Is it just me or has Christmas come super early this year? Everywhere I look there are beautiful trees, sparkling lights and signs that Santa is on his way. Christmas is my favourite time of year. A chance to spend much valued time with family and friends, to eat ridiculous amounts of delicious food and to give thanks for the past year. Not to mention being spoilt with presents!
Christmas is also a wonderful time to engage the kids in the spirit of giving and to spark their creativity in truly amazing ways. Whether it be trying their hand at designing wrapping paper, creating a beautiful table setting for the family to enjoy on Christmas Day or making the gifts themselves, the kids will learn the true spirit of Christmas while enhancing their confidence and creative skills.
“Wrapping presents is more than just creative craft for kids. It’s an activity that combines purpose and pleasure. Being involved in the wrapping and presentation of gifts at this time of the year can not only give kids confidence, but it can also build their fine motor and thinking skills,” says Sonja Walker, child development expert and director of Kids First Children’s Services.
“Children’s creativity can take many forms, so it doesn’t matter if they are colour-matching a ribbon or mastering the task of careful folding. The value of each present wrapping task is in the chances kids get to think, make decisions, plan and then execute what they have set out to do.”
There are many places you can look on the web for creative Christmas activities with the kids. Sonja recommends the Sellotape Christmas craft resources which include step-by-step guides for a range of festive activities. Pictured below is the Christmas Bon Bon created using only toilet rolls, sellotape, wrapping paper and ribbon. For parents looking for ongoing craft activities for the kids, a Kiddie Create subscription, offering a new craft pack delivered to your door weekly, is the perfect gift to appear under the tree.
“There’s nothing better than watching the anticipation on a child’s face as they wait for someone they love to open the gift the child has wrapped themself. That’s when you will know that your child has truly experienced the joy of giving,” says Sonja.
Hi there gorgeous mama! Sign up to the Kid Magazine weekly newsletter to receive beauty, style, recipes and parenting tips plus special offers and more!
