5 Cheap & Fun Holiday Crafts to Do With Kids This Season

By Alicia Geigel on December 21, 2017

From the ages of 13 to 18 my official job title was “babysitter.”Being a babysitter was a great job, which not only taught me the responsibilities of caring for little ones, but it also taught me the value of having fun and how much we all want to hold on to a little part of our childhood selves. One important element of babysitting in general, but especially for younger children, is having fun through activities, whether on an individual or a group level. Playing with kids and engaging with them on a level that they are comfortable with and can appreciate with makes the job of babysitting a lot easier, and more fun may I add!

With the holidays swiftly approaching, the kids you babysit are most likely becoming super energized and excited about the wonders of Santa Claus, the event of receiving presents, and eating all the cookies (of course)! As Christmas is right around the corner, why get in the holiday cheer and make babysitting both fun and productive by doing arts and crafts with the kids! Are you currently babysitting kids? Are you looking for ways to engage them and let them have fun? Check out these five fun holiday crafts that are bound to spread the holiday cheer!

Image via Pexels

Note: There are plenty of fun crafts out there to explore, but I wanted to select ones that are easy and inexpensive, as I know most of us babysitters aren’t rolling in the dough.

  1. Melted Candy Ornaments: Days or even weeks before Thanksgiving, all of our favorite stores start stocking the holiday candy, Some are lavish and eccentric while others are plain and have been around for years. This simple and easy craft uses a candy we are all familiar with and it won’t break your budget! To make the ornaments all you will need are a bag of peppermint candies, holiday cookie cutters, parchment paper, toothpicks, and string/ribbon! All of these supplies can be bought for one dollar or less, so if this sounds like something fun to you, check out the tutorial from Debbie at OneLittleProject.com!
  2. Snowflake Door Hanger: Who doesn’t love the sparkle, the shine, and the elegance of snowflakes during the holiday season? Decorating with snowflakes can bring a sophisticated yet magical feel to your home, so why not create a beautiful door hanger with the kids you are looking after? Once again, all that is needed for this craft are snowflake decorations from the Dollar Tree- yep, it’s all $1! To make things even more fun, bring the kids with you (if it’s not too much trouble) and have them pick out the different shapes/colors of snowflakes to add an element of creativity to the craft! After you’ve gotten all your snowflakes, all it takes is a glue gun and more glitter if you’re like me and voila! The kids have made a beautiful new decoration. Check out the tutorial from Shauna Rae at RaeofSparkles.com!
  3. Jolly Wreath: One of the greatest and coolest things about the holidays is seeing all the creativity people put into decorating. An easy and inexpensive craft to enjoy with the kids you babysit is to make a jolly wreath from present bows! For this craft, you will need a bunch of multi-colored (or one color if that’s your style) present bows, floral wire (for hanging), a Styrofoam wreath form, and a hot glue gun! Not only is the result absolutely beautiful, but its also incredibly quick and easy to do with the kids! For more information on how to assemble the wreath, check out WomansDay.com!

    Image via Pexels

  4. Plastic Spoon Trees: I’ll admit it, when I first read the title of this craft, I was like “what?!” However, after seeing the result I was totally blown away. These little spoon trees are another cheap and easy way to bring the holiday cheer to the kids this season! For this craft, all you will need is cardboard tree forms, plastic spoons, a hot glue gun and spray paint if you want to get extra creative! For a step-by-step guide on how to make these fun decorations, check out the tips from Jocie of OneProkectCloser.com!
  5. “Five-Minute Garland”: If the title of this craft isn’t catching enough, I promise the description will be! Garland is one beautiful touch that can add flare and spark to a tree, mantle, or just about anything! This five-minute garland only requires colorful string, wooden beads of all sizes, tape, and scissors! The kids will have a blast assembling this garland, I guarantee you! For a tutorial on this craft, check out Brittni Mehlhoff on Curbly.com!

These inexpensive and fun crafts will not only keep the kids entertained, but it will also add a new cheerful element to your babysitting job! As always, good luck and send me pictures if you create any masterpieces!

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