Holiday Crafting with Kids

Marie of Make and Takes asked me to be part of the blog tour for her new book, Make and Takes for Kids: 50 Crafts Throughout the Year, published by Wiley. If you are familiar with Marie’s blog, you know that she offers kids’ crafts, recipes and activities perfect for parents with busy lives, homeschoolers, teachers, and anyone interested in making fast and fun crafts with the kids.

In her new book, Marie offers 50 simple and easy crafts for all seasons of the year. Each craft includes learning objectives, a supply list and clear instructions. The crafts are just right for kids of all ages with projects that work for both boys and girls. These crafts are simple, featuring supplies you may have on hand: pipe cleaners, glue, construction paper, plus re-purposed materials such as toilet paper tubes, milk jugs and egg cartons.

I thought I’d take this opportunity to give some ideas for crafting with kids around the holidays. We all love the idea of a meaningful, handmade holiday, but life can become chaotic around this time of year trying to clean your house, cook, or prepare to go out of town, often while working and taking care of the kids’ homework and carting them around to activities. I’ve noticed lately with the time change that I’m struggling just to get a meal on the table and get the kids in bed at a reasonable time. So it’s not surprising that when I received the book from Marie, I looked and found lots of great crafts to try, but we haven’t had the time! Here are a few simple ideas to help you keep the kids busy and make a meaningful holiday:

1) Go shopping or gather materials. Have craft supplies on hand and get everything organized before the holidays. If you are re-purposing materials like newspaper or toilet paper tubes, go ahead and gather those.

2) Make craft kits. Make a list of the activities you’d like to try with the kids and pre-cut or gather materials as needed. Put each project in its own basket, making a kit that the kids can pick up and make on their own. Kids who can read can easily follow the instructions in this book.

3) Give choices. My older daughter is very independent and really hates any prescribed activity, but she will follow along with a book, making her own variations. I often find that letting her choose the project gives her ownership and makes her much more interested in it.

Now that I’ve said all this, I’d better follow my own advice! Check out Marie’s book if you get a chance, and you can find the instructions for this Thankful leaf project (below) over on Skip to My Lou.

All photos by Nicole Gerulat.

You can also check out some of these other crafting resources for the kids this holiday season: Make and Takes, The Crafty Crow, Alpha Mom, my list of 100 Holiday Crafts, and this new Martha and Friends interactive site.

What are your favorite sites, books or other resources for kids’ craft ideas?