{photo by Jessica Wilson}
It’s craft time, and who better to lead us in holiday crafting than our very own Track B Preschool teacher, Mrs. Jessica Wilson? She is super-crafty and knows all the tricks and tips for making craft time fun for all ages. Our preschool students love her, and you will too – so welcome our guest blogger today, Mrs. Wilson:
Greetings everyone! Now that we have the rest of 2017 off, I've moved into crafting mode. Whether it's for gift making, decorating, or wrapping, I've got glue, washi tape, and glitter for days, and am ready to make. It doesn't take a whole lot to craft up some holiday fun for you and/or your children to enjoy, but just in case you need ideas, I am here to help.
To kick off the holidays and to keep your kiddo(s) busy, an old-fashioned batch of play dough could work wonders. Add some glitter and cookie cutters to mix it up and don't forget a muffin pan or cupcake liners. This recipe is very similar to the one we use in the classroom and lasts for weeks. Use a bit of food color or liquid watercolor to tint the dough, or go natural and leave it out. You could even make dough ornaments to be painted later if you wish. To up the fun factor, if you are not afraid of a mess, I recommend a nice batch of cloud dough to be enjoyed by the whole gang. Seriously, cloud dough has a delicious texture and can also be made with an all-purpose gluten-free flour. If you want to get even more festive, add a dash of cinnamon, or your favorite essential oil to the mix (works in play dough too!)
Need something else? A bag of dollar store holiday bows can entertain the younger kiddos while sneaking in fine motor skills. Those stickers are fairly easy to peel off and make for fun additions to your child's collage work. Speaking of collages, cotton balls are also inexpensive and a fun addition to the collage box. Add a clothespin or two and your child can paint with “snowballs”. Not only that, they can also be a fun pretend stand-in for snow and/or marshmallows. Ooh, and now that I have marshmallows on the mind, grab a bag of large marshmallows, an assortment of paper straws, embroidery floss or yarn, and a darning needle to make this marshmallow garland. Not up for a garland? Break out the paints and use the marshmallows as paintbrushes (a clothespin works as a great handle), or if you are feeling brave, try making a batch of marshmallow dough. This is a particularly fun use of those marshmallows in the back of the pantry you picked up for campfire s'mores but never finished.
If you want your kiddo to whip up a few holiday gifts, get outside and collect a bunch of pine cones (yay, nature!) With a dash of glue and a bucket of glitter, your kiddo(s) can set up a Christmas Tree factory. If you are looking for something for your older child to do, they can try their hand at making this Retro Tissue Paper Tree. The color combos are limitless and rolling the paper into little balls has a zen-like quality to it. I still have the one I made!
I also have a few tricks up my sleeve for Hanukkah art and crafting. Tin foil and tissue paper can bedazzle holiday cards for giving. After the cards are made, you can grab a bag of chocolate gelt or other round treats and make an edible memory game for your children to play.
And, as always, if you're a fan of the Pinterest, you can check out my Christmas and Hanukkah boards for kiddos. Happy Holidays!
Thank you, Mrs. Wilson – these look beautiful and FUN! Parents, tell us about your holiday crafts you’ve made this year, or are planning to make. Leave a comment below!
