Ho Ho Ho

 Santa has arrived!!

Well, in craft form anyways. 

Our Holiday Program is in full swing for 

my grade-school kiddos. 

Excitement fills the classroom… 

as many know it is ONLY a short time before 

Santa arrives to fulfill their Christmas wishes. 

Kiddos were very eager to dive right into 

the art project, crafting a Santa. 

Many giggles surrounded the art table… 

Once kiddos started gluing down their handprints 

for Santa’s beard!

What a magical time. 

After writing/structuring a curriculum 

that implements a “theme” like this one. 

I go back and organizing (in thoughts) 

“how” this will be orchestrated in the classroom. 

In my mind… 

I might be thinking, “this is an amazing program!” 

Yet, it MUST contain a continuous flow of activities 

with open ended projects, and minimal prep/cleanup. 

A lot of “behind the scenes” takes place 

before the program is finalized. 

There are some projects/activities that just don’t make it. Budget plays a HUGE factor in this decision.

Adequate staff.

Time limitations. 

These are just a few, to give you a general idea. 

At the end of the day… 

A “successful” program is the greatest reward!!

Paper-Towel Christmas Tree

HOLIDAY CRAFT  

Just a few simple supplies can turn…

“ordinary” craft into an “extraordinary” craft! 

There is just something so “magical” about the process!

Materials:

Card-stock paper 

Christmas tree (template)

Paper towel roll

Scrap painted paper (cut small circles)

Scissors 

Paintbrush 

Acrylic paints 

Paper Plate Angels

Celebrating the season.

Kiddos in our after-school program

had a BLAST crafting these angels! 

I just adore how unique each angel is.

It always amazes me… 

even when the same materials are use to create with, 

no two are alike. 

Materials:

Paper plate

Sharpie (black)

Scissors 

Oil pastels

Paint (tempera)

Glitter glue 

The Aha Moment…

After countless “ugly” painted pages,

forcing myself to paint “loose”

 and working outside my comfort zone… 

It happened. 

Grabbed ahold of several colored-soft-pencils,

sketched a subject I thought was delightful,

and began to paint. 

Paint, play, feel free, and relax. 

Mentoring that inner voice… 

“Doesn’t have to be perfect.” 

“Just play and relax your movements.”

“Not everything about the subject needs details.”

“Be suggestive.”  

The AHA moment arrived!!

Such pure joy and excitement 

about painting this page occurred. 

It might not be the most amazing “still life” painting anyone has laid their eyes on… I agree. 

What makes this painting amazing? 

It holds my AHA moment. 

It symbolizes “trusting the process”. 

However looooong it takes. It will come. 

Fruitcake Fringy!

 Christmas Fruitcake Art Project

In today’s world

these kiddos did not have a clue what a fruitcake is…

Matter of fact, none have ever experienced eating one. 

 I thought “tis the season for fruitcake!” 

Christmas is a perfect time of the year.

For this art project, I had a small discussion on 

“The History Of Fruitcake”. 

Then away we when to the drawing tables 

to create a delightful fruitcake. 

Materials:

Drawing paper 

Sharpie (black)

Oil pastel (brown)

Markers (red, green, yellow, pink)

Fruitcake - BAD REPUTATION

Fruitcake lives a sad life as the worst Christmas gift!  

The much maligned dessert has a well-worn reputation. 

When we think of fruitcake we think of a thick, dense brick of a cake. 

One dotted with candied fruits and nuts. 

The brighter-than-a-Christmas-tree, neon, jellied fruits 

that top many cakes are often the major culprit. 

 

Perhaps the biggest misconception about fruitcake is that they taste bad. 

The problem doesn’t lie within the cake itself, but the ingredients and recipes people tend to use. 

When I think of "FRUITCAKE"

I think of childhood memories. 

My Grandmother, and how delicious her homemade fruitcakes were. 

I could not wait till Christmas time, because I knew she would be 

baking up those wonderful cakes packed with love! 

They were moist, sweet, and delicious. 

The smell of her kitchen was heavenly. 

NO JOKE.