Holiday Gifts Your Toddler Can Make

Festive Fun for the Whole Family

By Marie-Helen Goyetche

The holidays will soon be here, and you can involve your toddler in the celebrations. Use this time to start teaching your child about the value of gift giving and its real meaning. Talk to your child about gift giving on different occasions, such as holidays and birthdays. Explain that sometimes people give gifts for no reason other than to say, "Thanks" or "I love you." For a grandparent, aunt, uncle or daycare educator, any of these gifts your toddler can make and give from his heart are sure to be met with pleasure and delight. Note: Use caution when doing arts and crafts. Keep a sharp eye on your toddler when working with small items such as beans and coins, which can be potential choking hazards.

You'll need:

• sticks and twigs
• pine cones
• feathers
• shells
• yarn
• ribbon or bow
• other objects found in nature

Go on a nature hunt and ask your child to collect different objects. Tie pieces of yarn to a big stick you'll use as the base and then tie nature objects on the other end of the yarn pieces. Take one piece of yarn and tie in the middle of the stick to hang by. Stick on a bow.

You'll need:

• an empty clean jar
• different types of beans (dried kidney beans, chick peas, lentils, etc.)
• a piece of colorful cloth (12" x 12")
• yarn
• an elastic

Place beans in jar by layers until it is filled to the rim. (Make sure your child resists the temptation to mix them together). Screw the lid on the jar tightly. Place the piece of cloth over the lid and fix with the elastic. Cover the elastic with the yarn and tie into a pretty bow.

Here's a variation to the traditional pencil holder

You'll need:

• an empty and clean round container such as an oatmeal container
• wallpaper samples and glue or shelf paper