Christmas Activities...

It's the time of the year when a few crafts might actually be your saving grace!!! Kids will be out of school for the holidays at the end of the week and it won't be long before you hear those famous words: "I'm bored!". So I thought I would give you a few activities each day that may come in handy.

Painted Glass Ornaments
This is one of my kids' all time favorite Christmas crafts! We learned this from a great first grade teacher that my daughter had when she was in first grade and now my youngest son has the privilege to be in her class as well. My kids range in age from 11 years old all the way down to four years old. So this is truly a craft for any age!!! The only help you need to provide is with the four year old and younger crowd. You will need to pour in their paint and help them roll it around. This can be done in about 15 minutes or less!

Supplies:
Clear glass ornaments
Acrylic paints in assorted colors
A place-mat or other material that can get dirty
Sharpie marker

Take the top off of the ornament and choose 3 paint colors. Squirt a tablespoon or so of paint into the bottom of the ornament. Do the same with the next two colors. When you have completed this part, begin to roll the ornament on a hard surface. This will begin to swirl your colors and create a design. When you're finished rolling place your ornament upside down in a plastic cup so that the excess paint can drain out. You will want to check on this periodically throughout the day to make sure that paint has not dried over the opening of the ornament. If it has, simply remove it with a damp paper towel and continue with the drying process in the plastic cup. After about two days you should be able to put the top back on. Use the Sharpie to label the ornament with your child's name and the date. Finallly, hang it on your tree!

Alternative to paints:

Use the Sharpie marker to create designs on the outside of the ornament. Then to add color on the inside, shred some tissue paper or any other filler you may have on hand.
Enjoy!

Hopefully this will help in the creating memories side of the holidays. It's totally low maintenance and can be done in as little as 15 minutes, it's totally up to you and how long you want to spend!