Flamingo Valentine

What You Need: Pink pipe cleaners; pink cardstock or construction paper; pink patterned paper (optional); heart shaped template or punch (or freehand or trace a heart); black marker; googly eye; glue.

How to Make It: Cut out two hearts that are the same size. Bend pipe cleaner as shown to make neck and legs (for a large flamingo, you may need two pipe cleaners; for a small one you’ll want to cut one apart). Glue two hearts together, securing the pipe cleaners in the process. Cut two head shapes (an adult may want to make a template for the kids). Use black marker to make bill. Glue on googly eye(s). Glue head pieces together at the end of the neck. Bend pipe cleaners to position head and legs. Child can write name or Valentine message on one side of the flamingo.

Cone-shaped Santa craft

What You Need: 8 1/2″ square red construction paper; approx. 2 1/2″ circle from pink construction paper; 1″ strip black cardstock; 1″ wide yellow rectangle (pre-cut or let children cut with safety scissors); 2 googly eyes; pink or red crayon; cotton balls; staples or tape; glue.

How to Make It: Adult helps child twist red cardstock into a cone shape and secure with staples or tape. Then child uses crayon to draw nose and mouth on pink construction paper. Glue on eyes. Child then uses glue to adhere Santa’s belt, cotton ball beard and cap tassel.

Thankful turkey craft

What You Need: Large brown construction paper circle; small purple construction paper circle; small purple construction paper rectangle; four or five colorful feather shapes. (You can precut all of these or trace them and have the kids do it.); scrap of orange construction paper; 2 googly eyes; black pipe cleaners; scissors; glue.

How to Make It: Ask child to dictate several things he or she is thankful for. Write them on the pointy oval “feathers.” Child can then assemble the turkey as shown. Bending lengths of pipe cleaner outward makes the feet.

Footprint turkey craft

What You Need: White butcher paper or construction paper; nontoxic brown paint; 2 googly eyes; scrap of orange construction paper; 6 colorful feathers; glue; tape; paintbrush; scissors.

How to Make It: Brush paint onto child’s foot (this generally works a little better than having them step in the paint, but that’s fine, too.) Have child step on white paper without wiggling, and then pull off in one motion. Let dry. Cut out foot shape. Glue on googly eyes and orange triangle beak to heel. Attach feathers to back with glue or tape.

Jack-o-Lantern shirt craft

What You Need: White T-shirt in your child’s size; orange fabric dye; rubber bands; black permanent marker (such as Sharpie).

How to Make It: Prepare dye as instructed on package. Help child section off portions of the shirt and wrap rubber bands around these sections multiple times. Dye shirt according to package directions. Wash shirt by itself in cold water using laundry detergent. Dry it by itself. Once dry, use permanent marker to draw jack-o-lanterns. (The jack-o-lantern faces would be super-cute if drawn by the child, but my kid wasn’t into it on this day!)

Sunflower hands

What You Need: Yellow construction paper; pencil; glue; sunflower seeds; black pipe cleaner; brown pipe cleaner; scissors; stapler.

How to Make It: Trace child’s hand 8 to 10 times on yellow construction paper, using pencil. Have child cut out the hand shapes (littler kids will need help). Arrange the hands upside down (so the pencil marks don’t show), overlapping in a circle, and glue, tape or staple together. Staple straight brown pipe cleaner to back of sunflower. Cut black pipe cleaner in half and bend into circle. Staple to center of flower. Use glue to add sunflower seeds to center.

Pompom Easter chick

What You Need: Plastic Easter egg; large yellow pompom; 2 googly eyes; scrap of orange felt; glue; scissors.

How to Make It: Glue googly eyes on to pompom. Cut triangle shape from felt for beak and glue on. Place pompom chick inside egg. That’s it!

Cotton ball sheep

What You Need: 1 toilet paper roll tube; bunch of cotton balls; glue; tape; scissors; 1 black pipe cleaner; 2 googly eyes; scrap of white cardstock; something black for the head (pom pom, crumbled-up tissue paper, etc. We used a piece of fleece fabric rolled into a ball.)

How to Make It: Cut pipe cleaner in half (adult job). Fold each pipe cleaner into a U shape and tape to bottom of toilet paper tube for legs. (These will probably not be sturdy enough for your sheep to stand on, so he’ll need to be resting, or use something stronger, such as painted dowels.) Use glue to cover top and sides of paper tube with cotton balls. Stuff black pompom, tissue paper or fabric into one end of tube for head. Cut two ear shapes from white cardstock and glue to head. Glue on googly eyes.

Easter chick purse

What You Need: 1 dessert-size paper plate; nontoxic yellow paint; paintbrush; stapler; scrap of orange cardstock or construction paper; googly eye; black marker; scissors; glue; orange pipe cleaner (or use yarn).

How to Make It: Paint at least half of bottom of paper plate yellow. Let dry. Fold in half and secure with staples (adult help, please!). Use black marker to outline a chick wing. Cut triangle shape for beak and glue on. Glue on eye. Staple pipe cleaner to back side of “purse” for handle.

Handprint lamb

What You Need: Black construction paper; glue; white crayon; googly eye (optional); pencil; scissors.

How to Make It: Trace around hand and cut out. Position so fingers face down (these are the legs and the thumb is the lamb head). Use glue to cover “palm” with cotton balls or popcorn. Use white crayon to draw in eye and mouth, or use googly eye.