As the holiday season approaches, the craft bucket and materials on the cart continues to become the most magical option for the children to engage in. This bucket is filled with a variety of supplies— such as paper, ribbon, buttons, glue - but to the children in the program, it’s like a treasure chest filled with imagination.
They all gravitate towards it each and every afternoon – envisioning what their next greatest invention will be. One child folded paper into shapes, another twisted twine into loops, and a third glued scraps together into something only they could explain. Bit by bit, the tables are filled with colorful creations: shimmering ornaments, homemade cards, and action figures – exploring in their own world.
With every craft that they continue to make, something shifts within our program. The room seemed warmer. The holiday music filled the air. The air felt softer. Laughter came easier.
They discovered that the holidays weren’t just about lights or songs or presents. They were about the quiet joy of making something with their own hands—something that didn’t exist until they imagined it.
Standing back, the children realized they had created more than crafts. They had made the season feel alive. And in those simple moments—cutting, gluing, imagining—they discovered that holiday magic wasn’t something you found. It was something you made.
