Christmas Art for Kids - Simple, Easy and Fun!

Every year without fail, when the Christmas season starts to roll in, we make sure that the kids in our preschool get the chance to make homemade Christmas decorations.

We then joyfully hang their work in the classrooms and allow them to bring their projects home before Christmas break starts. This work of art can also be used as personalized greeting card or a gift for grandpa or grandma or their favorite aunt, uncle, cousin or friend.

Here are some of our favorite Christmas art for preschoolers.

Materials needed:

• Green cartolinas
• Scissors
• Glue
• Glitters or colored dust (various colors)
• String or yarn :Optional

Procedure:

1. Place glue on the christmas tree.
2. Sprinkle glitters all over it.
3. When the glue is dry, put the tree in an upright position and allow the extra glitters to fall down.

Note: Make sure the extra glitters fall on a paper. These can still be used.

Materials needed:

• Red Cartolinas
• Scissors
• Glue
• Cotton
• Glitters or colored dust (various colors)
• String or yarn: (optional)

Procedure:

1. Stick cotton on the topmost part of the stocking.
2. Add glue on the spots where you want the decorations to be.
3. Sprinkle glitters.
4. When the glue is dry, let the stocking stand in an upright position to shake off the extra glitters.

Paper Christmas tree and stocking can be used as a wall or door decoration. Your child can also write a simple greeting and let him/her give it to someone special.

For younger kids who still can't use the scissors properly, we usually make the template (Christmas tree or stockings or bells) beforehand. The older kids can work with less supervision.

Variations of this project:

• Christmas Bells
• Snowflakes
• Stars
• Snowman
• Santa's Face

Materials needed:

• Empty round can
• Green cartolinas
• Green crepe papers (various green shades)
• Colored papers (various colors)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Transparent tape (as needed)

Procedure:

1. Wrap the empty can with brown colored paper.
2. Cut the green cartolina to make a cone shape figure but don't secure it yet.

3. Fold strips of crepe papers. Cut into strips but leaving the edge uncut (so you have something to secure it into place). Then glue the crepe papers in the cartolina. After you can now proceed to pasting the edges of the cartolina together to form into a cone.

4. Put the empty can on the table and slid the christmas tree into place.

5. Cut different shapes (circles, triangles) using colored papers to represent your decorations. Then paste this on the christmas tree.

Materials needed:

• White cartolinas
• Gold glitters
• Gold foil
• Glue
• Scissors
• Transparent tape (as needed)

Procedure:

1. For the face: draw a shape of the face (making sure that the cartolina is folded so that it is thicker.) Let the kids cut the shape of the face. After let them draw the face using glitter glue.
2. For the hair: Using the gold foil, let them cut the squarish foil into strips but making sure leaving the top uncut.
3. For the body: Cut the cartolina and shaped it into a cone. But don't secure it yet. Allow the kids to decorate it with glitter glue.
4. For the wings: Let the kids cut two wings and decorate again with glitter glue.
5. Secure all the pieces together.

We enjoy arts and crafts time esp. during Christmas because it's wonderful seeing the kids at work. Their joy is contagious and I have been able to open my eyes and heart and just appreciate the simple things in life--even those made out of paper.

Michelle Simtoco