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How Do I Choose the Best Christmas Crafts for Preschool?

Laura M. Sands
Laura M. Sands

Choose the best Christmas crafts for preschool aged children by first gathering safe art activities for kids under five years old. The Internet and the public library can offer you several craft ideas for children of this age. Also seek activities that can help children learn and grow while enjoying arts and crafts. For instance, you may want to consider gathering ideas for multicultural Christmas art projects that can also serve as learning opportunities for children of this age. Ultimately, select the crafts based on the safety of each project, the educational opportunities each presents and the levels of fun each child will have while engaging in Christmas arts and crafts.

When selecting Christmas crafts for preschool children, it is important to keep tasks relatively simple and fun. Children at this age should be supervised at all times and should never use sharp objects or toxic chemicals. With this in mind, gather ideas for easy crafts for kids such as coloring pictures of Santa Claus or making Christmas cards for different family members.

Children like making decorations and ornaments for the holidays.
Children like making decorations and ornaments for the holidays.

Christmas crafts for young children can also become a teaching opportunity. When selecting the best art activities, consider projects that highlight how Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world. Children may enjoy learning to spell easy words like "snow" and "toys" in other languages that can be drawn or painted on Christmas tree ornaments. To enhance multicultural craft projects for kids, consider including crayon, paint and paper colors that match multiple skin tones to help children best illustrate physical diversities.

Teachers can have preschool students practice writing skills by writing a letter to Santa.
Teachers can have preschool students practice writing skills by writing a letter to Santa.

When planning art projects, also consider music or stories that will help keep children engaged in the craft activity. While Christmas crafts for preschool children should be kept relatively simple, incorporating other Christmas activities can help keep children engaged during craft time. Creating a festive atmosphere also helps children understand that the holidays are a time for lighthearted fun. With this in mind, choose crafts that do not require heavy concentration or precise details so that children are free to enjoy this time to sing Christmas songs and listen to holiday stories.

Coloring pictures of Santa is an easy craft for kids.
Coloring pictures of Santa is an easy craft for kids.

Selecting the best Christmas crafts for children preschool based on the children’s interests is also a way to keep children engaged in the activity at hand. Be sure to select holiday crafts that are colorful and that children have the dexterity to perform. Ultimately, select the best Christmas crafts for preschool kids based on what the children are likely to enjoy the most and feel good about creating.

Discussion Comments

bagley79

I am not that creative, so rely on other sources to get ideas for Christmas craft ideas for my preschoolers.

We like to go to the library and look at the kids craft books to get some fun and easy ideas. We each choose one craft book to bring home for a few weeks to make some crafts with.

After we bring the books home and decide on the crafts we are going to make, we head to the craft store to buy our supplies.

By involving the kids in this process, they are really excited to sit down and put their project together. We try to come up with a different craft every year that they can make and give to special people in their life for a small present.

It gives my kids the confidence knowing they made and created something with their hands, and it also teaches them how fun it is to give.

honeybees

It is a Christmas tradition in our house to make the red and green paper chains from construction paper. This started many years ago with my oldest daughter and we have continued it every year.

This is a simple Christmas craft that even the younger kids can work on. If they can't cut out the paper rings by themselves, they can make a circle out of them and help tape them together.

It is also something that is quick to do and they see the results right away. When they are done, they can hang it on the tree and feel like they have accomplished something.

I have found that if the project takes too long, the younger kids lose interest in a hurry. All of my kids, including the preschool age ones look forward to making these simple paper chains.

LisaLou

When my sister comes over with her kids, we like to plan fun and easy Christmas crafts for the kids to work on. Many times these end up being presents they give to their grandparents other cousins.

No matter what age they are, we have found that they love to paint with brushes and with their fingers. We keep a supply of large paint shirts around so they don't get paint on their clothes.

They love putting on these shirts because they know they can get as dirty as they want. There are many Christmas crafts that the younger kids can't do, but painting is one that is enjoyed by all of them.

We have painted everything from cards, ornaments, stockings, and decorative items to give away as gifts or to keep for themselves.

Mykol

One thing I have learned from working with preschoolers is to have all of your supplies set out and ready to go when you get ready to make a craft.

They don't have a very long attention span, so it works so much better if everything is organized and ready to go. Making preschool Christmas crafts can be a lot of fun, but you also need to be some thought into it ahead of time.

One year I thought it would be a good idea to make Christmas cards for their parents. This was a good idea, but I choose the wrong kind of materials to work with this age group.

Never again will I use glitter for kids under 5 years of age. It doesn't matter how careful you try to be, the glitter gets all over everything, and the mess is hard to clean up.

Now when we sit down to make cards, I keep it simple and let them use a glue stick to decorate their cards with pictures.

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    • Children like making decorations and ornaments for the holidays.
      By: Gennadiy Poznyakov
      Children like making decorations and ornaments for the holidays.
    • Teachers can have preschool students practice writing skills by writing a letter to Santa.
      By: Steve Cukrov
      Teachers can have preschool students practice writing skills by writing a letter to Santa.
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      Coloring pictures of Santa is an easy craft for kids.
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