Craft Foam Ginger Bread Houses and Christmas Tree Ornaments are Great for Grandkids

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Easy sugar cookies to make with my grandchildren is one of my favorite holiday family traditions and activities for grandparents and grandchildren.  My grandkids and I especially enjoy using icing, frosting, sprinkles, and unique cookie cutters for decorating the sugar cookies and ginger bread men. But that’s not the only kind of decorating fun we enjoy. Craft foam ginger bread houses, snowmen houses, Christmas tree ornaments, and even nativity sets are another family favorite. These are fun for all the grandkids, and even those with food allergy and and other intolerance symptoms can participate fully, making them double fun!

This year, we went with one of the cute blue snowmen houses, a very cute snowglobe, as well as a couple of ginger bread houses – all made from craft foam, craft foam sheets, and craft foam stickers. Last year, we had fun with a nativity set and some adorable nutcracker soldiers. As you may have guessed, we headed for one of our favorite craft stores, Michael’s arts & crafts. I was quite pleased to find the faux ginger bread house and all the other craft foam kits on sale for 40% off! After much perusing, we headed home with our projects, including some extras for friends who might visit.

We set up a project table with Crayola washable glue, Crayola washable glitter glue, and all the trimmings. As different grandkids and friends pop in and out, we’ve had great fun heading back to the table to work some more on a Christmas craft project or grab a small Christmas ornament project to decorate. They've all been a big hit and I highly recommend them. They’re fun for relaxing, and would also be a great craft project for homeschooling programs.

Two caveats. Many of the craft foam sheet projects with foam stickers have little tiny pieces that get poked out. These little pieces can easily land on the floor where tiny tots and babies can swallow them way too easy. I like to save this kind of project for times when wee ones aren't around at all, just to be extra safe. Also, we all enjoyed the glitter glue and its great look. It is much neater than a jar of glitter. However, I have to warn you it can still be a bit of a mess. I sent two of their little friends home with glitter glue streaks in their clothes, along with cautions to the parents to wash the clothes immediately. I then threw my grandkids’ clothes straight in the washer and quickly cleaned a few door areas that accidentally got swiped.

If you decide to use the glitter glue, I would have the grandkids put on old clothes or wear “painting shirts.” And I would make sure I check with the parents before ever bringing it out. Fortunately, it’s not the first time glitter glue and I have met and I did most of the above. 🙂 Missed on one, but the wonderful Crayola washable-ness did work well! Speaking of Crayola, they have a special offer for us where we can    Very cool! 🙂

This is definitely a fun project for old and young alike. When they’re done, they’ll not only have a delightful decoration or Christmas ornament. They'll also have great memories of fun times shared. Be sure to put the year and the name or initials on the projects. Come next year, it may be a bit fuzzy who did what.  🙂

P.P.S. Enjoy more gingerbread man and house fun at Cozy Home Scenes.

P.P.S. Want more fun and easy crafts for kids and seniors alike? Lots of fun ideas for all of us in the Sandwich Generation can be found in the various Gooseberry Patch Christmas crafts and recipes books like this Quick And Easy Christmas Book.