Gift-Giving
Make Your Own Soap
Making your own soap is a fun activity with the kids and can also make for great gifts. Note: It's a good idea to rub any toys you put into the soap with rubbing alcohol beforehand. Melt glycerin soap (found at any craft store) in a microwave safe bowl. Put a few drops of food coloring into the melted glycerin, if you want to make ...(read more)
Love Letters
My four-year-old isn't that interested in drawing, but he loves sending and receiving mail. So to stimulate his interest in arts and crafts, we make 'I Love You' cards. It doesn't have to be a special occasion to send an 'I Love You' card, so we make and send cards to family/ friends throughout the year. To make it a fine motor skill activity, we often come ...(read more)
Thank You Tins
In order to thank the postman for all of his hard work, you can have your child write with a permanent marker on a small tin 'Postman's Tin: We appreciate your hard work, so we are leaving a treat for you. Take this along and enjoy! Return the tin for some more thank you goodies!' It's nice to see the tin being returned; the kids love making ...(read more)
Dough Ornaments
These ornaments are great holiday gifts that children can give. Make the dough ahead of time by combining baking soda and cornstarch in a saucepan. Pour cold water in and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cover with a wet paper towel until cool. Once cool, get your child involved in the next steps. ...(read more)
Frame It Up!
Using four popsicle sticks, glue the ends together to form a square. Using decorative craft items such as buttons, sequins, pom-poms, or self-adhesive foam stickers, your child can decorate all around the popsicle frame. Add your latest favorite picture and you have a customized frame! I've hung these frames with ribbon or added magnets to put them on the fridge. They make great, inexpensive gifts for ...(read more)
Holiday Candle
The perfect gift for the person who's hard to buy for! Help your child cut red and green construction paper into small squares, and then glue the squares to the outside of a clean baby food jar. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar and put a small votive inside.(read more)
Creative Gift Bags
Your little one can help create a gift bag. Take a solid color paper bag and have your child apply stickers of their choice to it. They can also use markers to create a personalized message. I've found this is a great way to get my child involved in the gift process and also decreases the costs of wrapping presents!(read more)
Photo Gift Tags
This is a fun way personalize your holiday gifts. Have your child help select a picture (or pictures) of himself from your digital images. Format the pictures to print wallet size on a sheet of card stock. Cut out the pictures in circles, squares, hearts, or rectangles. Using a hole-punch, make a hole toward the top edge of the photo and attach a ribbon in a color ...(read more)
Popsicle Stick Picture Frame
This is a cute way to dress up a basic popsicle stick frame. To make the frame, start by gluing popsicle sticks (or larger tongue depressors) together. Two popsicle sticks for each side makes a cute small square frame. Lay two popsicle sticks down for both the top and the bottom, then glue two popsicle sticks on each side to make a square. Allow to dry, ...(read more)
Kind Thoughts Christmas List
This is a simple activity to get your kids' minds off the commercialism of Christmas. Ask each member of your family to think of something that they wish for someone else for Christmas. Place the list on the refrigerator and add to it each night. You'll be surprised at what you can all come up with, and none of them require a trip to the store!(read more)
Homemade Bubble Bath
If you're looking for a great homemade gift you can make with the kids, try making bubble bath. You will probably have everything you need already in the house. To get started, pour 1/2 cup clear or light-colored shampoo and 3/4 cup water into a medium bowl and combine with a spoon. Then add 1/4 teaspoon salt and wait until the mixture thickens. Next, sprinkle a ...(read more)
Spin Art Cards
Have your little one help create birthday and/or holiday cards using a spin art machine. Once your child has completed the spin art, they can then add their artistic touch by 'signing' or adding a personal message.(read more)
Making a Picture Frame
Cut out one rectangle-shaped piece of cardboard to at least 5" by 7". Cut out another frame-shaped piece of cardboard to the same dimensions. Staple three of the outer edges together so that a 4" by 6" photo can fit inside. Get out the glue, glitter, and paints, and let your little one decorate it. Put in a photo of the artist. This project makes ...(read more)
Creative Gift Wrapping
Have your little one help wrapping presents using their painted pictures as the gift wrap!(read more)
Handprint Gift Bags
Here's an easy way to make a homemade gift bag with a personal touch. Take a plain gift bag and have your child make handprints on the bag with paint. If you have more than one child, you can have them all put their handprints on the bags and write their names underneath. They will love to give these bags away filled with gifts.(read more)
Valentine Treat Bags
Whether it is for preschool parties, a visit to grandma, or gifts for the neighbors, Valentine's Day always brings a need for sweet treats! Enlist the help of your preschooler to make these easy and fun treat bags to hold your goodies. At a party supply store, buy small, white paper bags. While you cut hearts out of construction paper, have your child color the bags and ...(read more)
Sweet Sharing Lesson
This is a fun lesson in sharing. Have your child help you make brownies or cookies. When you are done, make up little plates and deliver them to friends in the neighborhood. Make sure you keep some at home for a treat after your walk. This activity lets kids be creative in the kitchen, learn how sharing can make other people happy, and get a ...(read more)
Make a Pencil Holder
Cover your workspace with newspaper. Using paintbrushes, let your child help you to coat the outside of a clean, dry aluminum can with tacky craft glue, such as Aleene's. Have your child roll the can in small dry pasta noodles, or apply larger dry noodles one at a time. Allow this to dry completely, probably 1-2 hours or longer. Then paint! Makes a great and ...(read more)
Making Chocolate Covered Stirring Spoons
These chocolate-coated stirring spoons are a fun gift to make and give to anyone who likes a hit of chocolate in their coffee or is a fan of extra-chocolatey hot chocolate. To start, microwave 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl until melted. You may want to pull the bowl out after a few seconds to give it a stir. (If you don't happen ...(read more)
Handprint Art
This is a very simple, lightweight craft that is a great one to send by mail. Purchase some dessert-type disposable plates with a decorative border and some coordinating ribbon. Using non-toxic craft paint, paint your child's hand with a foam brush and make a print in the center of the plate. Cut 3-4 inch pieces of ribbon and punch holes at the top of each plate. ...(read more)
Christmas Tree Handprint Shirt
This sweet handprint activity can be done with paint or with fabric. Purchase a plain shirt and different colors of green fabric paint. Each family member can paint their hand and start the tree base with the largest handprint first,upside down, fingers fairly close together. Allow the largest handprint to dry, then overlap the next largest, up to the smallest handprint, which will make the top of ...(read more)
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A Great Book Rhymes!
Kids are a funny bunch. They are often loath to change and anything new. But still, our little ones are open to so much -- and so much more than we more ossified parents are! Think of poetry: preschoolers happily read and repeat poems with ease and
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