Reindeer Antler Headbands

These are soooo cute and super easy.

We started with some reasonably thick card that I cut into strips to use as headbands.

Traced around each child's hand and included some of their arm onto brown (antler coloured) paper.

Cut around the hands and left some of the arm (these are to be the antlers.)

Measured each child's head and stapled the card strips to make a headband.

Attached the hand cut outs using sticky tape to the inside of the headband

And there you have it, very simple and cute Reindeer Antlers.

We completed the look with a little face paint on our noses to look like Rudolf (although he did end up with some very interesting coloured noses!)

Miss M

Master E

Miss A

Miss A

Miss G

Miss O

Miss L

Merry Christmas Toddler Timers!

Easy Toddler Cooking ~ Truffles

I'm usually not keen to cook with the kids, to be truthful, I'm usually not all that keen to cook at all!  The Toddler Timers however are. So here is my compromise, no bake cooking to make truffles. We made kid friendly ones and covered them with hundreds and thousands rather than the usual coconut. 

Ingredients:

1 Packet of Marie Biscuits
1 Can of Condensed Milk
1 Cup of Desiccated Coconut
2 Tablespoons of Cocoa
100's and 1000's to cover truffles

Before we were ready to start I pulsed the Marie Biscuits in the food processor until they were fairly fine.  We then added the coconut.

Next went in the Cocoa and finally the Condensed Milk.

Then it was time to stir, stir.

Stir!

And of course have a taste test.

We then rolled the chocolate mixture into small balls and then rolled them in Hundreds and Thousands.

This bit was a little bit messy and a tiny bit sticky! (Warning, we had Hundreds and Thousands EVERYWHERE!!! Nothing a vacuum couldn't fix though!)

The best bit about cooking is helping to 'Clean Up!'

Our finished Christmas Fairy Truffles all ready to share at Mother's Group tomorrow!

Jingle Bells ~ Christmas Threading Fun

The Toddler Timers adore threading, Christmas and anything noisy so this was a perfect craft and so very simple.

We started with Christmas coloured pipecleaners, beads with large holes and some jingly bells.

We threaded lots of little beads.

Added some jingly bells.

Wound the pipecleaners back around itself to make a circle and to stop the beads and bells falling off.

And jingled the day away!

Some of our completed Jingly Bell Bracelets.

Paper Cup Angels

Ok I know another Christmas Decoration post. Sorry!!! I LOVE Christmas so there will be heaps of Christmas posts. This one is a bit more complicated, requires preparation and adult help.

To make your lovely Angels you will need:

Paper Cups

Paper Doilies

Small Christmas Baubles

Pipecleaners

Sticker Dots

Paint and Paintbrushes

Hot Glue or PVA 

We started by painting a paper cup which I had already pieced making two holes for arms to be threaded through. Once the Angels had been painted the children threaded through a long pipecleaner to create arms. I used a hot glue gun to secure a Christmas Bauble to the top of the cup to make a head and two paper doilies folded into quarters to the backs of the Angels for wings.

The children then used sticky dots for eyes and a half length pipecleaner was poked through the top of the bauble to create a halo.

A super cute Angel all ready to hang on the Christmas Tree.

Another cute Angel waiting for a home.

These Angels turned out very cute, they did however need lots of adult assistance and supervision especially when attaching items with a hot glue gun. PVA would work equally as well, we just like the instant results of the glue gun.

Easy Peasy Christmas Cards

It is soooo hot here today and I was looking for something easy to entertain the Toddler Timers instead of going outside. I am a bit of a Pinterist addict and while have a 'quick' browse I came across this super cute post to make Christmas Cards by Learn With Play at home . Com. So we had a go at making some ourselves.

We started with some pre made blank cards, green card, glue and sequins.

I cut the green paper into triangle Christmas Tree shapes and we stuck them to the cards. 

We then added 'Decorations' to our trees by pasting on assorted shape and sized sequins.

This was great for Fine Motor development as the sequins are quite small and rather slippery.

Some of our finished cards.

We had lots of fun making these and using up as much of a glue stick in one go as we could. I love how simple this activity is and yet how effective the cards look. Am looking forward to giving these ones to some very special recipients.

Pom Pom Christmas Trees

Another super easy toddler Christmas Decoration. These turned out so cute and Master E and Miss M loved making them!

What you will need:

Icypole sticks (we used some that were already coloured, but you could use plain and paint or colour them!)

Pom Poms 

Hot Glue Gun

PVA Glue or similar

String

Card

I did a little a little bit of preparation for this activity. I used the hot glue gun to secure the icypole sticks together so that two impatient toddlers wouldn't have to wait for them to dry!

Master E was very careful at putting the glue on just so to secure his pompoms.

Miss M is becoming very independent, I am not allowed to help any more! 

After the pompoms had dried I used a hot glue gun to secure some string for hanging loops and added some corrugated card for trunks.

Master E and Miss M were very proud of their decorations and are desperate to put the Christmas Tree up so we can pop them on. Only a few days before our tree goes up!

Egg Carton Christmas Trees

I am such a sucker for Christmas and Christmas Crafts. So be warned there will be lots of new posts to come. This is such a simple little activity that is very cost effective. 

We started with Egg Cartons that I had cut into individual domes. I then pierced a hole in the top.

We then painted each dome, (the children had four each)  Christmas Tree Green!

Rolled them in some glitter while they were still wet to add a tinsel effect.

We then threaded the domes onto a pipe cleaner and made a loop at the top all ready to hang on the Christmas Tree.

This was so very simple and held most of the children's attention for some time. Some of them were very meticulous when it came to making sure their domes were painted. These look so cute all finished and will look great hanging on our Christmas Tree come the 1st of December!

Printing with Bubble Wrap

My kids love, love, love painting and any kind of printing activity. This one is super simple and very cost effective!

What you need:

Paint (We generally use poster paint. The colours are vibrant and it doesn't cost the earth)
Paintbrushes
Paper to print onto
Bubble Wrap

I am such a collector that I had loads of bubble wrap lying around from various parcels we have received  I cut the bubble wrap into small easy to handle sizes approx 10cm squarish shapes.
The children then paint the bubble wrap and turn is over and press firmly onto their page to make a print. The bubbles make a fabulous effect, especially when they become overlapped.

Master E all ready to print.

Miss O pressing her bubble wrap down to create the print.

Miss M enjoying the sensory experience of rubbing  paint on the bubbles.

Master T working out his next colour combination.

Miss G creating her beautiful art.

There was plenty of colour mixing going on!

Miss A creating some gorgeous colour combinations.

Master S working it out.

Miss L getting right in there hands and all!

A gorgeous finished piece of art.

Enjoy!!