Fun and Festive Winter Crafts

November 1, 2014

Gr 2-4-Each of these slender volumes is introduced with a story about the season from Chinese, Hawaiian, Abenaki, or Greek tradition, followed by a scientific explanation and some information about holidays and typical activities. Unfortunately, the myth is the best part of the book. There are a few inventive crafts (a snowman rod puppet with a working mouth, baby birds made of modeling clay and clothespins), but most of the eight projects in each volume are old chestnuts (tie-dye, paper masks, pinecone turkey). Materials rely heavily on craft store purchases-craft foam, Styrofoam balls, modeling clay-and instructions, while verbose in places, gloss over details in others ("Sculpt a base for the snow globe from air-drying clay and let it harden." Young crafters will need help copying and enlarging the templates provided for many projects. Though these crafts are lackluster overall, they might be good for classroom use.

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2014
Grades 3-5 This entry in the Fun and Festive Crafts for All Seasons focuses on winter and a few of its holidays, both religious and secular. First up, a snow globe made from a recycled jar. Next, a snowman puppet, made out of Popsicle sticks and a couple Styrofoam balls, that can open and close its mouth. Other highlights among the eight projects include a reindeer marionette made out of clay, a Hanukkah pop-up card, and a customizable party hat. Each craft is paired with a brief paragraph related to the project. For example, instructions for making a groundhog puppet follow a short history of Punxsutawney Phil (no source notes are included, however). The instructions for each project have plenty of photos of the craft, both in process and completed, and they include recommendations for adult assistance, where appropriate. Though the directions are occasionally unclear, each project is well within the skill set of the target audience, and with a little help from a grown-up, creative kiddos will likely find plenty to keep them crafting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)