As the holiday season approaches, I’m thrilled to share a heartfelt activity that can bring joy and skill-building opportunities for children: creating holiday ornaments! This hands-on craft not only fosters creativity but also encourages important skills such as fine motor development, following directions, and social interaction.
Materials Needed:
- Clear plastic ornaments (available at craft stores)
- Paint or glitter
- Paintbrushes or small sponges
- Ribbon or twine for hanging
- Optional: stickers, sequins, or natural items like pinecones
Instructions:
1. Prep the Space: Lay down an old tablecloth or newspaper to protect your work area. Explain the activity to your child, using simple language and visual supports if necessary.
2. Decorate the Ornaments: Have your child choose their ornament and provide them with paint or glitter. Encourage them to express their creativity with colors and designs. Support them with hand-over-hand guidance if needed, and celebrate their choices!
3. Customize: Post-decoration, let the ornaments dry, and then assist your child in adding embellishments like stickers or sequins to enhance their designs.
4. Add a Ribbon: Once dry, help them tie a piece of ribbon or twine to hang their masterpiece.
This activity promotes fine motor skills as kids manipulate small items and practice pouring or scooping materials. Additionally, as they create their designs, parents can work on communication and expressive language skills by asking them to label colors, shapes and textures.
If you would like to print out a free holiday ornament, instead of collecting your own materials, here are a few of our favorites:
1. The First Grade Collective posted a free Elf Yourself Ornament that only requires you to provide a picture of your child’s face to create: Link Here
2. Mr. Edgar the EduCat posted a free Star Ornament: Link Here
3. Jennifer Drake posted a free Fingerprint Christmas Tree ornament: Link Here
4. Diazi Blue Learning posted a free holiday ornament for kids to color and write a reason they are thankful this season: Link Here
Let us know how the ornaments turned out. Feel free to post pictures of your child’s masterpiece!
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