Preschool Christmas Holiday Craft: Paper Cone Christmas Trees

This preschool activity required little time or supplies, but my kids loved it when we made these a couple years ago. They thought is was so much fun to decorate their own little trees. I thought they were a fun addition to our dining room decorations, but you could let your kids keep them in their own room too (or anywhere else of course)!

You could by pre-made cones at a craft store as well if you think a more professional look would fit better with your holiday decor, but your kids will have fun either way.

One other variation to consider if you want to do this craft in a group (or just want a simpler approach) would be to just let them color on paper cones and put stickers all over them. This would cut the mess factor way down.

Preschool Christmas Holiday Craft: Paper Cone Christmas Trees

• Sturdy construction paper, card stock, scrapbook paper, or poster board (I actually recycled old gift and shopping bags)
• Stapler and staples
• Glue and or paint
• Decorations (Glitter, sequins, buttons, etc.)

1.  I cut rolled and stapled the heavy paper into different size cones ahead of time.
2. Then I let my kids paint on glue and sprinkle glitter, sequins, and buttons to their hearts content.
3. Let dry and display!

Groundhog Holiday Preschool Craft: Groundhog Masks

Last year we made these really simple groundhog masks for Groundhog Day. First we read about groundhogs and Groundhog Day, and watched some videos about them. Afterward we made these masks and then my little boys pretended to be groundhogs.

They had such a fun time "popping up" out of their "holes" like groundhogs.

Groundhog Day Preschool Craft: Groundhog Masks

• Cardboard circle or paper plate
• Markers or crayons
• Scissors and hole punch for adults to use
• White cardboard "teeth" and glue stick (optional)
• String or elastic to hold the mask on, or a popsicle stick to hold up the mask

1. Ahead of time cut out eye holes and holes at the side to tie on string or elastic if desired.
2. Give the children markers or crayons and show them a picture of a groundhog. Ask them to decorate their mask like a groundhog.
3. If you want to introduce gluing into this project you can have them glue on two big white front teeth . This was a highlight for my boys.
4. When they are finished decorating tie on string or elastic or secure popsicle stick.
5. Let the children pretend to be groundhogs!

They also wrote or dictated groundhog reports and drew groundhogs.

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) Preschool Craft: Firework Crayon Resist Painting

Probably the most famous aspect of the Chinese New Year celebrations is the fireworks associated with this holiday. However, before living in China, we could never have imagined just how many fireworks there would actually be.

For about a month around the holiday, people buy and set off fireworks all the time. The night of the new year, fireworks go off most of the night, with a huge explosion right at midnight.

We like to watch the fireworks from afar, but also did some firework crafts for my firework loving boys. This way we can enjoy them longer and more safely.

We've also done this activity around 4th of July, because that is when Fireworks are popular in America.

Chinese New Year or 4th of July Preschool Craft: Firework Crayon Resist Painting

• Paper
• Crayons
• Black or dark blue watercolors

1. Firmly color fireworks with crayons. Use some white and/or light colors for the most dramatic effects of the fireworks appearing.
2. Paint over the fireworks with dark watercolors and watch as the crayon fireworks resist the paint and stand out against the night sky you painted.

This craft is from the Chinese New Year Activity Book. Enjoy this free downlaodale ebook for more Chinese New Year Activities Crafts, and Recipes.

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) Preschool Craft: Door Decorations

Another set of decorations that we made last year were these Chinese New Year Door Decorations. Traditionally, Chinese people hang red decorations on their doors at the New Year festival to scare away evil spirits and invite good luck into their homes. The center square decoration is often even hung upside down for even more good luck.

We don't believe that these decorations are going to bring us good luck, and we didn't even hang them on our door, but they are pretty and good practice for writing Chinese characters. We also used this opportunity to talk with our children about fake luck and true blessing.

 Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) Preschool Craft: Door Decorations

• Red Paper
• Markers
• Glue and glitter or glitter-glue if desired

1.  Cut red paper in a square for the center and strips for the sides and top of the door frame.
2. Write Chinese characters or decorate as desired. We wrote happy new year (新年好,Xīnnián hǎo) on the strips for the top and sides and blessing, although this can also mean lucky, (福,fú) in the center square. 

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) Preschool Craft: Hanging Fish

The New Year has already begun according to the Gregorian calendar, but Chinese New Year won't be until January 31st this year, since the traditional Chinese holidays still follow their solar-lunar calendar. Everyone here is gearing up for Spring Festival, their biggest holiday of the year.

Last year as part of our study and celebration of Chinese New Year, we made a bunch of the decorations that are commonly used over here for the most important Chinese holiday.

Because all of their decorations are associated with bringing in good luck or keeping out bad luck, we didn't display them in the front of our house, but used this as an opportunity to talk about how these decorations can't actually help anyone.

The decorations are pretty and if you are wanting to learn more about Chinese culture and their Spring festival this is a fun way to introduce the topic for young children.

Fish are a symbol of plenty and prosperity for the new year. At spring festival time fish is commonly served at family gatherings and fish decorations are commonly seen every year, regardless of the zodiac animal.

These cute little fish won't bring you prosperity, but might liven up a room for a Chinese New Year celebration.

Chinese New Year Fish

• Red paper
• Pencil
• Pen or markers for decorating the fish
• Glue and glitter or glitter glue if desired
• String
• Scissors
• Stapler and staples (or some other way to attach the fish to the strings)

1. Trace an outline of fish on your red paper. I did a profile view of the fish with a flat bottom, and hung them in pairs, because that is pretty similar to the standard fish decorations here.
2. Cut out or have your preschooler cut out the fish.
3.  Decorate the fish. We wrote the Chinese symbol for fish (鱼, pronounced Yú) because I am always looking for fun ways to practice writing characters. You could also write happy new year (新年好,Xīnnián hǎo if you wanted. Or just decorate the fish in some other way. We also did a little bit of gold glitter, because glitter is pretty and fun.
4. Cut a length of string.
5. Staple or otherwise attach the fish to the string. Punching holes and stringing them fish could also be a good fine motor activity.

Preschool Fall Craft: Handprint Turkey

Here is another super simple painting project to celebrate fall with small children. Like the fingerprint pumpkin and tree, this turkey handprint picture is a great way to gear up for the holidays and remember how small the kids really are for years to come.

Preschool Fall Craft: Handprint Turkey

• Paint in fall colors
• Brushes
• Paint smocks if desired
• Paper

1. Help the child to cover their hand in brown paint and spread out their fingers to paint the base of the turkey.
2.  The child can then make different colored fingerprints on top for feathers and one red fingerprint on the turkey's neck for it's waddle.

Preschool Fall Craft: Fingerprint Pumpkin and Tree

This simple painting project is lots of fun for small children and a great way to decorate a classroom for fall.

Preschool Fall Craft: Fingerprint Pumpkin and Tree

• Paint in fall colors
• Brushes
• Paint smocks if desired
• Paper
• Pencil

1. Draw an outline of a pumpkin and/or a tree trunk. (You may also want to paint the tree trunk ahead of time so that it can dry).
2. Have the child fill in the pumpkin with orange fingerprints. Use any fall colors for the falling leaves on the tree.
3. For the pumpkin help the child dip their hand in green paint and use a handprint for the top of the pumpkin.

Preschool (Or Family Togetherness) Thanksgiving Holiday Craft: Our Thankful Tree

I saw this idea floating around last year and thought it would be fun to try. It was a fast and simple project that lent itself to meaningful family conversation. I'm so glad we did it, and that we took a picture of it to look at in the future.

We took part of the evening before Thanksgiving to do this activity. However, I have seen other people say they make the tree and a big pile of leaves at the beginning of November and encourage each family member to put one on each day. You could start it today if you wanted. Then read all of the leaves together on Thanksgiving. Perhaps when some of our kids are older we will try it that way.

Thankful Tree

• Large white paper
• Brown marker or paint to make a tree trunk
• Colored paper for leaves
• Scissors
• Black pen or marker to write with
• Tape or glue

1. Draw or paint a bare tree trunk.
2. Cut out small colored leaves.
3. Ask everyone participating to think of things they are thankful for and write them on the colored leaves. Those not able to write can dictate things they are thankful for of course.
4. Tape or glue the leaves on the tree.
5. Count your blessings (literally or figuratively).