Crafts For Kidlets

Swapping postcards is a great little activity to do with children. It can teach them about the world around them plus they can use it as a way to learn about different cultures and languages.

For a simple postcard exchange just sign up for a free account on PostCrossing and for every postcard you send, one will be sent to you.

Try collecting one postcard from each of the 50 states or try collecting certain types of postcards. You can collect View Cards which are scene cards, landscape cards, cards with animals or Ad cards. [Ad cards are free postcards with advertisements on them]

What do you do with all the cards once you start swapping? I have a postcard wall where I keep all the cards I receive from friends. It gives me a visual of the world I communicate with. You could also just keep them in a scrap album or binder.

Weave a couple of Swedish heart baskets for the tree this season. You will need some paper and scissors.

CraftIdeas.com has a great picture tutorial for the process as it can be a bit frustrating at first. Once you get how the weaving process works it is then quite easy.

One way to know that you are doing this correctly is that it opens up into a basket. It is this basket that you fill with treats and then add on to the tree.

We started sponsoring a child in September of 2010. Our sponsor child lives in Burkina Faso, Africa.

This Holiday season why not sponsor a child in honor of your child or grandchild?

This is a great project for homeschoolers as well because you get the blessed opportunity to write to your child.

Each month when you send in your payment you can get your children together to write a letter to your sponsor child. You can also get together with other sponsor families and make a letter writing gathering out of it.

Learn about the country of your sponsor child. Why is this particular Country on the list? Poverty is the number one cause but sometimes countries are in need of clean water or medical care.

For more information on sponsoring a child you can google ‘sponsor a child’ or visit Compassion International which is the organization we chose to go with.

We just made our handmade nativity set for this Advent Season. This year we visited a new site called Catholic Icing which I shared earlier this week for the tutorial she shared using toilet paper or paper towel rolls.

Here are a few more nativity sets you might be interested in making with your children this Advent Season 2010.

• Mini Nativity by Willow on Squidoo
• Paper doll friends from Making Friends
• Blog post of Free Printables from Mama Jenn
• Clay Pot Holy Family from Christian Crafters
• Nativity Masks for Play productions from Sparkle Box
• Handmade Nativity Scene using a cup and a ball from Activity Village
• Away in the Manger from Disney’s Family Fun website

Do you have a Nativity Craft that you do with your family? Please do share with me below.

Photo credit: jusben from morguefile.com

If filling your child’s shoe with goodies is making you wince this December 6, why not try this paper shoe craft. It is a free downloadable template from IncultureParent.com, that you can make and fill for your child that is both fun and clean.

Fun Filled Ideas for St. Nicks Day:

• candy
• eraser
• hair ties
• shoe laces
• rings
• bracelets
• silly bands
• crayons
• jacks
• gnomes
• dolls
• animals
• marbles
• special stones
• fairy dust
• love coupons
• stickers
• hot chocolate packets
• hot apple cider packets

Do you have a special treat that you include each year?