It’s the most wonderful time of the year, make no mistake, especially for the little ones. And with all that lovely free, quality time to spend with them, the festive period is also the ideal time to roll up those sleeves, get out the pritt stick and string, and give it the ol’ Blue Peter.
So, whether you’re making your own decorations, cooking up some delicious Christmas edibles or want to get the kids outside and active, it’s also the most creative time of the year. With that in mind, here are 6 arts and crafts and activities to do with your children this Christmas
Make Marshmallow Snowman Ornaments
Looking for some homemade Xmas tree decorations this year? These marshmallow snowman ornaments will look brilliant on any style of tree.
What you’ll need:
- A clear fill-able ornament
- Tinsel ribbon
- Mini marshmallows
- Small buttons
- Orange paper
- Hot glue gun
Instructions:
Get your hot glue gun (keep away from the children) and glue the eyes and mouth onto the ornament. Next, cut out a carrot-shaped nose using the orange paper and use the glue gun to stick it onto the ornament.
Now, the fun part…fill the ornament with mini marshmallows all the way to the top. After your ornament is full of sugary treats, use the pipe cleaner and glue it to both sides. Finally, create a ball shape with the tinsel ribbon, then glue this to both sides of the ornament as the ears. Job done!
Build A Paper Ball Reindeer
These paper ball reindeers will look perfect wherever you decide to put them in your home.
What you’ll need:
- Light brown paper
- Dark brown paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Googly eyes, eye stickers, or draw on your own with a Sharpie
- Pom-poms
Instructions:
First of all, cut out four paper strips, about the width of an A4 letter sized paper; there are no rules as to how long or how wide the strips have to be. After this, bend them in half, with the fold making a mark in the middle. Apply a small amount of glue onto the middle and then place another strip on top of the first one — make sure this is centred and at a 90-degree angle.
After you have done that, take the other end of the strip and use your glue to stick it together with the first end and make a circle loop. Continue to do this with the other strips, until you end up with a paper ball.
Next, take your darker paper and cut out some antlers. You then want to fold them at the bottom, as an L-shape, and then glue together, sticking them on top of the ball. Finally, take a pom-pom and stick it on to make a nose and then add some googly eyes or eye stickers. Of course, you can just draw on the reindeer’s face if you do not have any of the above.
A Recipe For Christmas Tree Slime
Slime is one of the biggest children’s trends at the moment, and as such, you can make this a Christmas to remember for the little ones by making your own.
What you’ll need:
- ½ cup of glue
- ½ cup of water
- Food colouring
- Glitter
- ¼–½cup of liquid starch
Instructions:
First, get a bowl and add in ½ cup of water and ½ cup of glue and mix them together so they completely combine. Next, add your food colouring, and mix it with the glue and water mixture. After that, get your liquid starch and pour ¼ cup into the mix; you’ll see the slime start to form, more or less straight away. Continue to stir until your slime is fully formed.
Now, it’s time to knead your slime, it might be a bit stringy at first but eventually you’ll notice that the consistency changing.
After your slime is fully formed, it’s time to decorate. Gather your materials and create your Christmas tree themed slime. You can either use a Styrofoam cone to shape into a Christmas tree or simply add all of your bits of glitter onto the slime and have a colourful Christmas-themed slab of slime for your little one to play with!
Coffee Filter Snowflakes
Even if it’s not snowing outside, these paper snowflakes will look just as good around your home, especially if they have been made by your little ones, and the idiosyncratic result that brings.
What you’ll need:
- Coffee filters
- Paint brush
- Bowl of water
- Food colouring (or alternatives, such as glitter glue or liquid water colours)
- Plastic mat (or alternatives, including a tray or dinner plate)
- Scissors
- Warm iron (this is optional)
Instructions:
First, lay one of your coffee filters out onto a flat surface (make sure you protect your mat to avoid staining). Next, wet the coffee filter with a paint brush until it lays out flat. After this, get your food colouring or liquid watercolour paint and drip two or three drops onto the filter, blending the colours until the coffee filter is coloured completely.
After that, leave the coffee filters to dry. However, you can use a hairdryer if you and the children cannot wait to complete your finished product. To cut out your snowflakes, lay your filter flat and fold it in half and make it into a semi-circle. After you have done this, press down the edges and make a sharp fold, then fold it into half again. This will now be formed into one quarter of a circle. Next, fold it into thirds and firmly press along the crease.
Finally, cut along the two straight edges and the outside edge to create your design, then carefully unfold and there you have it — snowflakes galore!
Elf Christmas Handprint Card
Want to make a family member or a friend a homemade Christmas card? Your little one will love creating and decorating these adorable handprint cards!
What you’ll need:
- White card
- Red and green paint
- Googly eyes
- Sharpie
- Red and white pom-poms
- Cotton balls
- Glue
Instructions:
First of all, grab a piece of card and fold it in half. Trace your handprint and make sure that the folded part of the paper is at the little finger. Next, paint the middle three fingers of the handprint green, to represent your elves hat. After that, get your cotton ball and spread it out to make the brim of the hat and glue it down.
Next, add your pom-pom nose, googly eyes and draw the mouth (slightly smirking) — of course you can use whatever materials that you have to make the face. After that, you can use your pink paint to add two circles to represent the cheeks.
Finally, you can also use your white pom poms to glue onto the top of the hat. Don’t forget to write your message on the back to a loved one or perhaps just ‘Merry Christmas’ for the sake of simplicity.
Cardboard Bird Feeders
Winter can be a difficult time for our wildlife so why not get the children involved and thinking about the various birds that struggle to find food this time of year. Plus, it’s a super fun activity for all concerned.
What you’ll need:
- Cardboard tube
- Piece of string
- Two long sticks
- Lard
- Bird seed
- Butter knife (keep away from children)
Instructions:
First of all, make four holes in one end of the tube; the holes must be big enough for your sticks to fit through, however, not too big so the sticks come out. Next, make two small holes opposite each other (other end) up for the sticks to go through. After that, use a butter knife (keep away from children) or a spatula and roll your tube into the lard.
Then, get your bird seed and place it into a dish and roll your tube in bird seed. Finally, thread your sticks through the roll, making a cross shape, and then get your string and thread it through the top two holes. Hang your feeder, sit back, and watch all of the birds.
Snow Tubing
Snow tubing is a great activity to do with the whole family all-year round, however, it’s better when it has been snowing, right? The clues in the title, guys. Of course, the forecast will need to be in your favour and a decent layer of snow will be required for this one. The gist of snow tubing is that you sit in inflatable tubes and slide down a hill; simple enough, but thrilling nonetheless. There’s no skill required, but you’ll want to stay balanced throughout and holding on to the tube handles will be essential!