Although I use the word "crafts" lightly, this is an excellent open ended Christmas craft activity for children of all ages.  Simply cut shapes (we used stars, Christmas trees and gingerbread men) out of sand paper.  Christmas shapes like these make cute ornaments, but you can cut simpler shapes as well if you have a lot of children, or are short on time!
Give the children a range of whole spices (we used cinnamon sticks and whole cloves) to rub onto the sand paper shapes.  This will create a lovely scent on your ornaments.  Other great spices include star anise, whole nutmeg and dried ginger.  This activity not only allows the children to experience what these spices look  and feel like in their natural state, but gives them some familiarity with the smell and texture as well.  It also allows them to practice their fine motor skills by handling a range of differently shaped and sized spices.

Cheesy Stars Crackers

Green and Red Festive Smoothies

Guacamole and Tortilla Crisps

Savoury Mini Muffins

Christmas Roll-ups

Fruit Pizza

​Another easy-to-make snack to add to the Christmas spread at the centre, these Christmas Roll-ups take no time to put together and are another great option for a cooking activity for over 2s.
As usual with our recipes, you can be as creative as you wish, and add or swap ingredients in the filling. Sometimes, we like to add chopped herbs to the cream cheese, or blend it with frozen spinach to make it green.
They can also be made in advance and stored in the fridge before cutting, for up to 1 day.

Christmas Roll-Ups:
Serves 10

4 x Tortilla wraps
Spreadable cream cheese
½ Red capsicum, chopped
½ Green capsicum, chopped

1. Spread the cream cheese on one side of each tortilla wrap, making sure to cover the surface all the way to the edges.
2. Sprinkle some chopped green and red capsicums on each tortilla.
3. Roll each tortilla to make a wrap.
4. Wrap each roll in cling wrap and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes, or up to 1 day.
5. Remove the clingwrap and cut each roll into 2cm slices.

 The children can help with just about every step in the process! The cheese and strawberries are easy to cut and can be done roughly so children can easily be involved in these steps! They will also love trying to mush the cheese into the flour. Spooning the mixture into the muffin is also a great way to practice their fine motor skills!

Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup self-rising flour
2 Tbsps cream cheese
6-8 fresh strawberries
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup milk
spray oil

To go along with our table of Christmas eats, we added these colourful Red and Green Festive Smoothies. 
Smoothies are a great way to introduce a range of fruit and vege into the diets of young children. They are delicious, fun, easy to make and easy to eat, even for the littlest littlies!  Plus, as we all know, having a variety of colours means a variety of nutrients as well!  These smoothies are both dairy free as well, but should still be served cold to be at their most refreshing!

Serves 10

Ingredients:
2 Bananas
2 Kiwifruit
A handful of baby spinach
1 pear (we used canned pears in juice, drained; since the ones at the shop were too hard)
​Water - just enough to help with blending and gain desired texture

Method:

1. Peal and quarter the bananas, kiwifruit and pear (unless using canned).
2. Add fruit to the blender along with the spinach and a bit of water.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Add a bit more water, or ice, to thin it out if needed.