Intro
Do you remember the excitement of making a wish list for Santa? Perhaps it was inspired by what you saw in the shops, on the TV – or in an all-singing, all-dancing Christmas catalogue! Even as we grow older, we secretly want things… maybe something sparkly in a small box, the latest power tool, or even a world cruise.
The pleasure of this activity is allowing people to dream and capture their wishes on a special tree. Who knows, they might even come true. It’s a lovely, imagination-sparking activity for a group or family – and can also be done with just one person. Just make sure you pop that tree somewhere for everyone to see
What you need
- Vase (preferably clear, red, green or white)
- Bunch of twigs
- Old Christmas cards
- String
- Hole punch
- Pens
- Scissors with serrated or decorative edges
The Activity
- Gather the person or group at a table
- Play some Christmas music to get in the festive spirit
- Put the twigs in the vase and onto a separate table where everyone can see it
- Tell everyone we’re going to write down our Christmas wishes and dream gifts, and hang them from a special tree
- Start the conversation by reminiscing and asking everyone about their most memorable Christmas present, received or given
- Scatter the Christmas cards on the table and ask each person to choose a selection of 2 or 3 cards
- Cut out a section of the card in any shape – this is what you’re going to write on so make sure it’s big enough
- Punch a hole at the top of the card and thread the string through
- Once the tags are ready, encourage everyone to think about what present they’d like if they could have anything in the world – don’t limit it to one idea, they can think up as many as they like
- If they can’t think of anything, they can also remember a past present that has meant a lot to them
- Once everyone has finished writing, ask each person in turn to share what they’ve put (if they’re happy to)
- Invite people to hang their tags onto the tree
- Display the tree somewhere for everyone to enjoy – especially for friends and family who might be wondering what to buy this Xmas
Art & Crafts
