• Set up Christmas crafts for you nine-year-old that are on their age level.christmas landscape image by circotasu from Fotolia.com
  
  Christmas break can sometimes seem to drag on if it's cold outside and your nine-year-old child is bored. To prevent this from happening this year, try planning some crafts for them to do throughout the two week break that will keep them occupied. If they do them neatly enough, they might enjoy handing them out as presents.
  
  

Can Luminaries

• Try letting the kids make tin can luminaries to place on a table, mantle or on the sidewalk outside the house. Use large empty vegetable cans for the craft so that you are able make the designs visible. Freeze water in the cans so that you can punch holes in it along the design without bending the can. Locate simple Christmas designs such as a tree, angel, gingerbread man or star and have your nine year old tape it to the side of the can so that he can follow the pattern with his hammer and nail. He needs to evenly space the holes along the pattern. Once done, he can put a candle in it and watch his pattern glow at night.
  
  

Painted Christmas Ball Ornaments

• Paint dripped glass ball ornaments are easy for kids to make, and when complete, look as if they were bought at the store. Get some clear glass ornaments at the store along with some acrylic paint, in festive colors. The children will need to carefully remove the metal tip and loop that allows the ornaments to be hung on the tree. Mix water with the paints until it drips from a paint brush, but don't make it too runny. Once ready, the kids will have a ball dripping the paint down the inside edges of the glass balls and watching it reach the bottom. They can drip until every inch is covered, or leave clear space for more light to go through. The choice is entirely up to them. They can also experiment with other ways, such as putting paint in and then swirling it or covering the hole and shaking. Set them aside to dry in a place where they can stay upright.
  
  

Picture Frame Ornaments

• Let the kids make a craft that they can also use as a gift such as a picture ornament. Use a current photo of the child depicting him as his nine-year-old self as well as some cardboard, festive construction paper, glue and scissors. You will need to have the kids decide what they want to use as the frame. It could be a wooden ring, small wreath, or even fuzzy craft balls. Have them cut a circle out of cardboard and construction paper that are bigger than the picture. Glue them together. Cut the picture out so that it fits inside the circle of construction paper, and glue it down. They can then glue down whatever they decided to use for the frame. It is best to use a hot glue gun for this because it will last longer. The kids are old enough at nine to use the hot glue gun with supervision. Tie ribbon to the top of the ornament to hang it up. If there is no place on the frame to tie the ribbon, you will need to punch a hole in the cardboard to use for the ribbon.