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photo credit: Liz (perspicacious.org)

Kids love decorating the Christmas tree during the Yuletide season. One of the most popular decors used is a Christmas ball that comes in many different colors.

Now, with your big help and encouragement, kids can also decorate cards with these colorful balls. In turn they can give these cards to other people to spread the Christmas spirit.

Supplies:

• Green paper board
• Colored construction papers
• Shiny paper
• Black yarn
• Glue
• Glitter or glitter glue
• Tape
• Scissors
• Markers

Steps:

1. Get the green paper board and cut a rectangle shape for the card base. (You may use plain paper board and paste green colored paper on it if green paper board is not available).
2. Fold it into half.
3. Fold the front portion into four crosswise folds and cut away three parts (3/4) of the paper fold, with one fold remaining at the top portion of the card.
4. Make balls by making and cutting circle shapes in different sizes using the different colored papers.
5. Make the kids design their own Christmas balls by using colored markers and glitters, or lining then with glitter glue.
6. Cut the yarn into short pieces. Glue one end into the back part of the remaining paper fold of the front portion of the card and attach the Christmas balls to the other end. Yarn lengths need not be equal.
7. Write “Merry Christmas!” on the remaining top portion of the front fold of the card.
8. Write your message on the inner back fold of the card. You can add some designs into that portion too.

Bond with the kids in making the hanging Christmas balls card and teach them the value of sharing by letting the children create and give cards to friends and loved ones.

photo credit: jez.atkinson

Who said ghosts are only supposed to be spooky? They could be cool and cute.

This Halloween, kids can enjoy making cute ghost decors that they can hang on the door or on walls. This is something that they can display especially during the season of Trick or Treat.

Supplies:

• Paper plates
• Black and white construction paper
• Large wiggly eyes (optional)
• White yarn
• Crepe paper
• Glue
• Tape
• Black markers
• Scissors
• Shape patterns  for arms, eyes, and mouth (Make the patterns in advance or together with your kids)

How to make it:

1. First, make the eyes of the ghost by cutting two large oval patterns and then two smaller oval patterns out of the construction paper.
2. Glue the white ovals to the black ones. To make it look like eyes, draw a small black circle on the white ovals. If you have large wiggly eyes, you can skip this step.
3. Trace the arm pattern on the white construction paper and make two arms. Make a mouth shape using the black construction paper.
4. Attach the arms at the back portion of the paper plate by gluing it.
5. Glue the custom made eyes or the large wiggly eyes and the mouth to the paper plate. You can also let the kids draw the face themselves.
6. You can also draw eye brows over the eyes.
7. Cut the crepe paper into long strips and attach them at the back of the paper plate.
8. Get a short piece of yarn (about six inches), and attach the ends of the yarn to the back of the paper plate to serve as the hanger.
9. Mount the cute ghost décor on doors or wall of your home.

Enjoy your Halloween celebration with your kids through this craft!

photo credit: Photocapy

This is one craft that your kids will surely love and enjoy. This will develop their creativity and resourcefulness. As they grow taller and stronger, they are attracted to moving objects.  They are also becoming more aware of their mobility.   Making a pull-along mini-cart would satisfy their curiosity and active desire to be in control of things.  Moreover, this craft can be a learning activity in which the children can identify colors and shapes.

What you will need:

• Drinking/plastic cup
• Colored cardboard
• Two pieces of pencils
• Modeling clay
• String
• Pair of scissors

How to do it:

1. Place your drinking/plastic cup on the colored cardboard and trace the base with a pencil to make four wheels.
2. Cut the four wheels out of the cardboard.
3. Push the two pencils through the two wheels respectively. Be careful in handling the pointed tip to avoid piercing or hurting yourself.
4. Attach the pencil on each wheel and seal it with modeling clay to prevent it from loosening.
5. Make a small rectangular box with an open top using your colored cardboard. You can use a different color this time to make the body of the mini-cart distinct from the wheels.
6. Make four holes on the sides of the box, two on each side.
7. Push the pencils with wheels through the holes.
8. Attach the remaining two wheels on the two pencils, respectively and fixing it with modeling clay.
9. Tie a string on one end of the box, just long enough for your kid to pull it along.
10. Now that you have a pull-along mini-cart, ask your child to give it a name to make it more meaningful for him.

photo credit: katekillet

Toddlers always enjoy making sounds, be it by just tapping objects or anything they can get their hands on. Teach your kids early to develop their love for music.

One simple musical instrument that you can do with your toddlers is a musical shaker made of ordinary things or recycled materials. Surely, it will be enjoyable for the kids to make, and play with!  To make their shaker colorful, the kids can add decorations on it.

Supplies:

• Two pieces of used plastic cups
• Dried lentils or beans
• Tape
• Colored construction paper (optional)
• Crayons or markers
• Glue
• Pair of scissors

Steps:

1. Clean up the cups very thoroughly.
2. Ask your child to take the dried lentils or beans and place them inside the cup.
3. Take the other cup and place it on top of the cup with dried lentils or beans.
4. Attach them with a tape (make it tight, so it doesn’t break open)
5. Take out your colored construction paper and wrap it around the shaker.
6. Assist your child in decorating the shaker with crayons or markers.
7. Ask your kids to shake it up and down, and side to side to make sounds.

Now, play the CD of your kids’ favorite songs and sing with them while demonstrating how you enhance the rhythm of the music using the musical shakers that you all crafted.  Add some fun dancing and surely the whole family would find great time and bonding.

photo credit: ktylerconk

Christmas is the most colorful and most anticipated celebration of the year all over the world. It is a special holiday characterized by twinkling lights, tinsel display all over town, glittering decors in the homes and stores. Children, especially love Christmas, and are always excited to celebrate Christmas every year.

You can make it doubly exciting for your kids by engaging them in creative activities in preparation for the season. One of these is making Christmas décor, like a Christmas glitter globe. Definitely, kids will love making their own home decor that they can display during the Christmas holidays.

What you will need:

• A glass jar with tight-fitting lid depends on the size of the globe you want to make)
• A Christmas figurine or figurines, depends on how many can fit in (e.g., Santa Claus with reindeers, Manger scene, or an angel)
• Waterproof glue
• Glitter (color depends on your preference)
• Water

How to make it:

1. Clean the jar and its lid. Take off labels and any residue of its former contents.
2. On the inside portion of the lid, glue your Christmas figurine with waterproof glue or glue gun. Stick the figurine well to prevent it from falling off.
3. Set aside until dry.
4. Fill the glass jar with cold water, about ¾ full only.
5. Sprinkle one tablespoon of glitter into the jar.
6. Check the jar lid to see if your figurine is completely dry. If it is, screw on lid and check water level. Add water, or spill out some of it if necessary.
7. Tighten the lid securely. Shake your glitter globe and watch your Christmas figurine sparkle inside.
8. You can use your Christmas glitter globe as a table décor, or as paper weight.