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Encourage a joy in giving and sharing in children with this collection of easy Christmas crafts for children aged 0-5 at your service.
We've focused on crafts that are easy, fun and cost effective using resources that are recycled, natural or you are likely to have on hand. And most of all we looked for crafts that are simple and that the children can mostly make themselves.
Starting off the list are these tinkering trees made from nuts and bolts - children will be working on their fine motor skills and being creative at the same time.
This tutorial uses bought polymer clay but we suggest using a simple salt dough recipe instead. The name can be written with a skewer or similar if you don't have letter stamps.
Use whatever paper and decorations you already have. Recycled newspaper, catalogues and magazines could look good and could also be painted
It doesn't get any simpler than this paper angel. This could be a stand alone gift or added as a decoration to another gift-wrapped package. Once again, you could use recycled paper or cardboard for this craft project. Instructions include a free printable template.
There's no need to go out and buy paper plates. Instead you could ask families to bring any plates they have left over from parties etc or use recycled cardboard.
Collect cardboard rolls from families, a fabric store or a recycling centre or make your own from recycled cardboard boxes.
Not all of the crafts in this video would necessarily be suitable or practical for children or environmentally friendly. However the magazine tree and stick star are worth a look for older children or as decorations for your centre or service. Use your discretion with the optional paint and lights.
Use your imagination and your existing biscuit cutters to make stars, deers, Christmas trees and other shaped ornaments. This is a good example of a clutter free gift for families.
Even babies and toddlers can give gifts!
You will need to plan ahead to make this cost effective ornament. Here's an Australian salt dough recipe to use in this project.
Anyone remember doing sewing cards as a child themselves? These could also be made out of recycled Christmas Cards.
Similar to the laced cards - supervise carefully. Read about one preschool teachers experience of teaching children to sew. Encourage children to use their imagination and creativity to design their own patterns.
Use the beads or spools and string or yarn that you already have for this project. (No promises that it will only take 5 minutes though!)
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This project could include a trip to the park to collect the sticks and could be left plain and rustic or decorated with whatever craft resources you have on hand.
Ok so you knew we'd have to include at least one icy-pole stick project in here, right? Use the basic idea for creating the sign and then the children can decorate them with whatever craft or natural objects you have available.
Use the paper or card you have on hand and a white ink pad or slightly watered down white craft paint for this project. Children can then use the end of a pencil or paint brush or a stick to make the dots. You could talk about aboriginal dot paintings at the same time!
There's no instructions for this one but the picture is fairly self-explanatory.
Source: hgtv.com
Use jigsaw puzzles with missing pieces or pick some up from an op shop to make this project. If you don't want to use glitter for environmental reasons, here is a list of alternatives.
A clutter free, natural and biodegradable gift idea that smells beautiful too!
There's no need to go out and buy tea towels (unless you want to). Just use the idea on some recycled cardboard to make greeting cards or a picture with a ribbon loop at the top to hang it by.
Tassels can be given as ornaments or attached to a key ring. And as the presenter says, they can be made with any woolly, stringy thing you have on hand (so plenty of recycling opportunities).
Use recycled cardboard and whatever decorations you have on hand and let the children use their creativity and imagination to decorate these ornaments.
These bath bombs are literacy, science and creativity all in one! What a great conversation starter....
Use sticks found in the garden and any twine, yarn, ribbon and decorations on hand for this simple ornament. You could experiment with different shapes too.
We hope you've enjoyed this list of easy Christmas crafts for children. Be sure to bookmark the page as we update it whenever we come across new ideas.