Fun Australian Christmas activities for kids

To make your holiday decorations a little more local and a little less northern hemisphere, use things found in your own backyard.

Christmas decorations and an activity for the kids. Two birds - one stone. Source: Supplied

Learn to make ... 'Bush' Christmas trees

NITV's former Senior Digital Producer Luke Pearson and his partner Jade, played guinea pigs to some cool stuff we found online. They and their three kids had more fun than expected... 

"It was cheap, really simple and got the kids away from screens and video games - it was a nice thing to do as a family, for sure," said Jade.

So, how do you do it?

What you need...

Collect some sticks from outside; thinner for small decorations, thicker for larger. 

Source: Supplied

Some art & craft gear;

• pipecleaners for 'tinsel'
• beads and pearl stickers for 'baubles'
• and of course, small glitter stars, for a star at the top of the tree.
  (For larger trees, try adding some dried gum-leaves and gum-nuts)

Source: Supplied

• Paddlepop sticks as 'trunk' to hold up your tree
• Glue. (NOTE: we used a glue gun - NOT for kids!! Wood glue or craft glue works just as well)
• Ribbon or string 

Source: Supplied

Directions...

Break the sticks, each into different lengths from big to small - from less than 1cm to 8-10cm

Arrange the sticks in order of size

Glue found sticks horizontally to a vertical paddlepop stick, with the paddlepop stick in the centre as the backbone. Place the shortest found stick at the top, going down to the longest. Finish around half way down the paddlepop stick.

Decorate your Christmas tree with star on top, 'baubles', and pipecleaner tinsel. In no time, you have your mini 'Australiana' Christmas tree

Make a loop of ribbon or string, place behind the tree, near the top and secure with glue. Now it can hang on your own tree at home.

Birrani Towney with his finished Xmas tree. Source: Supplied

Some other cool Australian Christmas craft activities we found...

Source: Pinterest/The Blue Shed

Take a sprig of gum-nuts, paint them red. Add some green ribbon and harness with string. (Pinterest/The Blue Shed)

Source: Temple & Webster

Bend a flexible eucalyptus branch into a ring to make a simple wreath (you can liven it up by weaving native flowers amongst the leaves) (Temple & Webster)  

Source: Red Art

Gum-nut elves using large gum-nuts, felt, ribbon and wooden balls from craft stores (Red Ted Art)

Source: Pinterest/Jewellery Outlet

Painting gum-nuts with gold paint makes simple but effective festive decorations (Pinterest/Jellewery Outlet) 

Source: Pinterest

 

Australian native paper wreath using patty cake cups, coloured paper and cardboard (Pinterest) 

Source: Etsy

Place native flowers - real or fake - inside a store-bought clear bauble (Etsy)

Source: Bicocacolors

Decorate dried eucalyptus leaves with your own designs (Bicocacolors) 

 

Share your Christmas crafts with us @nitv @nitv_au