{Snowman Detectives} - Holiday Craft Project

I put together this fun snowman project to do with my daughter's class in second grade and the kids had a great time!  We called it the Snowman Detectives. Here's how it works (all printables are included below):

The kids start with the sheet of questions and they answer them about themselves. Then they use the answers to their questions to create a snowman. For example, the question page asks "Have you ever shoveled snow off the walkway?" If you answer Yes, you use the tophat, if you answer No, you put the winter hat on your snowman. You continue through all of the questions using your answers to build you secret code into your snowman. Then, when you are finished, someone else looks at your snowman and uses the Decode Page to see how you answered the questions. For example, they see your snowman is wearing a top hat so they know that you have shoveled snow off a a walkway.
This can be a fun winter project for older kids and younger kids can play too either with parent help or they can just use the printable pieces to color and build a cute snowman without a building in a code.

Here are the Printables:

Questions to Answer

Snowman 1

Snowman 2

Snowman 3

Decode Page

         

Happy Holidays!  Please leave me a comment and let me know how this one works for you.

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{Christmas Countdown Activity Chain}

One of the things we love to do at my house is a Christmas Countdown Paper Chain to help countdown the days until Christmas. It’s a neat way to help young kids understand how many days are left until Christmas. We make it an activity chain by putting a “Christmas” activity on the inside of each link – such as have hot chocolate by the fire, bake cookies, sing a Christmas song, etc… The kids look forward each day to tearing off a link and seeing what we will be doing that day.

{Christmas Kid's Craft - Reindeer Food and Holder} + (printable)

This  is a fun Christmas Craft of  reindeer "food" to sprinkle on the lawn for Santa's reindeer to eat, and a cute little reindeer holder to hold the bag of food until Christmas Eve.  Here's instructions for both projects:

Reindeer Holder to Hang onto the Reindeer Food 'til Christmas Eve

This reindeer holds your bag of reindeer food until Christmas Eve.

Supplies

• 1 piece of construction paper (brown or tan or funky reindeer color of your choice)
• Smart and Trendy Printable for eyes, antlers, etc
• Crayons or markers, scissors, glue, tape

Steps

1. Fold the construction paper lengthwise, and cut down the center.
2. Fold in the corners at one end

3. Make a fold about an inch down from that

4. Print the Smart and Trendy Moms Reindeer Food Printable (click here for the printable)
5. Color and cut out the pieces on the printable.
6. Glue the pieces onto the reindeer (antlers are glued behind so they stick up over the back)
7. Tape the bag of reindeer food into his mouth so the reindeer can hold it until Christmas Eve when it's time to spinkle the reindeer food on the lawn.

Reindeer Food

You leave cookies out for Santa every year. Why not make some “reindeer food” to sprinkle on the lawn for Dasher, Dancer, and the rest of the team?

Here is the recipe:

• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons of cake decorating sugar ( It’s coarser than regular sugar. You can also use glitter – it looks pretty, but it’s not as environmentally friendly)
• a paper heart for love (a heart printable is included in the reindeer holder directions)

Add the ingredients to a plastic sandwich bag and shake to mix.
Then on Christmas Eve, you head outside before bed and sprinkle it on the lawn for Santa’s reindeer to eat.

Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipies, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer

{Hand and Feet Reindeer} – Kids Christmas Craft Project

This is a simple and fun Christmas craft project that requires very little supplies.  The reindeer are made from construction paper using your child's, or your own :-) , hand and foot prints.

The kids love doing this as a family project where we each make one. They love hanging mom and dad reindeer and the kid reindeer on the wall. It’s fun to see the personality that each of us give the reindeer. Some years the kids have made hats and scarves or earrings or used the “googly” eyes from the craft store.