Even your young toddler will be aware of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. It is hard to shelter her from the music, the commercials, the movies, the decorations, and everything else. She does not have to be a passive bystander, though. These activities will encourage her to contribute festive decorations for your home.

1. Hanging Lids

   Activity for an individual child
   Age group: 18–40 months
   Duration of activity: 15 minutes

   This is a simple way to create attractive ornaments. You may also use plastic lids, although it is harder to punch a hole in them.

   What You'll Need

   • Lids from frozen juice cans
   • Hole punch
   • Pieces of yarn
   • Glitter, sequins, stickers, tinsel
   • White craft glue

   1. Punch a hole ½ inch in from the edge of each lid. String and loop a piece of yarn so that your child can hang her ornament.

   2. Have your child decorate both sides of the lids with the glitter and craft materials.

2. Handprint Wreath

   Activity for an individual child
   Age group: 30–40 months
   Duration of activity: 25 minutes

   This is a personalized holiday decoration. You may wish to do one with each member of your family.

   What You'll Need

   • Paper plate
   • Scissors
   • Green and red construction paper
   • Pencil
   • White craft glue

   1. Cut the flat center out of the paper plate so that only the rim remains.

   2. Have your child spread her fingers and lay her hand flat on the green construction paper. Trace around your child's hand with the pencil to create a hand template.

   3. Cut out a dozen hands from the template.

   4. Cut out three red circles, about the size of a grape.

   5. Help your child arrange the hands around the plate ring. You want the hands to overlap and the fingers to reach outward.

   6. Help your child glue the hands to the plate. Let her glue on the red “berries” for a finishing touch.

3. Lacy Balls

   Activity for an individual child
   Age group: 18–40 months
   Duration of activity: 1 hour

   You will be surprised at the elegant and delicate appearance of these ornaments. Remember that balloon pieces can be a choking hazard for young children; only an adult should pop the balloon and discard the pieces.

   What You'll Need

   • Plastic bowl
   • ½ cup white craft glue
   • ⅔ cup liquid laundry starch
   • Lengths of yarn 1 to 7 inches long
   • White craft glue
   • Small inflated balloon

   1. In the bowl, mix the white craft glue with the liquid laundry starch.

   2. Show your toddler how to dip yarn into this mixture and drape around the blown-up balloon.

   3. Have her repeat with additional yarn strands until a desired pattern or design is created. She should leave some gaps and not cover the balloon completely.

   4. Once the yarn is dry, pop and remove the balloon.