'Stop Here Santa' Christmas Wreath Kids Craft

Make sure the man in red stops at your place and keep the kids busy with this fun and easy craft that helps motor skills development too.

Many people with autism, like my kids have fine or gross motor skills challenges, but it's great practice for all kids, helps with their imagination and writing or pre-writing skills.  This fun craft activity combines this learning activity with the fun idea of making sure Santa stops by your house.

This activity requires some preparation - mainly the cutting out the middle of the paper plate.  I grabbed this idea from an activity with Jane's school where the materials were pre-cut but if the child can and wants to do the cutting then you might find easigrip scissors may help them.  In addition to the circle you will need:

• Green pain or pens
• Glue stick
• Decorations in traditional red and green but feel free to be creative - we used tissue paper and feathers but glitter or sparkle sand would be a good hit too
• hole punch or pencil/blue tac
• Ribbon
• Pencil for writing
• Card for the 'sign' 

To make your Stop Here Wreath, cover the paper plate ring in green.  If it's painted you can add glitter while the paint is drying.  Then glue on your decorations!  This is your basic wreath.

To hang and add the sign, hole punch opposite sides of the ring.  Loop the top with a bit of ribbon to hang it.  Write your notice and hole punch your piece of card to make your sign.  Then loop some ribbon through the hole and attach to your wreath.

When making the wreath, place the items around the table. This will encourage the child to cross their mid line - stretching their hands across the middle of their body to use them.  All gluing will encourage bilateral motor skills (using two hands together) by holding the paper and then gluing with the other hand.

Nothing left to do except admire it and hang it up!  What do you think?