Holiday wreaths
Cut out 6 inch "donut" shapes from sturdy paper, like cardboard or oak tag to create wreath shapes. Children can decorate their wreaths with a variety of materials like: scraps of gift-wrap, decorative foil paper or aluminum foil, tissue paper, colored pasta, potpourri, small pine cones, acorns, seed pods, or leaves, pom-poms, etc. Assist the children in to a piece of yarn or ribbon in the middle of the wreath. Use a hole punch and make a hole in the top of the wreath. Use yarn, string, or ribbon to hand the wreaths throughout the classroom. Potpourri wreaths make lovely gifts for families, too.
Kwanzaa Paper Chains
Cut out one-inch strips of red, green, and black construction paper. Provide the children with glue or tape. Provide the children with a variety of the paper strips. Show the children how to make a paper chain by taping or gluing each end a strip together and placing another strip through the circle and attaching the ends, again. Children can make their own chains or work with a friend. Attach their chains together to create a large decorative chain for your classroom. Paper or lightweight holiday decorations can be suspended from the chain with yarn or thin craft wire.
Snowflakes
Provide the children with colorful squares of tissue paper. Fold the squares in half and then in half again. Two sides of the square should have only folds showing. Fold these two sides together to make a triangle shape. Children may need assistance folding their paper. Provide the children with safety scissors and tell them to cut small shapes around the outside edges of their folded paper. Then open the paper to find a beautiful snowflake. Children can decorate their snowflakes with glitter. Glue a piece of yarn to the paper and suspend from a paper chain or yarn strung across an area in your classroom.
Holiday Lanterns
Give each child a small paper tubes (toilet tissue size). Invite the children to cover the paper tubes using foil or decorative paper. Provide the children with colored glue or white glue mixed with glitter and a variety of decorative collage materials like tissue paper, buttons, beads, colored pasta, etc. Children will use the materials to decorate their tubes to create holiday lanterns. Use a hole punch and make two holes at the top of the lantern. Place string, ribbon, or a long wire pipe cleaner through the holes and suspend in your classroom.
Spinning Dreidels
Pre-cut out small dreidel shapes using oak tag or cardboard. Provide the children with a variety of materials to decorate both sides of their dreidel like decorative paper, foil, or tissue paper, buttons, beads, colored glue, or glitter. Children can also paint or draw on their dreidels. When they have completed both sides and the glue or paint has dried use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of the dreidel. Use yarn or string to suspend their dreidels from hangers or yarn strung across the classroom. Watch the dreidels spin in the air.
Deck the Hall
Get your students in the holiday spirit with these easy-to-make decorations and crafts.
