There's nothing quite as special as a holiday ornament made by the little hands of a child. This charming craft will give kids a chance to work out his wiggles as they mix and knead dough. They'll also practice following directions and shape recognition, skills that are essential as they enter kindergarten and beyond. When the project is done, you'll both have a unique ornament to treasure for many holiday seasons to come.
What You Need:
- ¼ cup uncooked white rice
- Plastic bowl
- White glue
- Green food coloring
- Yogurt lid or a similar round object to use as a mold
- Paper clip
- Red ribbon
What You Do:
- First, help your child mix the dough for the ornament. Set the rice in a plastic bowl and have him pour the glue in with the rice until the rice is completely coated. The glue should make the rice clump together and form a thick, textured dough.
- Have him add a few drops of green food coloring. Let him mix the color into the dough by working it with his hands. Encourage him to describe what it feels like. Is it sticky or slimy? Squishy or hard? This is a fun sensory activity in itself!
- Using a yogurt lid as a mold, have him press the dough inside the lid, leaving a hole in the middle. This will be the wreath. Talk to him about the shape of the wreath. What other things are circular? How many circular objects can you see in the room?
- Bend a paper clip into a hook shape. Then, help him press the paper clip into the dough while it is still wet. This will allow you to easily hang the wreath when it's dry.
- Let the dough dry overnight.
- When the dough has completely hardened, help him peel the lid from the wreath. Tie a red ribbon to the hook and you have a beautiful holiday ornament!
If he wants to make more wreath ornaments, try decorating them with different colored ribbons or giving them away as gifts!
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