Easy Christmas Craft Ideas For Kids

Christmas is a time of magic, creativity and joy.

Seeing the joy on a child’s face when they get into the spirit of Christmas is all it takes to make a parent slow down and embrace the merry season. This typically starts with Christmas activities!

Christmas craft ideas

It is no secret kids love doing arts and crafts, it is also no secret that craft is beneficial for children and their development. (CLICK THE LINK TO SEE HOW). But most importantly, it is fun. If you and your little ones want to get into the spirit of Christmas make sure you create these festive Christmas activities seen below!

Bauble Decorating

Decorating your own baubles can be so much fun. Not many crafts items are required to make this and yet you can create something special and that will treasured for years to come.

You will need: plain bauble, paint, glitter, sequins/confetti.

How to: Design your bauble and craft a beautiful decoration. You can use the paint to make a pattern, add glitter or sequins to wet paint (this eliminates the need for glue). My 2 year old daughter thought feathers were fun so added as many that would physically stick on.

Once you have your beautiful bauble looking how you like it, hang it up to dry.

Christmas Card Making

Christmas cards are almost an essential part of the season. Instead of using the same old generic cards though, create unique ones at home. You can show of your creative flare and add that extra love we all want at Christmas.

You will need: Cardboard, paint, tinsel, glitter, sequins/confetti, pens

How to: If your cardboard is not already cut to size, cut it and then fold in half. Draw/paint/glue your design on the card and let it fry before writing your special message inside.

Each of my kids created completely differently cards with the same items, it is great to see how their imagination and creativity allows them to be so different.

Mini Wreaths

These mini wreaths are so incredibly easy to make! Requiring only two products to make them, they are extremely budget friendly and make a great decoration or gift.

You will need: Pipe cleaners, bells (in assorted colours and sizes)

How to: Thread the bells onto the pipe cleaner, alternating the direction with each one. Leave a little pipe cleaner spare at the end so you can close it off. Twist the ends and hang it on your Christmas tree!

The Christmas craft ideas are simple and easy to make which makes them great for children of all ages. My two year old had an absolute ball, as did my 6 and 8 year olds. The is no age limit for craft and each child / adult deserves to get into the Christmas spirit! Ho Ho Ho!

What are your favourite Christmas craft activities?

This is an S1 POST written in collaboration with Child.com.au.

The post Easy Christmas Craft Ideas For Kids appeared first on All Mum Said.

How Arts and Crafts Benefit Children

Before you put art and crafts in the too hard basket, consider what consequences that could have on your child!

Yes crafts are chaotic and you may not particularly want your house to get messy after cleaning all day but arts and crafts benefit children in more ways than one. Here’s why you should embrace the arty, crafty mess.

Benefits for kids

We all want our children to have the best start to life and that includes their development. Arts and crafts play a vital role in improving their skills and can be encouraged from a young age. Benefits include:

• Makes learning a positive experience by making it fun.
Participating in painting, drawing, collage and so many other activities, encourages children to have an interest in learning from a young age. It allows children the opportunity to experiment with different textures, colours and shapes while identifying patterns. It also incorporates knowledge of colours, counting and numbers.

• Encourages the use of imagination and develops self-expression.
This skill is crucial for building self-esteem and allows them to express their feelings in an inspiring environment. Thinking creatively ensures each piece of art they create is an original piece they can be proud of.

• Assists in developing skills.
Using different tools, textures and uniquely sized objects; children will hone their fine motor skills and continue to develop their cognitive skills.

• Develops control
When painting or gluing for craft time, children learn that they are required to wait for their art works to dry. This gives them the opportunity to develop patience and control.

For more understanding of the importance of art in child development, click here!

Craft ideas

There are so many options available for children to enjoy arts and crafts.
Our favourite ones are: Chalk / crayon drawings, painting with brushes / gloves / wool, experimenting with textures using fruit / rubbing plates / leaves, finger painting with shaving cream paint, collages, telescopes and even toilet paper roll people with pompoms and glitter.

Comment below with what arts and crafts your children love.

Do you see the benefit it has on your kids? 

This is an S1 POST in collaboration with Child.com.au.

The post How Arts and Crafts Benefit Children appeared first on All Mum Said.

When children reach their teenage years, they often associate their identity with something they excel at. This could be books, writing, sports, painting, dancing or a fandom they particularly love. But before they get obsessed about this particular thing, it starts off as just a hobby they have nurtured for years. This is why it is important to nurture your child’s hobbies because it is something that will follow them for the rest of their lives. After their teenage years have ended, their hobby could become their future career.

In order to inspire you and your child, here is a list of five new hobbies your child could grow to love!

Performing

A lot of notable celebrities started out performing as their hobby when they were young. Such as, actors, comedians, magicians and the most famous of singers. They started performing in their bedrooms and lounge rooms. If your child is more of an extrovert, performing will do them wonders because their self esteem and confidence will grow sky high. To get started why not host a dinner party with your closest family and friends? You’re child could do a short stand up show or perform a short play. You could also use this hobby as another way to teach them about history and improve their communication skills.

Arts and Crafts

Being creative can help younger children strengthen their motor skills and bilateral coordination –the ability to use both hands together. Drawing is really good for strengthening your child’s motor skills from an early age. For older children, encourage them to build things. Such as jewellery and wood work.

Science

They could start a bug collection or start experimenting in the backyard. As long as the experiments are age appropriate. They could do an experiment where they change the colour of water, make a paperclip float, see optical illusions and build their own volcano. They are having fun while they learn about the interworking of chemistry, physics and biology.

Sports

This could be anything. From soccer, football, netball and basketball, your child could play anything they like. All that matters is if they get the support they need to stay committed. Such as, a support team to cheer them on when they play at a game and help training up their skills. For instance, skateboarding requires a lot of practice and many trips to the local skating park. If your child loves the thrill of skateboarding, look at Penny Skateboards for suggestions on which skateboard would suit your child. But if skateboarding is not their thing, bike riding is also very rewarding. In twenty years time they could be competing at the Tour De France.

Collecting

Whether it is dolls, stamps or cards, collecting is a rewarding experience because not only does your child learn about history but it will pay off in time. Some baseball cards and Barbie dolls from years ago are worth thousands of dollars today. Though the value increases if these items stay in their original packaging.

The post 5 new hobbies that your kids will love! appeared first on All Mum Said.