Christmas is the best time for crafts and activities. Plus, if you start when your child is young you can build new traditions into your celebrations every year!
This year I thought it would be fun to try making some simple Christmas ornaments with Ivan. Some of them, like the Tactile Christmas Tree, can become part of our regular ornament collection, while others, like this Apple Jack Wreath, might only last one season.
Actually, Ivan’s wreath barely lasted an hour because he had to eat it!
Here’s how to make your very own Apple Jack Christmas Wreath Ornament….
What You’ll Need:
Apple Jacks (or you could use Cheerios, but I liked the colors of Apple Jacks)
Pipe cleaners
Mini candy canes
Making Your Apple Jack Wreaths
We started by placing a bunch of Apple Jacks on Ivan’s tray. This isn’t a “self feeding session,” so there’s no pressure for Ivan to pick up the Jacks and feed himself. Maybe not surprisingly, taking that pressure off actually made it easier for Ivan to explore, pick up and even eat the Apple Jacks all by himself! Making strides like this during a laid back fun time can be a really great way to cement new skills!
Next, we created a small loop on one end of our pipe cleaner. Now we can string the Apple Jacks onto the pipe cleaner and they won’t fall off. For some kids putting the Apple Jacks on the pipe cleaner will be easy, but for others this may be a very difficult task. Ivan is still working on picking things up, so we had him help by picking up the Apple Jack, then he placed his hands over mine while I strung the Jack onto the pipe cleaner so he could see what I was doing.
When all the Apple Jacks are on the pipe cleaner, simply pull the end of the pipe cleaner through the loop you made and twist. Create a hook out of the remaining pipe cleaner and now you can hang your wreath on your tree.
We also added a mini candy cane to the center of our wreaths because I thought it was a bit more festive. You could also tie a little bow out of Christmas ribbon… but Ivan definitely prefers to play with things he can eat!
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