Christmas break is here and most people get very excited for some down time! But sometimes, especially for young people, the school holidays can get a little boring when you’re waiting for Santa to come.
When children have dyslexia, they might find it difficult to engage in some of the festive media that surrounds them at this time of year - festive books and reading - heavy activities like baking instructions, or complex crafts might seem just a little out of their reach and overwhelming.
Here is a list of Christmas crafts and activities that somebody who has dyslexia might enjoy doing on their own with little to no external support, and that don’t rely heavily on extended reading or instructions.
Happy crafting!
✂️ - requires scissors or a sharp object
🔥 - requires time in an oven or a heated object
🎨 - requires decoration that could get messy
Christmas Candy Pots 🎨
Christmas can be surrounded by a lot of sugar. Kids will love decorating these super-fun character candy pots in which to keep their favorite candies, and they make wonderful gifts too! Simply use well-washed mini terracotta plant pots as a base and perk them up with paint and glitter, before adding googly eyes, pipe cleaners, sparkly pom poms and paper craft features to bring them to life! Just make sure you are using non-toxic glue and paints, as they will be in contact with food.
Salt Dough Festive Tree Ornaments 🔥🎨
Salt dough is a very forgiving medium that’s as easy to work with as clay, but much easier to make in your own home and much easier to clean down from surfaces and clothing. It can be easily shaped into any design or use festive cookie cutters to create a design. Here is a simple recipe for salt dough. The salt dough creations will need a short amount of time in an oven, so adult help is required during the end stages. You can leave them as they are, varnish them, or finish them with paints and glitter.
Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
Popsicle stick snowflakes are perfect for adding a personal touch to your Christmas tree. You can even hang them in the window. They are incredibly easy to make - all you need is a little glue, crayons, markers, glitter, sequins, etc. to decorate them with.
Christmas Gingerbread Cookies 🔥🎨
It just isn’t Christmas without gingerbread, and from jolly gingerbread men and women to the traditional gingerbread house, its warming smell is the perfect way to add a little festive cheer. Kids will love using cookie cutters and decorating these yummy cookies. Cooking With My Kids has a great step-by-step run down of a kid-friendly recipe and process that’s written in a simple and easy-to-follow way.
Santa Slime ✂️🔥
Who doesn’t love slime? (Well…besides the parents). Slime is one of those things that children really seem to love to create and play with. And what’s better than some super-fluffy festive slime to play with, complete with a Santa-themed storage jar to keep it in? Kids will love creating this slimy concoction, mixing it and kneading it until it comes out just right. And then, creating a Christmas-themed mason jar to keep it fresh all winter long. Scissors will be required for cutting ribbon and decorations, and the article recommends using a hot glue gun to put the decorations on the mason jar.
Pine Cone Christmas Trees 🎨
This is such a simple, yet fun craft! Collect pine cones from around your local woods, park or front yard, and then give them a little paint and some glitter to transform them into shimmering mini Christmas trees that are perfect to decorate your home with. They also make cute table centerpieces. Finish them with a star and you’ve got a mini tree!
