What family with young children doesn't enjoy a good crafting session from time to time, especially during the holiday season? If you're looking for an engaging resource with easy projects, be sure to check out Big Fun Christmas Crafts and Activities by Judy Press.

The book is divided into seven sections:

1. Introduction and Safety Tips
2. Christmas Is A-Coming! (decorations/waiting games)
3. Christmas Cards and Happy Wishes (card making)
4. Gifts To Make and Give (making homemade gifts)
5. All Wrapped Up! (gift wrapping and gift tag ideas)
6. Let It Snow! (focuses on ideas and activities for outdoors)
7. Light Up the Night! (luminaries, candles, lighted wreaths, etc.)

Each section also has read-aloud book suggestions in the "Little Hands Story Corner." And there are even simple recipes, games, and information about customs around the world to go along with the activities and projects. One of my favorite additions to each section was a little box with recommendations for "An Act of Kindness" to suggest ways to move children from the "me" of holiday time to focusing on others.

At the end of the book was a list of all the crafts and activities arranged by skill level to make it easier for the mother or teacher to choose appropriate projects for their children/students. And all the projects are intended to be open-ended, so the how-to instructions are general guidelines that allow for plenty of freedom of expression.

Overall, I think Big Fun Christmas Crafts and Activities would be a nice addition to the homeschool bookshelf . . . or any bookshelf for that matter. This 128-page book, geared to ages 3-7 and filled with over 200 great holiday ideas, crafts, recipes, games, and activities, is a winner! It is available in both soft cover and hard cover formats at $12.95 and $16.95 respectively. And be sure to check out the other great resources available through the Ideals Publications website. There's something there for everyone!

 Product review by Amy O'Quinn, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2007