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Monday, March 2, 2009

Fun and Easy Christmas Crafts to Make With Kids

Christmas is one of Test Tube Aliens best times of the year for children. To make this season even more enjoyable, teach your kids some simple Christmas crafts that they can make and give as presents to their friends!

When helping a kid choose what Christmas crafts to make, first take into consideration the child's age. Pre-schoolers usually require a lot of assistance and supervision; it is usually best to have them help out with smaller aspects of bigger craft projects. For example, you can have them add sprinkles on Christmas tree designs or glue ribbons on Christmas wreaths. On the other hand, children who have already started school tend to be more independent and can usually do small Christmas crafts projects on their own. Even older children, approximately 9 years old and up, enjoy socializing with other kids their age. For children around this age, you may want to host a Christmas craft get-together with your children's friends or neighbors.

One of the simplest yet most special Christmas crafts to make is a personalized Christmas card. All you really need is a piece of construction paper and some scrap materials for designing the card. Help your child fold or cut the construction paper to his or her desired size. Allow them to design the card the way they want; give them the necessary materials, such as crayons or colored pens. If they need inspiration, show them some common Christmas designs, such as Santa Claus, snowmen, Rudolph, angels, and Christmas trees, to name a few. Once they have finished designing the card, help them write their desired Christmas message inside the card. Finally, you can bring them to the post office to send the cards to relatives and friends!

Another Christmas craft you can make that your kids can participate in are tree ornaments and decorations. Christmas balls are incredibly easy to make and the creative possibilities are endless! All you need to do is pick up some Styrofoam or plastic balls (glass is fine with older kids) and have your kids paint them or use glue-and-glitter pens on them. You can also use other shapes, such as stars or bells. You can also top the tree with a pinecone angel that your child has painted. Displaying these ornaments on the Christmas tree will make your child feel proud and have them see the Christmas tree in a whole new light! It's a great way to boost your child's self-confidence and encourage creativity.

Another Christmas craft to make is a Christmas snack. Cookies are very popular Christmas treats. Allow your kids to help with the preparation of the materials and the mixing of the 1950 Bowman baseball cards Once the dough is ready, let them shape the cookies into different figures. There are various cookie cutters available in the local supermarket that you can let them use. They can also mold the dough into 3-dimensional designs. Once they've finished shaping the dough, bake the cookies in the oven. When the cookies have finished baking, allow them to add some final touches to the designs, such as candy eyes or a carrot nose. Once the snack is ready, you can package it and give it as presents, or you can share it with the entire family.

Christmas is the ideal time to showcase your child's creativity and individualism and best of all? It's the most wonderful time to spend bonding with your child.

Katya Coen provides information on Christmas family crafts for All Christmas Crafts.