Getting kids to make Christmas gifts for their friends and family members is a sure way to keep them happily occupied and hopefully out of mischief. Here are some suggestions.

1. Framed Art

Any child can draw. Give them thick white paper, pencils, crayons, or paints and let them draw a christmas scene. Once the masterpiece is complete, Get the picture framed professionally in an expensive looking frame. It might even pass of as fine art by a master people pretend to understand but no one really does. That might make a fine gift for a snobby relative, don't you think?

On a serious note, a picture drawn by a grandchild would be treasured by the grandparents. Frame the picture and let them give it to their grandpa or grandma for Christmas.

2. Picture Books

You could get the kids to make picture books or activity books as gifts for those they love. When I asked my kids to make a birthday card for grandpa, they made picture books complete with lift-the-flap cut outs.

Bring the kids to the library to browse through the picture books available there for ideas. At the end of the outing suggest that they make their own picture books.

Take 5 sheets of A4 size paper and fold them in half.

Staple them in the middle to make a booklet.

Give a booklet to each kid.

Let them plan out what goes onto each page before they actually start work.

Provide them with color paper, scissors, glue, pencils, pens and crayons.

Once they get the hang of it, they can make a book for each person on their gift list.

They might even make a book for you.

3. Friendly Stones

Get the kids to gather smooth palm sized stones. Wash and dry them.

Get white paper, black paper and colored paper. Get the kids to make eyes and mouth out by cutting and pasting these features on the stones. Let them get creative and add in mustache eyebrows, bow tie or anything they might think of.

Once the glue on these stones are dry, cut a piece of velvet slightly smaller than the stone and stick it underneath each stone for a finishing touch.

4. Bracelets

Do you have a box of cheap beads with holes large enough for a thick, stiff elastic string?

Let the kids have the beads and the elastic.

Teach them to thread the elastic through the beads. When the string of beads is long enough, teach them how to tie a knot with the loose ends to secure the bracelet.

Let them have the rest of the beads and string to make Christmas gifts for the ladies.

With some creativity, the holidays can be spent productively, making gifts for everyone this Christmas. Who knows? The kids might even surprise you with some invention of their own.