ParenthoodNJ.com

Items Needed:* Colored paper
* White paint
* Black paint
* Orange paint
* Potatoes or cheap sponges
* Some paper plates
* Paintbrush
* A knife or scissors
* Glitter (optional)
* Hair dryer (optional)

This idea came from the The Usborne Big Book of Playtime Activities although we modified it a little bit.

1. You can cut a potato in half to use as a stamp or just cut two sponges to the desired size. We used sponges and cut one large oval and one small oval (adults should do this part).
2. Squeeze some black paint onto a paper plate. Take the larger oval stamp (potato or sponge) and dip it into the paint.
3. Wipe off any excess paint on the side of the plate and then apply the stamp to the paper to create your first penguin. (My 5-year-old could do this with minimal assistance from me but an advanced 4-year-old might be able to do it without much help).
4. Repeat for the second penguin body.
5. Let black paint dry for a few minutes. You can speed this up by using a hair dryer.
6. Put some white paint on a second paper plate. Take the smaller oval stamp and dip it into the white paint and apply it to the middle of the black oval for each penguin's belly.
7. Take the paintbrush and dip it into the white paint and make a circle for each penguin's eye. Clean the brush and then make a black painted circle to make the pupils. (A young child can probably try this although my daughter wanted me to do it for her).
8. Then put the brush in the black paint again and paint the wings. A preschooler could do this. My daughter had me do the first wing, then help her with the second wing and then she did the last two wings by herself.
9. Clean off the brush and apply the orange paint to make the beak and feet. You're basically painting triangle shapes, which my 5-year-old did on her own.
10. Use the smaller oval stamp dipped in white to make the snowballs on the bottom of the picture.
11. Your child can use a finger or the paintbrush dipped in white paint to make the falling snowflakes. Have your child make a "cross" shape and then an "x" shape to make the snowflakes. For a bit of added flair, you can sprinkle some glitter onto the snowflakes while the paint is still wet.

Items Needed:
* Foam, round blocks
* White foam sheet
* Gold pipe cleaner
* Brown pipe cleaner
* Tiny pom pom
* Piece of foam block
* Miniature ornament
* Glitter Glue
* Marker
* Scissors
* Craft glue

Note: For more of a winter feel, don't apply the wings and halo.

1. Cut the foam block in a square to be about a 1 1/2 inches square. (No need to cut if you find a block the right size).
2. Draw a face on one of the white foam blocks and glue on the nose.
3. Glue the blank, white foam block to your foam base and then glue the second white foam block (the one with the face) to the first one.
4. Cut out a wing shape out of the foam sheet and then glue it to the back of your snowman.
5. Take the gold pipe cleaner and insert it into the top of the foam block and then bend into a halo shape. (Cut it to size, if necessary).
6. Cut the brown pipe cleaner into two pieces. Insert each piece into either side for the arms.
7. Attach the miniature ornament to one of

Items Needed
* Cookie cutters (can use one or several)
* Paint (variety of colors optional)
* Tray or paper plate for each color
* Paper

This craft was initially done by my 4-year-old daughter for Veteran's Day through the Middlesex Recreation's Pre-K Art Program. At that time, they used red and blue paint and stars but I thought this could easily be adapted for Christmas or as a general craft.

The image of the stars was done on green paper and we used green and red acrylic paint. I poured the paint into separate plates and she dipped the cookie cutter star into the paint and then applied it on the page.

She did a few different ones, experimenting with different shapes and overall designs. For the last piece, she dipped the cookie cutter into one paint color and then the next and then a third paint color before applying it to the paper. The effect was kind of neat.

Personally, I think the star and tree shapes worked the best, especially when she tried overlapping them but it's really whatever your child enjoys.

This can be a fairly quick and easy craft for you child to enjoy the holidays or for any occasion (depending on your choice of cookie cutters) and can even be a gift or stocking for Mommy or Daddy or grandparents.

Below you'll see two more options. On the left we used a white background and my daughter chose a tree cookie cutter in red and green. On the right is a green paper background and she used multiple shapes and mixed the colors. The angel and snowman look "thicker." She actually meant to do that; she placed the shape on the paper and held it there and then gently pushed it along the paper about a centimeter to create a kind of shadow effect. Sometimes it looked cool and other times it looked like a mistake. An older child might have more patience

Items Needed:
* Two pieces of construction or copy paper of different colors. One should be brown. The other, for the background, can be any color
* Paint - brown was used here but any color is fine
* One small pom pom
* Craft glue .
* Paper plate or tray (sponge optional)
* Googly eyes
* Black marker
* A pencil
* Scissors

This gift was made by my preschooler at the Middlesex Recreation Department's Pre-K art class for the Christmas holiday and I think this would make a great keepsake gift for the grandparents or other relatives. You could probably do this with an older toddler but it could take a few tries to get the hands right.

Take your brown piece of paper and have your child place his foot on it and use your pencil to trace around it. Cut out the traced foot (an older child can do this; otherwise the parent should).

Glue the foot tracing to the background paper. Put paint on your paper plate or tray. You can have your child place their hand directly into the paint or use the sponge, which I think is easier. You can use the sponge one of two ways: dip the sponge into the paint, wiping off the excess, and have your child firmly press their hand into the sponge or use the sponge to wipe the paint onto their hands. Once the paint is on their hands, help them place each hand on the paper to make the antlers. I strongly recommend you do one hand at a time.

You can do the facial features before the antlers so your last step is clean up, but I think the hand placement could determine where the eyes, etc go so I chose to do it first. If you do the hands first, you'll want to take a minute to clean their hands and then glue the eyes and the nose.

Depending on the age of the child, they can draw eyelashes and a smile or the parent can do it. Sign your artist's name (or they can do it) and you have a wonderful crafty holiday gift.