Christmas Childhood Crafts

In my youth I always loved the activities leading up to Christmas just as much as the day itself. When my 4th grade teacher passed out the tissue thin book order form a couple months before Christmas Break, I made sure I got the Christmas craft book so that I could improve my decorating that year of my Mom and my apartment. There were directions on how to make a snow globe, a pine cone Christmas tree, a sock snowman, a clothes pin reindeer ornament and many other creative challenges. I did them all. Being a latch key kid, I had lots of time to spare, and in that time Christmas movies were watched, treats were baked and art projects were done. There was a new decoration everyday for my Mom to come home to.

Although crafts no longer cover the walls and tables of my apartment, I haven't changed all that much. I still have an obsession with art projects, and absolutely love knowing that I have something sweet baking in the oven. The little boy I babysit celebrates Hanukkah, but I saw that as no reason to not introduce him to the innocent joy of holiday activities. In fact, I saw him as an excuse to return to the Christmas preparation of my childhood. Instead of making a pine cone Christmas tree, however, we made dreidels out of clay and instead of making rolled out sugar cookies of Santa hats and trees, we used star cookie cutters. He had so much fun partaking in the art and baking projects that I couldn't help but feel grateful for all the childhood hours of practice I clocked in back in the eighties. Perhaps tomorrow we will take on snowflakes...