"I’m not the mom to create and come up with cutesy crafts and creative snacks; rather, I love to be inspired and to copycat what other, more creative moms are doing and sharing. With a few elementary school parties (and a few #pinterestfails) under my belt, I’ve learned a few lessons when selecting fun holiday crafts and recipes for the kids. For example, the “cute” factor in a photo very often correlates to the “difficulty” factor.
To help you avoid committing to an overly-complicated craft or cursing a Rice Krispies treat that’s supposed to look like a Christmas tree, I paid close attention to the number of supplies needed and the relative complexity of the assembly and/or directions when compiling this list.
If your child’s class holiday party is happening this year (after likely being canceled last year) or you’re trying to recreate some of their school traditions at home, here are five simple crafts and five (mostly) healthy holiday snacks to try this season.
Holiday Crafts
1. Sparkling Icicles
Perfect for the Frozen fans in your household!
Difficulty Level: ❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Cut triangles of aluminum foil
- Kids can roll them up, squish them, and mold them into an icicle shape
- Decorate with glitter glue for some extra sparkle
- Add a hole and thread through some string to hang around the house
2. Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes
Difficulty Level: ❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Bend the end of the pipe cleaner so beads can’t fall off
- String beads onto pipe cleaner in any pattern
- Bend into the shape of a candy cane
3. Handprint Reindeer
Difficulty Level: ❄️❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Trace and cut out child’s hand from the brown paper
- Cut out a small oval for reindeer head (ideally cut ahead of time) and glue to thumb
- Glue on eyes, nose, and pipe cleaner fashioned antlers onto reindeer head
4. Pinecone Holiday Hedgehog
Difficulty Level: ❄️❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Assemble and glue together hedgehog face
- Glue face onto the pinecone
5. Clothespin Reindeer
Difficulty Level: ❄️❄️❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Draw eyes and legs
- Cut antler shapes out of brown construction paper
- Glue on antlers
- Glue on nose
- Tie yarn scarf around the finished reindeer
Healthy-ish Holiday Snack Recipes
6. Grinch Fruit Kabobs
Difficulty Level: ❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Chop the banana into 1/4″ slices
- Trim strawberries
- Assemble kabob starting with grape, banana, strawberry, and marshmallow on top
7. String Cheese Snowmen
Difficulty Level: ❄️❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Draw snowman face on the string cheese wrapper
- Tie ribbon “scarf” around each snowman
8. Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods
Difficulty Level: ❄️❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Warm chocolate melts
- Dip pretzels in chocolate
- Lay on wax paper
- Sprinkle decorations and let the chocolate dry
9. Veggie Wreath
Difficulty Level: ❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Spread broccoli florets around the tray
- Sprinkle in tomatoes to look like berries
- Fashion a bow out of red pepper
- Place ranch dip in the center
10. Holiday Popcorn & Pretzel Mix
Difficulty Level: ❄️
Supplies:
Directions:
- Combine, toss, and serve for a sweet and salty treat
Graphics by: Leigh Ryan and Kathie Baptista