Holiday Crafts & Activities for Kids

I saw these holiday craft and activity ideas recently and just HAD to share them with you!

1. Snowman Slam Bowling

snowman slam

To make our snowmen, decorate six white cups using black and orange craft foam.  To make the snowballs, tightly ball up three white socks. Now, you’re all set up for some fun miniature bowling! (source)

2. Bird Food Ornament
Bird-Food-OrnamentTo make these cute candy canes, first thread a red pipe cleaner through O-shaped cereal. Then hang it on your trees or bushes outside to spread the holiday cheer! Your kids will have fun making them and watching the birds snack on them!

3. Paper Bag Gingerbread House
paper bag gingerbread houseMy family makes gingerbread houses every year. So, I’m pretty much gingerbread-house obsessed. And, when I saw this idea, I went nuts! (I couldn’t find the original posting of this; so, if it’s yours, please tell me so I can give you credit!) Give each kid a brown paper bag. Then show them how to fold the top and glue some paper to the fold (making a roof) and let them go crazy with construction paper. Pretty easy, so many creative possibilities and best of all, it’s completely healthy (although it’s not as yummy)!

Finish the Drawing- Christmas

Finish the Drawing- Christmas 1 sticker

Here’s a fun activity to use in a unit on symmetry or during a discussion of story setting (since lots of holiday stories take place at a gingerbread house!). Print off one page for each student and have them finish the rest of the picture. Make sure to help students focus on whatever aspect you’re learning about (symmetry, setting description, etc). You could extend this activity further by turning it into a writing project. …Or just color it and have fun! Here’s the free printable PDF: Finish the Drawing- Christmas 1  Happy holidays & Merry Christmas!

Click here for more fun and free Christmas/Winter stuff for kids!

Free Holiday Graphing Worksheet

Tracking Toys- Christmas Graphing page sticker

More practice for reading circle graphs/pie charts… with a holiday twist! It deals with determining the greatest and least in the data set, subtraction and addition. So without further ado, here’s my free worksheet for kids: Tracking Toys- Christmas Graphing page

Best Kids’ Art Blogs

You know that there are great art lesson plans and blogs out there. But where to start? Let me tell you about some of the best ones I’ve seen (in no particular order):

Art Projects For Kids

  • projects for all ages, mediums and seasons
  • some projects require downloads you can purchase ($5 each)
  • step by step directions
  • examples of completed projects

Sample cool project:

folk art cat tutorial

A Faithful Attempt

  • projects for all ages, mediums and seasons
  • step by step (photo) instructions
  • examples of completed projects

Sample cool project:

That Artist Woman

  • projects for all ages, mediums and seasons
  • step by step (photo) instructions
  • examples of completed projects

Sample cool project:

Angela Anderson Art

  • upper grade art projects for all seasons (variety of mediums)
  • often general directions (not always photo instructions)
  • examples of completed projects

Sample cool project:

4th of July Crafts for Kids

Here are some of the best 4th of July crafts and activities for children I’ve seen on the internet. Click the image to go to the original website. Happy Fourth!

From the Life of Jennifer Dawn

Fun pin wheel

More great ideas from BHG

Great list of ideas!

Lots of good links on The Crafty Crow

Here’s another great resource: 27 Blogs Featuring Easy 4th of July Crafts You Can Do with Your Kids

Great Quotes about Freedom to Discuss with Kids

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.  ~Thomas Paine

4th of July Kids Crafts sticker

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself.  ~Thomas Paine

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.  ~Elmer Davis

Where liberty dwells, there is my country.  ~Benjamin Franklin

All we have of freedom, all we use or know – This our fathers bought for us long and long ago. ~Rudyard Kipling, The Old Issue, 1899

Liberty means responsibility.  That is why most men dread it.  ~George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, “Maxims: Liberty and Equality,” 1905

Holiday Multiplication Facts Bingo (free!)

Use this math practice activity to review multiplication facts (up to 9 x 9). There are 5 different boards, so there will be some variety among the players. Teachers call out a simple math problem (“4 x 3″) and students can mark a space if it contains the total. Students should also record the entire number sentence at the bottom of the page (“4 x 3 = 12″). Click the following links for the PDF boards:

Multiplication bingo title Multiplication Bingo- board 1

Multiplication Bingo- board 2

Multiplication Bingo- board 3

Multiplication Bingo- board 4

Multiplication Bingo- board 5

Click here for more free math stuff!

Holiday Addition Bingo (FREE!)

addition bingo titleUse this math practice activity to review addition facts (that total up to 15). There are 5 different boards, so there will be some variety among the players. Teachers call out a simple math problem (“5 + 2”) and students can mark a space if it contains the total. Students should also record the entire number sentence at the bottom of the page (“5 + 2 = 7”). Click the following links for the PDF boards:

Addition Bingo- board 1

Addition Bingo- board 2

Addition Bingo- board 3

Addition Bingo- board 4

Addition Bingo- board 5

Click here for more free math stuff!

Odd/Even Holiday Dice Game (free download!)

Still need practice with evens and odds? This is a good practice activity using dice. Kids roll two dice and they color in odd or even depending on the number they roll (see directions on sheet). Nice math worksheet for lower grades. Happy holidays!

Right click, choose “save image as” to save this game to your computer.

Click here for more free math stuff!