Teacher Approved Craftivity Planning
Holiday parties for younger students are not complete without a short craftivity. A craftivity is a small, themed craft activity that should not take longer than about 30 minutes and generally happens right before any festive snacks at class holiday parties. The Homeroom Mom is usually in charge of organizing the craftivity. The Homeroom Mom can either outsource the job to another parent in the class or handle the activity idea and supplies herself.
Parents consult with the teacher about the appropriateness and pacing of the project, but for the most part, the teacher is not involved. When parents bring a craft project into the class, there are some planning procedures that can help to keep the show running smoothly.
1. Pre-cut and pre-sort any materials
One year, for my daughter’s kindergarten class, we had students cover jars with colored tissue paper at Halloween for a Spooky Votive. I pre-cut tissue paper squares and put handfuls on paper plates at each student station, so students had easy access to the materials. Another year, we made a Melting Snowman from felt and pom poms (P.S. skip the hat if you choose to make the melting snowman craft linked above). Each student received all of the materials for one snowman neatly organized in a Ziploc bag. Having the materials ready to give to each student or group of students saves time and mess.
2. Make a sample project ahead of time
Test the activity at home to see if it a) works and b) takes the anticipated amount of time. Bring the sample with you to share with the students before getting started. Projects are almost always more successful when there is a model to follow.
3. Coordinate with the teacher about basic supplies
When we made the votive candle, we needed watered down Elmer’s glue and small paint brushes along with the small jars, colored tissue paper pieces, and votive candles. The teacher did not have Elmer’s glue; she only had glue sticks. I am glad I checked with her ahead of time. I brought the glue with me the day of the activity!
Here are some basic materials a teacher may not have readily available:
- Elmer’s glue (or any traditional white school glue)
- Hot glue gun
- Class sets of markers or colored pencils or crayons. Classrooms usually have one type of coloring tool, but it may not be the one you need. My class has colored pencils, but I don’t stock markers or crayons.
- Paper plates
- Paint brushes
- Specific construction paper colors (around the holidays, schools run short on red, green, and blue construction paper)
- Paper towel
- Newspaper
4. Think about clean up for the project
Consider covering tables/desks with newspaper or butcher paper. Bring heavy duty trash bags. Have parent volunteers assigned who know they are supposed to help clean up after the activity. I avoid projects with glitter because I know what a mess it can create for the teacher. If you want to use glitter, bring a large plastic bin or cookie sheet with a lip all the way around (like a jelly roll pan) and handle any glitter work over the bin or pan.
Holiday projects are the best when they can be transported home the day they are made, so think about drying time and ease of transportation as well. Teachers love to have all evidence of the holiday party and craft removed by the end of the school day!
Guest Contributor: Caitlin Tobin is a mom to two elementary aged children and a teacher. She currently teaches 4th grade but has experience working with children from nursery school up through freshmen in high school. She loves snack foods, crafty projects, and spreadsheets. She is on a mission to help the world choose the perfect teacher gift and writes about many of her ideas at www.The-Room-Mom.com.
