Putting The Pretty In Preschool – Page 58 – Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

December 23, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This Christmas tree decorating center has been a staple in my preschool classroom for many years. I introduce it every year in place of setting up a large Christmas tree. The center is effortless to put up, and the supplies store in one tub. During the festive holiday season, decorations on the tree get put up and taken down by little learners on a regular basis.

In preparation for this tactile center I purchased a variety of small Christmas trees one year just after Christmas Day. They were deeply discounted…around $5.00 Canadian per tree. Now every December I place them on a table covered with a soft white tablecloth and add child-friendly decorations.

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Setting Up The Christmas Tree Decorating Center

After arranging the branches on the Christmas trees, I gather small baskets and fill them with non-breakable Christmas decorations.

Baskets of child-friendly decorations for a Christmas tree decorating center.

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Making the cut are:

red, silver, and gold bells
Scandinavian bells
bell garland
pine cones
gold and red apples
foam hearts
metal toys
elves and Santas
metallic glitter flower clip ons
angel craft tree toppers

You might notice that there are lots of bells on the list. I love including opportunities for musical exploration.

A string of lights on the table adds ambiance.

Mini Christmas trees set up for early learners to decorate with child-friendly decorations.

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A rich, thick garland embellishes this red tree.

Red Christmas tree decorated with lots of garlands.

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To see a closeup of all the trees view this Christmas Tree Decorating Center video.

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Most people already have their trees up and decorating completed by now. But sale shopping opportunities are just around the corner. Keep a lookout for economical mini trees and child-friendly decorations to set up a Christmas tree decorating center dazzling with your own flair.

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Decorated Christmas trees at an early learning center.

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Christmas Tree Art

December 21, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

This Christmas tree art is quick to set up and simple to do. And it gives early learners a chance to explore color shades and brightness.

Dazzling, easy to do Christmas tree art painting activity. An all-ages art project.

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Supplies to Collect

green, yellow and white tempera paint
12-inch x 18-inch sturdy paper
paint palettes
paintbrushes
paper towel squares
metallic green star confetti
gold and green Christmas gift bows

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Making The Christmas Tree Art

Cut long, narrow triangles from large sheets of sturdy paper. Shown below is manila paper.

Pour dark green, medium green, yellow, and white tempera paint into artist palettes. This color scheme works well when children keep the colors separate or do a lot of blending.

Invite your early learners to paint a triangle. They will embrace painting a unique shape.

Christmas tree art set up with white, yellow, and green paint hues.

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A paper towel works well to dab excess paint from the brush before switching to a new color. This is a helpful tip from Patty Palmer’s book “Draw, Paint, Sparkle.”

Painting technique to use when switching paint colors.

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Next, have your little charges sprinkle on metallic stars while the paint is still wet. They will loooove doing this too!

Painted triangular tree ready to be topped with a Christmas gift bow.

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When the tree art is dry, spray on unscented hairspray from an aerosol can to help the stars stay on. (This is the first year I searched for unscented hairspray to use as a fixative. It was worth the time and slightly greater expense.)

Lastly, have your little learners pick a Christmas gift bow to stick on top of their tree.

A Christmas gift bow is the topper for this painted Christmas tree craft.

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Discussing triangle shapes, using beautiful finishing touches, seeing how white added to darker green makes different shades, and noticing how yellow lightens and brightens green are some learning possibilities for this craft.

And these Christmas tree art projects look absolutely beautiful displayed together.

Dazzling, easy to set up Christmas tree art project.

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Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft

December 19, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Gingerbread man craft with scissor skill opportunities. Christmas-themed craft supplies are used to decorate the kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Gingerbread man stories and activities are definitely one of the most fun parts of Christmas. Including them in my preschool plans is an annual routine.

After reading a few fun-filled gingerbread man picture books to my preschoolers this month, I was eager to set out a scissor skill gingerbread man craft so they could explore beautiful bits and baubles and practice cutting and gluing. This activity would be easy to set up for the little learners in your life.

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Craft Materials To Collect

Gather Christmas-themed craft materials that can be cut and glued, or simply glued.

Compartment sorting tray with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Included in this compartment sorting tray are:

gingerbread man themed cupcake liners
striped straws
cream lace
Christmas bows
pompoms
feathers
pipe cleaners
tissue paper squares
bead garland
thick ribbon pieces

The color scheme for this scissor skill craft is red, yellow, green, gold, and cream.

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Making The Gingerbread Man Craft

Cut gingerbread people from kraft cardstock.

Gingerbread man template traced onto kraft cardstock paper, ready to be cut out.

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Or cut them from brown paper grocery bags.

Paper bag ready to be cut into gingerbread men for a collage craft.

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Use your own pattern or download this gingerbread man printable.

Gingerbread man printable for art and craft activities.

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Gingerbread Man TemplateDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Ask your early learners to stick two adhesive wiggly eyes to their gingerbread person.

Adhesive wiggly eyes added to a kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Then invite them to cut shapes from the craft materials, and adhere the bits with white glue. Pompoms and bows can be glued on as is.

Invitation to cut and glue Christmas-themed craft supplies to decorate a kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Images on a gingerbread-themed tablecloth set out for the craft offer decorating inspiration.

After the gingerbread people dry, display and admire them!

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Paper gingerbread man craft. Children practice scissor skills while decorating the gingerbread man with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Click here for Scissor Skill Tips

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This scissor skill gingerbread man craft gives early learners a chance to create a unique gingerbread person. And the craft is sure to be treasured by children’s loved ones.

Gingerbread man decorated with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Handprint Christmas Crafts

December 18, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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There has been a return in popularity of paper grocery bags, so why not use a few for handprint Christmas crafts? The bags are sturdy and give craft projects a vintage feel.

Here are a few festive, heart-tugging crafts that employ brown paper bags as a base.

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Handprint Heart Decorations

Cut hearts from paper grocery bags. Feel free to download this heart printable to use as a template.

Heart printable for art and craft projects.

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Heart Template Download

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Set out bright red tempera paint and a paper heart. Invite your early learner to dip a hand in the paint and make a print on the heart.

Invitation to make a red handprint on a paper bag heart.

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Or, invite your little one to paint a hand and then make the print. This takes more time, but the result is often neater.

Invitation to paint a hand to make a print on a paper bag heart.

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After the handprint heart dries, hot glue on a red bow. Then add a looped ribbon to hang the craft.

Red handprint heart craft ready for hanging.

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Offer hearts and tempera paint in white and green colors for more craft projects.

Paper bag hearts with red, green, and white handprints.

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Tip: Adding a little white to ready-made red or green paint lightens and brightens the color.

Thin pearl bead garland makes a delicate lacing material for a heart embellished with a white handprint.

Bead garland laced white handprint heart craft.

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Cut Handprint Christmas Crafts

Sometimes little ones swish their hands on the paper while making prints, and the resulting handprints can be a little messy. These can be cut out to make other Christmas crafts.

Offer sequins, metallic balls, and stars for your little learner to decorate a green handprint as a sparkly Christmas tree. Hot glue on a thin, glittery garland and a treetop star afterward.

Christmas tree handprint craft. Metallic balls, sequins, stars, and garland decorate the tree.

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Help your little one transform a red handprint into a friendly reindeer by adding wiggly eyes, pipe cleaner ears, snowflake antlers, and a pompom nose.

A red handprint turned into a friendly reindeer craft by adding snowflake antlers, wiggly eyes, pipe cleaner ears, and a pompom nose.

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Invite your early learner to turn a white handprint into an eye-catching fish ornament by gluing on sequins and adding a wiggly eye. A dusting of glitter can be applied for the finishing touch.

Handprint fish ornament embellished with sequins, glitter, and a wiggly eye.

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The sky is the limit when using paper grocery bags for handprint Christmas crafts. They make an eye-pleasing base for large or small projects. Your Christmas bits and baubles will come in handy to embellish the crafts.

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Handprint Christmas craft projects using paper bags as a base.

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Handprint Angel Craft

December 16, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Last year’s handprint angel craft was a hit with my preschool families. So this year I set out to find a glittery Christmas stem that would inspire a variation of the well-received keepsake craft. I shopped with no preconceived ideas in mind, and at the first store, a gleaming peacock-inspired stem caught my eye. I knew immediately that it was “the one” for this year’s angel craft.

In my instructions, I use the colors magenta, turquoise, and pink, and “peacock-inspired Christmas stem.” But feel free to substitute any glittery stem and complementary colors for the craft.

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Supplies To Collect

peacock-inspired Christmas stem
magenta tempera paint
pink glitter
white cardstock paper
skin-toned cardstock paper
disposable plate
glue gun
scissors
pencil or thin black felt pen

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Making The Handprint Angel

Choose a glittery peacock-inspired Christmas stem. The stem featured in this craft is turquoise and magenta, a wonderful Dollar Store find.

Magenta and blue Christmas stem with a peacock theme.

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Have your little learner make a magenta tempera paint handprint on white cardstock paper, and sprinkle pink glitter on the print while it is still wet.

Invitation to make a magenta and pink glitter handprint.

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After the handprint dries, cut it out.

Scissors to cut a painted handprint for an angel craft.

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Cut a cardstock circle about 2 ½ inches / 7 cm in diameter. Ask your little one to draw on eyes and a smile with a pencil or thin felt pen.

Snip two peacock feather-inspired angel wings and a headpiece from the Christmas stem.

Parts to glue together to make a handprint angel.

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Hot glue the wings to the back of the handprint, and the headpiece to the back of the angel face.

Then glue the head to the handprint body. Add a ribbon to hang the angel on a wall or Christmas tree. Or mount the angel on a 12-inch x 12-inch piece of paper and display.

Christmas-themed handprint angel with glittery turquoise and magenta peacock-inspired wings.

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Turquoise and magenta handprint Christmas angel craft.

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Introducing the color words “magenta” and “turquoise” add a vocabulary component to this handprint angel craft. And early learners will embrace the glittery touches.

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Related: Handcraft Angel Video Tutorial

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