The festive season is an enchanting time filled with twinkling lights, the aroma of cinnamon and pine, and eager anticipation.
It’s also a wonderful period for creating and bonding, making it just the perfect opportunity to introduce toddlers to the wonderful world of crafting.
Crafting with toddlers has many benefits.
It fosters creativity, improves fine motor skills, and can provide a wonderful sense of achievement.
Not to mention, it’s a delightful way to make lasting memories together.
Engaging little ones in simple, tactile, and visually stimulating activities can instill an early love for arts and crafts.
In this article, we’ll explore five December crafts that are perfect for toddlers.
From the Salt Dough Christmas Tree to Handprint Penguins, these activities are sure to sprinkle a little extra joy into your holiday season.
So, let’s dive in and get those little hands busy!
5 December Crafts for Toddlers
Craft 1: Salt Dough Christmas Tree Craft
Salt dough ornaments are a classic holiday craft that’s great for toddlers.
They’re easy to make, and the result is a beautiful keepsake that can be treasured for years to come.
Materials Needed
To begin, you’ll need:
· 1 cup flour
· 1/2 cup salt
· 1/2 cup water
· A rolling pin
· Tree-shaped cookie cutters
· Acrylic paint
· Glitter
· Mod Podge or clear varnish
· Ribbon or string for hanging
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Mix the flour, salt, and water in a bowl to create the dough.
2. Knead the mixture until it’s smooth and pliable.
3. Roll out the dough on a flat surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
4. Use the cookie cutters to cut out tree shapes.
5. Poke a hole near the top of each shape for the ribbon.
6. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2 hours or until hard.
7. Once cooled, let your toddler paint and decorate with glitter.
8. Seal the ornaments with Mod Podge and thread the ribbon through the hole once dry.
Tips for Personalizing the Craft
Personalization is key! Encourage your toddler to press their thumbprints into the dough before baking to create unique patterns, or write their name and the year on the back to commemorate the occasion.
Benefits of This Craft Activity
This activity is excellent for developing fine motor skills through kneading and rolling.
It also encourages creativity as they decide how to decorate their trees.
Variations and Additional Ideas
Consider making different shapes like stars, snowmen, or angels.
You can also use the salt dough to create festive garlands or wreaths.
Craft 2: Cotton Ball Snowman Craft
Your winter wonderland would not be complete without a snowman.
Making a fluffy cotton ball snowman is both fun and easy for tiny hands.
Necessary Supplies
Gather the following supplies:
· Construction paper or cardstock
· Cotton balls
· Glue
· Markers or paint
· Fabric scraps for the scarf
· Pipe cleaners for the arms
Creating the Snowman
1. Cut out three large circles from the construction paper to form the snowman’s body.
2. Glue cotton balls onto the circles to make them snowy white.
3. Stack the circles and glue them together to form the snowman.
4. Use markers, paint, or more construction paper to create a face, buttons, and other details.
Adding Personal Touches
Let your toddler get creative by adding a tiny fabric scarf, drawing a carrot nose, and sticking on pipe cleaner arms.
Displaying the Snowman
Proudly display your toddler’s creation on the fridge or wall as part of your holiday decor.
Exploring Different Snowman Designs
Experiment with different sizes and accessories.
Maybe this snowman has a hat, or that one carries a broom!
Craft 3: Loofah Snowman Painting
Painting with a loofah is an interesting sensory experience for toddlers and the perfect way to make a textured snowman.
Materials Required
You’ll need:
· Paper or canvas
· Non-toxic white and colored paint
· A loofah
· Embellishments such as buttons, fabric, and ribbon
Painting the Snowman
1. Dip the loofah into white paint and then press it onto the paper to create a snowman’s body.
2. Repeat the process to add layers and depth.
Adding Decorations
Once the paint dries, help your toddler add a face, buttons, and a cozy scarf to their snowman by gluing on embellishments.
Displaying the Snowman Art
Find the perfect spot to hang this unique piece of art where it can add some frosty fun to your home.
Exploring Different Painting Techniques
Talk about how the loofah creates different textures compared to brushes or fingers and experiment with mixing colors.
Craft 4: Winter Hat Craft
Making a miniature winter hat is an adorable craft and great for practicing those all-important fine motor skills.
Gathering Materials
You’ll need:
· Yarn
· Scissors
· Toilet paper roll
· Pom-poms
Making the Winter Hat
1. Cut the toilet paper roll into rings about an inch wide.
2. Wrap yarn around the ring until it is completely covered.
3. Thread a piece of yarn through the top to gather the ends and tie it to create the top of the hat.
4. Attach a pom-pom on top for added cuteness.
Adding Embellishments
Encourage your toddler to choose their yarn colors and to attach stickers or more yarn as decoration.
Wearing the Winter Hat
Pop these on the top of a toy’s head or use them as adorable tabletop decorations.
Exploring Different Hat Designs
Make a collection of hats in different colors and sizes, even adding braided or knitted embellishments with help from an adult.
Craft 5: Handprint Penguins
Handprint crafts are perfect for little ones and create a cute keepsake.
For a wintry touch, handprint penguins are the way to go.
Selecting the Right Materials
You will need:
· Black, white, and orange non-toxic paint
· Paper
· Googly eyes
Making the Penguins
1. Paint your toddler’s hand black, leaving the middle finger unpainted.
2. Press their hand onto a sheet of paper to create the penguin’s body.
3. After the black paint dries, use white paint to fill in the belly area and orange paint for the feet and beak.
Adding Personal Touches
Stick on googly eyes or let your toddler draw the penguins’ features with markers.
Displaying the Penguin Craft
A frame or a festive ribbon can turn your toddler’s creation into holiday decor or a handmade gift for relatives.
Exploring Different Penguin Designs
Penguins come in many shapes and sizes, so let your imagination swim free and create a whole waddle of penguin friends.
Conclusion
These five December crafts are ideal for bringing some handmade comfort and joy into the life of a toddler.
Every glue smear and paint blotch is a stepping stone in their creative development, and every completed project is a masterpiece worthy of praise.
So gear up for some fun-filled crafting sessions that are bound to create not just ornaments and decorations, but also treasured moments and lifelong memories.
Let these holiday crafts open the door to innovation and perhaps even spark the beginning of cherished holiday traditions for years to come.
And once the crafting is done, don’t hesitate to showcase the finished products.
Whether it’s hanging salt dough ornaments on the tree or sending handprint penguins as seasonal greetings, these crafts deserve to be celebrated and shared.
As we wrap up this crafting guide, remember that the true magic lies in the moments spent together.
It’s not about perfection; it’s about the twinkling eyes, the giggles, and the sense of wonder that crafting can bring to a child’s world.
Here’s to a joyful season, full of creation, exploration, and the pure delight of December crafts for toddlers.