Holiday Craft Workshop
There was something so magical about the holidays when we were young. From school parties and concerts to church pageants and family gatherings, it felt like the build up to Christmas was a never ending dream. It was my goal to be a small part of that enchanting childhood experience for my students.
Our holiday craft workshop was open to 8 children and lasted two hours on a Friday after school. Each student had a place set for them with two ornaments to paint, two gift tags to design, ribbons and paint pallets, and a paper gingerbread house to decorate. We played holiday music and I decorated our art space with some festive touches.
Everyone was eager to get to work but the main event was the holiday snack station that opened at the halfway point. I put together a “popcorn bar” with candies, cookies, and marshmallows to choose from for toppings. The feedback I got was that this was the highlight for most students.
The amount of projects prepared for each child was the perfect amount to fill the two hours. Anyone who has taught young students knows that encouraging them to slow down and take their time on projects can be a challenge. These crafts required some concentration—for example, the ornaments were tricky to hold and paint at the same time. Painting on a spherical surface was a challenge in itself. While the ornaments were more tedious, the gingerbread houses and gift tags were straight forward and offered a less challenging option. Overall, I felt we struck a balance and the students stayed engaged throughout the duration of the workshop.
The only mediums I provided for students were acrylic paints and paint pens. Students were encouraged to use white paint pens to decorate their gingerbread houses with “frosting.” Even though acrylic paints are fast drying, I used a hair dryer on each ornament to speed up the drying process before placing them in a paper bag for students to take home.
Materials used:
Ornaments: https://amzn.to/3RAvjSU
Paint Pens: https://amzn.to/3uMMoAh
Favorite Colored Paint Pens: https://amzn.to/3RuVTNn
I think this event could be reduced to one hour if needed with only ornament painting and a snack station. However, I felt that the assortment of projects and the many possibilities added to the excitement of the workshop.
I hope that this workshop left a lasting impact on the students as a joyful memory. There are only so many years that you have the chance to spend a Friday night making art, eating popcorn, and talking about school with your friends! It is a privilege to work with these students at this stage of life.
