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When I was younger I was often kept busy with crafts. Christmas is a time ripe with opportunities for this. For toddlers there are some extra precautions to keep in mind since they enjoy putting items into their mouths! Always use washable markers or crayons, non-toxic glue, and paper is the best material nothing sharp, nothing small, nothing toxic. The 3 basic ideas below should have minimal cleanup.

1) Paper chain
You will need: Assortment of colored construction paper, glue

Before you sit down with your child for this project, cut the construction paper into 1 inch strips. The size can vary however you like though. You may also trust your child with scissors to make the strips themselves, it is up to your judgment as their parent. You can let your child decorate the paper before they make the chain also.

Show your child how to put a small spot of glue at one end of the paper strip. Fold over the other end to make a ring, overlapping by about a half inch, and squeeze to insure it's stuck. Take another piece of paper and put it through the ring that was just made. Spot the end with glue ad fold over, this should form two linked rings.

Continue adding rings onto the chain until your child is satisfied with the length. This chain can now be used to decorate their room, the tree, or with thinner pieces of paper they can make a bracelet, crown, or necklace!

2) Ornaments
You will need: construction paper, crayons or markers, yarn or ribbon, glue, scissors, holepunch (optional)

This will require that you trust your child with scissors. If not then you can cut for them or provide them with precut shapes.

Let your child's imagination run wild. They can draw, color, and glue to their heart's content making an ornament that's all their own. When they're finished, use either a hole punch or scissors to make a hole for a hanger. Thread through either yarn or ribbon and knot the ends being sure that it's long enough to hang from a tree branch. Then let your child place their special masterpiece on the tree!

-This same project can also be done with the metal lid from a concentrated juice can. Adding in glitter (age appropriate) and lace or cut out Christmas card pictures can make it even more exciting for them.

-Another variation would be to let them make ornament shapes out of their play-doh and then leave them out to dry and harden. Before setting them aside poke a hole that you can string yarn or ribbon through later for hanging. It takes time for the pieces to harden so keep that in mind when planning the activity.

3) Christmas cards
You will need: construction paper, crayons or markers, possibly glue

Just like the ornaments, let your child use their imagination to create something special for someone they love. Give them a blank construction paper card and any design accoutrements you deem appropriate cutouts or more paper and scissors, glitter, lace, ribbon, markers, crayons.

Learn more about this author, Alicia M Prater PhD.
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