Need ideas for my daycare kids to make

[peach]

FOr their parents for Christmas


I am so stumped this year. We do ornaments every year, and I give the kids a book. But I like to do something with the kids to give to their parents....

Last year they did picture frames with their photo inside, and a whisk filled with Hershey kisses that said "We whisk you a merry kissmas"

[emoflamingo]

What about a wall hanging? DS' preschool made one once that was their handprints cut out of foam in red and green to make a wreath with his picture in the center?

Pinterest has TONS of stuff on there too.

[peach]

I know pinterest has tons but everything either
-costs way too much money for me to do with 12 kids
-Is too hard for toddlers to do, and I would end up doing the whole thing which defeats the point
-Or I've done it before, or it's just another tacky craft and not an actual "gift" item.

I was thinking about getting white aprons and letting them decorate with fabric markers, but that's more of a mother's day gift. Same with an oven glove (WTF are those things called) with their handprints on it.

Next year I am doing binders with page protectors and filling it with some of their art projects instead of just sending it all home at the end of every day. Those would be awesome Christmas presents.

[peach]

I should add, we do tons of Christmas crafts all month long. Reindeer handprints, bags of magic reindeer food, reindeer headbands, santas made from a foam craft kit, etc.... so parents get tons of cute crafts all month long, I am just looking for an actual "gift" but one that doesn't cost more than a few dollars each and the kids can personalize somehow.

[sierramist03]

My friend made this and it's cute

[peach]

That's adorable!! What sort of paint did she use, and how did she seal it? Can you eat off it, wash it, or is it purely decorative?

[sierramist03]

Nov 29, 2012 12:07:59 GMT -5 peach said:

That's adorable!! What sort of paint did she use, and how did she seal it? Can you eat off it, wash it, or is it purely decorative?

She used regular craft and seal with it a spray so it's just decorative but I bet you could make it where it could be used. I see if I can find the Pinterest link I know that's where she found it

[Deleted]

Could you do a baking day with them and then wrap up some treats in cute boxes they decorated.
Simple, easy, fun and useful.

[munkii]

What about sun catchers? You just need translucent pony beads and metal pans. Some of the links (I didn't post) had examples from cupcake pans.

doitandhow.com/2012/05/30/too-easy-melted-bead-suncatchers/
workmanfamily.typepad.com/our_life/2012/07/sun-catchers.html

[peach]

I usually do gingerbread cookies with them -we read the gingerbread man and then they decorate already baked cookies. We put them in the oven to "bake" and they disappear! Then we go on a gingerbread hunt around the daycare.

We also usually do trees from sugar cones-green icing and tons of candy!

[peach]

We did those suncatchers this summer - they were awesome!!!!

[salsaverde]

what if they planted a paper-white (is that the right name of the white flowers?) and by christmas time it should be ready, they can decorate the little flower pot?

[emoflamingo]

Oh I love those plates!

[peach]

paperwhites are a good idea! They could paint a terra cotta pot...hmm! Never thought of that! We do bean plants in the summer but paperwhites are good. Or maybe I can get some pointsettias for cheap enough to do in pots they decorate.

Good ideas, keep them coming!

[mrs.jacinthe]

What about making hot cocoa mix? If you premeasure everything, all they'll have to do is stir and dump into jars or bags? Bonus: yummy mini marshmallows. You could even do a mug (buy at the dollar store, LOL) for them to gift the mix in.

[emoflamingo]

Do you have a dollar tree there? You could get plates from the dollar tree for that plate thing. They have jars and mugs too. You could have them write on the mugs with sharpies and then bake them.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Also, when I was in preschool, we did these one year and my parents STILL have that plate. www.makit.com/Content.aspx?Page=Art+Plate+Kits&PK=8253e113-969a-4285-bba6-7528e8f6fab4

FTR, I'm pretty sure my Christmas plate drawing involved a cow. But I was 3, so it's hard to say, really.

[sierramist03]

funhandprintart.blogspot.com/2011/12/footprint-mistletoes-diy-decorative.html

[jayhawkbecca]

i just want to say that i am so impressed with all of the various projects you do with your DC kids; i mean homemade cookies and bean plants?! wow!! your parents are lucky to have you as their DCP!!!

[boiler717]

We did the cutest craft in elementary school one year! Paper bag angles. White paper bags stuffed with newspaper and tied with a ribbon at the top. A foam ball for the head glued on decorated with stuff for hair, eyes, etc. wings attached to the bag.

[sailorgray]

At DS1 daycare last year, they made us calendars. On each month they did a thumbprint art for whatever month it was (Feb. was hearts, July was flags, etc.). I LOVE it. I cried.

I am not sure about the paper white idea. I think they are so pretty and Christmas-y, but Good Lord, do those things stink. Am I alone in this thinking?

[mrs.jacinthe]

Nov 29, 2012 14:31:21 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

I am not sure about the paper white idea. I think they are so pretty and Christmas-y, but Good Lord, do those things stink. Am I alone in this thinking?

No. No you are not.

[auntie]

Nov 29, 2012 12:25:22 GMT -5 peach said:

paperwhites are a good idea! They could paint a terra cotta pot...hmm! Never thought of that! We do bean plants in the summer but paperwhites are good. Or maybe I can get some pointsettias for cheap enough to do in pots they decorate.

Good ideas, keep them coming!

DS's preschool did something similar for Mother's Day with a small plant in a 2" pot decorated with his fingerprints.

They did a tuna can pincushion for Christmas. Alas mine still smelled of tuna. It's real cute.

[SusanBAnthony]

Jo Ann's has little wooden birdhouses for a dollar, I think. My kids have painted and given birdhouses to like every relative we have. They love it.

What about making wreaths? Get those foam wreath molds, and spray paint red or green. Then let them jab stuff into the foam. They will be ugly for sure, but possibly kind of awesome.