With the festive season officially upon us, what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than doing some fun Christmas crafts with your children?

In addition to crafting being a great way to spend quality time with your little ones, arts and crafts are an important part of a child’s development and comes with a whole host of benefits.  This is why at Imagine Childcare, crafting is an important part of our educational programs – all year round!

So, what exactly are the benefits of arts and crafts for children? Engaging in craft activities nurtures communication, listening, attention, and imagination in young children. Beyond promoting mental health and well-being, these activities play a pivotal role in developing a variety of essential skills, including:

Fine Motor Skills:

• Boosting hand-eye coordination
• Developing manual dexterity

Identification of Shapes, Colours, and Texture:

• Exploring materials to understand colours, shapes, and textures
• Learning about the workings of things and how they interconnect

Creativity:

• Fostering a playful and experimental spirit in an enjoyable and laid-back setting

In this blog, we have curated our top 5 favourite (and most popular) Christmas craft ideas for you to try at home with your little ones:

1. Paper Plate Baubles

We love this one as due to its versatility.  You can use whatever you wish to decorate and hang the paper plates to create your Christmas Bauble – from stickers to paint, to pieces of coloured felt! You choose the materials that work best for your child’s age and development.

Here are some finished creations to give you and your little ones inspiration:

2. Popsicle Stick Ornaments

Who would have thought you could turn an ordinary popsicle stick into something so pretty and festive? From stars, to Christmas trees and snowflakes, the shape possibilities are endless!

See below for different shape constructions and decorating ideas:

3. Hand Print Christmas Tree

Simple, yet effective, this one made the top five due to combining sensory play and craft together! You also get to have double the fun… once your hand print Christmas tree is dry, it’s time to decorate it!

Create your Christmas tree on paper, canvas or even use this technique to decorate the front of a Christmas card.

Here are some different designs you can make using your hand print:

4. Christmas Cookie Decorating

If you love baking, then this one is for you!  If age appropriate, you can also teach your children some culinary skills at the same time and get them involved in the baking.

For an extra layer of festivity, use Christmas themed cookie cutters or make gingerbread people to decorate. Alternatively, you might have an old family recipe you can use and start a lovely Christmas tradition with your children.

See below for some cookie decorating ideas and even how to create a Christmas cookie decorating board:

5. Pine Cone Ornaments

Last, but definitely not least is pine cone decorating.  This made the top five due to incorporating natural materials into arts and crafts. They also have a really unique texture for children to discover and explore.

Turning a pine cone into a mini-Christmas tree is the logical choice, but there are also some other great ideas including creating pine cone reindeers, angels, and even owls! Hoot, hoot!

Here’s some amazing pine cone creations for you to see:

 

As Christmas Day gets closer, we aim to fill this month with festive experiences and activities for the children to take part in daily.

Follow us on Facebook to see regular updates of our Christmas arts and craft activities. We can’t wait to share with you the Christmas creations made at our Imagine Childcare centres!