Are you in search of a fun, easy-to-do Christmas craft? This Elf and the Shoemaker Christmas Craft Learning Adventure is perfect for kids between the ages of 4 and 10. It’s a great way to help your kids learn about the importance of giving back while also learning about vocabulary. What a great idea for a Christmas craft!
Additionally, it will make you feel good knowing that you are teaching them a life lesson as well as making them happy. Let’s get started!
Inside this printable Christmas Craft learning adventure, you will receive everything you need to have a complete lesson on The Elves and The Shoemaker. Or feel free to follow along with these online instructions.
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What Is The Elves And The Shoemaker Story About?
The Elves and The Shoemaker is a heartwarming Christmas story that also includes a moral. In this story, a poor shoemaker is in need of some money. One night, he plans to make a special pair of shoes, using the last of his materials. He knows if he doesn’t sell these shoes, he and his family will starve.
He prepares all of his materials and then sets them out on his workbench before he goes to bed, planning on finishing them in the morning. However, in the middle of the night, a group of sneaky elves show up and finish the shoes for him! They turn out to be some of the most spectacular shoes he has ever sold and he sells them for quite a bit of money.
He uses that money to buy a little bit more material, which he then prepares for a few new pairs of shoes and sets out before he goes to bed.
That night, the elves come back and finish all his shoes for him again! The shoemaker is surprised and so very grateful. Now he and his family will not starve!
This repeats for quite some time until one day, the shoemaker and his family are very wealthy and have quite the reputation for selling spectacular shoes. All the while, the shoemaker and his wife wonder about who makes their shoes for them every night.
One night, the shoemaker and his wife decide to stay up and hide so they can find who has been helping them. They discover the group of elves. They also notice that the elves do not have any nice shoes or clothing of their own.
The next day, to show their gratitude to the elves, the shoemaker and his wife spend some time making some little elf-sized shoes and clothes which they then leave out instead of materials for shoes they could have sold. Then they hide and watch.
When the elves show up to do more work, they are pleasantly surprised to find the gifts! They dance and cheer and happily take the gifts. Then the elves go on their way, never to be seen again, but the shoemaker and his wife live happily ever after with hearts full of gratitude for the wonderful situation the elves left them in.
What’s Included In The Elves And The Shoemaker Christmas Craft Learning Adventure?
The elves are back! This year, for Christmas crafts with your kids, help them make a shoemaker’s elf. The shoemaker is the hero of the story, but he needs help to finish making shoes by Christmas Eve.
So the children will be crafting an elf who helps him out and they’ll even get to choose his name! Your little helper can then accompany you on this Elf Learning Adventure as we explore what else elves do in addition to helping Santa deliver presents around the world.
Ready? Let’s go find some supplies so we can start creating our own handmade shoemaker’s helper! And don’t forget that this craft is just one of many ways to spend time together with your child during these holidays.
First, you’re going to need to print out the Elves and the Shoemaker Learning Adventure Bundle. Then, you’re going to need to grab a pair of scissors. After that, you’re good to go because everything else you need is included in the bundle!
Begin by reading the included read-aloud story about The Elves and The Shoemaker to your kids. Have them take turns reading parts of the story aloud themselves.
Next, look for the vocabulary cards and cut each one out. These are your own homemade vocabulary flashcards that feature words your child will have heard in the story.
Go over each word with your kids and make sure they understand the meaning of each word and how it works in the context of the story.
Finally, your kids will get to practice their new vocabulary words by completing a themed Elves and Shoemaker crossword puzzle.
Wrap the whole activity up by following the included directions to make your own Elves and Shoemaker scene where your elves will have all the workshop space they need to complete some shoes for the shoemaker.
This will be a 3D craft that your kids are going to absolutely love! And when you download the Elves and the Shoemaker Learning Adventure Bundle, you will receive all the pieces you need, including step-by-step written instructions and photos.
At the end of this learning adventure, your kids will be able to tell their very own Elves and Shoemaker stories that include some complex vocabulary words they might not have been familiar with before. Now just let your kids get creative and have some fun with their new story scene while you enjoy some well-earned peace and quiet.
How To Grab Your Copy Of The Elves And The Shoemaker Learning Adventure
If you want the complete printable bundle, which includes 57 pages of resources, activities, and instructional photos, you can purchase the entire bundle in my shop for $5.
Or if you prefer to do your Christmas crafting for free, follow along with the following instructions and print off the read-aloud story and vocabulary cards for free by clicking here. The free version only includes the read-aloud, the vocabulary cards, and the elves and workbench scenery, totaling 11 pages.
The Elves and The Shoemaker Christmas Craft Tutorial
Follow these instructions for your very own Elves and The Shoemaker Christmas craft adventure!
Materials
- A printed out copy of the Elves and the Shoemaker read aloud bundle (free)
- A pair of scissors
- A pencil or pen
- Glue (Elmer's glue or glue stick)
- 3 craft sheets of paper (or cardstock)
- An adult to help little hands
Instructions
- Use scissors or a sharp edge to cut the white lines on the background cobbler’s bench scene. Make the slots smooth, cutting off any rough edges of the paper.
- Cut out the two elves, as well as the two handles.
- Slide each handle through the top slot and back up through the bottom slot.
- Apply glue to the bottom ends of each handle.
- Glue the back of each elf’s feet to the bottom tip of each handle. Only glue this part, making sure that the rest of the elf body stays unglued and free to move. Position each elf at the bottom of the background sheet, with the boots coming close to the bottom edge.
- Next, cut out the cobbler bench/table and other items from the third sheet.
- Crease and fold the side tabs of the cobbler’s table back.
- Position the table over the two elves, so that the elves are hidden behind it.
- You may want to mark lightly with a pencil, where you want to glue the tabs onto the background sheet.
- Finally, apply glue to each tab and glue them onto the background sheet.
- For extra 3D effect, glue the candle and a pair of shoes onto the worktable, as desired.
- Slide the elves up and down so they can pop out and surprise the shoemaker and his wife
And there you have it! Your very own Elves and the Shoemaker Christmas Craft.
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