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View Full Version : What are your mindees making for their parents this Christmas?



Cazz
02-12-2011, 07:27 AM
I need to get myself organised and get the mindees making their present for parents but I'm not very good at coming up with ideas!

My current mindees are 7 months, 10 months, 2, 2 and almost 6. (The 10 month old and a 2 year old are siblings).

Obviously, the babies are going to be limited as to what they can do so I was thinking possibly a calendar that I could somehow incorporate a photo of them on.

Please could anyone share their ideas that may inspire me! I don't really want anything too advanced or technical because I only have some of them for short periods and I'm not the most skilled at arts and crafts!

ja8estar
02-12-2011, 08:12 AM
For my youngest mindee 18mths I have made a collage of photos and turned this in to a calender for her parents
on a sheet of card and laminated
hope this helps:)

adele1985
02-12-2011, 08:21 AM
Hi hun for the younger ones you could maybe make a douch plack of thier hand prints you could make christmas tree decorations the same way with the older ones???

I did the tree decorations with mine (ive only got after schoolies at the mo) we just made the dough (2 cups of flour, 2 cups of salt, a bit of oil and add water till it turns into dough) they then used christmas cutters to make shapes ( i got mine from morrisons 12 metal christmas shapes for £3) I baked them in the oven for about 10 - 15 mins and when they cooled the kids decorated them

You could use the same dough to make the hand prints and then the little ones could attampt to decorate it (or you could add glitter or paint to the dough before doing handprints to make them look festive)

Hope that helps lol as you can proberly tell i LOVE crafts - its a shame the kids dont - when they get in from school all they normally want to do is lay infont on the tv

PixiePetal
02-12-2011, 08:30 AM
I get the really young ones to do a gold paint handprint and mount it onto a card. Add 'Christmas 2011' and it can be kept as a keepsake.

Wilkos have lots of things to add photos in/on - calendars/baubles/pens etc. 11 month old - I am trying to get a photo of - in a santa hat :rolleyes: An older child could help assemble a photo calendar of them at your house.

Made salt dough handprints and decorations yesterday - painting next week

Chimps Childminding
02-12-2011, 08:57 AM
I'm being really mean this year and not doing anything :eek: Got lots of babies who can't really do anything much themselves, and the schoolies do lots at school! So as we have got fed up of putting in lots of effort and not even getting a thank you back off MOST parents, June and I have decided we are not going to stress about doing anything!!

Will do arty/crafty activities with them, but not specifically presents for parents!!! Bah Humbug :blush:

singingcactus
02-12-2011, 09:48 AM
I'm being really mean this year and not doing anything :eek: Got lots of babies who can't really do anything much themselves, and the schoolies do lots at school! So as we have got fed up of putting in lots of effort and not even getting a thank you back off MOST parents, June and I have decided we are not going to stress about doing anything!!

Will do arty/crafty activities with them, but not specifically presents for parents!!! Bah Humbug :blush:

I'm not getting the kids here to make presents for their parents either. Just not something I do. We do make each family a yule log each year though (cake version).

The Juggler
02-12-2011, 01:44 PM
cards, decorated candles and a saltdough xmas tree decoration - we make them every year and I date the back.

Carol M
02-12-2011, 06:16 PM
I have just made the salt doh hand plaques with 2 x 17mth ers. Look lovely, will paint next week. think I will do the tree decs with the 2yr old and 3.5 yr old .
Carol xx

kellib
02-12-2011, 06:39 PM
I think I'm going to attempt making tree decs with my 3 1 year olds next week, god help me! :eek: :laughing:

funemnx
02-12-2011, 07:16 PM
We had lots of babies last year and made the riendeer picture from painted hand and footprints with the poem printed and stuck on with it. This year they're a bit older we'll cut out a Christmas Tree shape and they can decorate it with glued sparkles and bauble shapes.

SammyM
02-12-2011, 07:26 PM
A really simple one I do is get lo to do loads of green hands prints, cut them out, stick them all around the edge of a paper plate with a photo in the middle - makes a very fetching wreath, easy too, just how I like it!!!

Even added a calendar onto this years, who says I don't go that extra mile!!!

It's a small world
02-12-2011, 08:12 PM
Doing lots with children this year. All here at Christmas for the first time with me so we are doing:

(all 14-15mths)

*Canvas handprints
*Christmas cracker cards )open up pic of mindee inside - another thread will add pics when done.
*Cd tree decorations
*Cinnamon dough decorations
*Christmas baking- not sure what yet- sweets/choc/or cakes


Older children have done sewing decs for parents (Wilkinsons + cards)

Probably do other things too xx

I love Xmas xxx

Louise317
02-12-2011, 09:12 PM
My mindee's are 17 & 20mths...

I'm making a photo calender
Made star tree decorations yesterday (NVQ Observation visit) with initial on using another cutter to in print - paint next week.
Doing the Salt Dough Hand print too whilst they still babies :)


Think that's it... have to do them all next week as one mindee goes on holiday and the other part time (going to enjoy been in a slower pace for a couple of weeks :) )

Cazz
02-12-2011, 10:35 PM
We had lots of babies last year and made the riendeer picture from painted hand and footprints with the poem printed and stuck on with it. This year they're a bit older we'll cut out a Christmas Tree shape and they can decorate it with glued sparkles and bauble shapes.

I did the reindeer handprint card last year so two of my mindees have already done that.

I could try a footprint one for the babies and I like the suggestion of the handprints around the paper plate and a photo in the middle.

Thanks for all the ideas - hope there'll be more!

samb
02-12-2011, 10:43 PM
cards, decorated candles and a saltdough xmas tree decoration - we make them every year and I date the back.

Can I ask how you decorate the candles? Do you buy special candle pens? I was thinking of decorating a glass candle holder but like this idea more.

I don't really do "gifts" for the parents as such but we do make things. I am pretty busy the few days after new year before the children go back to school and so I am saving some crafts for then - main one will be design an apron - just ordered the aprons and have fabric crayons already. I havent got enough aprons for all the kids and thought it would be nice if they made one for themselves for when we do cooking.

The Juggler
02-12-2011, 10:50 PM
the candle holders sound lovely. I got some sparkly mettallic, glass and porcelain pens last year from yellow moon.

yes the candles we are decorating with candle pens filled with liquid wax. off to ikea tomorrow to source some reasonably priced candles.:thumbsup: me and a CM friend are sharing the pens and they should last a few xmases (they cost £10).

samb
02-12-2011, 11:36 PM
Yes I have some of the glass pens too - will look out for the candle ones - sound great. :)

zippy
02-12-2011, 11:39 PM
asda have some lovely snow globes that you can slot a photo in, only £2.50 really nice quality too, they had a load of other stuff too, paper weight, pens etc that you put photo in we are doing these as our main present and will make a load of other stuff

lma
03-12-2011, 12:51 PM
We went sourcing and found some pinecones and im getting the little ones to cover them with glue (which they love to do anyway) and then cover them in mini pom poms or glitter? The older ones have asked to paint theirs. Then tie a bit of ribbon to the top and hey presto a xmas tree decoration :D

If anyones struggling for ideas I HIGHLY recommend a site called pinterest. Its jam packed with fantastic craft ideas. The only trouble i have is finding enough time to do them all lol :laughing:

xx

Wendybird
04-12-2011, 07:31 AM
I second Pinterest - it is totally addictive and a great place to look for great kids ideas! You do need an invite to join, so just pm me with your e-mail addy if you want an invite :thumbsup:

I'm not doing parent gifts as such - two mindees are at nursery as well and will probably do something there. Other one doesn't ever pay me on time, so I'm not going to any extra effort or expense for her (love her kid though!). I am in the midst of doing a wreath for the setting - cut out handprints that the kids decorate stuck around a cardboard 'wreath'. I even broke my rule about glitter for the festive season (I can't bare glitter and only get it out on very special occasions - I'm mean).

What I am doing is making a collection of busy bags for the kids for christmas and getting really cheap cotton bags off ebay to put them in. I'm very excited about it, think they will love them :thumbsup:

singlewiththree
04-12-2011, 08:34 AM
I bought calenders from papermill and the children are making craft pictures for most of the months and then I'm printing pictures for the others. The children are 16mths, 3yrs and 3yrs with siblings 7 and 10.

Bluebell
04-12-2011, 04:11 PM
I will be making christmas tree decorations for each of the little ones using a photo of them. It will be in the shape of a star or santa sack or angel and have a photo of the little one in the middle. The children will decorate with glitter etc and on the back it will have 'Christmas 2011' and the name and age of the child. I have one for every year for both of my boys and they are lovely to get out every year and put on the christmas tree! as they get older the contribution toward the decoration gets a bit more!

babs
04-12-2011, 05:18 PM
Making tree decs - pine cones dipped in glitter, baubles and salt dough decs.
Peppermint creams, truffles and puff pastry mince parcels last week children are here dont think they will last til xmas..
already done cards,socking, paper chains, reindeer bags,

Zumba-mum
04-12-2011, 06:58 PM
I've not got mindee yet, my two i'm getting them to do glitter pine cones
i've decided to keep glitter at bay i'm pouring the glitter into a food bag then they can pop the gluey cone in then shake it all about. :D they i'll spray stops the glitter coming out( fingers crossed)

Chimps Childminding
04-12-2011, 07:02 PM
Making tree decs - pine cones dipped in glitter, baubles and salt dough decs.
Peppermint creams, truffles and puff pastry mince parcels last week children are here dont think they will last til xmas..
already done cards,socking, paper chains, reindeer bags,

Wow, you've been busy already!! We haven't even started Christmas activities yet, said I wasn't doing Christmas until December and Thursday was bedlam and I don't work Friday's!!!

mushpea
04-12-2011, 07:09 PM
im not sure i can be bothered this year,, last year i didnt get any thanks for my efforts ,, we made pepermint creams and as soon as one childs parent arrived I said give mum your present,, child looked at me, ripped it open and started to scoff the creams, when i said but they are for mum, mum just laughed and watched child eat them, so basicly I dont see the point,, yes the child probably would have eaten them anyway but it would have been nice for the mum to have acknowledged that we had put in some effort for her.
I think this year we will make some tree decs and cards and that will be it.

samb
04-12-2011, 09:31 PM
I've not got mindee yet, my two i'm getting them to do glitter pine cones
i've decided to keep glitter at bay i'm pouring the glitter into a food bag then they can pop the gluey cone in then shake it all about. :D they i'll spray stops the glitter coming out( fingers crossed)

Oooooo what a good idea! This would work well with xmas tree salt dough decorations too :thumbsup: