Posted on

The Hot Dozen Resources You’ll Want For Your Centre In 2024

Leaderboard_2024

At MTA, we love listening to you and understanding what you care about in your early learning centre. We know you’re juggling a LOT of things – budgets, funding, resourcing, staffing and caring for those little growing minds. Our team has curated a fresh dozen resources for all budgets and needs we think you’ll love in 2024. Most importantly, these resources hit the big trends right now: 

  • Creative play – open-ended play, role play and creative expression are crucial elements of early childhood learning. Play provides children with opportunities to improvise, imagine, connect, explore, enquire and make discoveries.
  • Sensory play – resources that support babies, toddlers and preschoolers to process information through touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing encourage children to learn, develop and grow whilst they’re having fun. 
  • Cultural learning – understanding our world and accepting different cultures is an important skill for any child. These resources allow children to understand their local communities, as well as the larger world through creativity and play. 
  • Motor skill development – Construction resources, puzzles and games are a great way to promote fine and gross motor skills, as well as cognitive skills, such as problem-solving and logical thinking.  

 

 

1. Dot Art Markers 

Child with dot maker paints

 

These are a no-mess, water-based, non-toxic paint-style marker that are fun and easy to use and are a 2024 must-have for your art trolley! MTA’s Dot Art Markers promote early childhood development and layered learning. Expressive art skills, planning, hand-eye coordination and colour recognition can be enhanced using these markers. Gentle dabbing creates dazzling dot patterns while brushing produces a painted look. Children can mix, layer and blend their paint colours while the ink is wet to create a unique mess-free masterpiece. Just as importantly, these bottles are easy to use with a twist-off cap and splash-free, no-spill bottle.  

Why you’ll love: All you have to do is dot, dot, dot to create art!  

 

Featured Product:

Dot Art Markers

 

 

2. Baby Path Activity Kit

Child playing with Wooden sensory toy

 

This brilliant Baby Path Activity Kit lets you create an exciting activity centre (or attach panels to the wall) which guides the youngest learners through sights, sounds and tactile sensory exploration. There is endless fun and discovery to be had. With the Colours panel, toddlers learn about early numeracy with size and colour. The colour bars can be turned 360º which adds movement to exploration, providing both a kinetic and a visual challenge. With the Guitar panel, the world’s smallest musicians can produce pleasant sounds using strings of different lengths. The Tinkle panel allows the bars of different lengths to chime and create brilliant sounds. (Suits children aged 12+ months.) 

Why you’ll love: It keeps curious minds engaged  

 

Featured Product:

Baby Path Activity Kit

 

 

3.  Tell a Story Magnetic Board 

Leaderboard_2024

This enchanting Tell a Story Magnetic Board set encourages creative play and storytelling while opening up conversations on the different roles within our community. It’s versatile too, with both magnetic and chalkboard options that are perfect for open ended play and role play. With a generously sized hanging magnetic chalkboard as the background, this durable, long-lasting set includes 75 thick wooden magnetic pieces that include a cross-section of people from different ages, genders, ethnic background, professions as well as buildings, vehicles, trees, animals and more. (Suits children aged 3+ years.).  

 

Why you’ll love: It’s the ultimate storytelling board to let imaginations soar

 

Featured Product:

Tell a story Magnetic Board

 

 

4. Polydron Giant Octoplay

Children playing with construction game in garden

This construction set from Polydron represents giant fun. It’s excellent for large-scale constructions, as each of the 40 giant plastic octagons slot together. Watch children build large constructions quickly and easily with these natural-toned giant octagons. Polydron’s timeless products have earned the respect of educators and children around the world for over 30 years and are the foremost supplier of geometric construction shapes to schools and early childhood education centres. (Suits children aged 2+ years).  

Why you’ll love: Lets children design, construct and problem-solve in a beautifully expressive way 

 

Featured Product:

Giant Octoplay Construction Set

 

 

5.Teachables Rainbow Squares Sensory Pads  

Child holding sensory squares

 

The rainbow has never felt so in reach before! Rainbow Squares Sensory Pads are a fun, sensory resource that can be used on light boxes, or as a calming fidget tool. Children press on the squares and watch the coloured oil move through the coloured liquid squares for mesmerising exploration. These squishy, captivating sensory pads are a wonderful way to support children’s creativity and open-ended play. (Suits children aged 3+ years.)  

Why you’ll love: Supports sensory learning, calming and creativity  

 

Featured Product:

Rainbow Squares Sensory Pads

 

 

 

6.Giant Emotions Fishing Game 

Children playing with magnetic fishing game in garden

 

Happy? Sad? Angry? Worried? Encourage conversations and the exploration of emotions with this Giant Emotions Fishing Game. Children hook the discs with their fishing rods and identify the emotion they have picked. Engaging in collaborative play with the Giant Emotions Fishing Game will provide opportunities for children to build on their motor skills and hand-eye coordination while developing critical social skills including empathy. A variety of skin tones in the Giant Emotions Fishing game authentically communicates the values of equality and inclusion authentically in children’s play.  

Why you’ll love: Encourages exploration of emotions 

 

Featured Product:

Giant Emotions Fishing Game

 

 

7.Sorting Bowls & Tweezers Set  

Sorting bowls and tweezers

 

Perfect for hand-eye coordination and sorting skills while improving hand strength, the Sorting Bowls & Tweezers Set consists of six colourful bowls and matching tweezers. The tweezers help develop pincer grasp as well as fine motor skills needed for daily living. By working on grasping, picking up and releasing with the tweezers, children are developing hand-eye coordination. As a result, children become more proficient with tasks like handwriting, drawing and forming numbers. Time to get sorting! (Suits children aged 3+ years.).  

Why you’ll love: Lets children sort, classify and work on hand-eye coordination the fun way 

 

Featured Product:

Sorting Bowls & Tweezers Set

 

 

8.Doron Jumbo Knob Toddler Puzzle Set

Toddler Puzzle- DL1569K

What makes the Doron Jumbo Knob Toddler Puzzle a must-have is its clever and thoughtful design. It’s specially designed for young children and those with special educational needs. The extra thick and large pictures are silkscreen printed directly on the wood. Extra large easy-grip knobs make for effortless removal and placing of the pieces. In the set of four puzzles, there are classic themes of fruit, vegetables, wild animals and pets. This puzzle set offers a great way for young children to develop fine motor skills, visual and memory skills and categorising skills. (Suits children aged 18+ months.) 

Why you’ll love: It encourages sorting skills and visual recognition  

 

Featured Product:

 Doron Jumbo Knob Puzzle Set

 

 

 

9.Percussion Set 

Percussion Musical Set in basket

Say hello to a musical must-have. This assortment of percussion instruments will help children make sweet, sweet music. It includes a tambourine, a wood shaker, a jingle stick, a pair of wooden maracas, wrist bells, an egg shaker, a pair of claves, a triangle with striker and a pair of cymbals. It has everything you need to inspire wonderful musical expression, including an educator-friendly plastic carry back with back straps for hands free portability and easy storage. When children play music, it creates a time for the child to be heard, be creative, be part of a group, show listening skills, patience and most of all fun. (Suits children aged 3+ years.)  

Why you’ll love: Helps children make music come to life easily 

 

Featured Product:

 Percussion Set

 

 

10.Teachables Light Box  

Light box with colourful seashells

 

A light box is a must-have for any early learning centre and makes the perfect backdrop for exploratory sensory play. This light box is the perfect size to allow little hands to try different items on the surface and create shapes and amazing light shows. The clever design is not only compact and light, but it also has an outer raised edge to support messy play. It includes a USB adaptor and can be used with mains power or with a power bank.  

Why you’ll love: Allows exploratory sensory play to come to life 

 

Featured Product:

Light Box

 

 

11.Rainbow Bricks  

Rainbow blocks

 

Watch children develop their fine motor skills as they build colourful designs with these Rainbow Wooden Bricks, designed to capture their imagination. Crafted from sustainably sourced rubberwood with a kaleidoscope of colourful transparent acrylic inserts, these blocks offer so many creative possibilities. The natural warmth and tactile appeal of the wood provides a sensory experience that stimulates young minds. With their perfect size and weight, these blocks are easy for tiny hands to grasp. The inserts encourage visual perception and introduce early concepts such as colour recognition and pattern matching. They’re also wonderful to use on a light box. (Suits children aged 12 + months.)  

Why you’ll love: Visually stunning rainbow bricks captivate little learners 

 

Featured Product:

Rainbow Wooden Bricks

 

 

12.Stockholm Spaces Play Kitchen 

Children playing with wooden kitchen

 

Built to inspire endless kitchen role play, MTA’s Stockholm Spaces Combination Play Kitchen includes a cooktop, oven, sink, fridge, microwave, cupboard and benchtop spaces all in one handy unit. It features turning knobs and realistic designs to inspire delicious imaginative role play. The Stockholm Spaces range is practical with an innovative design, made from birch plywood and lacquered for easy cleaning. Many furniture pieces in this range are made from sustainable Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) timbers. This results in an environmentally friendly and sustainable furniture choice for your centre and the environment.  

Why you’ll love: This beautifully designed play kitchen inspires endless role play 

 

Featured Product:

MTA’s Stockholm Spaces Combination Play Kitchen

 

 

 

 

To find out more about these resources, or other MTA resources, talk to an MTA Rep or take a look online. Do you still have funding? Maybe these resources could fall within your centre budget. Here’s to a beautiful 2024 in your early learning centre. 

 

Blog Home>

Shop MTA>

Posted on

Deck The halls: 9 Christmas Craft Activities That Bring The Festive!

Christmas Craft

From wreaths to snow globes, it’s time to get Christmas crafty with these 9 elf-approved activities! While Santa is busy in the North Pole preparing for his big appearance, that’s the cue for all of us down here to plan our festive season arts and crafts. We’ve put our Santa thinking caps on and come up with 9 fun craft activities to bring the joy and merry! They’re as easy to make as kicking back on a sleigh ride with jingle bells on! Little creative minds and hands ready? Let’s gooo!

 

Elf cup

Christmas Craft Elf Cup

We took a poll and 100% of Santa’s elves LOVE it when you create little craft versions of them! These finished elf cups look wonderful sitting on a shelf (naturally), on the Christmas table or near the tree. White eco-paper cups are the basis of these cute decorations, painted in green. Then you build your elf’s legs, feet, and cheeky head and hat.

 

You will need:

White Eco Paper Cups teaching.co.nz/product/jm850

Christmas Paper Chains teaching.co.nz/product/cs5548

A4 Coloured Cover Paper teaching.co.nz/product/teb0001

18mm Joggle Eyes teaching.co.nz/product/sh1038

Strong Craft Glue teaching.co.nz/product/cs0004

A4 Kraft Paper teaching.co.nz/product/teb0087

Assorted Christmas Pom Poms teaching.co.nz/product/th180

 

Let’s make it!

Cover your cup in green using a marker or paint and set aside to dry.

To make the elf’s collar, cut a strip of white cover paper 28(L) x 3.5(W)cm, and then trim zig-zags into one edge (triangles measuring approx. 1.5cm, with each point roughly 1.5cm apart).

Wrap your zig-zag collar around the top of the cup, attaching with glue at the back.

To make the elf’s legs, take 2 strips of Christmas paper chain and fold them back and forth to make a zig-zag fold.

Use a dab of glue to attach the legs to the base of the cup.

To make the feet, fold a piece of black cover paper in half and draw one point elf shoe with a pencil, cut the pencil markings out, giving you two shoes.

Use a dab of glue to attach the shoes to the very end of the zig-zag paper legs.

To make the elf’s head, cut a piece of brown Kraft paper approx. 15(L) x 26(W)cm, wrap it into a cylinder with an overlap of approx. 2cm, and either tape or glue in place. Pop it into the cup.

To make the hat, free draw a wonky triangle shape (measuring approx. 26cm at the base, going up to a point. Our elf’s hat measures 14cm from the base line to the point).

Cut out your elf hat and glue it onto the top of the elf hat, overlapping the hat onto the Kraft paper.

To make the arms, use the excess paper from the hat and Kraft paper. Cut two strips of brown craft paper measuring 9(L) x 1.5(W), and 4 x coloured paper lengths 8(L) x 1.5cm.

Layer the Kraft paper and coloured paper together – 1 coloured on the bottom, Kraft in the middle with the ends poking out and another coloured on the top, gluing together. Repeat to make the second arm. Use a pair of scissors to round off the brown Kraft paper to form the hands.

Make a small 45-degree fold on the tops of the arms and glue to the elf cup body.

Free draw two ears on the brown Kraft paper – with 0.5cm excess to fold back and glue to the elf’s head.

Finish off by adding a smile and gluing on 2 joggle eyes, a pom pom on the hat and set aside to dry thoroughly.

Done! The perfect Elf Cup is ready!

 

TIP: Modify for younger age groups with pre-cut shapes or templates to snip out.

 

 

Felt initial decorated stocking

Christmas Craft Felt Initial Stocking

Hanging a Christmas stocking is part of the magic of the season. Making your own initialled one, or one for a family member, makes it even more special. The beauty of this craft activity is it gives you a beautiful item to cherish that is as functional as it is decorative.

 

You will need:

Cotton Stockings teaching.co.nz/product/sh9642

Christmas Felt teaching.co.nz/product/CS5193

Pastel Felt teaching.co.nz/product/CS5162

Embroidery Thread teaching.co.nz/product/cs680

Assorted Acrylic Yarn teaching.co.nz/product/TH060

Supertac Glue 550ml teaching.co.nz/product/th005

 

Let’s make it!

Draw the first letter of your name onto a small piece of paper in a thick font.

Lay the paper onto a small piece of pastel felt, and carefully cut the paper along the line cutting the felt at the same time.

Using the same paper stencil method, snip out the shapes of holly leaves, berries, and any other Christmas-themed decorations as desired.

Place a piece of paper inside the stocking, to prevent the back and front from sticking to each other while using glue.

Lay your design pieces onto the cotton stocking and when you’re happy with their placement, use strong Supertac fabric glue to adhere them in place. Set aside to thoroughly dry.

To make the tassel, cut a piece of thick cardboard to 10(L) x 12(H)cm.

Take your chosen colour of yarn & embroidery threads and wrap it around the longest length of the card right down the middle (you can secure the end with a piece of sticky tape to help start you off).

Continue wrapping around 15 times.

Take 3 strands of yarn roughly 30cm long and tie them together with a knot on one end. Tape them to the table to hold in place and plait the three lengths together until you reach the end. Tie off with a knot.

Take your plaited yarn, and gently bring the ends across the width of the card, bringing the thread underneath the wrapped thread at the top of the card and tie a firm double knot.

Cut the threaded yarn at the bottom, freeing it from the cardboard.

Take 3 more strands of thread measuring 30cm and wrap these around the bundle of tassel thread approx. 2cm from the top of the tassel. Tie off with a firm double knot, letting the ends fall to become part of the tassel. Trim if needed.

Tie the plaited lengths at the top of the tassel to the stocking’s hanging loop, just inside the top of the stocking, letting your tassel hang down the side.

Done! The perfect Christmas Stocking is ready.

 

TIP: Younger age groups might enjoy gluing pre-cut shapes & embellishments to their stockings including Christmas Holly, Pom Poms, Buttons and Glitter Glue.

Christmas Holly teaching.co.nz/product/SH786

Pom Poms teaching.co.nz/product/CS5194#

Buttons teaching.co.nz/product/cs1003

Glue Glitter teaching.co.nz/product/cs6120

 

 

 

Gingerbread house terracotta pot ornament

Christmas Craft Terracotta Pot Ornament

This gingerbread house ornament is so cute, it’s bound to be a big favourite for little hands to create and give them a tremendous sense of pride in their work! It would look great sitting on a desk, a shelf, coffee table or a windowsill! These little terracotta pot ornaments also make perfect seasonal gifts for loved ones!

You will need:

Terracotta Plant Pots teaching.co.nz/product/sh9802

Fine POSCA Markers teaching.co.nz/product/um303

Christmas Jingle Bells teaching.co.nz/product/sh9475

Assorted Christmas Ribbons teaching.co.nz/product/sh1588

Crystal Clear teaching.co.nz/product/md025

 

Let’s make it!

Lightly draw your design onto the terracotta pot with a lead pencil – white snow around the rim and fallen snow coming down around the top edges, a little door, candy canes, gum drops, lollies etc. as desired.

Use the white POSCA paint marker to fill in the large white snow areas.

Use the colourful POSCA paint markers to fill in the brightly coloured details, letting your pencil markings guide your art and set aside to dry.

Apply a layer of Crystal Clear to the entire surface of the pot to provide a permanent barrier to moisture and wear & tear and set aside to dry.

Cut a 20cm length of Christmas Ribbon, form a loop and push the two loose ends through the Jingle Bell.

Feed both loose ends through the hole at the top of the pot, trapping the Jingle Bell on top.

Use strong tape or glue to adhere the loose ribbon ends to the inside of the pot.

Done! The perfect Gingerbread House Terracotta Pot Ornament is ready.

 

TIP: Further personalise your decoration with embellishments, glitter or writing as desired.

 

 

Gingerbread pop stick houses

Christmas Craft Gingerbread Pop Stick HouseNo holiday season is complete without a gingerbread house – the sort you can eat and the sort you can treasure, like these! Whimsical and looking oh-so-delicious, these quaint pop stick houses make beautiful seasonal displays. They’re so pretty to hang around the classroom, on the Christmas tree at home or to gift as thoughtful presents!

 

You will need:

Paddle Pop Sticks Plain teaching.co.nz/product/jm67

Choc Fudge Brown Classroom Splash Acrylic Paint teaching.co.nz/product/ec1114

Strong Craft Glue teaching.co.nz/product/cs0004

Wooden Coloured Beads teaching.co.nz/product/am1770

Assorted Felt Sheets teaching.co.nz/product/flt016

A4 White Cardboard teaching.co.nz/product/AUS208

Christmas Candy Colour Chenille Sticks teaching.co.nz/product/sh1321

Fine POSCA Marker teaching.co.nz/product/UM303

Assorted Felt Christmas Stickers teaching.co.nz/product/SH1613

Red and White Bakers Twine teaching.co.nz/product/sh733

 

Let’s make it!

To assemble the pop stick house – trim 9 pop sticks to 2/3 of their original size.

Lay 8 of the trimmed pop sticks in a row and use strong glue to adhere the 9th trimmed pop stick across the bottom (to hold your 8 pop sticks together). Allow to dry.

When your glue is dry, flip over and glue 1 whole-length pop stick to the top of the trimmed pop sticks, covering the trimmings.

Trim 2 more pop sticks to 2/3 of their size and glue these to form a triangle-shaped roof (one end each on the sides, and the other end together to form the roof’s point).

When the glue is dry, trim 4 more pop sticks to fit the roof’s triangular frame, and glue in place. Allow to dry.

When the glue is dry, flip your Gingerbread House over – it’s now ready to paint the front in your desired shade of fudge brown. Set aside to dry.

Now it’s time to make all your decorations. We’ve used coloured wooden beads to decorate the roof and doorknob, felt sheets to make the door, bakers’ twine to trim, Christmas felt stickers and candy colour chenille sticks. The sweet treats have been made using POSCA markers on white cardboard which have been cut out and glued into scraps of white felt to raise them up.

Use strong glue to attach all your decorations to the front of your Gingerbread House and set aside to dry thoroughly (the wooden doorknob might need a 2nd blob of strong glue to hold in place).

Lastly, flip your Gingerbread House over, cut a length of baker’s twine and attach to the back of the house to form a hanging loop) and set aside to dry.

Done! The perfect Gingerbread House Decoration is ready.

 

TIP: Older age groups might enjoy using glue guns to assemble their houses and decorations.

 

 

Iron-on beads tree baubles and Christmas wreath

Christmas Craft Christmas Wreath

Have you tried making iron-on bead ornaments? It’s a really simple and fun creative activity, allowing for all sorts of patterns and shapes. You arrange the Christmas-coloured beads on the peg boards to make your desired pattern. You’re then ready to fuse the beads together using a hot iron (adult time!) to make a long-lasting ornament to adorn classrooms, homes or the beloved family Christmas tree.

Baubles – you will need:

Christmas Iron-on Beads Kit teaching.co.nz/product/pb2456k

Red and White Bakers Twine teaching.co.nz/product/sh733 OR

Christmas Ribbon Rolls teaching.co.nz/product/cs9207

Wreath – you will need:

Christmas Iron-on Beads teaching.co.nz/product/pb2456

Square Bead Boards for 5mm Beads teaching.co.nz/product/amb600

Ironing Paper for Iron-on Beads teaching.co.nz/product/amb800

Christmas Ribbon Rolls teaching.co.nz/product/cs9207

 

Let’s make them!

Arrange the iron-on beads into a design on the bead board.

Warm a household iron to high, making sure the steam is off.

Cover the design with a sheet of ironing paper and iron over until the beads start to melt and fuse together into a colourful and flexible shape.

Allow your design to cool before removing from the bead board.

Peel the protective layer off an acetate sheet and cut two pieces to the size of your frame.

When cool, thread a length of yarn through one of the beads, creating a loop to hand, and tie off (a skewer will help to remake a hole if the beads have completely melted.

Done! The perfect Iron-on Beads Christmas decoration is ready.

 

TIP: Make sure you have an adult to help or complete the ironing steps.

 

 

Snow globe

Christmas Craft Snow Globe

Do you collect snow globes? Do you have one special one? Have you made one before? A snow globe makes a perfect lasting seasonal treasure for little ones – or a perfect gift for friends or family members. You can make whatever scene you like for the inside of your snow globe, although we went with a snowman! However, you can let your creativity run wild with your perfectly preserved snow globe creation!

 

You will need:

Snow Globe teaching.co.nz/product/CS6575

Oven Bake Polymer Clay teaching.co.nz/product/KC1025

Glitter Shakers Tubes teaching.co.nz/product/CS2400

High Temp Glue Gun teaching.co.nz/product/CS1660

High Temp Glue Sticks teaching.co.nz/product/CS1661

Christmas Rhinestones teaching.co.nz/product/SH9727

Christmas Ribbon Rolls teaching.co.nz/product/CS9207

 

Let’s make it!

Wash your hands with soap and water, and dry thoroughly before using the clay.

Soften the Polymer clay using the warmth of your hands, kneading until it is warm and workable.

Shape the clay into a Christmas scene (a snowman, candy canes, reindeer, Santa, presents, a tree etc). Make sure it’s able to fit inside the snow globe (we’ve made a snowman, 2 candy canes and a platform).

Carefully lay your designs onto a flat baking tray with baking paper.

Put your finished design into the oven and bake at around 130 degrees Celsius for 15 to 30 minutes (baking times may vary depending on the size of your chosen designs).

Let your creation completely cool before handling (any rough areas can be sanded or touched up with paint as desired).

Using a hot glue gun (or strong glue that will be waterproof when dry), adhere your Christmas creations to the inside of the snow globe lid, and set aside to dry.

Fill the snow globe with water and glitter as desired and tightly screw the lid to the globe (securing the lid to the globe with a hot glue gun will add complete security).

Decorate the base of the snow globe with sequins or ribbon as desired.

Done! The perfect Christmas Snow Globe is ready.

 

TIP: Make sure to have an adult help or complete the steps requiring an oven.

 

 

Pop stick nutcracker ornament

Christmas Craft Pop Stick Nutcracker

This is such a simple but adorable ornament to hang on the Christmas tree! Do you know the story of the Nutcracker? It tells the story of a little girl called Marie (Clara in some versions) and her toys. In the original story, Marie’s toys come to life on Christmas Eve and a Nutcracker figure helps lead the fight against an army of mice! One of the main themes is about the power of imagination. Marie leads people through a magical dream, who see the wonder of Christmas through her eyes.

 

You will need:

Foam Paint Brush Set teaching.co.nz/product/nar102

Jumbo Pop Sticks teaching.co.nz/product/jm100

Mini Paddle Pop Sticks teaching.co.nz/product/sh956

Fine Art Student Acrylic, teaching.co.nz/product/ats08

Fine POSCA Markers teaching.co.nz/product/UM303

Gold Bullet POSCA Marker teaching.co.nz/product/UM509

Strong Craft Glue teaching.co.nz/product/cs0004

Red and White Bakers Twine teaching.co.nz/product/sh733

 

Let’s make it!

Use a lead pencil to lightly mark out the Nutcracker’s details on 1 x jumbo pop stick (the face, jacket, pants and shoes) and 2 x mini pop sticks (the arms and hands).

Use acyclic paint to block out the colours (washi tape can help create crisp lines) and set aside to dry.  Washi Tape: teaching.co.nz/product/th1625

Use fine POSCA paint pens to decorate the details – yellow for the uniform’s buttons, black to make the eyes etc. and set aside to dry.

Lay the pop sticks face down, arrange them into place and use strong tape or glue to hold them in place, and set aside to dry.

Remove the handle from the foam paint brush, add a small squeeze of strong glue inside, and slide it onto the Nutcracker’s head.

Attach a loop of baker’s twine to the back of the ornament with strong glue (we’ve poked the ends into the back of the sponge hat) and set aside to dry.

Done! The perfect Pop Stick Nutcracker Ornament is ready.

 

TIP: A small pop stick cut in half and running along the back of the Nutcracker will help the body and arm pop stick pieces stay in place.

 

Paper Jingle Ornaments

Christmas Craft Paper Jingle Ornament

These paper crafting favourites will look beautiful hanging around the classroom or on the Christmas tree at home. They can be made in so many different shapes and colours too! Christmas is all about jingle bells and these are a perfect way to bring your own personalised jingle bells to life!

 

You will need:

A4 Coastal Cardboard teaching.co.nz/product/aus502#

Tinsel Pipe Cleaners teaching.co.nz/product/cl2205

Christmas Ribbon Rolls teaching.co.nz/product/cs9207

Gold Christmas Bells teaching.co.nz/product/CS9208

Paper Punch One Hole teaching.co.nz/product/acc003

Silver Craft Wire teaching.co.nz/product/THE218

Supertac Glue teaching.co.nz/product/th005

 

Let’s make it!

Draw your Christmas decoration shapes onto cardboard and cut out (make sure to leave room for the tinsel and bell in the middle, and a hanging hole at the very top).

Use a compass or small round object to draw a circle in the middle of the decoration (roughly 3.5cm diameter).

Cut out the centre hole (fold the cardboard slightly, make a snip and then use the snip to insert your scissors to cut around the circle line). Discard the trimmings.

Cut a short length of beading wire roughly 4cm long, thread a Christmas bell onto the wire, fold the wire in half and push one end through the cardboard decoration, roughly 1cm above the cut-out circle. Twist the two ends around each other to hold the bell securely (trim if needed).

Cut a sparkly pipe cleaner to approx. 15cm in length and bend around to form a circle to fit around the cardboard decoration centre cut out. Twist the ends around the circle neatly. Use strong glue to attach the sparkly pipe cleaner to the cardboard decoration and set aside to dry thoroughly.

When dry, use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of the decoration and tie a length of Christmas ribbon, forming a loop to hang.

Done! The perfect Paper Jingle Ornament is ready.

 

TIP: It doesn’t need to stop there! Add as much decoration and sparkle as you like with drawings, embellishments and glitter.

 

So, there you have 9 beautiful Christmas craft activities to give you decorative goodies that young and old alike will love. Hang them, place them, gift them, share them, enjoy them!

If you’d like to download the step-by-step activity pack pdf, click here.

Happy crafting and seasonal wishes and please share your crafty seasonal awesomeness with us @modernteaching

 

Blog Home>

Shop MTA>

 

 

Posted on

Celebrating Matariki in the Classroom

Matariki Craft leaderboard

Haere Mai! Today we’re exploring arts & crafts inspired by Aotearoa New Zealand and the dynamic Māori culture. With some basic supplies, and a few simple steps, you’ll soon have a classroom full of creations inspired by the Land of the Long White Cloud.

We’ve got crafts for Matariki, the famous cluster of stars heralding the start of the Māori new year. Make your own feathered Piupiu or experiment with weaving & Raranga techniques. New Zealand’s national identity, the silver fern, has been honoured with clay. And of course, we have the unique and utterly adorable Kiwi. That’s only a hint of what’s to come…

Let’s get started!

 

Folded Stained Glass Matariki Star

Folded-Stained-Glass-Matariki-Star

Paper folding activities are brilliant for fine motor development as well as cognitive strength (improving perception, logical thinking, focus and concentration) all of which benefit children’s mastery of curriculum outcomes.

Celebrate the Matariki Star Cluster with these captivating 8-point stars. Made from stained glass craft paper, they let light shine through the colours, creating mesmerising folded lines and shades from light to dark. Satisfying to look at and make, you won’t want to stop at one!

Step-by-step

Choose 8 pieces of Stained Glass Craft Paper and cut them into squares (alternatively use square shaped paper).

Fold one piece of paper in half (point to point) and then open out.

Fold the paper in half again (the other two points together) and then open out again.

You will now have 2 folds (in a cross pattern from all 4 points) in the paper to guide your next steps.

Turn the paper to face you like a diamond.

Fold the right side corner into the centre (the east point to the middle line).

Fold the left side corner into the centre (the west point to the middle line) creating a kite shape.

Glue these two sides down using a tab of glue stick.

Repeat steps 2 to 8 for the remaining 7 pieces of square paper.

To assemble the star, glue stick each side together, placing each piece on top of the previous one.

The final piece should tuck neatly under the first piece to finish off.

Done! Your Stained Glass Matariki Star is ready.

 

*TOP TIP – If you’ve chosen Stained Glass Paper to craft with and cutting it down into a square, the trimmings make the most beautiful additions to other crafts – feathers for birds or Piupiu skirts, lanterns, stained glass collage and more.

 

Featured Products;

Stained Glass Craft Paper – Pack of 24 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/re5257

Creatistics Glue Stick 25g – Pack of 12 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jn1203

 

 

Celebration Dough Stars

Celebration-Dough-Stars

We use our hands all day, every day and so developing strength and dexterity in those small hand & finger muscles is critical for carrying out all the daily tasks we need to do. Working with dough (and dough tools) is a brilliant way for children to develop their fine motor muscles. Kneading, squeezing, pulling, pinching, rolling and snipping are all powerful ways to strengthen hands and fingers – all while nurturing creativity as children make & create.

To celebrate Matariki, we’re making sparkly dough stars! When your dough stars are finished, you’re ready to squish them up and make them all over again! Any teacher will tell you that the squishing of dough creations is just as much fun as making them!

However, if you’d like to make permanent stars to take home, simply swap the Creatistics dough for Silk Clay or Magiclay which will dry and harden when exposed to air. When you’ve finished playing, simply shape into stars and set aside to dry – don’t forget to poke a hole in the top for hanging thread and beads if desired too.

Step-by-step

Choose your desired dough colours and portion out for each child.

Sprinkle glitter and glitter stars on the table, inviting children to dab their dough on them and mix through as desired.

Use a rolling pin to flatten out the dough to roughly 1cm thick.

Using the star or shooting star cookie cutter, press gently into the dough until its cut all the way through.

Gently remove your glitter star and admire.

Repeat as desired!

*TOP TIP – Creatistics glitter shakers make it super simple for children to sprinkle their own glitter and stars in small ‘bite size’ portions developing their autonomy as their experiment with different sensory mediums.

 

Featured Products;

Creatistics Skin Tone Dough https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs2900

Creatistics Pastel Dough https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs2901

Metal Cutters https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/dn2757

Bio-Glitter https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs1108

Glitter Stars https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cl6586

 

 

Stained Glass Art Stars

Stained-Glass-Art-Stars

There’s just something extra special about stained glass art. The cheerful colours bring joy to the learning environment, and when the sun reaches just the right spot in the sky, it shines through all those beautiful colours to light up the room in festive rainbows.

Super simple to make, these Stained Glass Art Stars can be crafted using a few basic craft materials, and yet they make a huge impact in a classroom celebrating the start of the Māori New Year. Read on to make your very own Matariki stars.

Step-by-step

Using a pencil and ruler, finely mark 1cm lines running the length of the black card.

Carefully cut along the pencil markings, making black card strips.

On a flat surface, arrange 5 strips of card into a star shape, with the ends touching.

To secure your star apply a touch of glue stick where the strips of card meet.

Gently apply glue to one side of the star.

Place Stained Glass Craft Paper or Cellophane onto the star, gently pressing into the glue to hold in place.

Carefully cut away the excess stained glass paper or cellophane, leaving a neat edge that can’t be seen from the other side.

Continue steps 6 and 7 until all the open sections (windows) of the star have been filled with colour and trimmed to fit.

Gently apply glue stick to 5 more strips of black card, and gently lay them over the back of the decorated star, sandwiching the ‘stained glass’ inside.

Using scissors, carefully trim the stars points into clean edges.

Set aside to dry thoroughly.

The stars can be stuck to windows or hung in the classroom by attaching a string or ribbon loop to the top point.

Done! The perfect Stained Glass Star is ready.

*TOP TIP – Cutting the stained glass paper into quarters, or cellophane into smaller pieces will be more manageable for younger ages to work with.

 

Featured Products;

Mount Card Black 220gsm A4 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/whp070

Stained Glass Craft Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/re5257

Assorted Cellophane https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/aus201

Creatistics Glue Sticks https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jn1203

 

 

Metallic Glitter Glue Stars

Matariki Metallic Glitter Glue Stars

Celebrate the start of the Māori New Year with a classroom shining bright with Matariki stars. With a simple cardboard base, aluminium foil covering and glitter glue embellishments you’ll soon be on the way to having your own night sky constellation. Keep as they are to stick to walls and windows or punch a hole to attach hanging thread for dangling from the ceiling, in any which way they’ll be a sight to behold!

Step-by-step

Using thick cardboard, draw or trace the shape of a star with a pencil and carefully cut the shape out with scissors.

Apply a small layer of glue to your star and then carefully wrap with aluminium foil, or foil sheets – folding the foil over the points of the star until both sides are covered (adding dabs of glue as you go will help the overlapping edges stay firm.

Set aside to dry thoroughly.

Use glitter glue to draw lines over the aluminium foil, creating sections and patterns. If using different coloured foil sheets, create glitter glue lines directly over the edges of each coloured paper.

Set aside to dry thoroughly.

Use a hole punch to create a hole, and thread desired length of metallic yarn through to hang.

Done! Your Metallic Glitter Glue Stars are ready.

 

*TOP TIP – Creating stars of different sizes to represent the various stars in the Matariki cluster, transforming your learning environment into the night sky.

 

Featured Products;

Large Poster Board https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/aus081

Foil Roll https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/st0182

Foil Sheets https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/aus040

Glitter Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs6120

Washable School Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0001

 

 

Cardboard Weaving Baubles

Cardboard-Weaving-Baubles

Not just a weaving activity! These Cardboard Weaving Baubles foster the development of creativity, fine motor skills maths knowledge too! That’s right, your students will be learning their times tables as they weave. Simply use the 10 points around the bauble to multiply and weave a pattern. Each point represents the last digit of each of the times tables. Included in each pack are teacher notes and images to follow along.

Pair your baubles with packs of bold primary coloured yarn, and supplement with individual colours of our choosing, in orange, pink, purple, dark blue, light blue, grey or brown. Older students might like to use embroidery thread to create their weaving works, offering a more refined finish. Leave as simple yarn weaving or add some sparkly embellishments as desired. Let your inner creativity guide you along.

Step-by-step

Choose your desired coloured weaving bauble.

Cut long lengths of your chosen yarn/thread, wrapping it around the bauble and tying the end securely at the back.

Start to wrap the yarn around the bauble, letting the notches guide your pattern.

When all your notches have been used, securely tie the yarn off at the back and snip off the excess.

Choose to finish off with some embellishments or keep on weaving.

Choose a contrasting coloured yarn, cut a medium sized length, and tie one end to some yarn in the middle of the bauble, tucking the tail end under to hide.

Weave the contrasting coloured yarn over and under the first coloured yarn, creating a weaving pattern as you make your way around the circle.

When your contrasting yarn runs out of length simply tie another colour on and keep on weaving (remembering to tuck the tails under your weaving design).

When you’ve run out of bauble room to weave, tie off securely and tuck the last tail in to hide it.

Finish off by tying/ or gluing a short length of yarn/string or ribbon to the top of your bauble in a loop to hang it from.

Done! The perfect Raranga bauble is finished.

*TOP TIP – Younger students will find shorter lengths of yarn more manageable, while older students will feel capable to experiment with longer yarn lengths, complex patterns and colour formations.

 

Featured Product;

Cardboard Weaving Baubles https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th906

 

 

Matariki Clay Stars

Matariki Clay Stars

Air dry clay, cookie cutters, wooden stamps, and glitter glue – yes please! So many crafting favourites feature in this extra special Matariki clay star ornament activity. The end results will proudly adorn the classroom and then taken home where they’ll be treasured for years to come. They’re so much fun to make you’ll soon have one for all your loved ones!

Step-by-step

Using a wooden rolling pin, roll out a handful of air-dry clay until it is smooth and flat (roughly 1cm thick to ensure your decorations are sturdy).

Press the star cookie cutter shape into the dough and press firmly until it cuts through the clay.

Gently remove the excess clay (this clay can be used again or used to make extra embellishments including clay beads).

Next, gently press star block print stamp into the clay star and lift, creating an indented pattern.

Using a skewer or the pointed end of a pencil, gently poke a hole in the top of your star (ensuring your hole is large enough to thread your chosen cord or twine).

Lift your decoration and gently smooth down the edges with your fingers (a little bit of water on your fingers will help with super smooth edges).

Set aside for 48 hours, or until completely dry.

When the star ornament is completely dry (clay will lighten and feel firm to the touch) add a thick layer of glitter glue to the surface, letting the glue flow and sit in the indented pattern.

Set aside to dry for 24 hours.

Adding several layers of glitter glue (and setting aside to dry between layers) will add extra shine and lustre to your decorations.

When your ornament is completely dry, thread your desired length of metallic embroidery thread through the star, and tie in place with a knot.

Done! The perfect Matariki clay star decoration is ready.

*TOP TIP – Gently pressing rhinestones into your wet clay decorations will add an extra special touch to your stars.

 

Featured Products;

Air Dry Clay 1kg https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/kc1026

Glitter Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs6120

Rhinestones https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cl7552

Cookie Cutters https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/dn2757

 

 

 

Sparkly Matariki Popstick Stars

Sparky-Matariki-Popstick-Stars

Pop stick crafts have been a part of our childhood for generations – and rightly so! Their versatile open ended possibilities act like a blank canvas, allowing children’s imaginations to craft them into the most amazing things. Working the thin pop sticks (and embellishments) into place will build children’s focus and concentration, developing their fine motor dexterity along the way too. Work planning and design into your creations to build STEM and STEAM focused lessons too!

Keep a natural feel with plain pop sticks or go for a bold statement with coloured pop sticks, which ever crafting style you choose, your pop stick Matariki stars are sure to brighten the sky!

Step-by-step

Count out 5 or 6 Paddle Pop sticks per star and arrange them into their star formation as pictured (the tips of the pop sticks meeting up with each other to form the points).

Use strong craft glue to adhere all the parts of the pop sticks that over lap/touch each other.

Set aside to dry for 24 to 48 hours.

When thoroughly dry your star will be strong enough to handle and decorate.

To decorate, apply a layer of paint and/or strong glue to the front of the star and stick on your desired number of embellishments.

Finish off with some dabs of glitter glue – the more sparkles the better!

If hanging your stars in the classroom, tie a length of string, cord or ribbon to one of the points and firmly tie off making a loop to hang.

Done! The perfect Matariki star is ready.

*TOP TIP – Younger age groups will find Jumbo Pop Sticks and Bio Glitter easier to handle than regular sized pop sticks.

 

Featured Products;

Paddle Pop Sticks – Pack of 1000 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jm67

Glitter Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs6120

Strong Craft Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0004

Glitter Stars https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cl6586

Mixed Rhinestones https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/nr030

Star Sequins https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/sh1057

 

 

Iron-on Bead Stars

Iron-on-Bead-Stars

Iron-on Beads welcome children to create. They work like open-ended craft materials, inviting children to arrange them into any number of scenarios. Perfect to make jewellery or key tags, trinket bowls, coasters, embellishments and so much more – literally anything your imagination desires. And with so many colours to choose from, children can experiment with creative design as they work with colour and pattern making.

And this star shape is perfect to celebrate Matariki! The beads easily arrange on a bead board; just lay on a piece of ironing paper and with a quick iron over, the beads melt together to hold their shape. It’s super easy! Children can also use them as traditional beads, incorporating weaving into their works as they stitch through the bead openings – ideal for beaded jewellery or finishing off a hanging decoration.

Available in so many shades, choose from vibrant colours and the handy vibrant pack, pastel colours and the handy pastel pack or bright neon if you’re feeling like some flare. And for younger age groups, they might find the jumbo sized beads more workable along with their jumbo sized square bead boards.

Step-by-step

Arrange the iron-on beads into a star design on the star shaped bead board.

Warm a household iron to high making sure the steam is off.

Cover the design with a sheet of ironing paper and iron over until the beads start to melt and fuse together into a colourful and flexible shape.

Allow your design to cool before removing from the bead board.

Your Matariki star can be made into a magnet by sticking a self-adhesive magnet to the back, or turn your star into a hanging decoration with string and beads.

Done! The perfect Iron-On-Bead Matariki Star is ready.

*TOP TIP – Hot irons are not for young children. Have an adult help or complete the ironing steps.

 

Featured Product;

Creatistics Iron-on Beads Pack https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/amb200k

 

 

Air Dry Clay Fern Dish

NZ Clay Fern Wall Hanging

Clay is valuable resource, inviting children to form their creative imaginings into solid works to treasure forever. It’s a beautiful way to connect to nature too, ethically using the resources our world offers in meaningful ways.

Air Dry Clay can make all sorts of wonderful works without the hassle of expensive kilns too. It’s also the ideal medium to make small plates and bowls, like these beautiful NZ Fern dishes– acting as desktop paperweights or handy holders for keys, coins, jewellery, and other small items. Not to worry if you haven’t got ferns close by, feel welcome to use any plants or flowers significant to your local area so that your clay dishes will reflect your own deep connection to the land.

 

Step-by-step

Divide 1kg Air Dry Clay packets into roughly 6 portions.

Using a rolling pin, and a flat surface roll out each portion to roughly 1 – 2cm thick.

Lay a cutting of a fern onto the clay and gently roll over the fern so that it leaves an imprint.

Carefully lift the fern off the clay.

Gently cut away excess clay with clay knife.

Gently lift the fern dish off your flat surface and use a little bit of water on your fingers to smooth the edges.

Gently place the clay into a shallow bowl (be carefully not to press the clay into the bowl)

Set aside to completely dry for a few days.

When thoroughly dry, decorate with paint and glitter glue as desired and leave to dry.

When thoroughly dry, coat with PVA Washable School Glue or Crystal Clear to provide a barrier to dirt, tarnish, wear stains and moisture.

Done! The perfect Air Dry Clay Matariki trinket tray is ready.

*TOP TIP – Appyling a dark shade of paint to the fern imprint and a light shade to the background will make the fern detail pop from the background.

 

Featured Products;

Air Dry Clay 1kg https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/kc1026

Glass & Tile Paint https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cb2200

Crystal Clear https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/md025

Creatistics Poster Paint – Green https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0077

 

 

Woven 8 Point Matariki Star

Woven-8-Point-Matariki-Star

Paper weaving uses the same ‘over and under’ techniques of textile weaving, taking basic materials and weaving them into beautiful artworks. Just as stunning as the Matariki star cluster in the early morning sky during New Zealand’s mid-winter months, your classroom will look spectacular covered in stars. They also make the most adorable bunting, simply attach the stars to string or ribbon and hang around the learning environment for smiles as bright as the sky. You can even add a touch of bio- glitter or glitter glue to add a sparkle to your designs.

We’ve added the written step by step guide below; however, you might find working through the many videos online for ‘paper weaving stars’ visually helpful. Paper stars may look and sound tricky to make but you’ll soon have plenty!

Step-by-step

Choose 4 colours of craft paper strips and using a ruler, draw a feint pencil line down the lengths of the strips and then cut along the lines. Take 4 of those strips to make 1 star.

Fold the 4 strips of paper in half, creasing down the middle.

Lay the first strip down in front of you on a table with the fold pointing to the left and the open end pointing to the right.

Take the 2nd strip of paper and pointing the fold towards you open the ends and sandwich the first strip inside the 2nd strip (you will now have an L shape), take the 2nd strip a few cm down the length of the 1st strip.

Take the 3rd strip of paper and pointing the fold to the right, open the ends and sandwich the 2nd strip inside the 3rd strip.

Take the 4th strip of paper and pointing the fold away from you and end towards you, fold the 4th strip of paper around the 3rd strip.

Slide the ends of the 4th strip into the loop pf paper in the 1st strip.

Gently pull the ends of all four paper strips to tighten your weaving. It should look like a pinwheel shape (a square on the inside and the 4 paper strips pointing N, S, E and W).

Starting at the right side lift the top flap of paper and fold it to the left across the middle of the star.

Repeat step 9, moving clockwise around the star lifting the top flat of paper and fold it upwards across the middle of the star.

Finally, you’ll fold down the flap at the top of the star, but this time tuck the end of the flap inside the loop of paper created by the first flap you folded. Gently pull it all the way through to complete this stage.

To make the points of the star, take the top right strip and fold it backwards or under to make a right angled triangle and crease.

Fold that same strip down at a right angle again so that it forms a triangle shape (leaving a tiny gap running down the centre of the triangle will help with the next step).

Fold the triangle you just created in half towards the centre of the star to create 1 star point.

Fold the end of that strip under the first square of the centre it’s sitting on top of and trim off the excess.

Repeat steps 12 to 15 for all the star’s points (you’ll finish with 8 points).

Done! The perfect Woven 8 Point Matariki Star is ready.

*TOP TIP – Using 4 colours of paper will help you to work through each of the steps, keeping track of your weaving as you go.

 

Featured Product;

Craft Paper Strips https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th911

 

 

Paper Weaving

Paper-Weaving

Weaving is a living artform, techniques evolving and adapting through time right up to the present. And with so many different paper options to choose from, your woven paper artworks can be as imaginative as you like. From pastel to fluorescent, bright, coloured, kinder, nature, nature trail or even magazines and newspapers as some of the options, everyone’s Raranga patterns will reflect their own unique style. Weave in straight lines or switch it up with 45 degree angles and formations for more complex patterns. There’s no end to options once you get started.

Step-by-step

To make the weaving frame, use a ruler and lead pencil to draw 1cm lines running the length of your paper (an A4 sheet of paper will fit 20 lines, giving you 21 sections).

Carefully cut along these lines – DO NOT CUT THE WHOLE LENGTH – make sure to leave a 1 to 2cm section at one end.

Use sticky tape or washi tape to attach the frame to your desk to hold it still.

With a contrasting piece of paper (as many colours as you like), repeat step one, drawing 1cm lines down the length of the paper.

Carefully cut the contrasting paper lines the whole length (these long strips will be your weaving paper).

Weave your contrasting paper through the weaving frame, weaving over and under the whole way along.

Carefully push your weaving paper up the frame so that it sits flush with the top.

Repeat step 7, each time gently pushing your paper up so that it sits flush with the previous row.

Continue weaving until your weaving frame is full.

To finish off, use a glue stick to adhere the edges in place (or sticky tape/washi tape).

Snip off the extra ends if desired.

Done! The perfect Paper Raranga artwork is ready.

*TOP TIP – Older students might like to work with even thinner strips of weaving paper (or even A3 paper), while younger age groups will benefit from wider weaving frames and strips.

 

Featured Products;

A4 Coloured Cover Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/teb0001

A4 Kraft Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/teb0087

A4 Pastel Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/teb0801

A4 Skintone Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/re5233

Plastic Ruler https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/teb6038

 

 

Sparkly Shooting Star Wands

Sparkly-Shooting-Star-Wands

Aotearoa proudly boasts a stunning night sky. With little to no light pollution in many parts of both the North and South Island, the night sky appears closer and beautifully clear. If you watch closely, you might be lucky enough to see a shooting star.

These adorable shooting star wands combine papier mache techniques with paper art to make a sturdy prop ideal for both classroom decoration and pretend play! For this craft experience we’ve used the stars from the Papier Mache Christmas Ornaments (20 stars), using the remaining ornaments later in the year for Christmas crafts, but you can easily substitute the stars for cutting out your own with a few layers of thick cardboard, or upcycling delivery boxes.

Step-by-step

Apply a good layer of glue stick to one side of the star and press onto a piece of foil paper, using your fingers to smooth the surface.

Roughly cut around the star, leaving some overhang to fold over the back of the star.

Apply glue stick to the reverse side of the star and press the overhang foil down.

To neaten the reverse side of the star, use the star to trace and cut a star foil, pressing it down on the reverse side to cover the folded edges.

Cut 6 long and thin lengths of tissue paper, and glue them to the back of the star using school glue.

Add another dab of school glue to the back of the star and press a pop stick into the glue and over the ends of the tissue to sandwich them in place.

Set aside to dry.

When thoroughly dry, decorate the front of the star with rhinestones, glitter stars and glitter glue.

Set aside to dry for 24 to 48 hours.

Done! The perfect Sparkly Shooting Star Wand is ready.

*TOP TIP – To turn your wand into a decoration, omit the pop stick and add a loop of ribbon to hang.

 

Featured Products;

Papier Mache Christmas Ornaments https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th929

Metallic Foil Sheets https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/aus040

Creatistics Glue Sticks 25G Pack of 12 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jn1203

All Purpose Washable School Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0001

Mixed Rhinestones 100g Pack https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/nr030

Glitter Stars – 100g Jar https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cl6586

Coloured Tissue Squares https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/aus101

Paddle Pop Sticks Plain https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jm67

 

 

NZ Shrink Film Keychains

NZ Matariki Shrink Film Keychains

Shrink Film works like drawing on a piece of paper – only so much more fun! When you’re finished with your design, simply cut it out, punch a hole in the top (to thread into), and bake in the oven. You’ll see your design shrink before your very eyes! When it’s completely cooled, you’ll see it’s now a durable hard trinket ready to transform into a myriad of things.

Necklaces, bracelets, key chains, bag trinkets or car rear view mirror accessories are all super simple to make. Just thread some beading cord or leather through the hole, add some beads and finish off with a key chain as desired. Keep for yourself or gift to loved ones, these super simple decorations are sure to delight!

Read on to make your very own Matariki Star keychain – or Kiwi, NZ fern or anything your imagination desires. There’s no limit to your creations.

Step-by-step

Draw your star keychain designs onto the shrink using the matte side with coloured pencils or permanent markers (feel welcome to use a star template for precise measurements).

Carefully cut around design and punch a hole to attach the beading cord.

Pre-heat oven to 150°C.

Place your star designs on a lined tray (matte side up) and bake.

Plastic will begin to shrink after 10 seconds, watch carefully! They will shrink to approx. 60% of the original size.

Remove from oven once plastic has flattened and set tray aside to cool completely before handling.

Thread beading cord through the shrink film stars and add desired number of beads.

Firmly tie the cord onto the key chain to hold everything in place.

Done! The perfect Matariki Star keychain is ready.

*TOP TIP – Coloured pencil markings will darken in the oven; a very light shading is all that’s needed for bright vibrant colour.

 

Featured Products;

Clear Shrink Film https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs4000

Coloured Pencils https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0108

Key Chain https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th101-si

Natural Beading Cord https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th345

Wooden Coloured Beads https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/am1770

 

 

NZ Clay Wall Hanging

NZ Clay Fern Wall Hanging

The shape of the New Zealand silver fern has a significant meaning – a sense of attachment to homeland along with the frond’s upright stance standing for strength, stubborn resistance, and enduring power. Not just beautiful, the fern plant has many uses. It’s trunk, foliage, sap and spikes have all being used for countless generations, making this stunning plant the ideal choice for our NZ Clay Wall Hanging. We’ve chosen to use the fern’s fronds just as they’re unfurling to signify the start of something new.

Step-by-step

Using a rolling pin, roll out a handful of air-dry clay until it is smooth and flat (minimum 1cm thick to ensure your creations are sturdy).

Gently press a New Zealand fern (or desired NZ flora) into the clay – a rolling pin can help press the plant into the clay.

Gently lift the fern off the clay, leaving its imprint behind.

Carefully cut your rough clay into a circle or square – using a template or plate can help with precise measurements (excess clay can be used again or used to make extra embellishments including clay beads for hanging decorations).

Gently press a skewer through the top of the clay to form a hole/holes to thread wire or hanging cord into (ensure your hole is large enough to thread your chosen cord or wire).

Lift your decoration and gently smooth down the edges with your fingers (a little water on your fingers can help).

Set aside for roughly 48 hours or until thoroughly dry.

When the clay ornament is completely dry (clay will lighten and feel firm to the touch) decorate with paint and glitter glue, allowing the darker shades to settle into the indented pattern (a light shading first, and going in again with a darker colour can help the pattern to ‘pop’).

Set aside to dry for 24 hours in between painting/gluing.

When your ornament is completely dry, thread your desired length of wire, cord or twine through the decoration, and tie in place with a knot.

Done! The perfect NZ Flora and Fauna inspired Air Dry Clay decoration is ready.

*TOP TIP – Older students will likely enjoy using wire to form a hanging loop, while younger students might find it easier to work with twine/cord or ribbon.

 

Featured Products;

Air Dry Clay 1kg https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/kc1026

Glass & Tile Paint https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cb2200

Crystal Clear https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/md025

Craft Wire https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/the218

 

 

3D Paper Kiwi

3D paper Kiwi

These adorable Kiwi’s offer children the ability to make their own creation bursting with personality. The free form shapes and choice of materials will make sure every bird is unique. We’ve used coloured paper to form our 3D Kiwi, but felt sheets are a terrific alternative for young students experimenting with textiles. Younger children might like to make a two dimensional Kiwi, working with flat paper and omitting the layers with padding inside. The beauty of this paper Kiwi activity is the ability to adapt it to children’s ages and abilities. Read on to make your very own national treasure, unique to New Zealand.

Step-by-step

Put 2 pieces of A4 brown paper on top of each other and carefully draw a large rough egg shape with a circle attached (this will be the Kiwi’s body and head).

Keeping both pieces of paper together, carefully cut along the drawn line.

Fold a darker shade of paper in half and roughly draw a Kiwi’s legs.

Carefully cut the Kiwi’s leg out, keeping the paper folded so you’ll have 2 legs.

Apply glue stick to the perimeter of your Kiwi’s body & head.

Place the 2 legs at the bottom of the body and add a small number of tissues or kitchen roll to the centre.

Gently place the matching body & head shape over the top of the 1st, smoothing down the edges to keep the legs in place and the tissues inside.

On another piece of matching brown paper, roughly draw 2 wings and cut them out.

To make the look of feathers, cut long thin fringing slices to the lower part of the wings.

Apply glue stick to the top of the wings and press onto the body.

On orange or a lighter shade of brown paper roughly draw a long beak (a thin carrot shape), and carefully cut out.

Apply glue stick to the top of the beak and press it down onto the Kiwi’s face.

Apply a small dab of school glue onto 2 x joggle eyes and carefully place them on the Kiwi’s face.

Done! The perfect 3D Kiwi is ready.

*TOP TIP – Free hand drawing rough shapes to make the Kiwi will give each of the creatures their own unique personalities.

 

Featured Products;

Skintone Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/re5233

Creatistics Brown Cover Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/aus143

Creatistics Black Cover Paper https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/aus140

Creatistics Glue Sticks Pack of 12 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jn1204

Joggle Eyes https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th321

All Purpose Washable School Glue Pack of 12 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0001

 

 

Air Dry Clay Kiwi

Air Dry Clay Kiwi

These adorable clay Kiwi’s make beautiful keepsakes, their solid heavy form also doubling as the perfect desk paperweight. The open-ended block of air dry clay adapts to children’s imaginings so they can make their own individual creations. No need for bulky or expensive firing kilns! Simply mould the clay, set it aside to air dry, add some paint and embellishments and you’ll have your very own clay work that’ll last a lifetime.

Step-by-step

Using your hands, roll a good palm sized chunk of clay into a rough ball shape, flat on the bottom to stand upright.

Set aside to dry thoroughly for 48 hours (over the weekend is ideal).

When thoroughly dry, your clay will harden and lighten.

Paint a layer of brown paint onto your Kiwi (using long paint strokes with darker shades to form feathers) and set aside to dry for 24 hours.

Cut a beak and feet from the felt sheets and attach to the clay body using strong craft glue.

Paint on eyes or glue on joggle eyes to bring your Kiwi to life and set aside to thoroughly dry.

Done! The perfect Air Dry Clay Kiwi is ready.

*TOP TIP – Older students might enjoy working with intricate clay work, forming the beak and legs out of the Air Dry Clay rather than adding felt details.

 

Featured Products;

Creatistics Air Dry Clay https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/kc1026

Felt Sheets https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/flt016

Creatistics Strong Craft Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0004

Total Wash Beige Paint https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/fn154

Total Wash Brown Paint https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/fn153

 

 

NZ Eco Plate Birds

NZ Eco-Plate Bird

Made using eco-friendly sugar cane plates and FSC paper, these environmentally conscious birds reflect New Zealand as a leader for sustainable practices – they’re also super cute!

We’ve chosen blue to make our bird, using The South Island Takahē as our inspiration, but there’s so many incredible bird species that call New Zealand their home. Which one is your favourite?

Step-by-step

Fold the Sugar Cane Plate in half, forming a semi-circle that’s able to stand on its own.

Cover the plate with a good layer of paint, choosing the shade of your favourite bird native to New Zealand.

Set aside to dry.

Cut a beak out of coloured paper (we folded the paper and cut a triangle, with the fold opening and closing to form the beak shape).

Cut long lengths of coloured paper to firm the bird’s tail.

Glue the beak and tail to the underside of the bird, hiding the ends of the paper where the eco pate folds.

To form the bird’s feathers, rough circles out of the tissue, with long scissor snips to form fringing to mimic feathers.

Glue your feathers into place with school glue (a few layers of feathers will bring authenticity to your works).

Lastly, glue on two joggle eyes to bring your birds to life.

Set aside to thoroughly dry.

Done! The perfect NZ Eco Plate Bird is ready.

*TOP TIP – Folder older students with competent scissor skills, or adults only – To curl the bird’s tail, open a pair of scissors as wide as possible and place the blades against a strip of paper, gently press the paper onto the blade and scrape it along the strip towards the end. Repeat as desired.

 

Featured Products;

Large White Sugar Cane Eco Plates https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jm950

Small White Sugar Cane Eco Plates https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jm950

Tempera Poster Paint – Set of 12 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jv506

Gloss Paper Squares – Pack of 360 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs5106

Coloured Tissue Paper – Pack of 100 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/me90

All Purpose Washable School Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0001

Joggle Eyes Assorted Stackable Container https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th321

 

 

Kiwi Paper Bookmarks

Kiwi-Paper-Bookmarks

Perfect for book lovers AND for encouraging reluctant readers to turn the page, these sweet little Kiwi’s would love to join in on your reading adventures. We’ve used A4 sheets of Skintone paper cut down to squares to make our Kiwi’s, but any easily foldable square paper will work (Pattern Paper Squares, Origami Paper, Rainbow Paper Squares etc). Perfect for a rainy day, after school hours care or to reignite reading time, these DIY bookmarks will be a hit anytime!

Step-by-step

Choose your desired paper square.

Fold the square in half to form a long triangle – folding tip to tip, rather than edge to edge).

Turn your triangle so that the long length is at the bottom and the tip of the triangle is pointing up.

Fold the left and right corners to the tip of the triangle (this will give you a square shape with two flaps).

Fold these two flaps back down.

Flip down one of the top sheets so that tip touches the long length and crease.

Fold the flaps you created back up and tuck into the bookmark. This will create a pocket that your Kiwi will slot onto the corner of a book.

Cut a beak and feet out of another sheet of paper and attach to the Kiwi bookmark with glue stick.

Draw on eyes, or glue on joggle eyes to bring your Kiwi to life.

Set aside to dry thoroughly.

Done! The perfect Kiwi bookmark is ready.

*TOP TIP – For visual learners, there’s plenty of videos online showcasing how to make corner bookmarks. Search for ‘origami corner bookmark’ and follow the steps, you’ll soon have your very own critter guarding your favourite book.

 

Featured Products;

Pattern Paper Squares – Pack of 500 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0260

Creatistics Glue Sticks 25g – Pack of 12 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/jn1203

Joggle Eyes Assorted Stackable Container https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th321

 

 

Woven Wall Hanging

Weaving-Looms

The Weaving Loom & Wool Kit of 10 includes everything you need to make 10 stunning woven wall hangings. Featuring beautiful calming shades of wool & wool roving to weave through the loom, your students will be well on the way to mastering textile projects. The simple weaving used here can be easily adapted to incorporate Raranga, Tāniko, Araoaki, Whatu and Whiri for advanced students exploring Māori weaving techniques.

Once your students woven wall hangings have decorated the classroom, they’ll surely be treasured at home for years to come.

Read on to work through the steps below to make your very own Woven Wall Hanging, also available as a handy illustrated PDF printout to follow along.

Step-by-step

Choose the colour of wool that you’d like shown at the top of your wall hanging. Wrap this wool around the look starting from the top corner and ending at the bottom opposite corner in vertical rows.

Tie the ends together diagonally in a double knot at the back of the loom.

Slide the wooden dowel under the vertical rows of wool on the front of your loom. This will hold up the strings, making it easier to weave.

Create a row of fridge along the bottom of your wall hanging using a few lengths of wool for each (the more lengths of wool you have will make the fridge fuller).

Lay the middle of the fridge lengths of wool over 2 of your vertical rows of wool and loop the right and left ends down and up through the middle.

Pull down on the ends to form a knot. Continue creating a row of fringe all along the bottom.

Begin weaving rows of wool above the fringe using the large tapestry needle. Change colours of wool as you work to create a lovely pattern. Tip: don’t weave too tightly to avoid warping the edges once you take your wall hanging off the loom.

You can weave by threading the wool under one vertical row then back over the next vertical row or over and under 2 rows at a time to create a different texture.

For each length of wool you weave onto the loom, leave a small length of wool on either side that you can tuck in.

After each row you weave, use the wooden comb to push the wool down the vertical rows to lay flat along the previous row.

When adding the wool roving, weave using your hands instead of the needle and loosen each weave to make it bubble out. You can use the full width of the wool roving provided or separate it into thinner strips.

Once your weaving is close to the top of the loom, remove the wooden dowel.

Turn the loom over and cut along the middle of the back vertical rows.

Tie off each pair of strings in a double knot as close to the weave as possible. Do this along the bottom and the top. This will prevent your weaving from falling apart.

Cut off the loose ends of each pair at the bottom only. Keep the top lengths long to hang.

Take a length of wool and tie it in a double knot around the top strands of wool.

You can trim the fringe along the bottom straight or in a diagonal line or keep it wild.

Done! The perfect Woven Wall Hanging is ready.

*TOP TIP – Stick to calm colour tones or brighten your creations by weaving in through bold primary coloured yarn and bright felt string.

 

Featured Product;

Weaving Loom & Wool Kit of 10 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs8880k

 

 

Cardboard Weaving Loom

Cardboard-Weaving-Looms

Weaving works by interlacing two sets of yarn interlaced at right angles – it sounds tricky, and looks tricky, but once you get started, you’ll see that it’s a super simple and brilliantly effective artform.

For our Cardboard Weaving Loom we’ve used various colours from the Weaving Wool Set of 6, Assorted Acrylic Yarn (includes 6 balls of yarn – black, white, blue, green, yellow, and green) and then supplemented the colours with individual shades including grey, brown, orange, pink, purple, dark blue and light blue. Lots of coloured yarn to choose from ensures students can bring their creative plans to life.

Step-by-step

Start by attaching a length of yarn to the back of the cardboard weaving loom at one end (pointed ends) secure with sticky tape.

Run the yarn through the ‘v’ shape down to the opposite ‘v’ at the other end (horizontally/ top to bottom of the cardboard loom).

Loop the yarn around the back of the pointy ‘v’ and then tun the yarn back up to the next ‘v’ shape at the opposite end.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have threaded through every ‘v’ shape.

Secure to the back of the loom with a piece of sticky tape.

To begin weaving vertically, choose a length of contrasting coloured yarn and attach to the back of the cardboard loom with a knot, or sticky tape.

Thread the contrasting yarn through the 1st yarn, weaving over and under.

You can change coloured yarn at any stage, making sure to tie off in a knot to hide behind the weaving (you can also weave the ends back into the design).

Once you have finished creating your pattern, you can tie off securely and thread the ends back into the design.

Unhook the yarn from the pointy ends of the cardboard loom, cut them in half and tie off securely with a double knot.

Done! The perfect Cardboard Weaving Loom design is finished.

*TOP TIP – To turn your weaving into a bookmark, add some extra lengths of yarn to make a tassel at one end, or turn into a wall hanging with a length of dowel.

 

Featured Products;

Cardboard Weaving Loom – Pack of 10 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th867

Assorted Acrylic Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th060

Black Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/mow283

Grey Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/mow263

Brown Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/mow288

Orange Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/MOW289

Pink Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/MOW262

Purple Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/MOW285

Dark Blue Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/MOW276

Light Blue Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/MOW268

White Yarn https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/MOW261

 

 

Wooden Pendent Threading Kit

NZ Wooden Pendant Threading Kit

Using the same motions as weaving, the Wooden Pendant Threading Kit uses students’ knowledge of ‘over & under’ to make wearable art. The kit includes all you need to make 30 wooden pendants including 6 different pendant designs, embroidering thread, leather cord and embroidery needles. Make a necklace for yourself or as a gift or mix it up with key chains to jazz up your keys or bag. How will you decorate yours?

Step-by-step

Cut a length of embroidery thread and thread it onto the needle.

Begin threading, leaving a length of thread at the back to tie securely.

Keep on threading in and out, forming your desired design (short lines, long lines, cross crosses and more).

Change colours as desired, tying off securely at the back each time.

When your design is finished, tie off securely one last time.

Attach a length of leather cord (long enough to fit comfortably around the wearers neck), and tie of securely.

Done! The perfect Wooden Threaded Pendant is ready.

*TOP TIP – Keep the design simple or make it as intricate as you like by layering different colours and experimenting with Raranga techniques.

 

Featured Product;

Wooden Pendant Threading Kit https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs680k#

 

 

Clay Star Photo Frames

Clay-Star-Photo-Frames

Pre-made from clay, these Star Photo Frames act like a blank canvas for children to decorate. The smooth surface lends itself to all sorts of artistic mediums – paint, markers, glitter, embellishments and more. They can be as advanced or simple as you like for even the youngest of students to get involved. Pop in a photo, drawing, poem, or message and either hang from the supplied ribbon or sit proudly with the included stand at the back. You’ll have a stunning Matariki keepsake to hold in your heart forever.

Step-by-step

Fill the front of your star with colour as desired and set aside to dry.

Apply a thin layer of school glue to front surface and sprinkle with glitter stars and set aside to dry.

Open the backing and remove the protective piece of paper.

Insert a photo or drawing (round, measuring approx. 53mm diameter – the same size as the protective paper), and close the backing.

Done! The perfect Clay Star Photo Frame is ready.

*TOP TIP – Use the round frame protective paper as a template to cut your photo or drawing for the perfect fit.

 

Featured Products;

Clay Photo Frames Stars Pack of 10 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/th995#

POSCA Marker – Pack of 8 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/um500

Glitter Stars https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cl6586

All Purpose Washable School Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0001

 

 

Matariki Glass Lanterns

Matariki Glass-Lanterns

Make your own custom Glass Lanterns, the perfect symbol for lighting & brightening the path for the Māori new year. In packs of 6, these glass lanterns come supplied ready to go with their attached handles. All you need to do is choose how to design yours. Decorate with glass paint or markers or use tissue paper or cellophane to cover with colour. Glue on some sparkly stars and you’re ready to go. Pop in a tea candle or LED safety light and your lanterns will light up the night sky beautifully.

Step-by-step

Give your glass lantern a good clean to ensure the surface is ready for painting (soap and water, or methylated spirits work well), and set aside to air dry for 24 hours.

Paint your designs onto the surface of the lantern using glass paint and markers as desired.

Set aside for 24 to 48 hours to dry thoroughly (over the weekend is ideal).

To fully set your artwork, place the lantern in a cool oven and set the temperature to 150 degrees Celsius. Once temperature is reached baked for 30 minutes then turn off oven and allow to cool before removing.

Use a strong glue to add any embellishments to the outside of the lantern, Star Sequins are ideal to celebrate Matariki.

Set aside to dry for 24 hours.

Add a tea candle or safety light (depending on child’s age).

Done! The perfect Matariki Glass Lantern is ready.

*TOP TIP – Glass & Tile Paint gives terrific coverage, while Glass & Porcelain Makers create precise lines and detail.

 

Featured Products;

Glass Lanterns – Pack of 6 https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/sh1718#

Glass & Tile Paint https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cb2200

Glass & Porcelain Markers https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/CS8000

Star Sequins https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/sh1057

Strong Craft Glue https://www.teaching.co.nz/product/cs0004

 

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed the latest collection of crafts to celebrate all things Aotearoa New Zealand and are bursting with inspiration to get started. See you next time, Kia Ora!

 

 

Blog Home>

Shop MTA>

 

 

Posted on

12 Crafting Ideas For The Festive Season

Christmas Blog leaderboard

The most magical time of the year is fast approaching, which makes now a perfect time to organise your upcoming holiday season arts & crafts.

In this blog, we’ll showcase wonderfully inspiring crafting ideas to get you started. Whether you’re looking for classroom decoration activities or Christmastime keepsakes with memories to treasure for countless years to come, you’ll find all the projects you need for children of all ages including step-by-step guides to take the hassle out of planning.

So, sit back & relax and choose your favourite bright & merry handicrafts to release children’s festive creativity.

 

Santa’s Cookies Porcelain Plate

 

Santa's Plate

 

Father Christmas must get hungry with all that work he does! Santa’s very own cookie plate will surely go down a treat! White porcelain plates make a wonderful blank canvas for children to decorate with drawings and words, using glass & porcelain markers or paint. Whether it’s “Cookies for Santa”, “Carrots for Rudolf” or a personalised plate for the Christmas lunch table, children are sure to enjoy making their own tableware to be treasured for years to come.

To set the markers and paint for wear & tear and dishwasher use, the plate will need to be baked in an oven. Simply set oven to 150 degrees C, and once the oven temperature has been reached, bake the plate for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow to cool before removing. Santa’s plate is now ready for his favourite snacks.

*TOP TIP – Paint provides great overall coverage of colour, while porcelain markers provide precise detail.

Featured Products;

Porcelain Plates

Glass & Porcelain Markers

Glass & Ceramic Paint

 

 

Ceramic Hanging Ornaments

 

ermaic Hanging Ornaments

 

Fun & festive ceramic hanging baubles, also in Santa shapes, Christmas trees and candy canes and stockings make beautiful gifts and keepsakes.

Decorate your ceramic surfaces with porcelain markers, ceramic paint or poster paint and finish off with glitter glue or Christmas-themed glitter for extra sparkle and pizzazz.

Perfect for hanging around the classroom, on the Christmas tree at home or to gift as thoughtful presents that will no doubt take pride of place!

Featured Products;

Ceramic Hanging Bauble

Glass & Porcelain Markers

Glass & Ceramic Paint

Metallic Silver Porcelain & Glass Painter

Metallic Gold Porcelain & Glass Painter

 

 

 

Air Dry Clay Ornaments

 

Air Dry Clay Ornaments

 

Air dry clay, cookie cutters, wooden stampers and glitter glue – yes please! So many crafting favourites feature in this action-packed handicraft experience. The end results make very special ornaments that will surely adorn the family Christmas tree for countless years into the future. Metallic yarn in red, green, gold, silver or blue makes the perfect hanging cord to match the sparkly austere texture of the glittery clay to hang proudly.

 

STEP BY STEP

  1. Using the wooden rolling pin, roll out a handful of air-dry clay until it is smooth and flat (roughly 1cm thick to ensure your decorations are sturdy).
  2. Press a cookie cutter shape into the dough and press firmly until it cuts through the clay.
  3. Gently remove the excess clay (this clay can be used again or used to make extra embellishments including clay beads).
  4. Next, press one of the block print stamps into the clay and lift, creating an indented pattern.
  5. Using a skewer or the pointed end of a pencil, gently poke a hole in the top of your shape (ensuring your hole is large enough to thread your chosen cord or twine).
  6. Lift your decoration and gently smooth down the edges with your fingers.
  7. Set aside for 24 to 48 hours to dry.
  8. When the clay ornament is completely dry (firm to the touch) add a thick layer of glitter glue to the surface, letting the glue flow and sit in the indented pattern.
  9. Set aside to dry for 24 hours.
  10. When your ornament is completely dry, thread your desired length of cord or twine through the decoration, and tie in place with a knot.
  11. Lastly, tie off the very ends of the cord/twine with a firm knot to ensure your decoration is ready to hang safely.

 

*TOP TIP – Adding several layers of glitter glue (and setting aside to dry between layers) will add extra shine and lustre to your decorations.

 

Featured Products;

White Creatistics Air Dry Ceramic Clay

Christmas Cutters Set

Christmas Block Print Stamps

Christmas Glitter Glue

 

 

Paper Straw Decorations

 

Paper Straw Decorations

 

Over recent years the nation has been ditching plastic straws to better care for our environment – replacing those harmful plastics with eco-friendly paper alternatives, which is fantastic news both for the environment and for us teachers so we don’t need to ditch our favourite straw crafts!

These sweet Christmas trees are super simple to make, gluing ascending lengths of paper straws onto wooden paddle pop sticks and adding a length of twine to hang. Glitter pom poms or sparkly stars will make the perfect finishing touch to your project.

*TOP TIP – It’s not just Christmas trees that can be made – why not try candy canes, stars and bell shapes, or swap the pop sticks for pipe cleaners for round threaded wreath ornaments.

 

Featured Products;

Assorted Paper Straws

Green and White Bakers Twine

Red and White Bakers Twine

Glitter Pom Poms

Adhesive Christmas Stars

Paddle Pop Sticks

Creatistics Strong Craft Glue

 

 

Gingerbread House

 

Gingerbread House

 

No holiday season is complete without a Gingerbread House! Whimsical and looking oh-so-delicious, these quaint wooden houses make beautiful seasonal displays or props to inspire imaginative play. Made from plain MDF, they’re calling out to be decorated with paint, patterned paper and Christmas embellishments & finished off with Christmas Bio Glitter & Stars.

 

*TOP TIP – Decorating Gingerbread houses over multiple days will allow glue to dry in between the paper and embellishment layers for a more workable crafting surface.

Featured Products;

Gingerbread House

Christmas Candy Colour Chenille Sticks

Building Pattern Paper

Mini Christmas Trees

Green Pom Poms 

Red Pom Poms

Christmas Assorted Buttons

Cotton Wool Balls

 

 

Native flora-inspired Christmas Wreath

 

Native Flora Inspired Wreath

 

Traditionally, the Christmas wreath’s evergreen foliage represents growth, and the circular shape having no beginning and no end signifies eternal life. For such a long time they have been hung on the door to welcome the Christmas spirit in to bring good luck to all.  These stunning wreaths may just bring you some good luck during the holiday too!

Made from a wooden base to provide a stable surface in which to glue or weave any number of arts & crafts resources, these beautiful wreaths make the perfect adornment for any front door.

The steps below are terrifically age-appropriate for older students. Younger students or preschool-aged children will likely enjoy painting their wreaths with wood-appropriate paint and using PVA washable glue to stick down Christmas collage items.

 

STEP BY STEP

  1. Apply strong glue over one surface of the wooden wreath and press a sheet of hessian onto the glue, set aside to dry.
  2. When the glue has dried, cut away excess Hessian.
  3. To make the leaves, fold a green piece of paper in half, and then half again (snipping with multiple layers of paper makes for light work). Two pieces of green A4 paper have made all the foliage for one wreath.
  4. Using a pencil, draw leaves or sprigs of leaves onto the paper and carefully cut around. Using a few shades of green will add depth and drama to your wreath.
  5. Arrange your leaves around the wreath and glue into place.
  6. To make the flowers, cut strips of red paper lengthways (1 piece of A4 paper will make 8 flowers).
  7. Using scissors, make fringing by carefully snipping down the length of the paper leaving ½ cm on one edge (snip gently to avoid cutting through the strip).
  8. Next, roll the fringe into a tight coil, adding a little bit of glue to hold in place. Pinch together to hold for a few moments (you can also use a peg to hold them in place until they dry completely). When thoroughly dry you can make the flowers look realistic by gently scrunching the petals to fan them out.
  9. Use strong glue to adhere the flowers onto the wreath.
  10. Glue any additional embellishments onto the wreath as desired.
  11. Attach a length of jute string to the top of the wreath and it’s ready to hang!

 

*TOP TIP – A layer of Hessian over the wooden wreath continues the natural feel and creates the perfect surface to weave or thread wire ornaments through.

Featured Products;

Wreath with Bow

Christmas Bows

Wreath Decorations

Nature Cover Paper

A4 Christmas Cover Paper

Jute Hemp Twine

Hessian Sheets Natural

Tacky Glue

 

 

Shrink Film Ornaments

 

Shrink Film Ornaments

 

Shrink Film makes for incredibly fun art experiments! A teacher’s dream, the Christmas Shrink Film Ornament Pack includes all you need to make a whopping 96 bauble ornaments, with coloured pencils and hanging thread included. Simply use coloured pencils to design your bauble shapes and then bake in the oven to reduce the size by roughly 60%, turning your decoration into thick hard plastic.

The pre-cut Christmas ornaments are wonderfully convenient, however, if you’re after free form to design then the clear shrink film or printable shrink film options are terrifically open-ended.

 

Baking Instructions:

  1. Colour in your design on the matt side of the shrink film using coloured pencils or permanent markers.
  2. Preheat oven to 150°C.
  3. Place design on a lined tray (matt side up) and bake in preheated oven.
  4. Plastic will begin to shrink after 10 seconds. Remove from oven when plastic has returned to its flat shape.
  5. If your pieces don’t lie completely flat, lightly press with a spatula, cardboard or oven mitt.
  6. Wait for the shrink film to dry completely before handling.

 

*TOP TIP – With shrink film, coloured pencils go a long way. A very light shading only will result in bold and vibrant colours.

Featured Products;

Christmas Shrink Film Ornament Pack

Shrink Film Activity Pack

Mini Jingle Bells

 

 

Woven Christmas Tree Cards

 

Woven Christmas Tree Cards

 

These festive Christmas tree cards incorporate paper crafts & threading together to make oh-so-special greeting cards for spreading the holiday cheer. The metallic and glitter elements add a magical touch to bring children’s creations to life.

To adapt this activity for younger early childhood age groups, simply omit the threading elements, with children enjoying pre-cut lengths of yarn to glue down into a tree design, using washable PVA glue, age-appropriate embellishments and liquid crayon markers to decorate the inside.

 

STEP BY STEP

  1. Mark the threading holes with a pencil, and then poke a tapestry needle or skewer through the pencil marking all the way through the cardboard.
  2. Cut a length of yarn, thread your needle, and then weave the yarn up and down, threading in and out of the holes until you’ve created a Christmas tree design.
  3. On the front of the tree use a length of metallic gold yarn to weave in and out of the tree, creating a Christmas Tree tinsel design, and tie off on the front reverse.
  4. On the front reverse of the card, secure your yarn with strong tape and create a flat surface).
  5. Glue half a piece of coloured cover paper onto the inside of the card to cover the back of the tree and press down to flatten (glue sticks are ideal for this task, so the paper won’t crinkle).
  6. The front of your card is now ready for embellishments – pom poms, a Christmas star and glitter glue.
  7. Set aside to dry completely for 24 hours.
  8. Your card is now ready for drawings or writing on the inside – paint pens are ideal for vibrant creations over coloured paper.

 

*TOP TIP – Writing or drawing on the coloured cover paper before sticking it inside the card will make a more workable surface for younger students.

Featured Products;

White Cards and Envelopes

Green Acrylic Yarn 

Gold Metallic Yarn

Glitter Pom Poms

Adhesive Christmas Stars

Tapestry Chenille Needles

Christmas Glitter Glue

A4  Christmas Cover Paper

Creatistics Superstik Glue Stick

Tacky Glue

 

 

Wooden Crafts

 

Wooden Crafts

 

Pre-cut Wood Crafts are the perfect combination of woodworking, imagination and art – essentially blank canvases in which children can tinker with paint, glue and collage materials to design & personalise works that are truly their own.

You’ll find an incredibly large offering of wood crafts at MTA, so much to choose from that’ll make teachers giddy with excitement, including convenient ornament or tree packs that include all the glue, paint and embellishments you need to complete the activity.

 

*TOP TIPMessy mats or table coverings make brilliant surfaces to protect tables from wet and messy play art activities.

 

Featured Products;

Wreath with Bow

Hanging Christmas Tree

Wooden Snowflake Decorations

Wooden Christmas Ornaments

Christmas Collage Pack

Metallic Christmas Collage Pack

Handmade Christmas Paper

Fabric Paint Set

 

 

Woven Wire Ornaments

 

Woven Wire Ornaments

 

Beautifully simple wire ornaments make a welcoming invitation for children’s personalisation. Use wire, yarn or string to weave around, filling the open space with Christmas colours and finishing off with metallic yarn & beads – and a sparkly pom pom star for the tree.  Your woven ornaments are ready to hang on the tree year after year or share as gifts for loved ones.

Yarn can be wrapped around the wire ornaments in free form using your hands only (ideal for early childhood) or incorporate sewing elements into the activity using tapestry chenille needles for older students or plastic lacing needles for younger students. Tying off your yarn after every few wraps will ensure the younger years don’t unravel their creations when they need to take a break.

Tying off your yarn after every few wraps will ensure the younger years don’t unravel their creations when they need to take a break.

 

STEP BY STEP

  1. Cut a long piece of your desired coloured yarn and tie it around the metal shape (tying the yarn onto the wire shape will ensure you have a firm grip to get you started).
  2. Gently weave the yarn around the shape, wrapping over and under, in and out and all around, pulling firmly to ensure the yarn stays in place.
  3. When your decoration is starting to look colourful and almost finished, it’s time to start adding beads.
  4. Thread or slip a bead over the yarn, adjusting it into place as you continue to wrap the yarn.
  5. Add as many beads for your desired look, and finish tie the yarn firmly to the decoration to keep it all in place.
  6. Lastly, add a length of twine to the top of the decoration, making sure to tie it at the end to create a loop for hanging.

 

*TOP TIP – The thick acrylic woollen yarn is easier to handle and wrap to create form and colour, with the more delicate metallic yarn bringing a sparkly touch to finish off.

Featured Products;

Wire Ornaments

Metallic Gold Yarn

Green Acrylic Yarn

Red Acrylic Yarn

Christmas Pony Bead

Glitter Pom Poms

 

 

Festive Terracotta Garden Pots

 

Festive Terracotta Garden Pots

 

Personalised pots with seedlings are the perfect growing gift to keep the festive season thriving long after the Christmas Tree has been packed away. Endless decorating options await with the terracotta surface lending itself to porcelain or paint markers, paints and embellishments. Sparkle paint metallic markers and glitter glue add a magical touch for Christmas-inspired decorating.

 

TOP TIP – Use a spray varnish to ensure your pot is ready for outdoor use with a permanent barrier to dirt, tarnish, wear & tear and moisture.

 

Featured Products;

Terracotta pots

Fine POSCA Markers

Bullet  POSCA Markers

Christmas Ribbon Rolls

Natural Hessian Sheets

 

 

Iron-On Bead Ornaments

 

Iron on Bead Ornaments

 

Have you tried making Iron on Bead ornaments? Simply arrange the Christmas-coloured beads on the peg boards to make your desired pattern. You’re then ready to fuse the beads together using a hot iron to make a long-lasting ornament to adorn classrooms, homes or the beloved family Christmas tree.

But it’s not just ornaments that can be made! Iron-on Beads are incredibly versatile – either fused together or used as traditional beads for loose parts threading. Ideal for jewellery including bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Glue them onto wood and paper crafts for textural collage embellishments. Make festive hot drink coasters, gift tag decorations, hanging key chains or bag decorations and even plates for treasured trinkets! My only advice for this activity would be to buy several tubs – because they’re wonderfully addictive!

 

STEP BY STEP

  1. Arrange the beads into a design on the boards.
  2. Warm a household iron to high making sure the steam is off.
  3. Cover the design with a sheet of ironing paper.
  4. Iron over until the beads start to melt and fuse together into a colourful and flexible shape.
  5. Allow your design to cool before removing from the bead board.
  6. Cut a length of twine and tie onto the top of your ornament ready to hang.

 

TOP TIP – Iron-on Beads are small loose parts, perfect for school-aged students. Preschool age groups (aged 3+ years) may find the Jumbo-sized Iron on Beads and boards a more comfortable working size.

 

Featured Products;

Christmas Iron on Beads Kit

Creatistics Iron-on Beads Pack

Red and White Bakers Twine 

 Red Metallic Yarn

 

 

*All these Christmas crafting activities can be modified or adapted to suit different age groups, taking away small parts for children under 3 years of age and replacing them with larger safe parts. Where scissors, glue guns or irons are used, educators may use adequate supervision to suit the needs of the children (pre-cut shapes for young children, PVA glue in place of glue guns etc.) or educators may safely carry out risky steps themselves (such as the iron for iron on beads).

 

What are your favourite seasonal crafts for the holiday season?

 

Download: Christmas activities PDF Bundle

Blog Home>

Shop MTA>

 

Posted on

Ten Frightfully Good Activities For The Spooky Season

Various Halloween themed craft supplies

Halloween is such a fun time of year for spooky crafts and activities, with plenty of opportunities to bring out children’s creativity and imagination. From dressing up in costumes and decorating the classroom or home to scavenger hunts, and arts and crafts, there’s something for everyone to have a wickedly good time! Read on for some quick, easy and festive Halloween projects that will have you howling!

 

Paper Bag Monsters

Spooky bag monster craft project
Paper bag monsters are a versatile craft experience for children to let their imaginations run wild! These plain bags can be decorated in whatever wacky characters come to mind, with children freely exploring the open-ended materials offered and choosing to use them in their own wonderful ways. Add language and storytelling to the experience by creating storylines with their characters or find a cosy spot for children to engage in spooky monster puppet play when their paper bag creations are dry.

 

Featured products:
Paper Bags 
Dot Markers 
Jumbo Creations Box 
Paper Shapes 

 

Ghost Pencil Toppers
frightful ghosts pencil toppers craft project
Add some spooky excitement to drawing and writing with these quick and easy paper pencil toppers. Simply draw a ghost character onto thick paper or cardboard and cut the shape out, punch two holes in the ghost and gently thread the pencil or pen through the holes  and abracadabra, your adorably spooky pencil toppers are ready for action.

 

Featured products:
White Cover Paper 
Coloured Pencils 

 

 

Spooky Book Placeholder
Spooky Book Placeholder
Made from only a few simple paper folds and embellishments, this is one cute creature that’s batty about storytime! Grab yourself a square piece of black paper and follow the folding sequence pictured below.

Bat Bookmark Folding Instructions

Add some little wings, fangs and joggle eyes, and this adorable spooky book placeholder is ready to join in the reading. Let your imaginations run wild and fold all sorts of fun creatures with a spooky twist – bats, pumpkins, cats, frogs, owls, ghosts and more!

 

Featured products:
Matt Paper Squares 
Gloss Paper Squares 

 

Storytelling Pop Sticks
Storytelling Popsticks
Storytelling is an activity rich in language and communication! It’s a time for children to hone their concentration and listening skills, explore feelings and emotions, share their own experiences and learn from others in an interchange of knowledge. Stories can explore aspects of STEM, problem solving, memory recall and provide a place where children can freely express their thoughts and imaginings. We love storytelling!

These adorable props provide visual prompts for children and educators to tell a story. Draw some story characters on thick paper or cardboard, colour them in, cut them out and stick them onto pop sticks (for extra durability, the drawings can be laminated before they’re added to the pop sticks). Follow the characters from a favourite storybook or create your own for all sorts of imaginative tales. Once upon a time….

 

Featured products;
Pop Sticks 
Coloured Pop Sticks 
Coloured Pencils  
Coloured Jumbo Pencils 

 

Spider Tic Tac Toe
Spider Tic Tac Toe drawn in chalk on slate
Also called Noughts & Crosses, Tic Tac Toe is a fun and simple game for young children to build maths skills, including counting, predictability, problem solving and special awareness. Taking turns to lay their pieces on the board, whoever gets three in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, is the winner! This is a traditional game that can be made up with all sorts of odds and ends – to make the game board, use paper and markers or a hard, flat surface and chalk or sticks. To make the playing pieces, simply find four of something that’s different from the other player’s pieces. We’ve made spooky bottle top spiders in two different colours, but you could use stones, shells, wood slices, counters etc.

 

Featured products:
Bottle Tops 
Pipe Cleaners 

 

Loose Parts Dough Creatures
Loose Parts Spooky Dough Creatures
With loose parts play, anything can happen! Children can move loose parts freely, adapting and turning them into anything their imagination desires. A selection of open-ended loose parts makes a wonderfully inspiring invitation for children to explore, experiment, inquire and invent, and with the addition of dough or modelling clay, children are sure to make some fantastical creations!
To make a treasured keepsake that will last, switch the dough or modelling clay for air-dry clay, which will harden beautifully in a day or so, ready to adorn the classroom or live on at home.

 

Featured products:
Modelling Clay Kit 
Creatistics Dough Kit 
Creatistics Dough Set 
Craft Essentials Kit 

 

Happy Halloween Bunting
Happy Halloween bunting
Adorable FREE printable Happy Halloween bunting!

These sweet and spooky characters are sure to bring festive cheer to the learning environment – whether it’s the classroom, after school setting, home learning or weekend fun – the finishing touch to any Halloween party is here. Simply print out as many copies of the bunting as you desire, snip out the shapes, follow the hole punch guide and string up your spooky triangle bunting.
No need to worry about waste either. Paper bunting can be saved and reused next year, snipped up for spooky collage art, popped into the recycling or even shredded and added to the compost to make nutritious soil to grow yourself a real pumpkin!

 

Featured products:
White Cardboard 
Happy Halloween Bunting  FREE PDF Download 

 

Outdoor Story Stones

Outdoor Story Stones
Combine storytelling with the wonder of nature with these adorable story stones. Made from a mix of natural stone and resin, they’re built to last the rigours of play outside, allowing outdoor nature play to guide imaginative storytelling. The sights, sounds and textures of the great outdoors all make wonderful prompts for scenes where anything can take place. Story stones can also be made by adding simple illustrations to stones or small wooden branch cuts.

 

Featured products:
Story Stones – Fairy Tales 
Story Stones – Outer Space 
Story Stones – Under the Sea 

 

Batty Paper Crafts

frightful bat paper craft project with google eyes and gluesticksPaper arts and crafts are fantastic for children learning about colours and shapes. Snipping paper is also a fun way to work on scissor skills. Joggle eyes will help bring children’s creations to life and may even inspire some spooky storytelling! The paper shape pictures can decorate the classroom or be taken home as gifts to share the excitement of the spooky season.
This activity can also be adapted for different age groups to make sure everyone’s safe. Children confident with scissors may like to snip their own shapes out, where younger ones might benefit from a selection of pre-cut shapes to choose from.

 

Featured products;
Coloured Paper 
Joggle Eyes 

 

Spooky Fairground Bowling

Spooky Fairground Bowling craft project using cardboard rolls Fairground bowling games are a timeless tradition for all good parties, and this sweet, spooky version is a hoot. Add some wacky faces to sturdy cardboard rolls and take turns knocking them down with any ball you have handy. These ghosty characters look great with plain white rolls or decorated with paint, markers, coloured paper and all sorts of embellishments for endless design options. For older children, numbers can be added for scoring up the total points knocked over for fun maths practice.

 

Featured products:
Cardboard Tubes 
Craft Rolls 

 

*All these activities can be modified and adapted to suit different age groups, taking away small parts for children under 3 years of age and replacing them with larger safe parts. Where scissors are used, educators may use adequate supervision to suit the needs of the children or offer pre-cut shapes.

 

What are your favourite spooky crafts and activities to celebrate Halloween?

 

 

About the Author
Penny Groen is an Early Childhood Teacher who has been working in Early Childhood Education and Care settings around Sydney for 17 years. She has a passion for working in meaningful partnerships with families and communities, providing a responsive and engaging curriculum where everyone feels welcome to contribute. You can see Penny’s interest in the natural world with all the weird and wonderful experiments growing both inside and outside the classroom. Penny’s also known for equipping children with the tools to explore their interests and celebrate the discoveries each day brings.

 

Shop MTA>

Blog Home>

Posted on

Back-to-School Essentials

Children on floor with laptrays

Every new school year brings with it a level of excitement for both teachers and students. It is my favourite time of the year as everyone begins with a fresh start and an enthused energy for the year ahead. For teachers, we have the privilege of getting to teach a new class of students, designing the learning space from a blank canvas, and for many, the always-elusive goal to be more organised.

In this post I will be sharing some of my must-have resources for the classroom along with my favourite beginning-of-the-year activities to get to know your students and for your students to get to know each other.

 

Classroom Must-Haves:
When setting up my classroom I always like to have a theme or colour scheme. Over the years some of my favourite themes that I have created have been based on butterflies, ‘Up in the Sky’ (hot air balloons, planes), the ocean and the circus. I love having the colours of the learning space, resources and display boards match to set the tone of a creative organised space that welcomes students to our class.

Some items I love to include in my classroom are;


Classroom Caddies Laptrays and Chairbags

These products can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom and the best thing is that they all match.

 

Lap Trays
These Lap Trays are a great addition to any junior primary classroom. They allow for flexibility in the learning space during group work and also during independent learning. I love that these trays provide students with a hard surface to complete tasks in their books so they do not need to write on the carpet or flooring. I use these daily with my students during small group work that takes place on the floor space around the class. Many students also choose to use the Lap Trays during independent learning time so they can work in a quiet spot or away from others. In my classroom, I have a beautiful courtyard outside where my students sometimes choose to go outside to work and these Lap Trays allow them to have a suitable surface to work on.

 

Children with Laptrays sitting on floor

 

Classroom Book Caddies
These Book Caddies are a great way to store take-home readers and student books. I organise my student books in these Book Caddies and have labels on them for maths, reading, writing and inquiry books. I like having them all together for two reasons; the first being that students do not need to go to their tubs to get their specific book, rather I can either have the class captain hand the books out or I can call out student names to collect, and the second being that at the end of a learning experience students place all their books back into the Book Caddy and then I can easily view and assess their learning rather than searching through each student’s tub for their book.

 

Book caddies filled with books on desk

 

Classroom Caddies
These Classroom Caddies are perfect for shared stationery and the vibrant colours stand out when placed on classroom tables. The compartments in the Classroom Caddies allow for pencils, pens, scissors, glue, rulers to be stored neatly, making them easily accessible for student use.

Classroom Caddies are also a great resource for sharing required activity materials. During STEM and Inquiry Learning activities I use the Classroom Caddies to provide each group or table with the resources they need for the specific activity. I can organise the materials prior to the lesson and, upon completion, students can return the materials in an orderly way making clean up a lot more efficient.

Filled Classroom Caddies on classroom floor

 

Chair Bags
These beautiful Chair Bags provide students with a place to store their essentials without the hassle of a tub. I love the various pocket sizes which allow for students to store their device, exercise books and the book they are reading, along with their essential classroom resources like a ruler, pencil case etc.

Filled Chairbags and Classroom Caddies on Desk in classroom

 

Beginning-of-the-Year Activities:
At the beginning of the school year the priority should be on developing relationships with your students and getting to know what they each like and are interested in. Spending time undertaking activities that highlight student personalities will support you as the teacher but also allow students to get to know each other and begin to develop new friendships. These activities also provide teachers with an insight to see how students work together, interact and complete tasks.

These are my favourite activities to get to know your students:

Jigsaw Activity:

Jigdraw DIY jigsaw activity

Materials
Jigdraw – 20 Pack 
– Snap-lock bags

Each student receives a blank Jigdraw template with 20 pieces. Students draw a different image on each puzzle piece that represents something about themselves. Some ideas for images can be family, pets, hobbies, favourite food, favourite places etc.

Students place their completed Jigdraw pieces into a snap lock bag.

The snap lock bags are then randomly handed out to students who need to put the puzzle pieces together and then try to guess which student is represented by the images.

These Jigdraw blocks are also a great resource to use for students to share their learning during inquiry learning. They can then build upon their ideas and knowledge as the learning continues throughout the year.


Chalk Mindmaps

DIY Chalkboard Signs activity

Materials – Sidewalk Chalk 

Chalk is a great resource to have in any classroom. I have found the Sidewalk Chalk to be the perfect size and thickness for student use and it comes in great colours. Students can use the Sidewalk Chalk to draw directly onto concrete, but I have created blackboard-painted timber pieces for student use across many learning areas.

Students receive a number of blackboard-painted timber pieces and draw a giant Mindmap to highlight the topic they are given. The topic gets placed in the centre and then students write or draw their ideas and place them around the topic to create their giant mind map. This is a great visualisation too.

Some ideas I like to focus on at different times are;

    • Looking forward to this school year
    • Holiday reflection
    • Inquiry brainstorm, questions, wonderings
    • Spelling words
    • End-of-term reflections


I hope this blog post has provided you with some inspiration to help you set up your classroom or provide you with some beginning-of-the-year activity ideas to get to know your students.

 

Featured Products:

 

About the author

Eleni Kyritsis is an award-winning Year 3 teacher and Leader of Curriculum and innovation from Melbourne, Australia. Eleni facilitates professional learning workshops around the world that focus on unleashing creativity and curiosity in classrooms. You can contact her at elenikyritis.com and @misskyritsis

 

Shop MTA>

 

Blog Home>

Posted on

Creating Welcoming & Calming Learning Spaces

Creating Welcoming & Calming Learning Text and Plant pot Vector graphic

A positive, nourished mindset is so important to keep the energy high all year round. Our goal is to support and nurture educators when the physical and emotional demands of day-to-day tasks and experiences exceed the amount of energy available! (Over a long period of time, this can lead to feeling overwhelmed and drained.)

In this piece, we’ll look at valuable ways in which learning spaces can be shaped to support and respond to children’s and families’ needs. This ensures everyone feels safe, connected and comfortable in the setting, including all the great educators out there worth their weight in gold!

 

Comfy & Cosy Spaces

Young girl sat on beanbag chair in childcare learning environment

 

Soft furnishings ensure children have access to a comfortable learning environment and can include anything from rugs and carpets to cushions, canopies, netting, fabrics and more!

Soft furnishings can transform a loud and busy learning environment by absorbing noise and helping to create pockets of calm where children can, for example, snuggle into a big cushion to read a book, or lie down and have a rest in a cosy and comfy spot. Soft furnishings can modify a rustic cubby house into an inviting and comfortable cave or create a welcoming area for the class to sit together to yarn, share stories and plan out the day’s events.

 

Featured Product:

MTA Spaces –  Navy Foam-Filled Lounger 

 

 

Calming & Reflective Spaces

Young girl sat in cosy nook reading

 

Calming and reflective spaces offer a peaceful learning setting in which children can embrace quiet. Here, children can spend time relaxing and reflecting away from the hustle and bustle of a busy classroom.

Cushions, fabrics, tents and dens can all contribute to quiet and reflective spaces, making cosy and comfortable spots for children to explore and make their own.

Combine these spaces with books, puzzles, soft toys, tea parties or anything else that children would like to add to their retreat. A calming and reflective space can be just the thing to refuel children’s energy.

 

Featured Product:

Stockholm Spaces – Cosy Retreat 

 

 

Spaces of Belonging

Peg People of the world on table

 

The way children and their families are welcomed into the learning environment makes an incredible difference to their sense of belonging. Belonging is all about feeling connected and secure, valued and accepted with the community’s people and place. A deep sense of belonging ensures the emotional wellbeing of children and their families can thrive, including their self-worth, confidence, capability and adaptability, to name a few.

Feeling secure and connected within their social and physical learning environments will also ensure that these settings become places of safety and refuge for children and families to work through the challenges and difficulties they might be experiencing.

Educators are in an excellent position to build a sense of belonging, not only with their words and actions but also with the physical settings too. Seeing welcoming resources such as wall hangings or displays or children’s names on parent communication pockets will invite families into the settings. Classroom journals will also empower children and their families to contribute to the program and the day’s happenings.

A place where everyone belongs.

 

Featured Product:

Peg People of the World

 

 

Mindful Spaces

Birds eye view of young girl surrounded by mindful picture cards

 

Affirmations, mindfulness and restful breathing activities, including yoga, can all help ‘cultivate calm’ while fostering a peaceful and positive mindset. Creating a daily ritual with affirmations and yoga
or meditation and breathing will empower young children to nurture their self-awareness, set positive intentions and work through emotional regulation in healthy and helpful ways.

Focusing on gratitude – the feeling of appreciation – is also a powerful way to see the silver lining when everything seems gloomy. These Positive Mindset Affirmation Cards and I Am Me Affirmation Cards can enable the building of confidence, resilience and self-esteem by helping children to find the sunny side of any situation.

 

Featured Product:

Mindful & Co Kids Yoga Flash Cards

 

 

Engaging & Inspiring Spaces

MTA Light table with chids hands and coloured shapes on top

 

It’s hard to feel motivated when you’re burnt out.

Refreshing your learning environment with a new and exciting project can go a long way in helping to reignite energy and enthusiasm. Light boxes and panels along with light box resources are wonderful tools to drive children’s motivation to explore and investigate with energy and enthusiasm. They light up the room in the most magical of ways, in turn bringing delight and wonder to learning curriculums.

Creating an engaging and inspiring learning environment ensures everyone wants to come back for more. What will happen today? The possibilities for discovery are endless!

 

Featured Product:

Stockholm Spaces – Round Table & Light Panel

 

 

Culturally Meaningful Spaces

Young girl playing with culturally meaningful resources on table

 

Culturally meaningful curriculums in early childhood settings increase opportunities for its community members to feel connected – a place to feel safe and secure, to feel loved, appreciated and valued. A place to belong.

If you’re thinking, ‘This sounds great, but where do I begin?’, a good starting point is to have a wander through your setting. Does everything in your setting reflect the diverse backgrounds of its community members (the children and their families, the educators and service staff, as well as the wider community at large)?

There’s no end to the items that you can meaningfully interweave throughout your environment. Include dolls, figurines, pretend food, dress-ups and props from around the world. Ensure children’s books portray the diversity of the world’s peoples, perspectives, cultures and abilities in a positive light. Make sure there are truly authentic cultural and Indigenous resources for children to connect with on a daily basis. Invite educators and families to share their cultural backgrounds – learn some keywords and phrases from different languages, learn a song or dance, cook foods from around the world or engage in traditional storytelling.

 

Featured Product:

Fair Trade Aboriginal Ceremony Matching Game

 

 

Purposeful Spaces

Childcare centre furniture

 

Learning spaces that are set up purposefully can bring safety and comfort and a sense of calm to the environment. The physicality of the space (the size, furniture placement etc.) communicates what is to happen, providing clear boundaries and fostering behaviours of motivated and engaged learners. Create breakaway areas, book corners and home corners or simply direct foot traffic in safe and effective ways.

How can a purposeful space be created? It might be through using non-fixed furniture pieces that can be easily moved around the room to create and define predictable play spaces. Open-backed shelving also acts as a barrier while allowing for maximum supervision. Rugs and carpets define a learning space, while the number of chairs, cushions and pillows communicate how many children the area is suitable for at any one time.

The resources chosen to join the space will also encourage positive behaviours. Organised and uncluttered spaces with a considered selection of materials will invite children to develop their skills and interests while interacting in positive ways and achieving learning goals.

 

Featured Product:

Stockholm Spaces – Circular Low Table

 

 

Creative Spaces

Paining easel with paintings hanging in childcare learning environment

 

With all those big feelings and emotions children are experiencing, spaces in which children can express themselves with art become even more important. The creative and expressive arts (including painting and drawing, dance, drama, music and movement) all allow children to work through their feelings and emotions by creatively expressing themselves, which is especially important when the words can’t be found.

Providing a space that includes a wide variety of creative materials ensures children have endless opportunities to process what’s happening in their world and come to terms with their experiences. A space where children’s voices and perspectives are seen and heard.

Creative spaces aren’t just for children though! A selection of art materials in the staff room can provide a creative strategy for educators to relieve stress. Drawing or colouring-in for adults can help boost positive feelings or simply take your mind off things.

 

Featured Product:

Premium Wooden 4-Sided Easel

 

 

Storytelling Spaces

Young girl and boy reading large storybooks in earlychildhood centre classroom

 

Grab a comfy cushion – it’s storytime!

Books that gently and sensitively capture the lived experience of lockdown, such as While We Can’t Hug, Share Your Rainbow and Windows are invaluable in helping children make sense of an ever-changing ‘new normal’ during the current pandemic. The Fun & Humour Book Pack is guaranteed to make children laugh with continuous joy and entertainment, while the Emotional Development Book Pack celebrates some important milestones in young children’s emotional development with just the right touch of imagination.

Whether it’s everyday shared reading with the Big Books Mixed Carton or storybooks that delve into specific topics, books are a powerful way for children to explore and process their feelings and emotions, supporting and empowering them to identify and articulate the things they are experiencing.

 

 

Multigenerational Spaces

White cots and blue armchair & cushions

 

Adult-sized furniture pieces ensure educators have places to sit safely and comfortably throughout the day, as well as provide welcoming statements for families to participate. Whether it’s reading a story from the Intergenerational Shared Reading Pack or providing a space for carers to feed their little ones before setting off, adult-sized armchairs, sofas, chairs and cushions will ensure a homelike setting where all the members of the learning community feel comfortable and welcome.

Featured Product:

Aalto – Full-Size High Back Armchair

 

A well thought out learning environment has the power to support the wellbeing of children & their families – and educators too! It can encourage exploration, enquiry and discovery – and can include open spaces to move about, cosy nooks to hide away and everything in between. It can respond to individuals needs and interests, provide stimulation and excitement, security and comfort, demonstrate cultural diversity and perhaps most importantly- a deep sense of belonging for all.

 

Thanks for joining us over here at the Modern Teaching Blog today!

 

 

About the Author
Penny Groen is an Early Childhood Teacher who has been working in Early Childhood Education and Care settings around Sydney for 17 years. She has a passion for working in meaningful partnerships with families and communities, providing a responsive and engaging curriculum where everyone feels welcome to contribute. You can see Penny’s interest in the natural world with all the weird and wonderful experiments growing both inside and outside the classroom. Penny is also known for equipping children with the tools to explore their interests and celebrate the discoveries each day brings.

 

 

Blog Home>

Shop MTA>