Homemade ornaments are THE. BEST. Every year, as I reach into the ornament box to decorate the tree it becomes a trip down memory lane. Each homemade Christmas ornament holds a special piece of my heart unlike any store bought decoration. This star ornament craft for kids will undoubtedly add to your own collection of holiday memories.
The Star Ornament Christmas Craft for Preschoolers is the perfect DIY Christmas star ornament. Its simplicity provides an easy craft for small fingers. It requires very few supplies that you likely already have on hand.
I also love that it pairs with a number of curricular topics for a well-rounded theme unit on stars. Your preschooler will be so proud to hang this tree ornament, and you will light up at the memory of it for years to come.
Star-Themed Preschool Unit
Since stars and Christmas go together like peanut butter and jelly, you might consider creating an entire unit around this one simple Christmas star ornament for kids. Consider some of the following ideas for each core subject area.
Language
Speaking, listening, and learning letters and sounds form the foundation of preschool literacy. Use star-themed books, poems, rhymes and songs. While there are thousands of options, here are just a few to consider.
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- Star Light, Star Bright nursery rhyme
- 10 Little Stars (adapted from “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians”)
- “Draw Me a Star,” by Eric Carle
- “Stargazers,” by Gail Gibbons
- “How to Catch a Star,” by Oliver Jeffers
Math
How do you add stars to a math unit? It’s easy-count them! Students can use star manipulatives to count, add, and subtract. Or, use felt stars on a felt board to tell number stories about stars.
Additionally, consider the geometry concepts featured within a star. How many sides, points, triangles do stars contain? Use pattern blocks or geoboards for children to explore and make their own stars.
Introduce vocabulary such as: point, line, angle, and sides. You wouldn’t expect mastery at this age, but it provides a valuable foundation that future primary school teachers will thank you for.
Science
The science of stars is awe-inspiring. As preschoolers learn about the world around them, they are often amazed by the night sky.
Teach simple concepts like the differences between day and night and how far away the stars actually are. Of course, there’s also the biggest star of all to teach our youngest learners: the sun!
Incorporate simple hands-on experiments like making “fizzy stars” with baking soda, vinegar, and glitter.
Art
Incorporating art projects into a theme unit clearly provides excellent skill work for our youngest learners. In addition to the wooden star Christmas ornament, incorporate as much crafting into the unit as possible.
- Make star paper ornaments in bright holiday colors (laminate for longevity)
- Use star cutouts with watercolors to experiment with color mixing and blending. Kids can go wild with paint. When the star template is removed, you’re left with a beautiful, colorful star shape
- Use acrylic paints to decorate wooden star shaped Christmas decorations from a craft store
- Use white crayons/oil pastels on black paper to create the night sky
How to Make the Christmas Star Ornament Craft for Preschoolers
Tools you’ll need
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Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for this activity right here. Click the pictures above to get what you need.
Instructions:
- Form a star with the green craft sticks, gluing the sticks together as you form the star. Repeat the process with the red craft sticks.
- Turn the star ornaments over. Form a loop with a small piece of ribbon or twine. Glue the loop to the back of the star.
Additional Considerations
- To ensure the longevity of a wooden star Christmas ornament, coat the craft sticks with waterproof spray before assembling
- Promote creativity by offering other items to adorn the homemade Christmas tree star ornaments (pompoms, beads, sequins, gems)
- Although it’s tempting to “help” youngsters put together their stars, allow them to manipulate the sticks and glue together to promote preschool skills like hand-eye coordination, creativity and spatial awareness
- Don’t forget to add children’s names and the year to the front or back of the ornament
- If you don’t have colored craft sticks, you can always turn this into a multi-day activity where you paint the craft sticks first, then assemble the wooden star when fully dry
- Create color patterns with finished stars, or consider using two different colors on each star
Our Favorite Christmas Books:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
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Grumpy Monkey Oh, No! Christmas
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