Yesterday I let my inner Kindergarten teacher out when I got desperate for an engaging activity to do with Gracie. These three easy holiday crafts to do with kids were thrown together in a matter of seconds. I also didn’t need to get any outside supplies, as everything I needed was in our craft stash.

THREE EASY HOLIDAY CRAFTS TO DO WITH KIDS:

These holiday crafts are great for toddlers over two, and can even be made more challenging for kids all the way up to third or fourth grade. I know that when I was in early elementary school, I loved making things, so if hopefully your little ones find these enjoyable too!

Note: Also keep in mind that if your child is younger than three or three and a half, even, they’ll need some serious modeling and supervision since these activities require glue and scissors. I didn’t let Grace cut or use the glue just yet, but she did put them all together on her own. It was a lot of fine motor practice. 🙂

CRAFT 1: PAPER MACHE CHRISTMAS TREE

What you’ll need: 1 blank piece of construction paper, black marker, bits of ripped up construction paper, 1 glue stick

How to do it: Take a blank piece of construction paper and freehand a Christmas tree on it. Then tear up the little construction paper bits. Starting at the top, apply a bit of glue to half of the tree, and let your child put on the paper bits. Because I’m a nerd and love guided practice, I did show Grace how to do it, then we did a few together.

Anytime I teach her a new concept I try to follow the “I do, we do, you do” method, and she did super well with following directions!

CRAFT 2: COTTON BALL SNOWMAN

What you’ll need: 1 blank piece of construction paper, black marker, cotton balls, liquid glue (glue sticks won’t work for this one!), extra construction paper to make a hat is optional. Also, eyes and a nose, if you’re feeling up to it!

How to do it: I wanted to keep this super simple, so I just drew the snowman outline on the blank piece of paper, and put the glue on each snowball. Then I let her go to town by placing the “snowballs” on the glue. I, of course, modeled for her, and made sure to tell her to press down so they would stay and dry!

CRAFT 3: REINDEER CUT AND PASTE PICTURE

What you’ll need: 3 blank piece of construction paper, 1 black marker, pair of scissors, 1 glue stick

How to do it: This was so fun for Gracie because she is all about reindeer right now! I began by tracing her hands (which blew her mind, haha) and then cut them out to make the antlers. Then, I made an oblong face shape (again, this is freehand guys, no no one will judge your art skills – have fun with it!) I cut the shape out, and also made a red nose circle, and two ears.

Then all you have to do is assemble the face. You can also turn this into a little mask by gluing it to a paper plate, or into a hat, by making a hat band out of construction paper. The possibilities are endless.

THE FINISHED PRODUCTS:

These were so easy to throw together, and kept Grace busy for over an hour. I definitely think these would make cute family gifts too. Grandparents love anything handmade. Also, if you’re looking for something fun to do with your family, or all of the kids that you’ll be hosting for Christmas, this is an easy thing to set out and have one adult supervise, or even an older child!

If you do try these out, tag me in your pics you share! I’d love to share them on my own Facebook and Instagram pages!