, I'm going to save this. I had so much fun when my boys were little making things together. Maybe, just MAYBE someday I will have some little grands to do the same with!!! :D
My grand furbabies don't do crafts lol

hperttula123

You have some cute ideas. My kids are so into making ornaments with me. I love it. They make snowflakes to decorate my windows, they decorate most of the tree for me, so you have given me some great ideas for this year. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

M.E.H.

I love these ideas. :thumbup:

Rhonda

I used to work in day care and then had my own daycare that was open 24/7 with about 35 kids . I had alot of practice with working with kids!! LOL I have some early childhood education behind me. I went to an early childhood conference one year and learned alot of fun things for kids to do.

Another thing that would be cute:
If you can get a roll of white paper--I get mine at the local newspaper office. They give away the last of a roll when they get down to the end and can't use it.

I roll out the paper and have the child lay down on the paper. Outline their body. Then have them color in their silhouette. You could have them dress this as a Santa or an elf or add reindeer features and antlers for a bit of fun! Then hang it up for all to admire!! I have not had them do the Santa thing but it would be soooo cute!

You can make sugar cookie dough and add red food coloring to one half of the dough. Pinch off a bit and roll it into a worm. Do the same with the red colored half and then twine them together for a candy cane. Bake at 350 and poke a hole to hang them. Then use a hook or a piece of ribbon and hang them on your tree.
You could use salt dough for this if you don't want the kids to eat them all! Or if you want them to last from year to year. You can also add crushed candy cane or peppermint oil to the red half.

Take a piece of green pipe cleaner( they make shiny ones that are great for this too) and twist it into a coil and stick it in a miniature reese's pieces cup for a mini Christmas tree. These are really cute if you set a formal dinner table for a dinner. Just set one above each plate. You can glitter the pipe cleaner if you have a plain green one.

I know there are more. I will add them as I think of them.

CarrieAnne

Great ideas, cant wait til little neice and I can get together. We want to make the applesauce ones.