Inexpensive Christmas craft for kindergartners

[rnorwo1]

Hi,
I am "room mom" for my kindergartner's class, so I have to plan all of the parties and provide the materials for crafts and stuff and right now I'm planning the Christmas party (I'll get parent volunteers for snacks and drinks.) For the craft, I really want to do something nice and personal (with a picture or handprints, something unique to each child), something that the parents will really enjoy, rather than just the glue together type stuff that you typically see at oriental trading and such places. The teacher said that one year a mom helped the kids personalize plates for santa's cookies... I love this idea but not sure how much it would be to buy plates and paint and such for 26 kids? Ornaments are also an idea, but not sure how to have them personalize it... I've looked at several websites and see lots of painting on ornaments, but nothing that really stood out.

Does anyone have any ideas for a nice, personalized craft that parents will cherish but is not too expensive or too difficult for 5 & 6 year olds to do? I know, all of that may be asking for too much!

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Fyrefly]

How about this?
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/howtomakcero.html

Bring some paint and help them squeeze it in and then they can shake to their heart's content to make it marble. Then either you can write their name and the year on the ball with Sharpie, or have them write it on themselves, or write it on pretty paper themselves which they can then glue on if writing on a ball themselves is going to be too hard.

 

[shoney]

My kids have made several ornaments with their picture. One was made from a paper plate...small plate with center cut out..picture was glued in the middle. It had macaroni glued onto it and painted gold. Another used a bar drink coaster (cardboard square) with pic glued on and glitter put around it. Another one was their pic clued onto a wooden star and then the kids painted it. Another was one of those foam kits but a snowman frame with the pic.

These were in kindergarten/first grade. They don't make anything "christmasy" just "holiday" because there are too many religions to think about in our area.

In preschool, one of my kids made a wreath with their hand prints cut out of green paper glued around a large paper plate. Then the berries were their little fingerprints dipped in red paint. You could add their pic to the middle of it too. Take a pic of each kids wearing a santa hat holding a "2011" sign. That could be cute!

I love the pic ornaments...much more than those pre-fab foam things, too!

Have fun! Now that they are in 5th and 7th grade I miss those homemade gifts!

 

[daisyduck123]

Hi,
I am "room mom" for my kindergartner's class, so I have to plan all of the parties and provide the materials for crafts and stuff and right now I'm planning the Christmas party (I'll get parent volunteers for snacks and drinks.) For the craft, I really want to do something nice and personal (with a picture or handprints, something unique to each child), something that the parents will really enjoy, rather than just the glue together type stuff that you typically see at oriental trading and such places. The teacher said that one year a mom helped the kids personalize plates for santa's cookies... I love this idea but not sure how much it would be to buy plates and paint and such for 26 kids? Ornaments are also an idea, but not sure how to have them personalize it... I've looked at several websites and see lots of painting on ornaments, but nothing that really stood out.

Does anyone have any ideas for a nice, personalized craft that parents will cherish but is not too expensive or too difficult for 5 & 6 year olds to do? I know, all of that may be asking for too much!

Thanks for any ideas!

1st grade teacher here...

My students make a Snowman ornament/magnet each year. The students have the option of choosing to make their snowman into an ornament (with ribbon attached) or a magnet for the fridge (we use magnet tape). Due to religious reasons, I always give this option, as some children don't have Christmas trees at home to hang ornaments on.

Ours is simple...we have a die-cut machine at school. Using white construction paper, we cut out enough snowmen so that we have one per child. Most years, we have taken a picture of each student, so we have the students glue their faces onto the snowmen. If we haven't taken pictures, then the kids just draw faces on.

Then the kids decorate with markers, glitter, etc.

On the back, we write their names & the year.

 

[java]

Take blue balls
Dip child's hand in white paint-

Put open hand on bottom of ball- so your fingers go up around-
Turn those into little snowmen.
here's one version to give you an idea of how to do it better than my poor writing explanation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weHExt5Aw-k

 

[poohfriend77]

I've done my share of Christmas crafts at my DDs schools! Last year, I did a really cute one for her kindy class. It does require prep work by you (not a big deal since I was doing it for 14, but it looks like your class is bigger).

A week before the party, I went in and took photos of each kid. Then I printed them, so that I could cut out a "headshot" in a about a 2.5 in. circle. Then I glued each photo on to a 3 in. circle of red cardstock.

The day of the party, each kid wrote his/her name and the year on the back of the circle. Then they put green and red beads on a pipe cleaner and formed it into a circle to make a "wreath." I hot glued the bead wreath onto the circle, so the photo was inside the wreath, and added a ribbon loop. I know it sounds complicated, but it wasn't!

I just got a wooden ornament kit at Michaels that is pretty cute, too. It has little wooden ornaments shaped like snowmen, santa, reindeer, tree, etc. and they can color them with markers.

I have learned throughout the years to avoid anything that requires painting or gluing by the kids. The party is always at the end of the day, on the last day before break, so there is no drying time!

 

[scra]

1st grade teacher here...

My students make a Snowman ornament/magnet each year. The students have the option of choosing to make their snowman into an ornament (with ribbon attached) or a magnet for the fridge (we use magnet tape). Due to religious reasons, I always give this option, as some children don't have Christmas trees at home to hang ornaments on.

Ours is simple...we have a die-cut machine at school. Using white construction paper, we cut out enough snowmen so that we have one per child. Most years, we have taken a picture of each student, so we have the students glue their faces onto the snowmen. If we haven't taken pictures, then the kids just draw faces on.

Then the kids decorate with markers, glitter, etc.

On the back, we write their names & the year.

Yes, if it is a public school or a non-religious school, definitely do something similar to this - a choice of images (and included among them something that is not specifically Christmas) and a craft that isn't an ornament or something else specifically Christmas. You don't want to make any kids who celebrate differently feel left out.

 

[delmar411]

Take blue balls
Dip child's hand in white paint-

Put open hand on bottom of ball- so your fingers go up around-
Turn those into little snowmen.
here's one version to give you an idea of how to do it better than my poor writing explanation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weHExt5Aw-k

This is what I'm doing with my DS's K class (and have done in the past with little ones). You'll want to have each child's name and the year on it beforehand so the kids can do this part and then move onto the next activity.

http://pinterest.com/pin/256993070/

Super easy and very inexpensive.

 

[daisyduck123]

This is what I'm doing with my DS's K class (and have done in the past with little ones). You'll want to have each child's name and the year on it beforehand so the kids can do this part and then move onto the next activity.

http://pinterest.com/pin/256993070/

Super easy and very inexpensive.

I love this!! This is such a cute idea & I think would work very well if all of the parents will be at the class party so that they can carry their own ornament home safely.

I would never try this with my 1st grade class as we do not invite parents in. No way would my students be able to get this ornament home safely in their backpacks on the school buses. I can only imagine the tears that would happen if a child got home & his/her ornament were in a million pieces.

 

[lisateaches]

Please don't do the paint ornament thing. Such a great sounding idea, but they turn out looking pretty nasty. Just a little FYI from someone what has two on her tree.

 

[java]

My snowman ornaments were placed in a paper bag- along with tissue paper and they both survived rough boy bus rides! They are my 2 most cherished ornaments.

 

[gower525]

I love this!! This is such a cute idea & I think would work very well if all of the parents will be at the class party so that they can carry their own ornament home safely.

I would never try this with my 1st grade class as we do not invite parents in. No way would my students be ab le to get this ornament home safely in their backpacks on the school buses. I can only imagine the tears that would happen if a child got home & his/her ornament were in a million pieces.

I do this every year with 2nd graders. Big Lots has blue plastic ball ornaments that almost look like glass. They turn out great -- and not in pieces. Make sure the paint you use will stay on it when it dries beforehand. I used one type of paint once which all flaked off.

 

[torinsmom]

Please don't do the paint ornament thing. Such a great sounding idea, but they turn out looking pretty nasty. Just a little FYI from someone what has two on her tree.

Do you mean the snowmen ones or the marble ones? We did the snowman ones last year and they turned out great!

OP, you could make candy canes out of red and white propeller beads on pipe cleaners. Just do 2 white 2 red and keep repeating. Then bend the ends so the beads don't fall off and bend into a candy cane shape. We also did wreaths the same way. Use 3 green propeller beads and then one round red bead, string them on red pipe cleaners. When you have maybe 2 inches of pipe cleaner left, bend it into a wreath shape and make a "bow" out the leftover pipe cleaner.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Some GREAT ideas. Just a few thoughts. Parents love picture crafts and if you can get into the classroom a few days ahead to get picture these are great. You can create picture frames from lots of on line ideas. Don't ask for picture to be brought from home as SOMEONE will not have one.

Remember that the class Christmas party will be one of the most exciting days in the whole kindergarten year. The kids will be over the top with extra energy. Consider this when choose the simplicity and time factor for the craft.

Also, remember as they create the special craft, that all children do not go home to the typical two parent home. Try to use words like "some one special in your home" or for "whom you choose to give it to". We are the "parents" to our 5 year old but are not mom and dad to him. Also be prepared to have a child ask to make one for mom's house and one for dad's house. You of course do not have to accommodate this request but think through a response as it is VERY likely to come up!
Can you tell I have done this a few time!!!

One last thought though I know you said snack was covered, kids love food crafts. Decorating cookies or cup cakes or ice cream cone Christmas trees can be a BLAST

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

I have a friend who was a preschool teacher. She made Silhouttes of the kids and let them glue them into frames from the dollar tree.

http://www.thesitsgirls.com/2011/05/do-it-yourself-make-your-own-silhouettes/



http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/silhouettes.htm

They turned out great and were very special to the parents.

 

[crisi]

My kids came home with these one year (only out of that foam stuff) http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/2008/12/handprint-reind.html

 

[lucigo]

When my son was in preschool they made these edible crafts..

http://www.twigglemagazine.com/December-activities/christmas-cone-treat.html

They just used the cones, icing, and M&Ms.

 

[3boymthr]

The blue snowmen handprint ornaments are really cute. I'll have to remember that for next year with our cub scouts

If you don't want to make a christmas tree ornament my kids did something similar when in K only it was a votive/tealight holder. Instead of glass ornaments they used gerber baby food jars and only used fingers tips - middle finger for the bottom snow ball, ring finger for the middle and pinky for the head. A ribbon was tied around the neck of the jar and a tea light dropped inside. A single snowman on each side of the jar.

 

[rnorwo1]

Wow, thanks so much for all the great ideas! Now I'm a little overwhelmed, lol, but I'm leaning towards some of the picture or handprint ideas, I know these are the types of things I cherish most. I really like the snowman fingerprint ornament idea, seems easy and inexpensive, and so cute. What kind of paint would you use that woudn't chip? Is there something to spray over the top of it to keep it from messing up over the years?

Please keep the ideas coming, I'll have to present them to the teacher for approval. I can do the craft the day before the party if necessary, so longer projects are ok too. Then I could do the edible craft idea during the party, so thanks for that suggestion. Thanks also for the tips on taking the pics myself if I use something with pictures.... don't know why I didn't think of that, b/c it would be like pulling teeth to get everyone to send them in!
Thanks again!!!!!

 

[KathleensKid]

I've done these footprint penguins with my kids. They are soooo cute. And they are a winter craft rather than Christmas craft incase anyone in the class doesn't celebrate Christmas. The only expense is black paint, heavy paper (white cardstock works), and google eyes. They are really easy!
They only thing I did differently was to cut out white bodies, orange beaks and black wings. That way once they were dry, you could just glue them all on top (rather than having to wait for a second application of paint to dry). Do a sample with your child to get an idea of what size to make the bodies.

I framed mine in frames from the dollar store (with the glass removed) if that's in your budget for the kids, it makes them extra special.

http://www.meetthedubiens.com/2010/12/footprint-penguins.html