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Craft stick Christmas star for preschoolers
Age: 3+ · Time: 40 min · For:
Craft sticks make sturdy, light Christmas stars that last for years. This craft is a team effort: a grown-up glues the star shape, and your preschooler does what they love best, painting and decorating.
What your child does, where you help
- Your child: paints, chooses the decorations and ties the ribbon with help.
- You: glue the star the evening before so it is completely dry.
Tips
- Wood glue holds best, but any white glue works if you let it dry overnight.
- A little glue in the paint helps it stick to the wood.
Variations
- Glitter star: brush with glue and sprinkle with glitter.
- Star of the family: write everyone's name on one point.
You need
- 5 wooden craft sticks per star (washed and dry, or craft sticks)
- white school glue or wood glue
- paint (tempera paint) in yellow, white or the color your child chooses
- a paintbrush
- markers, stickers or circles of colored paper
- string or ribbon, for hanging
- clothespins to hold the sticks while the glue dries
Steps
- A grown-up makes the star: lay two sticks in an upside-down V, then lay the other three so they make the classic five-pointed star you draw in one line. Glue each point where two sticks cross.
- Hold the points together with clothespins and leave the glue to dry completely, ideally overnight.
- Let your child paint the star on both sides. Leave to dry for 20 minutes.
- Decorate with dots, stickers, sequins or small paper circles.
- Tie a ribbon to one point to hang it on the tree or in the window.
Questions
Can a preschooler glue the star themselves?
The star shape is tricky for little hands, so a grown-up usually makes it. Children of 6 and up can try it themselves with a drawing to follow.
Can I make a simpler shape?
Yes. Glue three sticks into a triangle for a Christmas tree, or two sticks in a cross with two more on top for a snowflake.
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