Christmas Playdough Mats/Activity Sheets for Kids

 

Print and laminate these 8.5"x11" PDF digital files to use as play dough mats

or just print them to use for an easy and fun Christmas craft project. Great for preschoolers, Christmas parties or just a fun Christmas time activity. 

For the laminated play dough mats- Provide different colors of play dough

For the craft sheets- Provide chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, pom poms, M&M's, and/or any other small treats or craft supplies that the kids can use to glue on the printed sheets.

I SUGGEST PRINTING ON HEAVY CARD STOCK FOR BOTH USES

UGLY SWEATER PARTY!

Last year I told everyone in my family to plan for an ugly sweater Christmas party. That way they all had time to look for sweaters and/or find clearance deals in case they didn't already have one. I also told them there was no need to spend money. They could simply dress up a sweater they already had or borrow one. However, EVERYONE got into the spirit of it and went all out. It was so fun to see everyone when they arrived! 

I found this photo backdrop on clearance at Kohl's last year. I couldn't pass it up. I think a photo backdrop is a MUST when hosting an ugly sweater party. Everyone had fun with this and we got some awesome photos! 

We played a couple of Christmas games. For the first one my husband played Christmas songs and the first person to guess the name of the song won a candy bar. After they won a candy bar they were no longer allowed to guess unless they were helping someone else. That way everyone won a candy bar instead of the few same people winning all of them.

For the second game I wrote a bunch of different words that were related to Christmas (including movies and songs) on the back of some Santa hat cards. Everyone took turns giving clues without saying the words on their card. The first person who guessed right got to keep the Santa hat. The person with the most hats at the end of the game won a prize. We played in teams of two so I gave out two prizes.

I passed out ballots and had everyone vote. I then quickly tallied up the votes and awarded the prizes.                                                    

                                                           Prizes were awarded for:

The ugliest sweater, the cutest sweater, the best overall, the most creative, the best hairstyle, the best accessories, and the best footwear. This encouraged them to be creative & gave multiple people a chance to win a prize. It also made for great photos! 

For the Best Overall, the Ugliest Sweater & the Cutest Sweaters I gave $10 Amazon gift cards and let them pick a prize from the prize table. The Most Creative, Best Hairstyle, Best Accessories, & Best Footwear each got $5 and a prize from the prize table. The remaining guest went in order from youngest to oldest until everyone had chosen a prize from the prize table. I thought everyone deserved one for dressing up. 

I also cut out an ugly sweater printable and taped it under a dinner plate. The person who found it won the first prize of the evening.

We had a nice Christmas dinner ( I didn't get photos of that) and then I served a buffet of our families favorite Christmas treats for the refreshments. There were plenty leftover so everyone got to take a plate of treats home with them.

It really was such a fun night. I highly recommend hosting an ugly sweater party!

I have listed the voting & award certificate printables on my Etsy Shop, Party Crush Designs in case you are interested in hosting your own party and would like to purchase them.

I also created these Christmas mug shot photo prop printables. They can be used for photos at Christmas parties or you can use them for your Christmas card photos. 

Cute Candy Cane Poem

I am looking forward to blogging again after the beginning of the year. I recently went through a big move and it has taken me some time to get settled. I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the holidays!


My daughter's primary teacher gave this to her. I thought it was too cute not to share.

Here is the poem:

The candy cane turned
upside down,
is the letter J.
To remind us of
the baby Jesus
born of Christmas Day!

A Snowman Themed Party!

When my kids were little I hosted a SNOWMAN themed Christmas party for them and their friends. We made a snowman craft, ate snowman themed treats & watched Frosty the Snowman. (You could also watch Jack Frost or another snowman themed movie/cartoon)  I sent them each home with a snowman soup mix for the party favor.

For the treats I served hot cocoa, SNOWBALLS, STICK ARMS, SNOWMAN NOSES, TOP HATS (snowman hats) and PIECES OF COAL.


SNOWBALLS AKA Powdered Donut Holes


STICK ARMS AKA Pretzel Sticks


SNOWMAN NOSES AKA Mini Carrot Sticks


TOP HATS  or Snowman Hats AKA Fudge striped cookies placed upside down with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top

PIECES OF COAL AKA Mini Oreo's (regular sized Oreos would work too)


For the craft we decorated snowmen. I set out chocolate chips, pretzel sticks, pom poms, Elmer's glue, & markers. I also cut out the noses and hats for them.

I sent them each home with a snowman soup party favor. You could also make that into another activity and let each child/guest assemble their own Snowman Soup Kit.

For the Snowman Soup Kit you will need:

The printable (Make your own version or purchase mine through my Etsy Shop)
1 hot cocoa packet per kit (Swiss Miss is cheap and works perfect)
1 candy cane or peppermint stick
A few Hershey Kisses (Christmas colored ones look cute)
A small handful of mini marshmallows

Place all of the above contents into a clear treat bag or mug and tie with a cute ribbon.


If you are interested you can purchase Snowman Treat Labels and/or the Snowman Soup Poem Printables from my Etsy Shop, PARTY CRUSH DESIGNS.

Christmas Ornament Cupcakes

I saw this idea on Family Fun's website. My kids both had fun making these. We frosted the cupcakes and decorated them with mini M&M's. For the tops we broke off pieces of pretzels and stuck them into unwrapped mini Reese's peanut butter cups. I thought they turned out pretty cute for how simple they were to put together.

12 Days of Service Idea for Kids

We bought small Christmas trees for each of our kids to put in their bedrooms. Each year we make different types of ornaments that they can decorate their trees with. This year I decided to have them decorate paper ornaments to go along with the 12 Days of Service idea that I came up with. Last Monday for family home evening we had a lesson on the true meaning of Christmas. We read Mosiah 2:17 from the Book of Mormon: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” We discussed how doing kind acts of service for others is the best gift we can give to the Savior. After the kids finished decorating their ornaments we let them hang them on their trees. Each morning when they wake up the first thing they do is pick an ornament off of their tree. It has been fun to watch them get excited to serve. I think this will be a new tradition in our family.

To make the ornaments I used a 3" craft punch to cut out different colored card stock. I punched holes in the tops and strung ribbon through them. You could also use a cricut machine or trace cookie cutters for different shapes. I printed out a list of 12 service ideas, cut them out and used double sided tape to attach them to the back of the ornaments. I let them use foam Christmas stickers, glitter glue and markers to decorate them with.

Here is a list of the 12 service ideas that I came up with:

1- Make a Christmas card for your primary teacher.
2- Make a Christmas card for your school teacher.
3- Do something nice for your sister/brother
4- Find a chore to do without being asked.
5- Call a relative to tell them that you love them.
6- Write a letter or draw a picture for a cousin and mail it to them.
7- Make Christmas cards for your Grandparents.
8- Make a Christmas card for the Bishop.
9- Deliver a gift to a friend.
10- Deliver a gift to a neighbor.
11- Do something nice for your mom.
12- Do something nice for your dad.

Christmas Craft Ideas for Kids

I saw this idea on http://kidscraftweekly.com. My kids both really enjoyed this craft and made several trees.

What you will need:

Heavy green cardstock or cardboard cut into triangles (If using cardboard have the kids paint the triangles green)
Clothespins
A package of sequins
Glitter glue
Markers
Foam or other Christmas stickers

After the trees have been decorated clip a clothespin on the bottom of each tree for the tree trunks.



I saw this idea on www.kraftykid.com. The shaving cream mixture dries puffy. My kids both enjoyed this craft as well. Here is what you will need:

Heavy blue card stock paper
Shaving Cream
White Elmer's glue
Black and orange card stock for the nose, eyes, hat, and pieces of coal
Markers

Directions:

Mix equal parts of the shaving cream and glue. Mix well. I had the kids draw an outline of a snowman with a pencil first and then gave them foam paint brushes to fill it in with the mixture. Then I cut out black hats and orange noses. I used a hole punch for the eyes and pieces of coal. After the mixture dried they glued on the hat, eyes, pieces of coal and nose. Then they decorated their pictures with markers.

A Few of My Favorite Christmas Treats

I wanted to share a few of my favorite Christmas treat recipes. These recipes are all very simple to make and taste delicious!



My aunt Sue gave me this recipe for CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER RITZ COOKIES. It is one of our favorite Christmas treats. These are so easy to make and they taste AMAZING!

Here is the recipe:

CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER RITZ COOKIES

Peanut butter
Ritz crackers
Melting chocolate
About half as much white melting chocolate as the other
(You can also use milk chocolate and white chocolate chips melted with some shortening)

Spread peanut butter on crackers and top with more crackers to make cookie sandwiches. Melt chocolates together. Dip crackers in chocolate with fork and set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. If using melted chocolate chips put in the fridge to set up. If using candy coating then they should set up at room temp. in just a few minutes. Sometimes I dip these in milk chocolate but I like them better dipped in both chocolates melted together. Enjoy!



My Friend Jody gave me this recipe for OREO BALLS. She said they were to die for so I had to try them out. She was RIGHT! If you haven't tried these you should.




Here is the recipe:
OREO BALLS

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 package of Oreos, crushed
23 oz bag of milk chocolate chips melted with 4 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or chocolate candy coating

Crush the Oreos (including the white filling) into fine crumbs with a food processor. Once they are all crushed then mix them with the cream cheese (do this in a mixer, not by hand). When it is well combined then you can start rolling the mixture into balls. Lay them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper (and don't let the balls touch each other). Once you have all the balls made, put them in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes.
While they are hardening, melt the milk chocolate in a bowl.
Set out another big piece of wax paper to set the balls on once they are coated.
If dipping in melted chocolate chips then place dipped balls in the fridge to set up. If using candy coating they should harden at room temp in a few minutes.


My friend Lette gave me this recipe for CHOCOLATE COVERED RICE KRISPY PEANUT BUTTER BALLS. These always go over well! This recipe makes a lot so you may want to half it unless you are giving them out as gifts.





Here is the recipe:

CHOCOLATE COVERED RICE KRISPIE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

2 cups creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

4 Tbs. butter

4 cups rice krispies

Mix everything together and roll into balls and place on wax paper. Chill for 15-20 minutes.
While peanut butter mixture is chilling melt chocolate.

23 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips melted with 4 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or chocolate melting chips. If using chocolate chips then you will need place the balls in the fridge to set up. If using chocolate candy coating then they should set up at room temp.

Cover balls with chocolate. Makes approximately 4 dozen.

Cookies For Santa Kit

This is another idea I came up with for my Super Saturday class. I think this would be a fun gift to give to friends with little kids. I put this kit together in September. I had a hard time finding Christmas sprinkles or scrapbook papers so I just had to use what I could find. I am sure you will have a lot more options closer to Christmas time.

Here is what you will need:

1 large clear paint can (I bought mine at Micheal's for $4.99 and used a 40% off coupon)
Red or green shredded paper (I bought a bag at the Dollar Tree, it goes a long way)
1 sugar cookie mix
1 can of frosting
Some sprinkles (I used red and green sugar crystals)
1 or 2 cookie cutters
Ribbon
Scrapbook paper (optional)

Place some shredded paper in the bottom of the paint can. Cut out and wrap some scrapbook paper around the can of frosting and sprinkles. Place the sugar cookie mix, can of frosting, sprinkles, and cookie cutter into the paint can. The bag of sugar cookie mix will need to be folded over at the top to fit in. Secure the lid and cut out some matching scrapbook paper to attach to the top of the lid. Finish it off by tying some ribbon around the paint can.

I created a label in paint shop pro using some clip art from www.pccrafter.com. The clip art is from the Santa's Elfers collection.

Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses

I helped my son make this graham cracker gingerbread house at a school activity. The kids all enjoyed creating their own house. I was surprised to see how long it held their attention and how much detail they put into their houses.

This is such a simple and fun project for kids. I like how they can each make their own and be creative.

Here is what you need:

An empty milk carton (small school lunch size)
3 graham crackers cut in half to make 4 sides and 2 roof pieces
1 container of ready made white frosting
Heavy duty paper plates (like Chinete)
sugar ice cream cones for trees
plastic spoons or knifes for the frosting

Assorted candies like smarties, gum drops, marshmallows, skittles, M&M's, fruit loops, pretzel sticks, fruity pebbles, candy canes, starlite candies, and hershey kisses.

Reindeer Cupcakes

My kids had fun helping me make these cupcakes.
Here is what we used to decorate them:

Red peanut butter M&M's for the nose
Chocolate chips and blue mini M&M's for the eyes
Chocolate covered pretzels for the antlers
One container of ready made vanilla frosting mixed with brown food coloring

Christmas Bun Bread Wreath

I made this with my kids. We always love to eat bun bread and especially at Christmas time. I just used my bun bread recipe and then rolled the dough into a rectangle approximately 30"X8". This made a big wreath. Next time I think I will try making two smaller ones out of the same recipe. This time I used red and green M&M's for my kids but you could also use red and green maraschino cherries. I also used a fruit roll up to make a bow. Click HERE for my bun bread recipe.

Fragrant Cinnamon Ornaments

These are so easy to make and they smell wonderful. I love the scent that fills my home when I bake these. I buy cinnamon at the dollar store for these and double this recipe. My kids loved helping make these.

6 Tbsp. applesauce
10 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves

Mix together all ingredients to form a dough. If dough is dry, add more applesauce. Roll out dough to approximately 1/8" thick on a cinnamon sprinkled surface. Cut dough into desired holiday shapes using cookie cutters. Cut a hole in the top of each shape with a drinking straw or use a toothpick to make a hold large enough to thread a ribbon through for hanging.
Place shapes on a cookie sheet. Place in 150 degree oven or the lowest setting for two hours. Turn oven off and leave shapes in oven 5-6 hours or overnight. Tie ribbons through holes and use as ornaments or tie on packages.

Magical Reindeer Food

To go along with the reindeer theme for preschool I made each of the kids some Magical Reindeer Food. I wish I could have printed the picture and poem in color but we are currently out of colored ink. You can download free reindeer clip art HERE.

To make the Magical Reindeer Food just mix 1/4 cup of oats with 1 Tbsp. red and green colored sprinkles. (used for decorating cakes and cookies)

Easy Reindeer Crafts

When it was my turn to teach preschool I had the kids make this reindeer craft. All you have to do is trace and cut out one foot and two hands for each child. Glue the hands under the foot and then glue the foot and hands to a 12X12 piece of card stock paper. Glue on googly eyes and a red pom pom for the nose.

We also made reindeer antler headbands. To make these cut two 11 1/2" X 2" strips of construction paper and size around the child's head. Staple or tape the strips together to make a circle. Then trace and cut out the child's hands on brown card stock. Glue the hands to the inside of the headband.

Candy Trains

One of our Christmas traditions is to make candy trains. I usually make these the same time we decorate our gingerbread house.

What you will need:

Life saver packs (I usually buy a Christmas lifesaver book)
packs of gum
1 pkg. of Starlight peppermint candies
Hershey kisses
A variety of candies such as smarties, miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, and Rolo's.
Ribbon
Hot glue or royal icing

Glue a package of lifesavers on top of a pack of gum. Glue four Starlight peppermint candies to the sides of the gum pack. (Two on each side) Glue a Hershey kiss on the top and any other candies you want to use to decorate your train. I also cut and glue ribbon to connect the train cars together. Sometimes we display our train around our gingerbread house. My kids always look forward to making these.

Candy Sleds

These are so easy to make. All you need is:

One candy bar (Hershey's or Mr. Goodbar candy bars work well)
Two regular sized candy canes
Penguin or Santa foil covered chocolates. (I used chocolate penguins made by Palmer's.)
Hot glue

Glue the candy canes to the sides of the candy bars. Then glue the foil covered chocolates on top of the candy bars. I also glued the candy canes to the penguins.

These were very quick and easy to make. My kids had fun racing them down cookie sheets held up by cereal boxes.

Salt Dough Ornaments

We have small Christmas trees for each of our children. We let them decorate them and put them on their dressers. They love to fall asleep looking at their trees. Each year we make homemade ornaments that they can display on their trees. Last year we made salt dough ornaments.

Here is the easy recipe:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth. You can also use your hands to knead the dough. If dough is sticky you can add more flour but you don't want it too dry or it will crack.
Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the dough. You can use a straw or toothpick to make holes in the top of the ornaments. If using a toothpick make a circular motion until the hole is the size you want it. Bake the shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 2 hours at 250 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to dry completely. Use paint and glitter to decorate them and then tie ribbons through the holes.