In my excitement to deck out the house in holiday cheer, I always forget that part of the fun is including the whole family. I like decorating the tree in a very particular way. The kids do help decorate the tree, but to be honest, I usually assign them the part of the tree that is going to be hidden in the corner.
I am not proud of it. The kids have noticed, and now my husband calls me Monica Geller, the kids have even picked it up, and they do not even know what it is in reference to — it is a cold irony!
This year, I have vowed to turn a new leaf and get my kids in on some of the fun holiday action. Are you looking for ways to get your kids excited about the holidays too? Start by making these crafts:
Holiday Sugar Cookies
Materials Needed:
- Butter
- Eggs
- Flour
- Salt
- Pam
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Cookie cutters
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum
- Foil
- Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting
- Sprinkles
- Rolling pin
- Colling rack
- Plastic tarp
- Small bowls
Directions:
Step 1: Make the sugar cookie dough following this recipe.
Step 2: Lay out a sheet of aluminum foil and sprinkle with flour. Take the dough and lay it out on the floured aluminum foil. Roll it ½ an inch thick. Have the kids take their favorite cookie cutter and cut out cookies.
Step 3: Lay out another sheet of aluminum foil on the baking sheet and spray with Pam.
Step 4: Lay out the sugar cookies on the baking sheet.
Step 5: Preheat the oven 400 degrees. After the oven has been preheated, bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes.
Step 6: After the cookies have baked for the desired amount, remove the cookies from the oven and set them on the cooling rack. Let them cool completely. This should take between 1-2 hours.
Step 7: Lay out a plastic tarp on the dining room table. Set up the table with frosting, spoons, and sprinkles.
Step 8: Have the kids use their spoons to spread the cream cheese frosting on the cookies.
Step 9: With a different spoon, have the kids spoon out the sprinkles of the small bowls and scatter them over the frosted cookies. The tarp will allow the kids to get messy with the frosting and sprinkles and to lose themselves in the fun, plus it will also make for easy clean up!
The cookies can be gifted to friends, family, and Santa!
A Felt Tree
Materials Needed:
- Felt: green, yellow, red, white, and blue
- Scissors
- White pencil
- Double-sided poster tape
- Elmer’s glue
- Glitter: assorted colors
Directions:
Step 1: Draw a 3-foot tall triangle on the green felt. Cut with scissors.
Step 2: Draw 3-inch wide circles on the yellow, red, white, and blue felt pieces. Cut out with scissors.
Step 3: Stick pieces of the double-sided poster tape to the felt triangle, stick it to the wall in the kids’ bedroom. The triangle is a Christmas tree!
Step 4: On a flat work surface, have the kiddos draw squiggly lines with the Elmer’s glue on the felt circles. Then have them make it rain with glitter! Set aside and let dry.
Step 5: After the felt ornaments have dried, take the kids to their bedrooms and have them decorate their own Christmas tree. They can style the tree in whatever way they want and change it up every day.
Every room in the house can have a tree. However, there is still one more Christmas craft for the kids!
Santa Slime
Writer’s Note: This craft was taken with inspiration from Growing a Jeweled Rose.
Materials Needed:
- Red glitter glue
- Peppermint extract
- Warm water
- Snowflake-shaped glitter
- 3 Bowls
- Borax
Directions:
Step 1: Combine 1 and a half cups warm water with 2 cups of red glitter glue in a bowl. Stir.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine 1 and a third cups warm water, 3 drops of peppermint extract, and three quarters teaspoons of borax. Stir.
Step 3: Combine the contents of each bowl into a third bowl and mix. Sprinkle the desired glitter into the new mix.
And just like that, you have Santa slime! Who knew it was that easy, right?
The holidays are a time to make memories and start new traditions. Get your kids in on the excitement with these and other awesome crafting ideas.
