It’s time of the year again and kids love Christmas. Here’s a list of activities you can do with or for your child.
3 Santa Craft Ideas for Kids
Kids love Christmas crafts. Santa craft ideas for kids are an easy and fun way to spend time with your kids during the holidays. Here are a few ideas to choose from.
Santa Picture:
Let’s begin with Santa pictures. There are a variety of Santa coloring books available during the holidays. Choose a picture from the book. Cut out the picture of Santa, and place the picture in the center of a sheet of white construction paper. Use a glue stick to secure the picture.
Color the picture with crayons. Once the picture is finished, place cotton balls to cover Santa’s beard, and one at the end of his hat. You can even glue black buttons for Santa’s eyes, and a red button for his nose. Decorate the blank area of the white construction paper by drawing candy canes or trees. When the picture is completed, your kids can sign their names directly under the picture. Take a piece of cardboard and glue the picture to it. Place the picture in a frame, and place the frame in a special place in your home for all to see and admire.
Santa Christmas Cards:
Making Santa Christmas cards is another craft idea your kids will enjoy. Take a piece of white construction paper and measure the paper to a size of 5×7 inches. Cut the construction paper to that size. Fold the construction paper in half, either horizontally or vertically. Encourage your children to draw their own version of Santa on the front cover. Use crayons or colored markers. After the picture is finished, your kids can write Christmas messages on the inside of the card. Homemade Christmas cards are wonderful to display in your home or send to relatives and friends.
Make a Santa plate ornament for the Christmas tree:
You'll need crayons and markers; cotton balls, a dinner-sized paper plate, and color sparkles. Draw Santa, without his red cap, on the plate using the crayons or markers. Add the cotton balls for his beard. You can even glue the cotton balls into a V shape so that Santa's beard hangs off the plate. The cotton balls can also be used for Santa's hair, too. Use a blue marker to color in Santa's eyes, and a black marker to draw Santa's glasses. Use red food color on a cotton ball to make Santa's nose. You can color the rim of the plate with red or green and add color sparkles to it. Finally, place the Santa plate on the tree by inserting an ornament hook at the top of the plate.
As you can see, there are so many different ways to involve your kids in creating, making, and decorating Santa Christmas ornaments, pictures, and cards.
5 Christmas Decorations You Can Make With Your Kids
The Christmas holidays are a wonderful time of the year, especially since the kids are home from school. Make the most of this time by making memories that will last. Creating Christmas decorations with your kids is a fun time for all. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Tree Skirt: Find some felt material and design a tree skirt. Add beads, bows, sparkles and any kind of trim available to make this a one-of-a-kind skirt. Perhaps the kids would like to add pictures of Santa along the rim of the skirt. Another tree skirt idea would be to make a quilted pattern, using different plaids and solid colors. Decorate it with a fancy trim. It could not only be used for the tree, but as the base centerpiece for a vase of poinsettias.
2. Centerpiece: Another idea is to have your children gather together Christmas balls in various sizes and colors. Find a large clear vase or bowl and arrange them inside. You may want to add some holly as well. This colorful display would make a lovely centerpiece for your table.
3. Christmas Card Holder: Here is a creative idea for storing your Holiday cards. Start with an empty Kleenex (or tissue) box, and cut out the top rectangular part of it. Wrap it in Christmas paper, and use it as a Christmas card holder. Decorate it with holly and ivy. Then, attach a ribbon to both ends and you have a beautiful homemade Christmas card basket.
4. Paper Chain: An old standby is to take several different colors of construction paper and cut them in strips. Then attach two ends of the strips together (with a stapler, glue or tape) to form a circle. Continue by looping another cut strip inside that one. When it’s long enough, wrap the chain around your Christmas tree.
5. Candy Chain: While stringing popcorn or beads around a tree is a tried and true tradition, how about using Lifesavers candy? Your kids can choose the color order or even try to make patterns. Use different color twine or ribbons to give it a Candyland touch. Add candy canes as well. Since both candies come in their own wrapping, just use a needle through the Lifesavers wrapping. After the tree is taken down, they can be fun snacks to eat.
Christmas decorations are a great way of expressing the holiday spirit in your home. The kids will love creating them, and be proud to have their art displayed. And, instead of looking like a department store, your home will become a reflection of the family that lives in it.
Christmas Party Ideas for Kids
Here are some ideas to throw the perfect Christmas party at home for your kids.
Prepare and Decorate for the Party
If you are using your basement or family room, add a small decorated tree. Even a tabletop tree or a construction paper tree on the wall will work.
Hang red and green streamers across the ceiling or from one end of a wall to another; and hang a “Merry Christmas” sign on the wall.
Set a table in the corner and place all Christmas paper products and tableware on it. (Christmas tablecloth, napkins, dishes, cups, and plastic flatware)
Before the guests arrive, get out your Christmas CDs and play them until the party is over.
Once the guests have arrived, you are ready for the party to begin.
Activities for your Party
- Play musical chairs, using jingle bells or any Christmas song for the music.
- Play charades. Kids are very animated, and would love this game. Choose Christmas-related words like: gift, Santa, elf, tree, Snowman, etc.
- Play pin the nose on Rudolph
- Play “Santa Says” – a fun Christmas version of “Simon Says” for kids.
- If any child can dance or sing, invite him/or her to give a performance.
- Have a sing-a-long to the Christmas music.
- Play “finish the Christmas story.” Have an adult begin a story about Santa or an Elf, and then ask each child to add a line or two. Once the story is concluded, the story can be printed out by another adult who has been writing down each line. Give each child a copy of the story, and have the kids sign the story as a keepsake.
- For the big finale, have an adult dress up as Santa Claus and hand out Christmas stockings to each child. Ensure the child’s name is on each stocking. Fill the stockings with goodies, such as: candy; small dolls; toys, or whatever is fitting, but inexpensive.
- Take pictures as Santa hands out the presents. Have several copies made for the kids so they will have a lasting memory of the party.
Whatever Christmas party ideas for kids you select, you can be sure that anything you do will not only be appreciated, but will give all the kids an opportunity to have a great time with their friends.