Christmas always seems to come sooner than we expect. The season is always full of shopping, baking, and holiday parties. We need to make sure that we teach our children the true meaning of Christmas, as well as the joy of giving. To help our preschoolers experience the joy of giving a small gift to a Sunday school teacher, here are some quick and easy Christmas gift ideas.
As parents, some of the best gifts we receive are handmade and from our children. It is a great pleasure to see how their little faces light up when we are excited about their gift. It can be difficult for preschoolers to understand the concept of buying a Christmas present. This is where a great handmade gift comes in.
A great Christmas gift can be a homemade Christmas tree ornament. You can find many craft websites on the internet that are full of homemade Christmas decoration ideas. Or, you can ask your child to choose a special ornament from a store that identifies exactly what their Sunday school teacher likes. Either way, it will make an appreciated gift.
A very simple ornament can be made with pineapples, cotton balls, and a few pieces of felt. Have the child use a popsicle stick to push the cotton balls into the pine cone until it is full. This fluffy pineapple can now turn into a baby snowy owl with the addition of some felt paws, eyes and beak. A pipe cleaner can be wrapped around the top so the baby owl can be hung on the tree.
Another great Christmas gift idea is to make a treasure chest out of a small cardboard box. Using scraps of fabric, paper, ribbon, and other craft supplies, have your child create the wrapping paper. Wrap the box with a pretty ribbon and enclose this pre-printed note:
“There is a very special gift, that you can never see, the reason it is so special is that it is for you from me. Never open it, just keep the ribbon tied, hold it close to your heart, it is full.” of love inside!”
Leave a place on the note so your child can write his or her name. Any Sunday school teacher will treasure this gift for many years.
Another great gift that a preschooler can make will require some of your help. Find white hand towels and fabric paint. Many times you can buy them for as little as two for a dollar at your local dollar store. Paint the bottom of your child’s foot (body) blue and place it on the towel. Next, paint your child’s hands (wings) and press them down on each side of the print. Outline the shapes and add eyes and a mouth. You can add hair too. Write the date and your child’s name on the bottom of the towel. This will be a great reminder for a Sunday school teacher of the little angel of her class.
Christmas gifts are a fun part of the holidays for children. Be sure to incorporate the true meaning of Christmas into each gift idea as well. Many children will easily remember a Bible lesson if it is taught while they are doing something they enjoy.
