Click here to read Filled Christmas Ornament for Kids to Make on Hands On As We Grow®
Get in the holiday spirit with a cool kid-friendly filled Christmas ornament craft from Shauna, our Activity Room® Member of the Month!
Almost one year ago, our MOTM Shauna described herself as kind of a one-trick pony. She and her six grandkids were focused on just one or two main activities – doing them over and over again.
“I had a lot of play dough,” she laughs “That was kind of the main thing that we did.”
Then, Shauna found The Activity Room on Pinterest. The multi-level, highly adaptable activity plans sparked her interest and she jumped in last January.
“When I joined The Activity Room I was really just looking to include all the different developmental levels in the activity plan,” Shauna says.
Finding something that all of her grandkids, from age 7 to younger toddler, could enjoy was a major struggle. It was made doubly hard since some of Shauna’s grandchildren are diagnosed with apraxia, autism, and deafness.
“One of my biggest struggles with doing activities is just the different levels of the kid and trying to incorporate it so they all have fun and are all engaged in the activity.”
Meeting Different Needs with Simple, Adaptable Activities!
Now, Shauna is easily able to adapt one activity to meet the needs of all of the kids! She can quickly simplify or add an extra challenge to almost any ROOM activity on the schedule.
“Being a gramma of 3 “different abilities children” I love that the activity plans are holistic in its developmental approach,” Shauna explains. “The activities are simple enough that you can twist them up, spice them up, size them up or down, or just do the activity as given, to fit the needs of all the kids and families. “
Having easy to do activities helps Shauna (and all of our Activity Room Members) make precious memories with the kids in her life!
“I love the time with them, creating memories and just having fun with them. All of us benefit from (The Activity Room) and we just love getting together!”
Let’s Meet Shauna
How many kids do you have and how old are they?
I have 6 grandkids ages 8, 5, 4, 3, 9 mo, and 6 mo
How long have you been in The Activity Room?
I joined The Activity Room® January 2019
What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?
It is impossible to choose a favorite activity! Every week we have a new favorite.
But my boys loved the kerplunk game the best and became very strategic in their efforts. My oldest granddaughter loves everything creative and crafty, while the youngest gravitates more to the sensory and gross motor type activities
What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?
Being grandma, I enjoy every last minute. Unlike my days of being a parent, for the most part, my time with them is all about them.
I love being Gramma!
What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?
Let the child lead the activities.
Don’t have expectations, and don’t compare them to any other child. Praise them for their accomplishments and efforts, always.
If you were to tell a friend about The Activity Room, what would you say to them?
The Activity Room is an amazing tool to me help and engage my kiddos in learning new skills! Before The Activity Room, I was stuck on play dough and an invitation to creates “Pinterest style.”
Now with The Activity Room, the kids are enjoying the activities so much more because of the variety!
Share your favorite quote
Children learn what they live.
Not so much a quote as it is a truth.
Easy DIY Filled Christmas Ornament Craft for Kids!
I love the sweet holiday tradition of adding a personalized ornament to the tree every year. It’s even better when kids can make their own – to keep or gift to loved ones!
To make your own easy filled Christmas ornament, you’ll need:
- clear plastic Christmas ornaments with tops that can be taken off and replaced
- red & green holiday confetti
- red, white & green pom poms
- jingle bells
- bows
- ribbons
- other Christmas-themed supplies
- plate or ice cube tray (optional)
- Sharpie markers (optional)
- paint (optional)
To start, pop the tops off of the ornaments. Do a quick test to make sure they will actually go back on, too!
Try out this cool DIY Christmas card with your kids!
Give each child a plate or ice cube tray with all the Christmas crafting supplies in it. My kids liked to have the ice cube tray because it kept all the different kinds of crafty things separated.
You might need to demonstrate how to fill the ornament. Show how to choose and place each craft item into your demo ornament.
Then let them get creative! It’s so much fun to see how they create their own custom filled Christmas ornaments.
When they’re done, pop the tops back onto each ornament. You might consider writing their name and the year onto each one, too.
Or for really crafty/skilled kids, you could let them paint small designs or messages on the outside.
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