Simple Christmas Crafts for Toddlers

With limited attention spans and less manual dexterity than older children, toddlers often quickly lose patience with crafts. Here are some simple and quick holiday craft ideas for small children. It's a good idea to have craft supplies laid out and prepared before little ones sit down to work.

Glittery Pinecones
These enchanting ornaments will add an outdoorsy touch to your Christmas decor. And your toddler will be so proud to have his own ornaments hanging from the Christmas tree.
Materials:
Pinecones of any size
Glue
Red, green, silver, and gold glitter
Coordinating ribbon or string

Directions:
Either collect pinecones outside or purchase them at a craft store. Let your toddler drizzle pinecone with glue; then sprinkle with or roll in glitter. Tie a ribbon or string to top of pinecone.

Cotton Ball Snowman
This simple craft lets your toddler build her own snowman even if there is no snow outside or if it's just too cold to take her out.
Materials:
White construction paper
Scissors
Pompoms and pipe cleaner for eyes, nose and mouth (or use paper scraps)
Glue
Cotton balls
Glitter (optional)

Directions:
Cut white construction paper into a snowman shape. Depending on her age, either affix eyes, nose and mouth with glue yourself, or let your child do it. Then let her glue cotton balls to the snowman. Finish with glitter if you like.

Holiday
Placemats
Your toddler will love to set the dinner table with these festive place mats. With each family member's picture adorning a mat, he will be able to easily identify to whom each mat belongs. Toddlers also love to have personalized items-these placemats sporting their picture will delight them all through the Christmas season.
Materials:
Sheets of red, green, or white construction paper (one for each family member)
Coordinating construction paper
Small holiday stencils (optional)
Scissors
Glue stick
Individual pictures of child and family members

Directions:
To prepare for this craft, use stencils to trace small holiday shapes (trees, snowmen, snowflakes, stockings, etc.) on coordinating construction paper, or freehand draw the shapes. Cut out enough shapes to decorate all placemats.
Have toddler use glue stick on the holiday shapes and affix them as they like on placemats. When he finishes, attach the each picture to a different placemat and write the family member's name below their picture.
For more durable placemats, take these to a printer to have them laminated.

Handprint Tablecloth or Christmas Tree Skirt
For an informal, charming holiday tablecloth or Christmas tree skirt, try the following holiday craft. You can buy a pre-made tablecloth or tree skirt, or for a less expensive alternative, use a bolt of fabric and hem it yourself. You do not even have to have a sewing machine for this option. At fabric stores or in the craft section of Wal-Mart, you will find Liquid Stitch, a glue specifically made for fabric. Use Liquid Stitch, or a similar product, to hem your cloth.
Materials:
White or light-colored tablecloth or tree skirt
Fabric paint in holiday colors
Paintbrushes
Permanent fabric markers (optional)

Directions:
Lay the fabric out flat on the floor. Paint your toddler's hands with fabric paint. Beginning at the center of the cloth and working your way out, have him press his hands on the cloth in a random pattern. For the impatient toddler, you might even paint the bottoms of his feet and let him walk around, stomp, or jump on the cloth.
If you have more than one child, use fabric-safe markers to write their names under some of the hand prints.

Hand-Decorated Ornaments
These hand-decorated ornaments will make an adorable addition to your Christmas tree. Your child might also want to give one to his grandparents or a daycare teacher.
Materials:
Plain wooden or plastic ornaments (you can use the glass ones, but some are very fragile)
Glitter pens
Craft glue
Ribbon

Directions:
Let your toddler draw various designs on the ornaments with the glitter pens. Then help him apply craft glue to ribbons and press them onto the ornament however he likes.

Little Christmas Tree
Your toddler will be delighted to have her very own Christmas tree for her room. Simply affix the decorated tree to her wall with removable poster tape.
Materials:
Green poster board
Scissors
Glue
Decorations (glitter, pompoms, ribbon, etc.)

Directions:
Cut the poster board into a Christmas tree shape. Let your toddler glue various decorations to the tree.

Toddlers love to have creative outlets, and they love spending time with their parents. Start building warm Christmas memories for your child by completing these simple holiday crafts with her this season. Happy Holidays!