Unless you’re lucky enough to have sand and sun instead of snow, winter weather is officially in full swing! Frosted windows, bitter winds, and heavy blizzards mean much more time will be spent inside.
Holiday crafting is a great way to keep little hands busy and one of the best ways to spend some time together as a family. If you’re looking for more ways to protect family time this season, read about Troomi’s remote screen time tracking tools that help kids balance their phone use and family fun.
1. Popsicle Stick Wreath
Use a paintbrush to coat popsicle sticks in different shades of green. Once dry, arrange the popsicle sticks in layers, and adhere them to a foam wreath form with glue.
Finish it off with red ribbon, then hang it up!
2. Ho Ho Handprint
Have your child trace their hand on a piece of white cardstock. If needed, help them use scissors to cut out their traced hand. Paint the center of the hand with a skin-toned color, then let dry.
Cut a piece of red felt to cover the thumb and wrist of the hand and adhere it with glue. Cut a small strip of white felt for the brim of the hat, then add a white pom-pom to the end of the hat.
Attach two googly eyes and a red pom-pom to the middle of the hand. For Santa’s beard, pull apart cotton balls and glue them to the remaining fingers.
What a cute Christmas keepsake!
3. Reindeer Candy Pot
Paint a miniature flower pot with brown paint. Once dry, use glue to adhere two googly eyes and a red pom-pom to the pot.
Make antlers out of brown pipe cleaners, use glue to keep them in place, then set the pot aside to let the antlers cure.
Fill up your reindeer pot with Christmas candies and you’ve got a great little gift for neighbors, teachers, and classmates!
4. Pasta Christmas Tree
Pick a variety of pastas with different looks and shapes. Paint the pasta in your child’s favorite Christmas colors, then let it dry.
(Noodles can be painted individually with paintbrushes, thrown into a bag with paint and shaken up, or spray painted.)
Help your child cut a triangle from a piece of cardboard. Use glue to adhere each noodle to the shape of the tree. Add a sparkly foam star on top for a festive finishing touch!
5. Snowman Paper Bag Puppet
Cut a circle from white cardstock, two circles from pink cardstock, and a triangle from orange cardstock. Use a glue stick to secure the two pink circles (rosy cheeks) onto the white circle. Next, adhere the orange triangle (carrot nose) between the two pink circles. Use a black marker to add eyes and a mouth.
Use a glue stick to attach the white circle onto the bottom flap of a white paper bag. Cut two more circles from white cardstock, then glue the bottom of one circle to the top of the other to make the snowman’s body.
Cut a scarf shape from any color of cardstock, then a hat shape from black cardstock. Glue the scarf to the top of the snowman’s body, then glue the body to the rest of the paper bag. Add the hat to the top of the snowman’s head, then use embellishments like buttons, pom-poms, and ribbons to complete the snowman.
Who’s ready for a puppet show?
Unplugging for the Holidays
We hope your family has a blast bringing these Christmas projects to life! Crafting together is a great way to disconnect from digital noise and connect with each other. If you want to keep that healthy balance alive all year long, explore our library of digital parenting tips. And if a new device is on your shopping list this season, see how our kid-safe smartphones provide essential communication tools without the distractions of social media or open internet access. Happy crafting!