Receiving a gift crafted by a child is truly special. There’s a unique charm in knowing the thought and effort a little one puts into creating something just for you. It’s a heartwarming experience that brings joy and a personal touch to the holiday season.
For those working in early childhood education, navigating the world of children-made gifts can sometimes feel a bit tricky. There can be external pressures and judgments about whether the gifts are truly child-made or primarily educator-created. However, like many aspects of early learning, finding the right approach comes down to common sense, balance, and a good understanding of the children and families you work with.
When planning Christmas gift projects that young children can participate in, I find it helpful to keep five simple guidelines in mind. These help ensure the process is enjoyable and meaningful for everyone involved.
- Will the children genuinely enjoy this activity, or will it lead to frustration? Is it age-appropriate, or am I setting expectations too high? It’s essential to choose projects that align with children’s developmental stages and interests to foster a positive experience.
- Is this craft or project manageable and stress-free, especially when considering a large group of children with varying attendance schedules and diverse family backgrounds? Simplicity and adaptability are key when working with groups of young children, allowing for individual expression within a structured activity.
- Will the recipient – whether a family member, caregiver, or special friend – appreciate this gift? Will they recognize it as uniquely made by their child? The personal connection is what makes these gifts so treasured. The project should allow for the child’s personality to shine through.
- Can I incorporate recycling, upcycling, or reusing materials into this project? Christmas is a great time to teach children about sustainability and resourcefulness by using recycled materials in their gift creations.
- Am I open to letting children take the gift-making idea in their own direction, encouraging their leadership in the project? Embracing a child’s unique creativity and problem-solving is invaluable. The most wonderful outcomes often arise from allowing children to express themselves freely, even if it deviates from the original plan. That blob of red clay in a jar or a card with five handprints might just be perfect! Letting go of perfectionism allows for the true beauty of child-led creation to emerge.
Finding fresh and engaging ideas for presents children can make can sometimes be challenging. To spark your creativity, I’ve compiled a fantastic collection of inspiration gathered from members of our Empowered Educator Facebook Community and from across the web.
This collection includes a variety of ideas suitable for different age groups, making it easy to select a project that best fits the children you are working with. Many of these projects can also be adapted for multi-age group settings.
You’ll discover simple, hands-on activities perfect for toddlers (requiring minimal adult assistance), projects with easy-to-follow steps that still challenge preschoolers (ages 3-5), and more intricate projects ideal for school-aged children (many of which would also be great for vacation care or holiday camp activities!).
While some ideas involve hand, foot, or fingerprint crafts – a topic that can sometimes be debated in early childhood education – remember that these can be included respectfully. As long as we are mindful of each child’s comfort and responses and never force participation, these can be lovely occasional activities. It’s crucial to prioritize the process of creation over the finished product. Balance is key, and the journey of making is always more valuable than the perfect outcome.
Let’s explore these projects and ignite your imagination with new Christmas gift ideas that children can create this year! Click the links below the image collages to learn more about each project and the materials you’ll need.
Empowered Ed community member and educator Danielle and her children crafted these adorable Christmas trees from pinecones. Turn it into an adventure by organizing a pinecone hunt! The small pots are budget-friendly, or you could ask families for donations. These pinecone trees make charming and unique Christmas gifts.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children to make, showcasing various craft projects.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children to make, featuring footprint mistletoe art.
Emma, another talented educator from our Facebook group, created these simple and sweet ‘Mistletoes’ pictures using footprint art. Paired with other Christmas crafts, these footprint mistletoes are inexpensive homemade Christmas gift ideas that parents and grandparents will surely cherish for years.
Image of Santa flower pots, a Christmas gift idea for children to make.
These delightful Santa flower pots are a fantastic Christmas gift idea for kids that also incorporates a bit of gardening fun. I created these as a budget-friendly craft project for children to make.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children to make, including CD ornaments.
If you still have CDs around, or if families are willing to donate, recycling them into Christmas ornaments is a brilliant idea shared by Empowered Ed member and educator Fiona. This is a wonderful way to create recycled Christmas gifts.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children to make, featuring craft stick Christmas trees and other crafts.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children to make, specifically showing craft stick Christmas trees with buttons.
Fiona also contributed this simple fine motor activity using craft sticks and buttons to make charming Christmas trees. These adorable trees will make lovely handmade Christmas ornaments, treasured year after year.
Image of Christmas bells made from plastic bottles, a DIY Christmas gift idea for kids.
These Christmas bells crafted from repurposed plastic bottles are not only fun to create but also represent a fantastic upcycled Christmas gift idea. See how I made them HERE.
Collage of various handmade Christmas gift ideas that children can create.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children to make, including sewn snowmen.
Educator Kim from our Facebook group designed these snowmen using basic sewing techniques. This project is ideal as a holiday program activity for older children and results in delightful handmade Christmas gifts.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children, featuring salt dough ornaments and other crafts.
Image of salt dough ornaments, a classic DIY Christmas gift idea for kids.
Salt dough is always a reliable, budget-friendly Christmas gift idea, and children thoroughly enjoy making them. You can find my simple salt dough recipe HERE. These ornaments are perfect for personalizing.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children, including plaster Christmas tree magnets.
How simple and clever is this? Fiona demonstrates how to transform plaster Christmas trees into magnets – perfect as easy Christmas gifts – by simply adding magnet strips to the back. This technique works wonderfully with salt dough too.
Image of nature clay ornaments, a unique DIY Christmas gift idea for kids.
My nature clay ornaments are a beautiful and versatile Christmas gift idea for children, easily adaptable for various age groups. I highly recommend my easy-to-make white ‘clay’ recipe – no store-bought clay needed!
Collage of various kid-made gift ideas for daycare or family day care settings.
Image of reusable bags painted by children, a personalized Christmas gift idea.
What a thoughtful and practical gift idea! These reusable bags adorned with children’s paintings, shared by Fiona from our Empowered Ed group, make incredibly special and personalized Christmas gifts.
Collage of handmade Christmas gift ideas for children, including painted ornaments and other crafts.
Collage of Christmas presents children can make, showcasing a variety of handmade crafts.
Collage of Christmas gifts for children to make, featuring diverse handmade gift ideas.
Collage of gifts that kids can make for Christmas, highlighting various DIY projects.
Did you find an idea or two to inspire your Christmas present making or for another special occasion?
Remember to revisit and reflect on the five simple guidelines I shared at the beginning of this article. These will help ensure the gift-making process is a joyful and stress-free experience for you and the children as they create their special gifts. The most important thing is to enjoy the process of creating memorable Christmas gifts with the children.
Looking for even more ideas and inspiration? Join our Empowered Educator Facebook group and connect with over 15,000 fellow early years educators. Click the image below to become a part of our community!
A Little About Me
Jodie Clarke, early childhood professional and author.
Jodie Clarke is a dedicated early childhood professional committed to supporting educators in maintaining their passion for their vital work. With 30 years of hands-on experience in early childhood and human services across diverse roles, Jodie brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights.
As a mother of three in Australia, Jodie understands the demands and joys of both family and professional life. She has positively impacted thousands of educators through her popular blog posts, activity ideas, online training, and e-books.
