Holiday craft ideas for the classroom can be a wonderful way to supplement lesson plans and enable creative expression. It’s a good idea to move away from the projects where the results all look the same and embrace the uniqueness of each student’s work.
Many adults can pinpoint the moment they decided they couldn’t “do art” as the time their early efforts were mocked in school. Eliminate the idea of competition in holiday crafts and celebrate the diversity of ability displayed by your group. The goal of these activities is to make a memory, not a masterpiece, but it is easy to forget this truth when things get chaotic.
For students, the process is as important as the product and these holiday craft ideas are great places to start:
1. Hand Painted Paper Bag Ornaments don’t take expensive supplies and can be any design a student desires.
2. Handprint crafts abound and usually are cherished by parents and grandparents. Pick one off the Holidays For The Classroom board on Pinterest and let your students create some heirlooms.
3. Premade craft kits, like the Mosaic Votive Candle Kit, provide everything for 12 students to create a one-of-a-kind candle decoration. Smaller classrooms and homeschool groups can easily do this as a holiday activity. 
4. Specific holiday crafts, like this Chanukah Suncatcher, can be a springboard into discussions about family traditions as each student shares what the holidays are like at home. It is simple to change the theme of this craft to whatever is desired by the artist.
5. Art projects for Winter don’t need to be holiday-themed but many of us enjoy snowmen and snowflakes around the holidays.
These five ideas are just a starting point. As you explore the possibilities for your particular group of students, there will be many learning opportunities in the coming holiday season. Kids and holiday crafts are a wonderful combination when the emphasis is on making good memories instead of perfect products.
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