Handprint Christmas Tree {Baby’s 1st Christmas Craft}

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This handprint Christmas tree craft is a keeper. As you may imagine this was a very exciting day for us, as it was the first time my daughter really got into the action with a project. Amazingly, unlike her brother who ate the paint for over two years, it didn’t even graze her lips. This kids craft can be done with any age with varying levels of adult involvement. I love how it turned out and this one will be packed away and saved for certain.

Handprint Christmas Tree

1. Gather your materials. You will need some heavy paper or paper grocery bag, a marker, green paint (we added some glitter paint to ours too), construction paper, glue, scissors and paint tape.
2. Start by cutting the bag open, and then, taping it down to the table. When you are crafting with a baby or toddler it’s going to be messy but you can take a few steps to help minimize it. By taping the paper you are using to the table as well as using a piece much larger than needed you avoid the paper and paint hitting the floor and protect your table.  Not to mention you also stop them from being able to grab the whole thing and trying to eat it.
3. Trace their hand on a paper with the marker.
4. Stack the other papers under and cut out.
5. Draw the outline of a tree on the paper for the body of your handprint Christmas tree.  I did ours sideways so she could reach most of it for painting.
6. Time to paint! Add the paint to the paper and and then, let the baby spread it. What is this?
7. “Ooh, I like it!” Remember to narrate what they are doing. “You are painting the tree. You are painting with green. Do you like it? Is it squishy?” Yes, you might feel a little foolish, but trust me, it’s important. You are teaching them even when they are too young to respond in ways we recognize.
8. I had to take her out of her seat and dangle her over the table to reach the other side. She loved this, but obviously, I have no picture.
9. Clean baby up and then, place her in the Exersaucer. I had 2 baby wipes on hand to wipe her hands. I find they work on paint better than anything, and then a washcloth with warm water cleaned her right up.
10. Add glue to the tree.
11. Next, add the hand print cut outs and then, let dry.
12. Cut out your handprint Christmas tree, and then display where you can enjoy this precious work of art.

Christmas Books

Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman arrived on my door step a few months ago sent to me by the publisher for review. It is a really fun and educational book. The book is a new spin on the old song ” Ten in A Bed” but instead of squeezing onto a bed these cold weather animals pile on and off the sled one at a time. What is wonderful from an educational sense is not just the obvious counting element but as each animal exists the sled the verb used for each animal begins with the same letter as the animal does. This was fantastic for my son who wanted to sound every animal and verb out.  Add a fun rhyming sing song text and this is a great option for a holiday gift.

SantaKid by James Patterson is a favorite library book in our house this year . My son inherited his love and curiosity of the inner workings of the North Pole from me and this book feeds that wonder. It also taps into something preschoolers are often seeking, power and a voice that gets heard. In the story Santa’s daughter saves the North Pole and Christmas from a corporate take over.

I liked this book, and my son did too. It doesn’t focus on the religious celebration but rather on Santa and it doesn’t take a very sophisticated kid to know it’s make believe, 3 pages in my son said ” Mommy, this is a made up story right? Santa isn’t a regular Daddy, that’s silly!”  What it does is focuses on giving kids power to save something. Maybe it’s just my 4 year old but he spends all day pretending to save the day and this book spoke right to that desire to be powerful and good!

Olive, the Other Reindeer.by Vivian Walsh is probably familiar to you if not because of the book, maybe the TV special starring Drew Barrymore as the voice of Olive. If it’s new to you the story is simple, Olive is a little dog who after hearing a Christmas carol, then believes she is one of Santa’s reindeer . She journey’s to the North Pole and even though she can’t fly and is just a dog, she saves the day . I love the vibrant and busy illustrations by J. Otto Seibold and Olive’s childlike innocence.  There is a reason this book has exploded into a character driven product. It’s cute and we can all relate to wanting to get to ride with Santa and his crew on Christmas Eve.