6 Great Holiday Crafts for Kids

Holiday crafts are great boredom busters for kids who are out of school over the Christmas break. Giving kids something to do with their hands will help them prepare for Christmas and maybe help decorate the house along the way. Providing fun activities for your kids will also keep the common refrain of "I'm bored" to a minimum.

1. Gingerbread House Kit: Around the holidays, many stores carry gingerbread house kits. Complete with gingerbread walls, roof and chimney, royal icing, decorating candies and a special foundation tray, these kits are a snap to assemble and practically fool proof. Kids will love attaching candies to decorate their house. If they can restrain themselves from eating it, it makes a darling Christmas decoration too.

2. Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments: One cup of cinnamon, one cup of applesauce and a tablespoon of white glue can be combined together to make a fun and fragrant dough. Roll it out on a surface dusted with more cinnamon and cut out shapes. Make holes at the top of each shape using a drinking straw and then allow each shape to dry. They will shrink a bit, but after 24 hours, and with a little gold string, you will have a highly scented ornament you and your children can hang on the Christmas tree.

3. Christmas Candle Holder: If you have a supply of empty baby food jars at your house, this may be the craft for you. Use paint and a paint brush to decorate baby food jars with snow flakes, Christmas trees or snowmen. When the jars dry, tie a ribbon into a pretty bow around the top, put a tea light inside and light it. Your kids will enjoy looking at their pretty painted candle holders.

4. Magic Reindeer Food: Mix up a batch of reindeer food to keep Santa's reindeer quiet and satisfied as he goes about his Christmas duty in your home! Layer the following ingredients in a small jar for a "sand art" look, or simply mix them up in a bag: ¼ cup of oatmeal, ¼ cup of sugar, red and green colored sugar sprinkles. Copy this little poem onto a tag and attach to the jar or bag: Sprinkle on the lawn at night, The moon will make it sparkle bright. As Santa's reindeer fly and roam, This will guide them to your home.

5. Pre-made Holiday Craft Kit: Companies like Oriental Trading offer fun holiday craft kits that are easy and fun for kids to put together. Why not try the Reindeer Gift Bag craft kit. For $7.99 your kids can put together 12 holiday gift bags you can actually use to give gifts to family, friends, teachers and neighbors. You can't buy 12 gift bags at that price and what a great way to help your kids get into the spirit of giving!

6. Make a Plate: Makit Products, "Make-a-Plate is a great way to preserve your child's artwork or even make a special plate for Santa's cookies. Each kit comes with 12 markers, a pre-addressed envelope for returning your art work and several special round pieces of paper for your child to decorate. The kit costs $14.99 and includes the cost of one 10" melamine plate.

There are many more amazing ideas for kids Christmas and holiday crafts. Check out familyfun.com and dltk-holidays.com for more amazing ideas to keep your kids busy and entertained during the holiday break.