Oranges, Cloves and Kids' Crafts... Oh My!

The kids are out of school and the countdown to Christmas has officially begun! All of the hustle and bustle plus the added excitement of the holidays is enough to give even us grown kids a little cabin fever--especially if the weather is inclement.  My kids used to enjoy making these fragrant favors every year.  They graced our Thanksgiving table, hung on our Christmas tree and were given as small gifts.  All you need is oranges, whole cloves and ribbon if you want to hang them.  Smaller oranges like Clementines are best for this project. Sometimes the dollar store carries cloves--so check there first! Place some wax paper under the oranges, then just press the cloves firmly into the orange. School age children can help younger siblings, but tiny tots should be supervised.  We don't want cloves stuck up any noses for the holidays! Kids may chose to dot their cloves all over the orange as pictured, or make their own design.  If planning to hang, use a clove or two to hold a small loop of ribbon in place at the very top.  

Here are a few other kid friendly projects for the holidays:  Grinch fruit kabobs, marshmallow reindeer, fruit loop candy canes and orange birdfeeders.  Though these are all on Pinterest, I have included the links from the original bloggers--giving credit where it is due! Any of these projects could be included in an activity table to keep kids busy until the Christmas meal is prepared. There are also a few of these that would be great activities after the holiday but while the kids are still on Christmas break.  Have you made Christmas crafts with your kids or grandchildren?  Do they have favorites?  I would love to hear from you!