December is a fun time to celebrate holidays with your family and friends, and usually includes a chunk of winter break free time for kiddos. Winter break is an exciting time for children, but can easily become overwhelming for parents. Making crafts with your children is an easy way to keep them busy, introduce new activities, and add structure to their days.

With the fun crafts we’ve included below, your children won’t even realize they are working on their building block skills. Building block skills are learning tools that help your children develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, language, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving skills. With these crafts, they can work on visual perception, functional communication, fine motor control, and imitation skills. The development of these skills is important as they are skills they will need throughout their life—and what better way to work on some skills with a craft?

Tips while working on the crafts

While crafts can be fun, it can also be frustrating for your child if they find it difficult or too rigid. This is an easy way to help them work on problem-solving and functional communication. If you notice your older child getting frustrated you can ask them how you can help. If they are younger you can prompt them to ask for help. These are easy ways to increase their communication and work together to problem solve.

You can also provide options such as which craft to do first, what colors to use, or what supplies they want to use. Giving them options will give them a sense creativity and freedom rather than feeling like an assigned task or homework. Flexibility is also important, as these crafts are meant to be fun and not rigid. If you notice your child having a difficult time you can prompt them to take a break from the crafts. These breaks can be minutes, hours, or days. The important part is your child learning to communicate their needs. 

Polar Bear Craft

Materials:

1. Blue, white, gray, & black construction paper
2. White paint
3. Plastic fork 
4. Scissors 
5. Large wiggle eyes (optional) or create with black construction paper

Directions:

1. Squirt a quarter size of paint in the center of the blue construction paper. 
2. Use the fork to spread the paint around to create the fur of the bear.
3. While you let the paper dry, create, and cut the eyes, ears, and nose for the polar bear. 
4. Finally glue the ears, eyes, and nose onto the painted piece of paper. 

Resource:  https://www.gluedtomycraftsblog.com/2020/01/fork-painted-polar-bear.html

Penguin Toilet Roll Craft

Materials:

1. Toilet rolls 
2. Black & white paints
3. Paintbrush
4. Yellow and black construction paper 
5. Googly eyes
6. Glue
7. Scissors 

Directions:

1. Paint the toilet roll black with a white tummy for the penguin. You can create the outline for your child to follow. 
2. Outline a rectangle, diamond, 2 wings, and two feet. Have your child cut the shapes out. 
3. Make little snips on the rectangle to create the fun hair. 
4. Add the eyes, beak, feet, and hair to the penguin. 

Resource: https://masandpas.com/loony-penguin-craft/

Sewing Mittens Craft

Materials:

1. Construction paper or felt 
2. Scissors
3. Hole puncher
4. Marker 
5. Yarn
6. Toothpick or cotton swab (Optional)
7. Tape
8. Any decorations for the mitten 

Directions:

1. Trace a mitten shape and cut out the outline
2. With the hole puncher make holes around the outside pacing them a couple inches apart 
3. Place the other side of the mitten on the bottom and mark the holes. Then punch the holes on the other mitten to match. 
4. Optional* Grab a piece of yarn and tape an inch of yarn to a piece of cotton swab or toothpick, to act like a needle. 
5. Use the yarn to sew the two pieces of mittens together and tie knots on both ends of the yarn. 
6. Decorate the mittens! 

Resource: https://mommyevolution.com/jan-brett-the-mitten-activities/

For even more winter break crafts, check out our other blog here!

Written by Joana Frayre, RBT