20 easy festive crafts and activities
Your ultimate activity guide to keeping girls busy over the festive season
Originally posted 1 December 2020.
There’s nothing like a few festive activities to get you in the mood for the season.
Whether you’re looking for interest badges for girls to complete at home, activities to make your unit meeting sparkle, or something to do with family during the holidays, we have an activity idea for you.
1. Read about winter celebrations
Get cozy and spend some time reading stories about the winter celebrations of different cultures around the world, like Christmas, Hannukah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and the winter solstice. This is a great way for Rainbows to earn their storyteller badge. For extra fun, you could build a winter den to sit in while you read and tell stories.
2. Do a good turn
The festive season is a perfect time to collect food for the local food bank, or gift some toys to families who need them through local charities. No matter how big or small, girls can make a difference in their community this winter.
Rainbows can spread some festive cheer by helping others through the helper interest badge. The charities interest badge gets Brownies to think about how they can help others at Christmas and all year round.
Rangers may want to start thinking about giving their time as part of their volunteering interest badge. No matter what skills or time you have, there’s a volunteering opportunity for you.
3. Capture the magic in photos
Hanging out stockings on Christmas Eve. A frosty day in the park. The clock turning to midnight on New Year’s Eve. There are plenty of magic moments to capture over the holidays. Guides can have a go at snapping their favourites by doing the photography interest badge at home over the holidays.
4. Have a snowball race
Need to burn off some energy? Try a snowball relay race with your unit. It’s just like an egg and spoon race, except you use a cotton wool ball instead of an egg! Make it harder by adding some obstacles to climb over, under and around.
5. Make a starry night advent calendar
An advent calendar is like a countdown calendar for an event you’re looking forward to! Save money and enjoy a cosy craft activity by making your own festive advent calendar at home or with your unit. Try coming up with ideas together for 25 things to fill your advent calendar, such as promises or good deeds. Find out how to make your own starry night advent calendar.
6. Create salt dough decorations
Cheap, sustainable and fun, salt dough decorations are a classic festive craft. Just make sure to keep space on your tree for all your brilliant designs.
7. Make marshmallow snowmen
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a few sweet treats. Try making your own jolly marshmallow snowmen.
To make, thread 3 marshmallows (or more if you like) onto a skewer. Decorate with strawberry laces for scarves and smarties for buttons, using icing or melted chocolate to stick them on. Add details to your face with writing icing for eyes and fondant or candied orange for noses.
8. Plan a party
Girls can work together to plan activities, music, and snacks and throw a fun festive party!
Rangers can put their organisation skills to the test with the event planning interest badge, while Brownies can earn their celebrations interest badge.
9. Rock around the Christmas tree
While we’re on the subject of partying - put on some Christmas songs and dance like no one is watching! Not only will it make you feel good, but it counts towards the dancing interest badge for Brownies too.
10. Create a seasonal mocktail
Every festive party needs a good mocktail. Explore different juices, fruit, herbs and spices to create combinations you’ve never tried before. Guides can work towards their mixology interest badge while coming up with their creations!
11. Make chocolatey truffles
You only need 3 ingredients to make delicious festive truffles to share with your family, make with your unit, or give as gifts.
12. Craft a spiral Christmas tree
This craft requires paper plates, green paint, scissors, glue, hole punch, thread and things to decorate with, like scraps of paper or fabric and bio-degradable glitter. This craft might need to be done across 2 meetings so your paint has time to fully dry.
If you have green paper plates, you can skip the painting step and go straight onto cutting and decorating.
Paint both sides of a plate green, and then cut it into a large spiral, starting in the middle and working towards the edge. The spiral should be quite thick, so there’s enough room to add the decorations. Dig out your crafting leftovers from the year and use them to decorate your tree spiral.
Once the decorating is done, punch a hole in the top of the tree and tie on some thread so you can hang it up!
13. Make peppermint slime
It’s easy to make your own festive slime with red and green food colouring and peppermint oil – it smells just like a candy cane! If you need a reminder on how to make slime, watch our handy video.
14. Go for a wintery walk
Blow away the cobwebs by getting outside for a walk. This is the time when nature is at its most glittery – think spider’s webs covered in dew and leaves tipped with frost. Rainbows can work towards their nature interest badge by getting out in the great outdoors.
15. Craft a homemade gift
You don’t have to spend lots of money to give someone a lovely gift. A homemade present can be really special too. Have a look at craft materials or unwanted items you already have lying around. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Fabric scraps can be upcycled into braided bracelets or key fobs.
- Old board game pieces or Scrabble tiles can be made into word art, fridge magnets or pin badges.
- Empty jars can be decorated and turned into pretty tea light holders.
- Try turning buttons into homemade earrings, with presentation boxes made out of old Christmas cards.
Rainbows can earn their present maker interest badge by crafting gifts for friends and family this Christmas.
16. Relax with a DIY bath or shower bomb
Take time to look after yourself this winter. You could try creating your own home-made bath or shower bomb for a moment of relaxation. They make great gifts too! Make sure to check for allergies and sensitivities before you start. Our Girlguiding magazine article shows you how to make them using ingredients from your kitchen cupboards.
17. Make a snow family
Walk in the air with your own snow family made of socks! Cut socks to size, fill with rice and hold together with elastic bands. Then decorate them with buttons, beads, ribbons and fabric to make your own unique snow people.
18. The show must go on
Turn off the telly and try putting on a show at home or for your unit meeting! With the Brownies performing interest badge, girls can explore all types of performing. Will they be a magician, a storyteller, or comedian?
19. Make pinecone gonks
Gonks are inspired by gnomes and hobgoblins in Scandinavian and Nordic mythology. These short, bearded folks would make their home in houses and barns in the winter, protecting the families who lived there and bringing them good fortune.
An old Nordic tradition is leaving out a bowl of porridge during the winter solstice, so that the gonk can feast and join in the festivities.
To make your own magical gonk, you’ll need:
- 1 pinecone.
- 1 piece of scrap felt, fabric or paper for the hat.
- A button or bead for the nose.
- PVA glue.
Make this craft a 2-meeting activity by going on a winter walk to collect pinecones, then turn them into gonks the following week. Before picking anything up outside, make sure an adult checks the area for hazards, such as broken glass or dog waste. Wear gloves while picking up your pinecones, and always stay a safe distance away from roads.
After collecting your pinecones, bake them in the oven at around 100 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes to make sure they’re free of pests.
Cut out some scrap fabric into a pizza slice shape. This will create a cone when it’s rolled up.
Glue the edges of the fabric together into a cone shape, then glue it onto the pinecone to make a hat. Then glue on the bead or button just below the bottom of the gonk’s hat to create its nose, using PVA glue or a glue gun. Make sure that girls have help from an adult if using a glue gun, as they get very hot.
20. Look ahead to the new year
Wave goodbye to the old year and get girls to think about what they might like to do in the new one. You could try making vision boards together as a unit, with drawings or cut-outs to represent things you would like to do, learn or experience in the new year. The aspirations interest badge will help Guides aim high and achieve their dreams!