42 Simple Hanukkah Crafts for Kids to Make

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This year, I have had many requests to share ideas of Hanukkah crafts for kids to make.

Our family celebrates Christmas. We have always shared easy Christmas crafts, including Santa crafts, Christmas tree crafts, and lots of homemade ornaments for kids to make as well.

Simple Hanukkah Crafts for Kids to Make

I have never shared any Hanukkah crafts before since it has always just been my family sharing the activities we do.

This is the great blessing of having a creative team of contributors. They are ready and willing to share their activities with us!

I thought it would be nice to also have a great collection for inspiration as well. Here’s some simple Hanukkah craft the kids can make.

Dreidel Crafts for Kids to Make

Below, you will find Dreidel crafts, Star of David crafts, Menorah crafts, plus some Hanukkah advent calendars for the kids to make.

Dreidels are a small spinning toy used to play a traditional Hanukkah game. You can learn how to play with the Dreidel here.

Menorah Crafts for Kids to Make

On each night of Chanukkah, one new light of the Menorah is lit.

I hope someone can help me out here and tell me about the 7 or 8 candle difference with either a Menorah or Hanukiah.

From what I read here, the Hanukiah is with 7 candles in line and the 8th is offset, whereas the Menorah has seven candles all in line.

Below are crafts of both Menorahs and Hanukiahs.

Star of David Crafts for Kids to Make

Star of David is a well-known six-pointed symbol of two triangles interlaced together. You can read about the origin and meaning of the Star of David here.

Hanukkah Advent Calendars for Kids to Make

And of course, it’s fun to count down the days of Hanukkah, so here’s some Hanukkah advent-type calendars.

Do you celebrate Hanukkah? What is a favorite craft or activity you do with the kids?

42 Simple Hanukkah Crafts for Kids to Make

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2ka4Cav

Click here to read 42 Simple Hanukkah Crafts for Kids to Make on Hands On As We Grow

---

This year, I have had many requests to share ideas of Hanukkah crafts for kids to make.

Our family celebrates Christmas. We have always shared easy Christmas crafts, including Santa crafts, Christmas tree crafts, and lots of homemade ornaments for kids to make as well.

Simple Hanukkah Crafts for Kids to Make

I have never shared any Hanukkah crafts before since it has always just been my family sharing the activities we do.

This is the great blessing of having a creative team of contributors. They are ready and willing to share their activities with us!

I thought it would be nice to also have a great collection for inspiration as well. Here’s some simple Hanukkah craft the kids can make.

Dreidel Crafts for Kids to Make

Below, you will find Dreidel crafts, Star of David crafts, Menorah crafts, plus some Hanukkah advent calendars for the kids to make.

Dreidels are a small spinning toy used to play a traditional Hanukkah game. You can learn how to play with the Dreidel here.

Menorah Crafts for Kids to Make

On each night of Chanukkah, one new light of the Menorah is lit.

I hope someone can help me out here and tell me about the 7 or 8 candle difference with either a Menorah or Hanukiah.

From what I read here, the Hanukiah is with 7 candles in line and the 8th is offset, whereas the Menorah has seven candles all in line.

Below are crafts of both Menorahs and Hanukiahs.

Star of David Crafts for Kids to Make

Star of David is a well-known six-pointed symbol of two triangles interlaced together. You can read about the origin and meaning of the Star of David here.

Hanukkah Advent Calendars for Kids to Make

And of course, it’s fun to count down the days of Hanukkah, so here’s some Hanukkah advent-type calendars.

Do you celebrate Hanukkah? What is a favorite craft or activity you do with the kids?

Coffee Dripped Book: Keepsake Craft for Kids

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Click here to read Coffee Dripped Book: Keepsake Craft for Kids on Hands On As We Grow

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A coffee craft!! Yep, a fun and simple keepsake for your kids to enjoy creating using good ole’ decaf coffee.

This coffee dripped keepsake craft can be used for photo albums, drawing or writing books, secret messages, homemade gifts, treasure maps, and nature journals.

We love using ours as a nature journal, to collect favorite leaves that are found on nature walks, draw sketches of plants, or to smear some dirt for a texture page.

This coffee craft is a simple three-step process of coffee dripping, drying, and book assembly. Once created, it can be used right away or saved for a special activity or upcoming event.

Supplies needed:

• White 9×12 construction paper
• Decaf coffee (brewed)
• A cup
• A dropper (we love these twisty ones!) or a medicine syringe (affiliate link)
• A baking or craft tray
• A towel, sheet, or tablecloth
• A pair of scissors
• A hole punch
• Ribbon, yarn, or twine
• Cardstock or watercolor paper (optional, for cover)

But first… coffee!

Begin by brewing your cup of coffee so that it has time to cool before your kids use it for staining.

Then place your towel or sheet down on your crafting surface; whether that be on the patio, in the kitchen, or on the porch (coffee can stain).

Add your baking or crafting tray on the towel and put down a white piece of paper in the tray.

For the cover, I used a stronger white paper (watercolor paper – or you can use construction paper). It left a much more distinct coffee pattern on the paper, so it made a nice cover.

For the inside pages, I used regular construction paper, but you can also use construction paper for the entire book.

When your coffee is cooled, pour it into a non-breakable cup or container (like a plastic cup) and grab the dropper.

Now, grab the kids!

Making your coffee dripping book

Before beginning, I recommend having your kids wear clothing that can potentially get dirty or stained.

Then have your kids fill their droppers with the coffee and drop (squirt) it onto their white paper; this is great fine motor practice.

Explore 32 objects to strengthen fine motor skills.

They may be hesitant at first and only do little drops or may choose to begin by making small spots.

But then, your kids may get really into it and make big designs or flood the paper with coffee. Either way works and will look cool!

The one thing about coffee dripping is that it doesn’t all absorb into the paper, so you will have excess coffee in the tray that can be used for staining the entire paper.

Also, when you pick up the paper, the coffee will run.  It’s totally okay and adds to the design.

The goal is to have a design and the page fully stained.

Depending on how many pages you would like in the keepsake craft, will dictate the amount of paper to stain.

For example; we made one book with four pages and another book with eight pages (two sheets of construction paper and 1/2 sheet of watercolor paper).

As the pages are stained, simply remove them from the tray and place them somewhere to dry.

Keepsake Assembly:

Once the paper is dry, it’s time to assemble.

You’ll begin by folding the paper in half like a book, then cut apart.

This would be a great opportunity for cutting practice!

Then, fold the cut paper in half again to make a smaller book.

Combine all folded pages together and if you have a specific cover page, then place that on the outside.

It’s now time to hole punch the pages.

You’re going to make two holes on the folded part of each page.

Unfortunately, our hole punch could only be used with one page at a time, so we had to make holes in the cover first and then slide one page in at a time to line up the holes correctly.

If your hole punch can do all at the same time, then awesome.

Once your holes are made, simply put the pages back together and make sure the holes are lined up.

Then gather your string or ribbon, cut two pieces, and use them to tie the pages together.

Wallah!  The pages of your kids’ coffee keepsake craft are ready to be filled.

How did your kids use their coffee dripped keepsake booklet?

Coffee Dripped Book: Keepsake Craft for Kids

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2zLNOxB

Click here to read Coffee Dripped Book: Keepsake Craft for Kids on Hands On As We Grow

---

A coffee craft!! Yep, a fun and simple keepsake for your kids to enjoy creating using good ole’ decaf coffee.

This coffee dripped keepsake craft can be used for photo albums, drawing or writing books, secret messages, homemade gifts, treasure maps, and nature journals.

We love using ours as a nature journal, to collect favorite leaves that are found on nature walks, draw sketches of plants, or to smear some dirt for a texture page.

This coffee craft is a simple three-step process of coffee dripping, drying, and book assembly. Once created, it can be used right away or saved for a special activity or upcoming event.

Supplies needed:

• White 9×12 construction paper
• Decaf coffee (brewed)
• A cup
• A dropper (we love these twisty ones!) or a medicine syringe (affiliate link)
• A baking or craft tray
• A towel, sheet, or tablecloth
• A pair of scissors
• A hole punch
• Ribbon, yarn, or twine
• Cardstock or watercolor paper (optional, for cover)

But first… coffee!

Begin by brewing your cup of coffee so that it has time to cool before your kids use it for staining.

Then place your towel or sheet down on your crafting surface; whether that be on the patio, in the kitchen, or on the porch (coffee can stain).

Add your baking or crafting tray on the towel and put down a white piece of paper in the tray.

For the cover, I used a stronger white paper (watercolor paper – or you can use construction paper). It left a much more distinct coffee pattern on the paper, so it made a nice cover.

For the inside pages, I used regular construction paper, but you can also use construction paper for the entire book.

When your coffee is cooled, pour it into a non-breakable cup or container (like a plastic cup) and grab the dropper.

Now, grab the kids!

Making your coffee dripping book

Before beginning, I recommend having your kids wear clothing that can potentially get dirty or stained.

Then have your kids fill their droppers with the coffee and drop (squirt) it onto their white paper; this is great fine motor practice.

Explore 32 objects to strengthen fine motor skills.

They may be hesitant at first and only do little drops or may choose to begin by making small spots.

But then, your kids may get really into it and make big designs or flood the paper with coffee. Either way works and will look cool!

The one thing about coffee dripping is that it doesn’t all absorb into the paper, so you will have excess coffee in the tray that can be used for staining the entire paper.

Also, when you pick up the paper, the coffee will run.  It’s totally okay and adds to the design.

The goal is to have a design and the page fully stained.

Depending on how many pages you would like in the keepsake craft, will dictate the amount of paper to stain.

For example; we made one book with four pages and another book with eight pages (two sheets of construction paper and 1/2 sheet of watercolor paper).

As the pages are stained, simply remove them from the tray and place them somewhere to dry.

Keepsake Assembly:

Once the paper is dry, it’s time to assemble.

You’ll begin by folding the paper in half like a book, then cut apart.

This would be a great opportunity for cutting practice!

Then, fold the cut paper in half again to make a smaller book.

Combine all folded pages together and if you have a specific cover page, then place that on the outside.

It’s now time to hole punch the pages.

You’re going to make two holes on the folded part of each page.

Unfortunately, our hole punch could only be used with one page at a time, so we had to make holes in the cover first and then slide one page in at a time to line up the holes correctly.

If your hole punch can do all at the same time, then awesome.

Once your holes are made, simply put the pages back together and make sure the holes are lined up.

Then gather your string or ribbon, cut two pieces, and use them to tie the pages together.

Wallah!  The pages of your kids’ coffee keepsake craft are ready to be filled.

How did your kids use their coffee dripped keepsake booklet?

Teaching Kids Healthy Brushing Habits

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the American Dental Association. Thanks for helping us spread the word about kids’ oral health!

How many times do you have to tell your kids to brush their teeth before they actually do it?

Depending on the age, most of the parents I know end up having to walk their kids into the bathroom and make them do it.

What is it about kids not wanting to brush their teeth!?

To combat teeth brushing troubles, we are partnering with the American Dental Association to share our tips on how to teach your kids healthy oral hygiene habits.

Teaching Kids Healthy Brushing Habits

The truth is, teaching kids how to keep up with their oral hygiene is not always the easiest. Especially during the holiday season where it seems like candy, sweets, and chocolate are everywhere!

The ADA even agrees, teaching kids moderation this time of year is key to helping them keep their teeth clean.

We like to say that candy is okay, but you have to brush your teeth twice a day.

Sweet treats are okay, as long as you floss and visit your dentist regularly.

See what I mean? Taking care of your teeth doesn’t mean kids have to give up everything they love.

Tips for Teaching Kids Healthy Habits

As parents, we are the ones who are responsible for teaching our kids proper hygiene.

It sounds way easier than it actually is, so here are some tips that we use in our home that might help you out in yours!

Make it Fun

This will probably look different for each family and the ages of your kids, but if you can figure out how to make brushing and flossing fun, do it!

• Take a family trip to the store where everyone gets to pick out their favorite toothpaste and a special toothbrush. Just be sure to look for products with the ADA Seal of Acceptance to make sure that you are getting quality products!
• If your children are younger maybe you can find a song on YouTube about brushing teeth and play that while they are brushing.
• You could even take younger kids to the bookstore where they can get a book about the importance of brushing their teeth.
• Use our printable sticker charts to make tracking the amount of times kids have brushed their teeth a game! When they fill up their sticker chart, you can reward them with an inexpensive prize or a trip to the park!

Create a Routine

Every night we follow a routine to get ready for bed. First is dinner, play/TV time, bath time, brush teeth, read a book, and then bed. We do this every single night, so not only is bedtime a lot easier for us, but there is no protesting when it comes to brushing her teeth because she already knows it is coming.

I finally figured out the power of a good routine and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to not using one!

Start Young

This tip goes right along with having a routine. If you start enforcing teeth brushing twice per day as soon as they are able to brush (and even before then you can brush for them and wipe their gums!), your kids will be used to brushing their teeth as a part of their routine.

Use Challenges

If you have more than one kiddo, using challenges could be super fun. Make it a competition and any two siblings won’t be able to resist the competitiveness to win!

Print out our fun teeth brushing sticker charts (they even come with printable stickers!) and have siblings race to the finish! If you have an only child, then you could create a challenge like I mentioned above where they can fill the sticker chart for a fun prize.

There are many different ways to get kids more involved with positive oral hygiene, but the key is to try it all until you find out what works best for your family. What works with one of our children might not work with yours, and that is okay, but don’t give up!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the American Dental Association.

The post Teaching Kids Healthy Brushing Habits appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

48 Santa Crafts for Kids! Oh-So-Simple!

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Click here to read 48 Santa Crafts for Kids! Oh-So-Simple! on Hands On As We Grow

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Ho Ho Ho! Santa Claus is coming to town and Christmas crafts will be decking the halls!

Of course, Santa is a highlight here in our house! This year, I think my kids will be in for a rude awakening. My oldest thinks anything and everything he asks for, Santa will bring him. (In his defense, his list has always been 1 or 2 small things and has always happened…)

I love Santa traditions, and making it extra special for the kids doesn’t take a whole lot. Just the anticipation of Santa coming brings the biggest smiles on their faces. And that’s the most heart warming of all.

To build on that anticipation, make these Santa crafts with your kids this holiday season. Pair these with cute Christmas tree crafts and activities, and you’ll be set!

Santa’s hat is a classic, but a focus on his beard can be swirly fun too! Check out these simple Santa crafts for kids to make!

Find 25 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids Here

Classic Santa Hat Crafts for Kids to Make

Let’s start with Santa hat crafts for the kids to make. Santa’s hat is as recognizable as Santa himself.

The fluffy ball at the top makes it unmistakable.

Have Swirly Fun with Santa Beard Crafts

Aside from Santa’s hat, what’s the next most recognizable part of Santa? His white, curly beard!

Lotsa Santa Crafts for Kids to Make!

Of course, Santa is so much more than just his red hat and white beard, Santa crafts for kids can just be of Santa himself.

With his jolly belly, belt, and red suit. They all make up Santa as his remarkable self.

You may also find some Homemade Ornaments for the Kids here.

48 Santa Crafts for Kids! Oh-So-Simple!

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2k3y5Dc

Click here to read 48 Santa Crafts for Kids! Oh-So-Simple! on Hands On As We Grow

---

Ho Ho Ho! Santa Claus is coming to town and Christmas crafts will be decking the halls!

Of course, Santa is a highlight here in our house! This year, I think my kids will be in for a rude awakening. My oldest thinks anything and everything he asks for, Santa will bring him. (In his defense, his list has always been 1 or 2 small things and has always happened…)

I love Santa traditions, and making it extra special for the kids doesn’t take a whole lot. Just the anticipation of Santa coming brings the biggest smiles on their faces. And that’s the most heart warming of all.

To build on that anticipation, make these Santa crafts with your kids this holiday season. Pair these with cute Christmas tree crafts and activities, and you’ll be set!

Santa’s hat is a classic, but a focus on his beard can be swirly fun too! Check out these simple Santa crafts for kids to make!

Find 25 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids Here

Classic Santa Hat Crafts for Kids to Make

Let’s start with Santa hat crafts for the kids to make. Santa’s hat is as recognizable as Santa himself.

The fluffy ball at the top makes it unmistakable.

Have Swirly Fun with Santa Beard Crafts

Aside from Santa’s hat, what’s the next most recognizable part of Santa? His white, curly beard!

Lotsa Santa Crafts for Kids to Make!

Of course, Santa is so much more than just his red hat and white beard, Santa crafts for kids can just be of Santa himself.

With his jolly belly, belt, and red suit. They all make up Santa as his remarkable self.

You may also find some Homemade Ornaments for the Kids here.

Card Slot Busy Activity from our Member of The Month Jaime

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Click here to read Card Slot Busy Activity from our Member of The Month Jaime on Hands On As We Grow

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Talk about jumping right in and taking action. Our member of this month did just that right from the start of her membership to The Activity Room.

Before I ‘met’ Jamie and the other members of The Activity Room, I was kind of just pulling myself through the day. My toddler was bored with the same toys and I kept thinking, there has to be a solution that isn’t, more toys.

And within a month of being a member of The Activity Room, Jaime was a different kind of parent and super-engaged with her son.

The rewards became evident almost immediately. My husband noted that within a week our son Caspian (2.5) was talking, observing and engaging more. I have better days too because he has better days and they don’t seem as endless as they once did. 

Let’s get to know Jaime and her journey in The Activity Room, and then I also want to share an activity she did with her son that’s super clever and fantastic for hand-eye coordination.

The Activity Room gives me some accountability and a way to get a virtual high five (no small thing when I spend the entire day with almost no one but my babies). I take pride in posting the pictures of what we’ve done and I get to feel good all over again for mustering the energy to do something more with my kids. It gets easier too, the more I do.

Let’s meet Jaime!

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

My son Caspian is 2.5 and my daughter Glory, is 7 months

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

About a month or so?  (Since August 2017)

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

Caspian’s is definitely painting with cars and probably sink or float. It’s hard for me to choose… I like the recipes for play dough, watercolors and homemade paint.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Painting and dancing to pop music!

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

I’ve mentioned this in The Activity Room Members Only Group but it bears repeating:

Let go of the outcome.

Get rid of expectations because your kid either doesn’t have any or has totally different ones than you would have. Lower the bar and let it be. If getting messy stresses you out, take precautions beforehand and teach them that when they’re painting or doing the sensory bin, they have to stay where they are until it’s time to clean up. Even at 2.5, they can learn that.

Favorite quote?

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common–this is my symphony. – William Henry Channing

Card Slot Busy Activity

Jaime’s son gave her the inspiration for this card slot busy activity. He loves playing with business cards, credit cards, and gift cards, so she made a quick busy game for him!

For this activity you need: tape (packing tape would be great but you also need a surface you can use that won’t be harmed by it), a cracker or cereal box of some kind and lots of cards (firm or flimsy but stiff ones are probably best for little hands).

Here’s the Jaime did for this card slot activity:

Take the box and tape it down on its side. I left the ‘top’ of the box where you would normally open it, untaped (so that we could take out the cards once they were inside, to start again).

Before taping it down I cut a slit (see pic for positioning).

Aside from the slit and the side opening, you have to tape it quite a lot so that it will stay upright while they’re trying to push things into the box.

I was careful to only cut the opening long enough for the cards to go in one way, so that he had to turn them the correct way to fit them in. He loved it!

You can also learn more about Jaime on her blog and main website, jaimelee.me, where she shares her music and voiceover reels.

Want to have your daily activities planned out for you? Join us in The Activity Room!

Card Slot Busy Activity from our Member of The Month Jaime

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2znaXCk

Click here to read Card Slot Busy Activity from our Member of The Month Jaime on Hands On As We Grow

---

Talk about jumping right in and taking action. Our member of this month did just that right from the start of her membership to The Activity Room.

Before I ‘met’ Jamie and the other members of The Activity Room, I was kind of just pulling myself through the day. My toddler was bored with the same toys and I kept thinking, there has to be a solution that isn’t, more toys.

And within a month of being a member of The Activity Room, Jaime was a different kind of parent and super-engaged with her son.

The rewards became evident almost immediately. My husband noted that within a week our son Caspian (2.5) was talking, observing and engaging more. I have better days too because he has better days and they don’t seem as endless as they once did. 

Let’s get to know Jaime and her journey in The Activity Room, and then I also want to share an activity she did with her son that’s super clever and fantastic for hand-eye coordination.

The Activity Room gives me some accountability and a way to get a virtual high five (no small thing when I spend the entire day with almost no one but my babies). I take pride in posting the pictures of what we’ve done and I get to feel good all over again for mustering the energy to do something more with my kids. It gets easier too, the more I do.

Let’s meet Jaime!

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

My son Caspian is 2.5 and my daughter Glory, is 7 months

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

About a month or so?  (Since August 2017)

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

Caspian’s is definitely painting with cars and probably sink or float. It’s hard for me to choose… I like the recipes for play dough, watercolors and homemade paint.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Painting and dancing to pop music!

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

I’ve mentioned this in The Activity Room Members Only Group but it bears repeating:

Let go of the outcome.

Get rid of expectations because your kid either doesn’t have any or has totally different ones than you would have. Lower the bar and let it be. If getting messy stresses you out, take precautions beforehand and teach them that when they’re painting or doing the sensory bin, they have to stay where they are until it’s time to clean up. Even at 2.5, they can learn that.

Favorite quote?

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common–this is my symphony. – William Henry Channing

Card Slot Busy Activity

Jaime’s son gave her the inspiration for this card slot busy activity. He loves playing with business cards, credit cards, and gift cards, so she made a quick busy game for him!

For this activity you need: tape (packing tape would be great but you also need a surface you can use that won’t be harmed by it), a cracker or cereal box of some kind and lots of cards (firm or flimsy but stiff ones are probably best for little hands).

Here’s the Jaime did for this card slot activity:

Take the box and tape it down on its side. I left the ‘top’ of the box where you would normally open it, untaped (so that we could take out the cards once they were inside, to start again).

Before taping it down I cut a slit (see pic for positioning).

Aside from the slit and the side opening, you have to tape it quite a lot so that it will stay upright while they’re trying to push things into the box.

I was careful to only cut the opening long enough for the cards to go in one way, so that he had to turn them the correct way to fit them in. He loved it!

You can also learn more about Jaime on her blog and main website, jaimelee.me, where she shares her music and voiceover reels.

Want to have your daily activities planned out for you? Join us in The Activity Room!