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Name:

Robin

 

manninrj@home.com

3-12-01

This is a simple and easy Christmas gift idea I used this year. At the Christmas clearance sales (about 75% off) look for paper mache boxes that look like small trees or whatever they have. Clip a clothespin onto whichever part the child is going to paint first as a handle. Then have them paint with green acrylic paint both pieces. Let dry. The next day have the child paint a layer of glue onto the lid and sprinkle with sequins. Have an adult spray shellac over it. Fill with red & green m&m's. They turn out so pretty and the kids really do all the work, except the shellac. Be sure to write their name and year on the bottom after painting.

Name:

Susan

Email:

susanritter3@hotmail.com

1-11-01

I work in a public library, and so cannot use the picture ideas (which are always great, by the way). For Christmas this year I had all my Story time kids trace and cut out their handprints on thin green paper, and then decorate the fingernails of the hands with glitter and small shiny Christmas figures (the kind that you put into Christmas cards). I layered the "hands" in a Christmas tree shape (the fingernails looked like ornaments), make a trunk from a paper towel tube, a holder from some shiny gold paper, added snowflakes and gingerbread men, and had a great Christmas tree bulletin board!

Name:

Peggy

Email:

MPMEG@aol.com

12-27-00

At Christmas time we make tea light candle holders as gifts. Take empty baby food jars and have the children cover it with lots of glue and then with overlapping small pieces of tissue paper (we used red and green, but any colors work). After it's covered, add an extra layer of glue over the tissue paper, then when its dry, cover the top part of the jar in glue, dip in glitter and add a candle! It's very pretty, the colors glow from the light of the candle!

Name:

Kerri

Email:

Delilah200@webtv.net

12-27-00

SUPER EASY CANDY CANES-- Cut out candy cane shapes from white poster board. Place one candy cane shape in a cardboard shirt box top and secure with some tape. Add 3-4 marbles and a few drops of red paint and you're ready to roll! Have the children shake the box and make the marbles roll through the paint and onto the candy cane. The red paint makes wonderful stripes! I did this activity with the children and some of their parents and they loved it! Very festive!

Name:

Tracy

Email:

tjvanette@aol.com

12-27-00

Garland: My class made garland with items brought from home. Together as a class we made a list of things that could go on a string. Then, the list was sent home and each child was to bring in a small baggie with whatever items he/she had at home. We mixed all of the items in a large bowl and then strung them on a string. Some of the items that worked best were O shaped cereals and small pretzels. The kids loved seeing their creation wrapped around our class tree.

Name:

Heather

Email:

hsteichmann

12-27-00

Hand-y Ornaments

Supplies: Make approximately 7 little hands 

1 cup cornstarch 1 cup salt 1 cup water

Add it all in a pot and cook on low until it resembles firm mashed potatoes. Then you will take it off and let it cool. Put a damp cloth over the top so the dough doesn't dry out. Next you will take 1/4 inch of the dough and let the child form a handprint in it. You will use a plastic knife to cut out the hand. Then you will make a hole a the top with a straw for the ribbon to go through and then you will take a film canister to cut a hole out of the center of the handprint. After you have done this, place them on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 200' for 3 hours. After they are done baking let them dry overnight. Then the next day you can paint them green and decorate them with sequins. Tie a ribbon through the little hole and attach their picture in the bigger hole with a piece of felt behind it. When everything is finished. Spray it with Acrylic gloss so it will last as a keepsake.

Name:

cheryl

Email:

bumble.butt@xtra.co.nz

12-12-00

Here's a great way to use up all those small jars/lids that you have lying around. Give each child a jar and lid. Let them chose a small ornament or toy (I use McDonald's toys) and help them to glue this onto the inside of the lid. Remember to use waterproof glue!!! When the glue is dry pop in some glitter (coconut is great if you want the snow look) into each jar. Then fill almost to the top with water. Place a small amount of glue around the screw part of the jar and then screw on the lid. Turn over and shake! These make awesome presents and the kids love them.

Name:

natalie

Email:

nbthompson@hotmail.com

12-12-00

Take a large piece of poster board or mural paper and draw a circle about 12" in diameter in pencil on it. Have the children put their hands in green paint, then make prints with their hands around the circle, with fingers facing out. Using a paint brush, add tiny red circles for berries and you have a handprint wreath for the holidays.

Name:

Emily

Email:

emndoug@ndak.net

12-12-00

Margarine Lid Ornaments: Hopefully you had all parents save their Christmas cards from last year…now is time to put them to use!

Give each child a plastic margarine lid (from the smaller-sized tubs.) Assist them in cutting two Christmas cards - cut each card in a circle to match the size of the margarine lid. (Sometime we have two pictures from two cards - and sometimes we have a picture and a verse.)

Now glue these cut out circles - one on each side - to the margarine lid. Glue wide rick-rack around the rim of the lids. Now the teacher should poke a small hole in the lid (I use a warm needle) and run fishing line through so the ornament can be hung from a tree.

The kids like to do these because they choose their favorite scenes/verses from our huge stack of Christmas cards.

Name:

Annalise

Email:

alan@doeboy.freeserve.co.uk

12-6-00

Christmas tree strings. Great for shape recognition, gluing, choosing materials and creating a gift for Christmas! Child cuts out 3 pre drawn triangles. Chooses from selection of materials such as glitter, shiny stars, sequins, silver foil. Glues on to triangles. These are then attached to thick ribbon to form a tree which can hang up. Very popular in our group and not too adult led.

12-5-00

To make your classroom look even more festive around the holidays add a little spearmint candy sweetness! Using an old record player, have each child put a paper plate on it. (They will have to punch it through the record notch.) Then let them use red or green paint. Simply have them place a paint filled brush on top of the plate as you turn it on. They will giggle with glee as they watch their white plate become a festive piece of "candy" for the gingerbread house. When their paintbrush dries, simply re-dip it in the paint. Before it dries have them add some coordinating colored glitter to it. The next day, have them help wrap it up on holiday colored cellophane, don't forget to add extra to the sides so it looks authentic. I hang them from my ceiling to really emphasize the gingerbread/holiday baking/fun theme! Super cute!

Name:

Lynne

Email:

Mrslynne@aol.com

12-5-00

We are just finishing up with a Christmas gift for the children to give their parents. We have been working on calendars. Each month of the calendar is thematic for that month, Apple trees September, Pumpkins October, etc. I have had them all filed at home and after the children finish their pictures, I then attach them to a 2001 calendar. A piece of construction paper holds the project attached to a wide 8X11 monthly calendar, we then fastened the whole 12 together with paper fasteners. We used a lot of hand print pictures for this. Today we had the children make the wrapping paper mentioned in the Christmas art section. Next week we will have each of them wrap their gift to bring home! A long process but well worth the effort!

Name:

Em

Email:

emndoug@ndak.net

12-5-00

Dog Biscuit Reindeer.

Get large bone-shaped dog biscuits. Make antlers out of pipe cleaners - adding short bits to the main antler stem for "forks" in the antlers. Turn the biscuit vertical and glue antlers at the very top - right behind to the two bump ends of the top of a biscuit. Now glue on wiggle eyes and a red hot for a nose. Add a tiny bow tiny/ribbon tie under the nose...so cute!

Name:

helen

Email:

helen@cmd.co.uk

11-18-00

Christmas cards: you need a potato, a carrot and some grease-proof paper.  You also need Sweetie wrappers or shiny gift wrap (The bluish kind is the best). Cut out star shapes in the potato and chop the carrot in three. Use the two sizes of carrot to make snow men by dipping into white paint. Also dip the star in white paint. The grease-proof paper together with the paint adds a very interesting texture. When they are dry cut the shapes out but leave a good 1/8 of an inch...3mm around the edge. this finishes the shapes off. then glue to a slightly larger square piece of festive paper...shiny, sweetie wrappers. the overall size of each piece should be no more that 2 inches long or wide. If you have a laminating machine laminate them all up and cut them out again. Stick onto card and write your festive message underneath. They are cheap, great for small hands and they look very professional when finished. We made a small fortune at our Xmas fair last year. We make them with 3 yr old in UK and they are fabulous. Merry Christmas!

Contact_FullName:

Kathy

Contact_Email:

kat3668@aol.com

11-4-00

This activity takes a little preparation but is sooo cute. First collect some pine cones (the bigger the better). Next the teachers spray paint the pine cones green, When they dry mix up some plaster of paris and fill a empty (one serving ) applesauce container (if your school is like mine we have thousands). Next place the pine cone in the plaster of paris standing up so it looks like a tree. This is where the kids come in, Have the children once these trees are dry (plaster of paris) decorate their tree with glitter, sequins, and other assorted trinkets to make Christmas trees. The parents adore these and keep these as a keepsake for years and years. Have Fun!

Contact_FullName:

Bonnie

Contact_Email:

Schowfam@juno.com

10-16-00

Christmas ornaments In my 3 year old class the children make snowflakes. Each child gets a small piece of waxed paper on which I have them squeeze a puddle of glue. I then give them several Q-tips cut in half which they place around the glue puddle, swab end sticking out to look like a snowflake. Stick a loop of string in the glue puddle for a holder. Have child sprinkle glitter onto the glue. Let them dry a couple of days and peel them off the waxed paper. In my four year old class the children make cinnamon ornaments with the easy recipe of one part cinnamon to one part applesauce. I but the cinnamon at the bulk store and the cheapest applesauce I can find. The children roll their dough, cut it into shapes, add a hole for string. Let dry on waxed paper a couple of days.

Contact_FullName:

Christine 

Contact_Email:

rcrr@aol.com

10-6-00

In December we cut Christmas tree out of green construction paper (folded in half then open it so it is perfectly symmetrical) then while it's still folded use a hole puncher and make holes all over it. Open it up. On one side spread glue with paintbrush and let children tear small pieces of tissue paper to cover the holes creating the "lights". When this is held up to light, they "glow" ! It's very pretty !!

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Contact_FullName:

Ruth

Contact_Email:

minnowday@aol.com

9-14-00

Have each child bring in the little cups from Pepto-Bismal. add school glue all over the cup. Next put the cup in a Ziploc bag filled with glitter. Close the bag and shake. You make bells from these. You insert a little jingle bell.

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Contact_FullName:

wendy

Contact_Email:

artwen@hotmail.com

8-21-00

To make inexpensive Christmas ornaments I have saved some toilet rolls over the years. You will need glitter, paint, sequins (optional), punch holder and lace (optional). Paint the toilet rolls and decorate the rolls with your decoration. When the rolls are dry, punch a hold so you can put the yarn through it. The ornaments came out very beautiful in my class.

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Contact_FullName:

Carol

Contact_Email:

caschmidt@charter.net

8-15-00

For a Christmas gift for the parents we take baby food jars with labels removed and fill them with layers of different colors/kinds of dried beans. Do not use rice because it's too small and will filter down into the other layers. We then put on the cap which we have painted gold or silver. We take another painted cap and glue it upside down on top of the first cap to hold a votive candle.

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Contact_FullName:

Carol

Contact_Email:

caschmidt@charter.net

8-15-00

At Christmas time the children make their parents an angel on a piece of muslin. It is cut in a square and fringed around the perimeter by simply pulling out some of the threads. The top is folded over a wooden dowel and fabric glued. We then add a piece of yarn which is tied on each end of the dowel to hang it. The angel is made by painting the child's foot with light blue paint and "stamping" it horizontally in the middle of the cloth to make the body. We make wings by making hand prints in gold or silver in the middle of the footprint vertically. A thumbprint makes the head and fingerprints make the hair. We glue sequins on to make the halo and draw on a face.

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Contact_FullName:

Beverly

Contact_Email:

craggsrogers@thegrid.net

Date: 2-29-00

Around Christmas time I take a piece of sand paper 8x11 1/2, we then draw a picture of a Gingerbread man. Using cinnamon sticks the children color in the body of the gingerbread man. When finished they decorate the rest with scraps of fabric, yarn, glitter glues, whatever you have on hand. Not only they cute and festive they smell great. The kids love the coloring process.

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Contact_FullName:

Mariam

Contact_Email:

eeyore1@austin.rr.com

1-20-00

use the AOL Free CD's to make Christmas decorations, seasonal sticker and photo wreathes. Glue construction paper to the side with the words and the blank side put stickers or write on it with a permanent marker. Use Crayola school glue, it works best.

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idea 12-23-99

You'll need a paper/plastic plate, puffy paint/glitter glue and other various decorations. Have your child decorate the plate and write a cute letter or poem to leave Santa's cookies in. You can also do one for Santa's milk with a plastic cup.

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Contact_FullName:

Melissa

Contact_Email:

Mtc137@psu.edu

Date: 12-21-99

You'll need construction paper, glue, glitter and cheerio's. Cut 2 sheets of construction paper into the shape of gingerbread boys. Then glue the 2 sheets back to back for support. Glue the cheerio's all around the gingerbread boys body add eyes a nose, mouth and button. Finally use the glitter on it's eyes, nose, mouth and buttons.

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Daylene  12-14-99

Wrapping Paper

Materials:  Christmas cookie cutters, butcher paper, paint

Have the children dip the Christmas cookie cutters into the paint, then make prints on the butcher paper.  Let their creation dry and use it to wrap their parent's gift in.

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Contact_FullName:

Nichole

Contact_Email:

nschmidt@shentel.net

Date: 12-14-99

This is an adorable wreath idea that the parents especially will love, because it will look great hanging at home! Together with your class, make gingerbread men and women. You will need quite a few. Then, with each child, help them glue the figures together in a wreath shape head to feet. To finish it off, you can tie a ribbon on the top. I like to use red and white gingham.

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Contact_FullName:

Nichole

Contact_Email:

nschmidt@shentel.net

Date: 12-14-99

You will need ice cream cones (cone shaped), green icing, white icing, confectioners sugar and an assortment of candies.

Let the child place some white icing on the middle of their plate. ( I use Christmas paper plates) and stick the ice cream cone on the icing so that it looks like a tree. The white icing will make it stick to the plate. They will then ice the cone all over with green icing. I encourage them to use as much as possible, so that the candy will stick. They then cover the "tree" with candy. This is a completely child directed project. They should make their tree look however they like it! They can then take it home and eat it with their family.

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Contact_FullName:

Denise

Contact_Email:

trevlix@yahoo.com

12-6-99

Christmas Ornaments

We found a use for all those CDs you get from certain internet service providers that end up getting thrown away or laying around the house. Put some glue on the CD, and then give the children felt in different shapes, as well as glitter, confetti, or anything else you can think of. You can then put a string through the middle and make it an ornament, or stick a picture of the child in the middle and put a magnet on the back. Both make great presents for mom and dad!

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Contact_FullName:

Kristin

Contact_Email:

Krism37@aol.com

12-6-99

This is an easy idea for making ornaments. You need a small aluminum baking pan for each child (the size of pot-pie pans) and several starlight mints. Make a circle with the mints in the bottom of the pan. Be sure the mints are touching. Put them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Let them cool and pop them out of the tins....the mints melt together, then cool to form a wreath-shaped ornament. Add a bow and hang with yarn!

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Daylene
Daylene@perpetualpreschool.com
12-5-99

Cinnamon and Spice Dough For Ornaments

1 1/2 Cups of flour

1 1/2 Cups of ground spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice)
HINT---Check out places like Michaels, Pic-N-Save, Mac Frugals, Dollar Stores, etc. for inexpensive spices.

1 Cup salt

1 Cup water  (you may need to add a bit more depending on how dry the dough is)

Mix everything  together.  Knead the dough until it is pliable and is not sticky.  Have the children use cookie cutters to create ornaments.  Bake at 300 degrees for a half hours.  Check the ornaments, if they are not hard enough, bake for another 15 minutes.

These ornaments smell GREAT even after they have been baked.

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dianna

dclifner@aol.com

Date: 12-5-99

Instead of just decorating cookies at Christmas time we decorate sugar cones to make Christmas trees. Just turn the cone upside down on a small plate , spread some green frosting on and decorate with all kinds of yummy things. Depending upon the age we use things like gum drops or for the older kids mini M&Ms. They turn out very cute and can be allowed to dry or eaten for snack.

area

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Maria

 

mcalcagno@sprint.ca

Date: 12-4-99

Bow Tie Pasta Wreaths: To make pasta wreaths first, in a bowl of water add a few drops of green food coloring. Add bow tie pasta and stir until you have the color that you want, you can add more coloring if you want. Strain water and spread pasta on a cookie sheet to dry, it may take a night or longer, sometimes I put it in the oven on a very low heat and let it dry that way. Using a small paper plate, cut out a hole in the middle to make wreath, allow children to color wreath green and then glue bow tie pasta onto the plate. Coloring the plate first covers up any spots the children may have missed. To finish craft glue a cut out paper bow onto wreath or make one using ribbon. You also can add string to it so that they can hang it up. The bowtie pasta gives it a real wreath look. It's allot of fun.

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Daylene   daylene@perpetualpreschool.com
Date:  12-4-99

Potpourri Stars

Materials:  Potpourri, plastic canvas stars (I bought these at Wal-Mart in a pack of 5 for $1.00), lots and lots of glue, and tin foil.

Have the children place their star on a piece of tin foil.  Next, have the children paint the star with LOTS and LOTS of glue.  Finally, the children can sprinkle the potpourri all over the star.  Let the glue dry COMPLETELY, then remove the star from the foil.  My two-year-olds loved this activity!

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Daylene daylene@perpetualpreschool.com  
Date:  12-1-99   
Puzzle Wreaths

Put all that puzzle with all the missing pieces to good use!

Take an old puzzle, with at least 100 pieces, and spread it on newspapers outside.  (Please do not do this first step around the children.)  Take green spray paint and cover all the puzzle pieces until they are the color you desire.  Let the pieces dry.

Next, take paper plates and cut a hole in the middle of them so they resemble wreaths.  Finally, take green food coloring and add it to your glue.

Have the children paint the green glue onto the paper plates and arrange the puzzle pieces on it any way they want.  These wreaths turn out wonderfully!

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kathryn   k_cleary@hotmail.com

idea

CHRISTMAS ANGEL This can be done with the older pre-schooler, with an adult standing by with the baby wipes for when the hand printing is over. Using blue paint print the children's hands (both left and right) on white paper, leaving a gap in between them to fit another hand, have the hands going in the same direction. (These are the angels wings) Then, using only the right hand paint the child's hand yellow and place it in the space you left between the two blue hands, going in the opposite direction to them. When these have dried get the kids to paint a pink circle on the yellow hand at the top where the wrist would be, this is the angel's face. When this dries get the kids to paint in the facial features. These can really look angelic when they are finished, or like when I did it with a two year old they can look like a blue, yellow and pinky mess that the child was very proud of.

11-30-99

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Elizabeth 

erevans@primary.net

idea

A great year-round project, but these made wonderful Christmas gifts. We put a dab of paint in several bright colors scattered in any pattern on a paper plate. We put another plate on top of the first, and the kids could pound, press, or rub the top plate. When the top plate was lifted, a piece of white tissue paper was inserted, the top plate put back on, and the kids could pound or rub again. Remove the tissue paper and let dry...it should have a bright stained glass effect. (if you get too much paint in the plates, simply lay the tissue paper on the paint and pick it back up again....repeat with new sheets until it is 'safe' to let the kids have a go at it again) We let them all have a turn with the plate pounding, and didn't worry about identifying who did what piece. They seemed to have more fun doing it in groups of four or five at a time pounding the plates. When the paint got too pale on the tissue we added more. After the tissue was dry, we let each child choose which piece of tissue he or she liked best. We then glued Popsicle sticks in a small square frame around the center portion, and let the kids write their name (the little ones drew a design) and added the year. We hot-glued some white lace around the sticks and added a nice ribbon in the back to hang from, and we trimmed the extra tissue away. The gluing and lace can all be done in a matter of minutes, you don't have to wait a long time between each step. When they went home, they made a great ornament for the tree. Some parents told us that the then hung it in a window after Christmas for a beautiful sun-catcher.

Date: 11-28-99

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teacher mayan 

cheerfulmayan@pacific.net.ph

idea

For my Christmas activities, I wrote a letter to the parents requesting for recyclable materials which they may have kept at home or at the office. The following week, our school's resource area was full of bags and tons of plastic cups and lids from takeouts, old cloth scraps, boxes of soaps, toothpastes, cereals and cakes, containers of shampoos, yogurt, margarine tubs, used gift wrappers, egg cartons, gift ribbons and a lot more. Now I am considering these as our valuable resources in making Christmas ornaments and instruments. they are mostly free and re-usable and most importantly, environment friendly.

Date: 11-27-99

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Lois 

JBLB5@aol.com

idea

For a sentimental Christmas gift for the parents, buy the wooden wreath cutout at a craft store. Have the children paint it green. When dry, we "dot" the wreath with glue and then have the children decorate with sequins. Great small motor skill activity. Finish by adding a picture of the child to the back, and writing their name and the year with a gold pen on the front.

Date: 11-21-99

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Donna 

santababy61@juno.com

idea

This is a hand print wreath with a western kick. Cut burlap sacks (old feed sacks work great) into 12x12 inch squares. Paint the child's hand green and have he/she put their handprints in a circular pattern of a wreath. Use thumbprints for berries. Glue on plastic chili peppers at the bottom of the wreath. Attach burlap square to a 15" dowel rod. Tie an 18" piece of twine to either end of the dowel rod for hanging. Makes a cute western wall hanging for parent gift.

Date: 11-14-99

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Laure 

patrickfam@msn.com

idea

An art project that goes this a song/fingerplay already submitted, (Five Little Christmas Trees) Cut a simple Christmas tree shape out of a 8 1/2/ x 11 sheet of green construction paper. Let each child decorate it with bright colored sticky dots or glitter and glue. When the tree is dry staple it to a strip of construction paper which is long enough to go around the child's head. Wear the tree hats when you sing the song!

Date: 11-13-99

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Teresa            

Mommy_raTJ@excite.com

idea

Hand & Footprint Reindeer

Materials: light brown & dark brown construction paper, glue, small amount of red construction paper or red pom-pom, movable eyes

Trace both of the child's' hands on the dark brown construction paper and cut out. Trace one foot on the light brown construction paper. Glue hand "antlers" to the toe-end of the foot cut-out (heel end is the nose). Children can draw face on their reindeer or paste pompom on for nose & add movable eyes.

 10-19-99

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Kathy 

kpba@msn.com

idea

Around holiday time (or anytime) I like to add glitter to our kool-aid play dough - kids love their sparkly play dough!!

Date Submitted: 9-19-99

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Kris

 

kharper@yahoo.com

Date: 1-1-99

Next year, during the holiday season, when your children are rolling with marbles to create a one-of-a-kind design, provide loose jingle bells instead of marbles. They always enjoy this favorite activity but with a new, "musical" twist, they LOVE it! Try this fun activity at the same time you're singing "Jingle Bells" during Circle Time. (This activity was "invented" by one of my assistants. Thanks, Mary).

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Mary

 

mjrob@cyberhighway.net

Date: 12-16-98

Sticky Trees Fold a piece of green construction paper and cut out a simple tree shape on the fold. Cut a piece of contact paper (not clear) slightly smaller than the construction paper. Open the construction paper and attach the contact paper by pressing down firmly. when you flip the paper over you will have a sticky tree to decorate by attaching any lightweight collage material you desire. This process may be used for any shape at any time of the year for a quick and fun activity.

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Rita

 

jimthorpe@mindspring.com

Date: 12-6-98

Silver bells - give each child 2 Styrofoam cups. poke a hole in the bottom of each one. cover with aluminum foil. put a colored pipe cleaner through the inside of the cup and bend to hold. tie together at the top. the children love it, and so do the parents.

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April

 

jnamort@aol.com

Date: 12-6-98

Here is a super simple idea that even young children may do with a little assistance. First, cut out a christmas tree from green construction paper. Draw lines of glue across the tree as garland, and sprinkle with glitter. Cover the rest of the tree with glue and then sprinkle it with ornaments made from punching different colors of construction paper with a hole punch. Cut out a yellow construction paper star to glue to the top. Makes a real nice looking tree!

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Marie

 

maripaz@aloha.net

Date: 12-6-98

Reindeer Farm 1 brown poster board (must be cut in half) 2 large construction paper about a yard stick long  a red circle for the nose  white large googly eyes  popsicle sticks for the antlers

Use the poster board and cut in half to make the face of a reindeer. I made the reindeer's face with ears circular to make easy for the students to cut. Use the red circle for the nose and large googly eyes. Use posicle sticks (I used four each) and have kids construct antlers by gluing ends in different directions. Take 2 (1 yard each) large brown construction paper and trace the body of a reindeer and staple both sides together leaving and opening to fill with crumpled paper. Once filled, staple. Staple on head of reindeer. The kids loved to see how big and round, almost lifelike, the reindeer became! I made one corner of the room the reindeer farm complete with a "reindeer crossing" sign and a wood-like sign saying" reindeer farm: please feed" and cream crumpled paper and plastic hay with a rope surrounding the reindeer. The kids cannot wait to take it home for winter break!

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Dana

 

DANA_Crow@bc.sympatico.ca

Date: 12-6-98

I love to do Christmas crafts that can be used every year. Ones that are not made out of paper are far more durable & more than likely to be saved by parents. My kids love the Candy Cane mice ornaments made out of felt & a candy cane. Give each child a tear drop shape cut out of white or gray felt. With the pointed end being the face, glue on 2 little googly eyes, whiskers ( I made mine out of white tinsel) & a red pom pom nose. Care fully fold up the nose over the back & cut 2 slits about 1/2 " apart to fit the ears through. Cut ears out of felt. They look like 2 circles joined side by side with a little strip of felt. Looks a little like a set of barbells. Hold candy cane with hook part at the tail end & slip the ears through each little slit & adjust till they stand up. Hang on tree by the hook. Actually looks like the mouse is eating the cane.

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Dana

 

DANA_Crow@bc.sympatico.ca

Date: 12-6-98

Table centerpieces To make great looking centerpieces, take meat trays & cover with floral tin foil (buy at florist) Put a blob of playdough in the center of tray & stuff little pieces of cedar branches into the do till playdough is covered. Attach a little red bow & perhaps a pine cone or 2. Lightly spray with fake snow & VIOLA!! A great looking table centerpiece. Last year, I used floral arranging Styrofoam. It held the branches quite well. I also used a votive candle in the center rather than a taper. It seemed to stay standing better.

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Dana

 

DANA_Crow@bc.sympatico.ca

Date: 12-6-98

Christmas trees with lights!!

Give each child a green construction paper tree with several holes punched all over it. (Fold tree in 1/2 if necessary to get holes closer to center) Give children lots of colored squares of pear to glue over the holes on the back side. When all holes have been covered, turn tree over & it looks like Christmas lights shining through. Easy for 3 yr. olds to do.

area

Christmas Art

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Dana

 

DANA_Crow@bc.sympatico.ca

Date: 12-6-98

OSCAR THE GROUCH.

Take an empty black film canister & stuff a large green pompom into it partially sticking up at the top. Add 2 googly eyes. Carefully poke a hole in the lid of the canister & put wool or string through to hang. Attach lid to head of Oscar on a slight tip. Looks just like Oscar poking his head out. I usually attach a little note to the can saying something silly like Merry Grouchmas or ?????

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Sandi

 

adams@gibralter.net

Date: 12-6-98

Paint child's hand with green paint. Place on paper with fingers together, pointing up. This will be the Christmas tree. After it dries, give the children stickers, beads, pompoms, etc. to decorate. You can have them use their fingertips to paint on dots for ornaments but I found I would have to sit with them one on one or they would just smear it around.

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Lucille

 

lucille@mb.sympatico.ca

Date: 12-1-98

Magic Reindeer Food: Cut a piece of Christmas material into an 8x8" square. Onto a piece of saran place a tablespoon of oatmeal and a few sprinkles of colored sparkles. Twist the saran tightly and place in the center of material. Twist and tie together with a piece of ribbon. To each attach this little verse: Magic Reindeer Food Sprinkle on the lawn at night. The moon will make it sparkle bright. Santa's reindeer fly and roam. This will guide them to your home.

Remind the parents to let their children sprinkle the "food" on the lawn before putting the children to bed.

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Kelley

 

skt@freeway.net

Date: 12-1-98

Christmas gift idea...Handprint placemats. Take a solid fabric placemat and paint your child's hands with fabric paint. Imprint one hand on each side of the placemat, then write the child's name and year somewhere on the placemat. Makes a nice keepsake.

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11-21-98  Jenny
E-Mail: JMH2133@aol.com

Rudolph - Cut reindeer silhouettes from sturdy brown cardboard. Have the children paint the reindeer with glue and sprinkle with coarsely ground cinnamon. Glue on a wiggle eye and tie a narrow red ribbon around the neck. These smell wonderful. They can be made to stand up if you glue cylinders of stiff paper to each leg. If you can't buy coarse cinnamon you can buy cinnamon sticks and chop them in a coffee bean grinder. To clean your grinder, process some fresh bread.

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Donna

 

dlwig@bellsouth.net

Date: 11-21-98

For the month of December I send a Christmas tree shape home with each child the first of the month. With it I send a letter asking the parents to use any materials that they have at home to help their child to decorate the tree. I suggest lace, material, ric rac, sequins, etc. When they finish they bring them back to school and we put them on the bulletin board. I use a blue background with a snow scene. At the end of the month, I leave up the snow scene. and we add snowmen, penguins, etc. for January. The Christmas trees are great because each one is different and the parents and children really like working on this project together!

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Terri

 

mrsterri@owc.net

Date: 11-21-98

This is a very simple, low cost, Christmas ornament. Start with a small white paper plate. Fold the bottom up about an inch. Fold both sides to the middle leaving the top open. (looks a little like a burrito!) Have the child make a face on a 2" pink circle. Glue the circle to the top of the paper plate, peeking between the folds. Hole punch the top of the plate and add a pipe cleaner hanger and there you have it --- Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes!

 

Dayna

 

DSbeachin@aol.com

Date: 11-21-98

This is a great winter holiday art idea for preschoolers to kindergartners. This project requires allot of white paper towels!! Give each child about 9 paper towel sheets. Have your children crumple three together, then two, then one making each into a ball shape. Make a glue and water mixture and soak the last three paper towels in the solution. Squeeze out and wrap a wet towel around each of the dry crumpled balls. Arrange in a snowman fashion and let dry for one to two days. When dry they are hard and paint white. Add black construction paper top hats and etc. to decorate your snowmen. Be creative!! It sounds hard but is really quite easy!! It is sooooo cue!

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Holly

 

hollyrose@hotmail.com

Date: 10-29-98

I copied a picture of a gingerbread man out of a book that I had. Then I made out of construction paper hats, pants, shirt and shoes all different colors. I put a little glue in a container for each child and then gave them a paint brush and let them dress their gingerbread man. They brushed the glue on where they thought the shirt would go and pasted it and so on. Then I let them paste on eyes that I had gotten from the craft store which made it look really good. After that I noticed many of them had continued to spread glue on top of the pants and shirts etc. (these are 2 year olds) so we decided to put glitter there which gave it a great look!!

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 Resa                  E-Mail: crbash@sonetcom.com

Handprint Wreaths

You can use muslin or white construction paper for this activity. If  using paper, laminate the finished product. Trace a light pencil circle onto material, then paint the child's hand green and repeatedly place onto circle to form a wreath. When dry, add red thumbprint berries and a bow (if desired). Also, add in this poem (teacher handwrites it onto muslin, but you can glue a copy of it onto the construction paper):

My handprints made this wreath,

My thumbprints, each berry,

I hope this helps you have,

A Christmas that's merry!

If using muslin, hang with yarn on a dowel rod. Don't forget to have the child write his/her name and remember to put Christmas l99--

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 Cheryl          E-Mail: C5Joy@aol.com

My daycare children made these ornanments for their parents:

Gingerbread people-These are less likely to break than other recipes which is perfect for the young children to work with & get home in one piece.

Fragrant Holiday Ornaments:

1 c plus 2 T. flour

3/4 c. cinnamon (I add a teaspoon of ground clove too)

1 c salt

1 c water

Mix this well. Roll about 1/2" thick and cut with gingerbread man/woman cookie cutter(or any other shape that you may wish to use). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for approximately 20-25 minutes, depending upon size of the ornaments. Place a hole in each ornament before baking for hanging (I used a straw). These smell really wonderful--& make the house smell great when they are baking. If they start to lose their fragrance just rub an emery board on the back of them. They may be decorated with puffy paint, tempera paint or left as they are. Tie a ribbon through the the hole made by the straw to hang them up. The children loved making these and the parents loved receiving them!

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 Vicki                E-Mail: Vicki@skelly.demon.co.uk

Take a photo of each child and mount in a frame made of pasta shapes which has been sprayed gold/silver.

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 Marianne             E-Mail: Sgrmagnlia@aol.com

Gift Ideas........

Recipe Holder

Cover a bathroom tissue roll with contact or construction paper. Cut two slits on on end directly across from one another

Place an index card into slits, add message: For your favorite recipes!

Soap Balls/Soap on a rope

Grate a bar of Ivory soap into a bowl

Add water a little at a time, mix with a wisk or elctric mixer until blended

Shape into ball shape, insert string if desired, Let dry 2 days

Tissue Box Frame

Cut top off of a tissue box, and decorate as you wish

Tape your favorite picture or drawing to the back

Terrariums

Locate a 1 or 2 liter soda bottle with a plastic bottom (try Polar brand)

Carefully remove the plastic bottom by twisting or using a screwdriver

Cut off approximately 2-3 inches of the soda bottle from the top leaving a bubble

shaped bottle

Place soil and seeds into the plastic end of the soda bottle

Place the bubble shaped top directly over the plastic bottom

Decorate the top with a bow. Germination can take 1-3 weeks

Napkin Rings

Cut a paper or bathroom tissue roll into 2 inch rings

Place glue over entire surface, and carefully wrap your favorite colored yarn

around the ring. Let dry. Add a colorful napkin!!

Desk Organizer

Glue together several sizes of paper towel or bathroom tissue rolls

Glue rolls onto a stiff cardboard or poster board. Let dry. Decorate! Add some pens, pencils, paperclips, etc. if you wish

Magazine Necklaces

Cut pages from magazines into triangle shapes, any sizes will do, try a variety of sizes to make a unique necklace each time.

Using a pencil or pen, roll the triangle shape from the flat end to the point

Add tape to the bead to hold together, string onto yarn!

Juice lid Magnets

Glue your favorite picture or drawing onto a metal juice can lid

Add a 1 inch strip magnet to back, securing well with glue

Bracelets

String beads of various colors onto "pipe cleaners" (aka chennile sticks)

Twist ends to hold together. Can also use several sticks for a necklace!

Ornaments

Glue holiday pictures or drawings onto plastic lids

Punch a hole at the top of the lid, add string or yarn to hang

Helping Hands Book

Trace or print with paint, your handprint onto several pieces of paper

Make a cover; "Helping Hands for You! Use the enclosed coupons whenever you need a helping hand!"

Vase/Candle Holder

Using a clear glass bottle (Adults may need to help), place pieces of colored tissue paper onto the bottle using watered down glue, or liquid starch.

Cover tissue paper completly with "glue" Let dry

Gift Bags

Decorate brown paper luch bags with crayons, markers, or holiday stickers

Place gift inside bag, add tissue paper if desired Fold over top of bag approximately 2 inches, punch two holes, and add yarn to tie together. Add a gift card if desired!

Pencil Holders

Cover a frozen juice can with contact or construction paper

Decorate with holiday stickers, crayons, or markers

Add pencils, and a bow!

Book Markers

Trace your hand and arm onto a piece of paper

Carefully cut out, decorate, and cover with clear contact paper if desired

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 suzanne           E-Mail: smcclen610

I had my children make Santa and Rudolf from their hand prints. Paint hands and fingers brown for Rudolph, add eyes and red paper noses, smear paint on two fingerprints to look like antlers. For Santa, paint palm brown (skin-tone), fingers white for beard. Add eyes, nose mouth, and cotton for beard and trim of hat. Cut red half-circle for hat. put Santa on red squares, Rudolph on green squares, create a quilt for your bulletin board. too cute!!!!

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 Donna         E-Mail: puddin252@aol.com

Christmas Wreaths

Give each child three Frosted Mini-Wheats or around 20 bite-sized shredded wheat cereal pieces. Have the children crumble the pieces into a cup. Make sure the pieces are small. Add glue and mix until you have a thick but "shape-able" consistency. Add green food coloring and stir until it's all green. Dump the mixture onto waxed paper and shape into a donut-type Christmas wreath shape. Sprinkle with glitter or add red sequins. Glue on a ribbon bow. At my school, we glue the children's pictures on the back of the wreaths so their faces show in the center, add a hanger on the back for an ornament and give it to the parents for Christmas.

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 ELLEN            E-Mail: MTETJT@AOL.COM

(More of a craft than art) Use real wrapped candy canes to make Rudolph. Start with the song or a fingerplay then use 1/2 a pipecleaner, twisted, for the antlers on the top, 2 rolly eyes, and a red pompom for the nose. Very cute and easy!!

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 Claudia

This year during Thanksgiving I took pictures of the children in native American outfits we had made. I saved the photos for christmas time. Together my K class and I made little frames with craft sticks. We then decorated and I glued the pictures in. They were great presents for parents and beautiful ornaments.

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 Claudette      E-Mail: realrosie1@aol.com

For toddlers, cut out candy canes and have them marble paint with different paints to create their own candy canes.

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 GWENDOLYN            E-Mail: GWATERS111@AOL.COM

CUT THE BOTTOMS OF BERRY BASKETS AND LET THE KIDS GLUE AND GLITTER THEM. THESE MAKE GREAT ORNAMENTS FOR THE TREE.

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 Donna      E-Mail: rdsatter@aol.com

Christmas Bell Pepper Wreaths

Let the children draw a circle on constuction paper. Cut bell peppers in half sideways and let the children dip them in green paint and put on top of circle. They can then tie a red bow out of yarn and put some red hole punch dots on the wreaths when they dry.

(This is from my student teaching days by Kindergarten teacher Sandie Bolze)

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  Jean         mjg74@dfsi.net

Here is an angel ornament/gift I helped my pre-k kids make for a family gift. For our picture frame mirror, I finally decided on using an angel pattern for it. The pattern is just a simple angel about 5" tall. You have to cut 2 angels for each child. I use Christmas cards to cut the angel pattern from which gives the two angels from one card This is a good way to use old Christmas cards. What you do is cut out an oval opening in or near the "tummy"of the angel. This will be where the child's picture shows. Tape the picture in place on the back of the frame side, positioning it as you do. Next , glue the two pieces together putting the "wrote-on" side in so that the back side looks good. The above work is teacher-work, but the children's work is drawing a face on their angel, outlining the edges by squeezing glue all around the edges, then placing it glue-down in a paper plate with glitter in it. (I know, I'm the one that said I was scared of glitter, and I still am but this was well supervised!). Give the children a choice of glitter colors. Pick the angel up and it is oulined with the glitter. The angels end up looking different and unique because of the different colors in the Christmas cards and the different glitter colors. After they're dry, help the children punch a hole in the top, string it with a hanger of beautiful ribbon (give choices here). They can then wrap them in envelopes for a gift for their family. The children dipped Christmas cookie cutters in assorted colors paint earlier to use for "wrapping" their ornament gifts in. They're beautiful!! I always do ornaments with pictures of the children every year. We've made bells, Christmas trees, stockings, stars, and balls in the past the same way we made the angels. For the last several years I have taken a picture of each child in front of "our" Christmas tree and put them in the frame. I always get double prints made and give the extra to the parents. The parents love these ornaments with their children's photos on them. Happy Holidays Everyone!

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 Miriam     E-Mail: hipp@ptd.net

For a cute ornament for our class Christmas tree, I ask the parents to save bathroom tissue rolls and send them to class. I give the children a square of aluminum foil to wrap around the roll (no glue necessary) and then stick the ends inside the roll. Then I put dots of tacky glue on each roll and give the children some colored pasta (you can purchase the pasta or color your own with food coloring.) The children pick pasta to put on the dots of glue. Then I give them each a piece of ribbon or yarn to put through the hole in the roll. I tie and voila--a very pretty ornament with little expense!

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 Bonnie        E-Mail: bltroll@aol.com

I had each of my students bring in a white sweatshirt. Each child painted a Christmas tree in their handprints on their shirt. We used cotton balls to paint on ornaments, and q-tips to paint "HO! HO! HO!".

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 Eileen            E-Mail: Pisces2775

I make a Rudolph mural with the kids. I piant each childs hands and one foot brown and have them print it on to butcher paper. The foot is the face an d the hands are the antlers. I then glue wiggle eyes and a red thumbprint for the nose. I then write their names under each deer.

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 Rick          E-Mail: Rodrigo66@aol.com

Cranberry Wreath

Cut 12-24 inches of 20-28 gauge floral wire (available at most craft stores) have your kids thread real crannberries on wire. Wrap wire full of crannberries around something round to hold its shape, twist ends together and add a holiday ribbon or bow to make a super cute wreath.

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 Frankie         E-Mail: 0200257@acad.nwmissouri.edu

Hand Wreath

When I was little, my mom traced my three brothers' and my hands onto green construction paper. Then, she cut them out and glued them to a round cardboard ring. They made a beautiful wreath. This would be ideal in a preschool, but let the children trace their own hands and cut them out. Make sure names and dates go on each handprint and this is sure to be a treasured treat for many years.

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    Janice        E-Mail: BEAR@JCN1.COM

I LET THE KIDS DICTATE THEIR CHRISTMAS LETTERS TO SANTA.  ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LETTER I PLACED HAND PRINTS IN RED AND GREEN. WE MADE FRAMES FOR THE LETTERS TO GIVE TO THE PARENTS FOR CHRISTMAS.

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Holiday Card Rubbings

Tape holiday greeting cards face up on your art table.  Lay butcher paper over the cards and let the children use crayons to create rubbings.

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Handprint Christmas Tree

Cut a large triangle out of butcher paper.  Let the children dip their hands in tempera paint to fill the triange with handprints.  When the handprints are dry, set out several colors of tempera and let the children "decorate" the tree with their thumbprints.

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 Amber            E-Mail: AmberP813@aol.com

I cut out red candy cane shapes from plain ol' construction paper. The children will then be given a handful of miniature marshmallows to glue onto the cane (in a pattern of their choice). When they are done, they can eat a handful of marshmallows, or have some cocoa with marshmallows (if you have access to a kitchen or microwave).

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 Nancy                E-Mail: dogdoc@CETLink.net

Here is an idea for a craft to be used on Christmas eve

Take a clean baby food jar, and "paint it" with a mixture of water and school glue. (Mix the glue and water to a thick paint-type consistency). Sprinkle with glitter. I have used gold, silver, mixed, etc., but the "prettiest" to me is crystal glitter. Allow it to dry. Wrap a 1/4 inch red or gold ribbon around the neck of the jar. Secure a votive candle in the bottom with melted wax or sticky tack. I then copy this poem and send it home with the candle. I run off copies of this poem and send with each candle on the last day of school before Christmas holidays. (I teach in a Christain school. If you teach in public and are prohibited from talking about Jesus, you can omit this poem, or use it in Sunday School instead)

I made this candle by myself, It comes wrapped up in love.

And as we light it Christmas Eve, We'll remember God above.

He gave us all His very best, The day Jesus was born.

Let's not forget this special gift, When we wake on Christmas morn.

As years pass by and memories grow, I hope that we remember,

Lessons learned 'round this little light, Made for you this December.

I also send home a sheet telling the parents to light it eache Christmas eve as a family to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

I made a similar candle in Kindergarten 35 years ago, and every year we would light it on Christmas Eve and read the Christmas story from Luke 2. My parents have that candle, and stiill light it each year. It is very special to us all.

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  Tammy           E-Mail: Reeeebye@aol.com

Cut out Xmas tree shapes from a heavy paper, glue on all types of pasta. Let dry thoroughly, spray paint with silver or gold.

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 Sally           E-Mail: Spinny002@aol.com

Kick off the season with The Gingerbread Man. For a Bulletin Board or art idea cut 2 gingerbread boys from brown paper grocery sacks. Staple around all but one side. Have the children stuff toilet tissue to make the form puffy. Staple remaining side. Glue on wrapping paper bow ties, rick-rack for trims and bows for the girls. Add colored buttons and have your children customize them to their heart's content. Culminate with a gingerbread cooking activity and let the kids decorate their own cookies. They'll run, run, run to eat up this yummy treat!

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 Laura             E-Mail: 2rozakii@sprint.ca

Make an evergreen tree out of construction paper (make mine about 3 feet tall). Hang on wall. As we make ornaments in December we hang them on the "tree". Of course this only works with paper ones or very light ones that we can tape on. This year I'm having a second tree and we're making little snow men and snow women to count the days till Christmas.

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 Jill      E-Mail: JKF0708@aol.com

For Christmas presents for our parents, I get new bricks from a construction site, then I give them several coats of glossy white paint. When they dry, I paint the children's hand green, then tell them to put their fingers and thumb together and press on the brick..perfect tree. I then have them add a brown painted trunk, yellow star at the top, and red fingerprint ornaments. On the sides of the brick, I write the date. On the bottom, I put red plaid. I put them in brown shopping bags with a teddy bear stamp (brown) sponge across the bag and tied it with a big red gingham bow.

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