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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Christmas Crafts Have You Done So Far?
Crazy8 09:41 AM 12-19-2011
I know there are lots of threads with IDEAS on crafts, but just curious what everyone has completed so far.

We did the snowman fingerprint ball ornaments on our Parents Night Out, did paper xmas trees with tissue paper lights today, and I just painted some small canvases blue - either going to do the snowman footprints or santa handprints on them as our "gift" to parents.

I haven't done as many crafts as past years, I only have 2 kids over 2 - the younger ones just don't want to sit for crafts much.

So what crafts have you done so far??
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meganlavonnesmommy 09:52 AM 12-19-2011
We made wreaths out of paper plates and christmas foam stickers
we did the handprint snowman ornaments
doing salt dough ornaments later this week
cookie cutter painting
santa face and beard out of cotton balls
made a felt tree for the wall with felt ornaments
and making hand print santa faces later this week
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melissa ann 09:59 AM 12-19-2011
We did a countdown to christmas, christmas tree. We made a tree out of construction paper, and stamped out christmas stockings, reindeer heads, presents, etc on some square paper. 25 of them. Each day, they glue on one square to the tree.

Paper doily angels

paper gingerbread man reading a cookbook

gingerbread man made out of paper plates

paper candy canes

paper reindeer heads

paper christmas stockings

When I say paper, I assume you all know it's construction paper.

We also made choc covered pretzels, sugar cookies, p.buter oatmeal cookies and peanut brittle.
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Lianne 10:22 AM 12-19-2011
We've made:
*Pictures frames decorated with Christmas candy (parent gift)
*Felt trees with gems
*Reindeer hats with hand-print antlers
*Decorated gingerbread men cookies
*Made collage stockings with sequins, foam shapes, pompoms, etc.
*Beaded candy canes & wreaths
*Decorated ornament balls with gems, sequins and glitter
*Made crystallized Borax ornaments
*Reindeer candy canes
*Gumdrop stars
*Paper plate Santa faces with cotton balls and construction paper

We still have to make:
*Bells with styrofoam cups & stickers
*Pipe cleaner chains
*Reindeer food
*Popsicle stick snowflakes decorated with pompoms
*Paint stamped wrapping paper for the parent gifts.
*Paint swirled ornament balls
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Crazy8 06:32 AM 12-20-2011
oooh, thanks... I almost forgot we have to do reindeer food!!!!
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Crystal 07:19 AM 12-20-2011
Bah. Humbug. We haven't made ANY, and we won't make ANY. The parents will get a picture frame with a current pic of their kids. That's it. I have NEVER done crafts, for any holiday. I don't know how ya'll do it.....I only do process art that they can engage in independently. My only involvement is set up and clean up.
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Unregistered 07:49 AM 12-20-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
Bah. Humbug. We haven't made ANY, and we won't make ANY. The parents will get a picture frame with a current pic of their kids. That's it. I have NEVER done crafts, for any holiday. I don't know how ya'll do it.....I only do process art that they can engage in independently. My only involvement is set up and clean up.
Do you have littles? OR- are you more on the Montessori side?

Just curious why you don't do crafts?
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Blackcat31 09:21 AM 12-20-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
Bah. Humbug. We haven't made ANY, and we won't make ANY. The parents will get a picture frame with a current pic of their kids. That's it. I have NEVER done crafts, for any holiday. I don't know how ya'll do it.....I only do process art that they can engage in independently. My only involvement is set up and clean up.
This is how I did it this year as well. I think the arts and crafts are super cute but in all honesty, I end up doing most the work and the kids just want to explore the materials so I let them. I am not expecting any specific end-product or result.

Now, if the kids themselves initiated a specific craft, I would allow them to create one but it would have to be somehting they can do without me taking over or having to facilitate it.
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melskids 09:42 AM 12-20-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
This is how I did it this year as well. I think the arts and crafts are super cute but in all honesty, I end up doing most the work and the kids just want to explore the materials so I let them. I am not expecting any specific end-product or result.

Now, if the kids themselves initiated a specific craft, I would allow them to create one but it would have to be somehting they can do without me taking over or having to facilitate it.
Originally Posted by Crystal:
Bah. Humbug. We haven't made ANY, and we won't make ANY. The parents will get a picture frame with a current pic of their kids. That's it. I have NEVER done crafts, for any holiday. I don't know how ya'll do it.....I only do process art that they can engage in independently. My only involvement is set up and clean up.

I agree. 99.9 % of our art is process.

...but we did do salt dough ornaments...they mixed the dough, rolled it out, cut out the shapes, and painted them themselves...the only thing i did was dry them in the oven.

and i did do a reindeer handprint ornament for the two babies..i just couldnt resist.
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SilverSabre25 10:05 AM 12-20-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
Bah. Humbug. We haven't made ANY, and we won't make ANY. The parents will get a picture frame with a current pic of their kids. That's it. I have NEVER done crafts, for any holiday. I don't know how ya'll do it.....I only do process art that they can engage in independently. My only involvement is set up and clean up.
I only do it because my parents expect it and want to "see" the "results" of the "learning" their children do here. I have great parents, but they don't "get" learning through play. I love my families and my parents, they're great, but they want the more "official" stuff. Someday, once I've gotten more experience under my belt as well as a teacher's license and possibly a Montessori certification, I may be able to convince my clients that I really do know what I'm doing when it comes to a play-based program. Until then, I play it their way.
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WImom 11:05 AM 12-20-2011
*Paper plate christmas trees - these turned out cute
*Paper plate reindeer (hand prints are the antlers)
*Paper Stockings and they decorated with stickers (alt. red/green to make a *AB pattern when I hung them)
*Red and Green Collage
*painted Glass Candle Holders (parent Gifts)

Wed- Reindeer Food
Thurs - Cook and Decorate Gingerbread Men

Lots of paper ornaments and pony bead wreaths - these were layed out on the tables during free play with stampers, stickers, markers, cut up wrapping paper, etc. All the ornaments are on our DC christmas tree in the reading area.
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Blackcat31 11:07 AM 12-20-2011
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
I only do it because my parents expect it and want to "see" the "results" of the "learning" their children do here. I have great parents, but they don't "get" learning through play. I love my families and my parents, they're great, but they want the more "official" stuff. Someday, once I've gotten more experience under my belt as well as a teacher's license and possibly a Montessori certification, I may be able to convince my clients that I really do know what I'm doing when it comes to a play-based program. Until then, I play it their way.
I did the same thing Silver. All my parents wanted to see tangible arts/craft projects, even when it was painfully obvious that I did all the work. After a few years and a bit of education on the concept of art as a process, I slowly began phasing those old routines out.

Now, I am proud to say that I practice a complete developmentally appropriate child-led play based curriculum approach. I agree that it is frustrating to know the "stuff" (like you do) and not be able to get the parents to understand it.
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momma2girls 11:55 AM 12-20-2011
I start crafts at age 3- same as preschool items, worksheets, etc.
We begin to color at age 2, if child isn't ready, we wait til 2 1/2. I have had children, all they want to do it eat the colors, throw the colors, etc. at age 2.
The exception to this is Holiday crafts, ex. Christmas, I make handprints around a wreath, with a picture of the child in it. I did this with everyone, exc. the new baby. We are making snowmen in Jan. even my little 2 yr. old will enjoy helping with that one, but otherwise, fingerplays, nursery rhymes, playtime, storytime, etc... I only have one 2 yr. old, 1 1/2, and a 1 yr. old and a newborn baby.
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Lucy 12:34 PM 12-20-2011
I did the star that someone here posted a link to. It's a big star that they glue different shapes of noodles onto, and then you spray paint it silver (or gold I suppose) and there is a cut out in the middle for their picture. So cute!!!

Edited to add the picture. This is not MY picture, it was on someone's blog.


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TTjMBmDbrn...r+ornament.JPG
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Lucy 09:21 AM 12-22-2011
Here is how our Christmas Star ornaments turned out. Cute!!! I recommend starting about a week before Christmas though. The glue needs to dry before you can spray paint, and the spray paint needs to dry before you attach the picture and hanging string.


Copy of Christmas Ornaments 2011 006 PSresize.jpg
Attached:
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Ariana 09:31 AM 12-22-2011
We did a foot and hand reindeer it is so cool!! The kids loved getting painted hands and feet!!



We also did these Christmas trees. The kids had to put the blocks in order from biggest to smallest to get the shape!


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Abigail 11:19 PM 12-22-2011
Originally Posted by melskids:
I agree. 99.9 % of our art is process.

...but we did do salt dough ornaments...they mixed the dough, rolled it out, cut out the shapes, and painted them themselves...the only thing i did was dry them in the oven.

and i did do a reindeer handprint ornament for the two babies..i just couldnt resist.
I did this myself--no daycare kids to do it. Do you still think I could do this in the end of January? LOL How long and at what temperature did you put them in the oven? I let mine air-dry and it tooks 2 days! Did you have to sand them down at all? Did you put a hole in it to hang it by a string?
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Meyou 02:15 AM 12-23-2011
I'm not a huge fan of doing multiple craft projects for little kids but my group right now is pretty crafty so we did a few this year. The babies did not do some of these since I would have been making them myself. lol

Christmas stamping (christmas stamps, poster paint, BIG paper)
Candycane bead ornaments (pipe cleaner, red, green and white star beads)
Wreath bead ornaments (same as above but bend in a circle lol)
Saltdough ornaments (I helped a little with the rolling)
Foam Ornaments (Kit with 18 ornaments and stickers to decorate)

For those that find it too much.....I have found that if I plan a craft and have it ready that works best for me. Everything is all set to go in my cupboard and I wait for a good day where everyone is happy and crafty right after afternoon snack. So I planned 5 crafts for Dec but didn't pick the days we would do them. This has been working much. much better for me and the kids are enjoying directed crafts much more. I also keep them quick. Just a thought.

This is in addition to daily access to art materials in our craft and quiet area. I add theme things to make it more festive. Christmas puzzles, cookie cutters for the playdough, lots of Christmas stickers and Christmas colored materials.
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melskids 05:03 AM 12-23-2011
Originally Posted by Child Care:
I did this myself--no daycare kids to do it. Do you still think I could do this in the end of January? LOL How long and at what temperature did you put them in the oven? I let mine air-dry and it tooks 2 days! Did you have to sand them down at all? Did you put a hole in it to hang it by a string?
I put them in the oven at 200 degrees for 3 or 4 hours until they got hard. some took longer cause the kiddos didnt roll them all the same thickness.

We didnt sand them, but before I baked them, I poked a hole in them with a straw so we could hang them with ribbon.
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Tags:christmas, christmas crafts, ornaments
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