Arts & Crafts Children Love Doing During the Holidays
by Spramani Elaun
Happy Holiday Folks!
Chilly cooler weather is a great reason to bundle up and head outdoors.
Leaves are falling, birds are preparing for winter, and wonderful changes are happening.
Natures beautiful autumn change is a perfect spring-board to inspire arts and crafts for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Collecting natural materials on walks or trail hikes can lead to some beautiful projects.
In this holiday blog I want to give you some quick tips for gathering art supplies and materials for projects kids love doing during Thanksgiving time.
Easy Holiday Preparation
Some light preparations will get kids excited to sit down and get creative.
Traditionally each season I rotate supplies in my art studios and home to stimulate creativity.
For fall, autumn and thanksgiving I pull out stuff like knitting yarn, natural wool, felt and sewing kits.
I also include earthy natural objects like fallen leaves, twigs, rocks and dried fruit in these baskets.
Books celebrating thanksgiving, autumn and fall how-to-books come out for inspiration.
I place baskets with all this stuff near my families favorite nesting areas around our house.
Gathering Holiday Supplies Together
If you plan ahead for simple to complex projects for your home and holiday travels will help kids be successful in making cool projects.
Include earthy objects
- fallen leaves
- twigs
- rocks
- dried fruit
- small scraps of wood
Include basics
- glue
- scissors
- natural twine
- yarn
- sewing supplies
- felt
- fabric scraps
- pencils
- pencil sharpner
Include Artsy Supplies
- small acrylic paint set
- drawing paper
- watercolor paper
- crayons
- color pencils
- watercolor pencils
- small watercolor kit
- origami paper
- paint brushes
- markers
Making holiday decorations is so much for kids!
Ask kids to help make decorations for the holidays, they love this!
Decorations can be simple natural collections from outdoors.
Display collected items in a nice bowl, arrange on a mantle or home entrance way.
Kids love exploring while on a mission to collect beautiful leaves, twigs, dried fruit, rocks or sea shells.
http://www.lushome.com/30-great-painting-ideas-turning-dry-leaves-unique-gifts-home-decorations/90792
36 Art & Craft Ideas
- 1. Paint jack-be-little or large pumpkins (non-toxic paints)
- 2. Pine cone collecting – paint pine cones or make pine cone art sculptures
- 3. Leaf foliage art – gather a collection of leaves, arrange in a picture and glue
- 4. Fall leaf bouquet for table center piece
- 5. Pine cone bird feeder – use peanut butter, bird seeds and natural twine
- 6. Recycle bird feeder –
- 7. Thankful place cards (recycle old cards, paper or brown bags)
- 8. Tree rubbings (place paper on rough bark areas and rub with crayons or wide color pencils).
- 9. Crayon leaf rubbings (use Colour Block Recycle Crayons – Fall colors)
- 8. Leaf Prints – arrange in different sizes, glue or frame in glass
- 9. Fall Wreaths – made with acorns, leaves, twigs,etc
- 10. Pressed Leaf Collection (arrange in different sizes, glue or frame in glass)
- 11. Pine Cone Turkey
- 12. Leaf Catchers
- 13. Fruit & Veggie Prints
- 14. Fruit carving sculptures like pumpkins & gourds
- 15. Woodland Creature Sculptures
- 16. Framed sign with natural materials, family name or crest with twigs or acorns
- 17. Paint acorns or not – collect and put in beautiful bowl
- 18. Technicolor acorns using tissue paper
- 19. Leaf weaving with recycled paper or paper bags
- 20. Rock painting
- 21. Twig Painting
- 22. Nature Mobile (use twigs, leaves, acorns, pine cones, etc.)
- 23. Gods eyes
- 24. Yarn & Wool creations
- 25. Felting – wool
- 26. Sew small felt creations
- 27. Needle Point
- 28. Finger Knitting
- 29. Knitting
- 30. Sewing
- 31. Nature Journal
- 33. Watercolor paint
- 34. Paint on found natural elements like bark, rocks and sticks
- 36. Jar collect any natural element
Enjoy the season!
Pumpkin Painting with kids, click here!
Mix paint into warm autumn colors lesson, click here!
How to pick paints for kids art projects, click here!
Spramani Elaun is an American Art Teacher and author of Nurturing Children In The Visual Arts Naturally ©
Follow her blog at www.EcoKidsArt.com
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No part of this blog may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Learn more about her new book, click here!
My daughter at age 14.
