Any mother knows that many hands truly do make light work. . . unless you are working with many *little* hands. If that is the case, often the work seems pretty exasperating. Any mother also knows, though, that many little hands make the most creative, rewarding, and memorable work. Who knows how much flour has ended up on the floor instead of the mixing bowl. Who can say how many apple slices were eaten before they were made into applesauce. Who can fathom why their child has not ended up hanging on the wall of an art gallery – a virtual painting once craft time is over. Likewise, who can say what sparked in the creative mind of a child when given that paintbrush and blank canvas or what memories were forged in a child’s mind while baking Christmas cookies with mommy. With this in mind, I give you a few of my favorite projects for “Little Hands.”

 

Depending on just how small your “Little Hands” are, you may have to do any chopping in this recipe yourself; but kids always like to pour and mix, and this is the perfect opportunity.

 

Dump a can of jellied cranberry sauce into a large bowl (the bigger the bowl, the less salad will end up on the counter). Have kids stir in a mix of the following ingredients:

·         Chopped oranges or apples

·         A spoonful of strawberry jam

·         Chopped pecans, walnuts, or celery

·         A little orange juice or apple juice

·         A few dashes of nutmeg or cinnamon

 

While the kids mix, you can grab the bread out of the oven, baste the meat, or. . . take a deep breath. 

 

This is a great cookie recipe for large families. There are lots of ingredients, so everyone gets a chance to dump something in. It makes a massive amount of dense dough, so everyone gets a chance to hand-mix. And, it makes a lot of cookies, so they last quite a while (or provide several home-baked gifts for neighbors).

 

 

Have kids take turns dumping the first five ingredients into a bowl and mixing well. Then have them dump the next four ingredients plus the nutmeg into a separate bowl and stir with a fork. They can then dump the dry into the wet and take turns mixing until combined. And, here’s the fun part, have them dump in the chocolate goodies and incorporate into the dough *with their hands*. Much fun. They can continue to help by pinching off chunks of dough, rolling them into balls (size according to your preference), putting them on the cookie sheet and flattening slightly with the palm of their hand. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375.

 

Besides making molds of your children’s handprints, you can make many Christmas memories with “Little Hands” and some fabric paints.

 

A couple years ago we bought a simple white flannel tree skirt. We began having the kids place their handprints on it each year. I write their names, in black, on top of their colorful prints and write the year under the set of prints. 

 

Handprints also make for some great gifts, especially for grandparents. We once made t-shirts for the grandmas. Each child can stamp their hand print on the shirt and, if they are old enough, write a personal note to grandma. For younger children, just write their name and date by their hand print.

 

Kids love to paint just about anything. This can be bad when they find your box of acrylics in the basement storage room and decide to paint the playroom a lovely shade of pink (sigh, chuckle), but great if you need a gift for a family member. Grab some paints, brushes and anything you can think of: paper, canvas, t-shirts, pillowcases, tablecloths, placemats, wooden ornaments, baked salt-dough ornaments (another “Little Hands” project), brown boxes full of the above mentioned cookies. . . The kids will have a blast and you will have another gift or two out of the way.

 

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The best part about getting “Little Hands” involved in “the work” is the looks on their faces and the excitement in their voices as they display the finished product to others. There is nothing in the world like the look of healthy pride on the face of a child as daddy exclaims how wonderful the cookies they baked taste or the sound of a cheerful voice saying, “Grandma, look what I *made* you!” So cook and craft away this Christmas season, but don’t hesitate to get the kids involved. It may seem as if your work load multiplies (because it does a little), but you will never regret the memories made together with your children over a mixing bowl or craft table.