Five Holiday Gifts Your Preschooler Can Make!

With the holiday season in full swing your preschooler is more then likely excited and enjoying the festivities. Encourage your child to share in the blessings of the season, and create gifts for family and friends. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanzza, your preschool child can make any or all of the gifts below with exuberance and success.

1. Artwork- Every grandparent, as well as all family and friends appreciate artwork from the children. Gather your preschooler's paintings, drawings and collages that you are willing to part with and package them up for holiday mailings. You can even frame the pictures, or create a scrapbook for grandma or grandpa.

2. Sweet Treats- Bake with your child and let him or her decorate Christmas cookies. Better yet, send your little elf to bake with the family! My son started baking with my mom every year starting at age three, a tradition we still have him do nine years later!

3. Candy Containers- Have your preschooler fill containers with a variety of holiday candies for family and friends. Red and green M n M's, old fashioned ribbon candy or starlight mints are festive and fit in a variety of containers. Use plastic or glass containers, and have your child decorate the outside of the container too, using stickers, glitter glue, paints or ribbon.

4. Bake Benne Cakes- If you celebrate Kwanzaa Benne Cakes are a must! These good luck treats (benne means sesame seed) are fun to make. The easy recipe below is a fun activity your child can help you prepare:

Ingredients Needed
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of butter (softened)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. of vanilla, lemon or almond extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup of toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
An adult should preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F). After greasing the cookie sheet lightly, mix the brown sugar and butter. Stir in the egg, extract and flour, baking powder, salt and sesame seeds. After blending everything together well drop rounded teaspoon size balls onto your cookie sheet two inches apart. Bake for about fifteen minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

5. Painting Fun- Your preschooler who celebrates Hanukkah will enjoy painting a variety of wooden driedels with unique designs and festive colors. Challenge him or her to make up variations of the dreidel game, too, and encourage family and friends to play with their gifts alongside the children.