Fun Christmas Crafts for Preschool Children

Great Ideas for Young Kids to Get Involved with Holiday Decorating

Oct 20, 2009

The little ones really want to help out at Christmas time. Just because their skills are still developing, doesn't mean they cannot be big holiday helpers.

Doing arts and crafts is a favorite pastime for many, and young children are no different. Preschool kids will delight in being able to create pretty things to brighten up the house around Christmas, and a good project has the added advantage of keeping the children entertained for a few hours. The following are some seasonal ideas which are safe and easy for preschool-aged kids.

Letter to Santa Clause with Pictures

For young children that cannot read or write yet, they should still be allowed to create their own letter to Santa. However, instead of using words, let them express their feelings with pictures. Cutouts from magazines, catalogs and fliers are a great way for younger kids to feel like they wrote their very own letter to Santa Claus.

Holiday Cookie Decorating

A full-on gingerbread house is a little complicated for younger children, but anyone can have fun decorating cookies. After gingerbread cookies are baked in different shapes and cooled, they may be decorated with icing, different candies, sprinkles, chips of peppermint, or anything else which is edible and goes nicely with gingerbread.

For a fun twist on this craft, make an over-sized cookie, perhaps in the shape of a star or angel, decorate it and use it as a fun Christmas tree topper.

Crafty and Unique Snowflake Ornaments

With a small stack of paper and a set of safety scissors, preschoolers are ready to make some ever-exciting paper snowflakes. They only need to be taught how to fold up the paper to start – after that, they’re ready to go! It might be a good idea to confine children to a single area in order to make cleanup easier.

Once snowflakes are made, they may optionally be decorated with stickers, glue and glitter, markers, et cetera. Finished snowflakes look great on windows, but can also be used as seasonal doilies or budget friendly Christmas tree ornaments.

Hand Painted Stocking Holders

Some water-based paints and ceramic stocking holders, available at most craft supply stores during the Christmas season, are a great way to keep kids occupied. The finished products are durable and functional, and may be used to hang stockings for years to come.

For smaller and shorter projects, children may instead paint small ceramic figurines for a nativity scene or for Christmas ornaments. Parents will want to make sure there is plenty of newspaper covering the work stations. They may also want to apply a glaze after the child is done painting so that the item will retain its color.

Preschoolers are sure to have a fun time with kid-friendly craft activities to proudly display in the home during the holiday season. After all, these are the type of finished projects that go on to become family heirlooms that are cherished and displayed in the family home, year after year. They become a fond remembrance of Christmas past and the memories of childhood.

The copyright of the article Fun Christmas Crafts for Preschool Children in Crafts is owned by Tracey Drake. Permission to republish Fun Christmas Crafts for Preschool Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.