Candy Canes….you either love them or hate them. Either way they seem to be a Christmas season necessity. Here’s an awesome collection of Candy Cane Crafts and Activities that use or are inspired by candy canes that your kids will love!

The Legend of the Candy Cane

The legend of the candy cane says that a candy maker wanted to make a candy that would remind us of what Christmas is really about. Everything from the white candy to the stripes to the shape of the candy cane are symbols that make a candy cane special. You can get this awesome printable for free at Happy Home Fairy. 

Candy Cane Crafts for Preschoolers

photo courtesy of Homemade Gifts Made Easy

Making a pipe cleaner candy cane is one of my fondest childhood memories. First, take two different colored pipe cleaners, twist them together, and shape them into a candy cane. Then, hang your candy cane ornament on the tree or use as a gift topper. I think this is a fun candy cane craft that is also a cool gift idea for classmates, to give as party favors, or to use as a gift topper. 

Make a Fingerprint Candy Cane and turn it into a special keepsake or put it on a card for friends and family. Idea from Crafty Morning. If you have a child that doesn’t want to get paint on their fingers, they can dip cotton balls in paint to make their candy cane. 

Bring the spirit of Christmas outside with a Candy Cane Bird Feeder from Coffee Cups and Crayons.

First, string cheerios onto a pipe cleaner (great for developing fine motor skills). Then, shape it like a candy cane and hang it from a tree. 

Make a customized Name Candy Cane Ornament like they did at Fun a Day.  I think this is a fun candy cane craft that is also a cool gift idea for classmates, to give as party favors, or to use as a gift topper. 

Marble Candy Cane Craft idea from Simple Fun for Kids. Use shaving cream, paint, and paper to make this unique print. Then, cut it out into a candy cane shape. 

Make pom pom candy cane ornaments for your tree from Skip to My Lou.

Squeezing the glue onto precut cardboard shapes strengthens finger and hand muscles. Picking up the pom poms and placing them on the shape helps develop the pincer grasp which is important for writing.

Make a bead candy cane to practice patterning (red beads, white beads, red beads, white beads) on a pipe cleaner with a Beaded Candy Cane Ornament .  The sparkly beads make such a cute ornament.

Make a candy cane wreath with a cardboard circle, tissue paper, and glue like they did at Happy Hooligans. 

If you don’t have tissue paper, you can use pom poms, beads, gems, or strips of construction paper. Crumpling up the tissue paper is great for fine motor skill development. 

Cardboard (or craft foam), buttons, and glue make a simple Candy Canes craft for little hands! First, draw your candy cane outline like we did or use a candy cane shape to trace. Squeezing the glue strengthens hand a finger muscles and manipulating the buttons build fine motor skills. 

There’s always the classic Candy Cane Reindeer Craft using googly eyes, a pom pom, and a pipe cleaner. This cute reindeer has become a tradition to hang from our tree. Make sure to use a wrapped candy cane for this craft. 

Candy Cane Activities for Preschoolers

Candy Cane Hunt and Match Activity for Toddlers from Toddler Approved. 

We love all games that involve hiding and hunting for items. Matching the candy canes is a great activity for visual discrimination and classification. 

Make your own Candy Cane Sensory Tubes to explore from Teach Preschool.

These are so fun! First, add oil and colored water inside the candy cane tube (usually these come filled with candy). Next, tape the lid back on to secure it. You could also fill it half way with pipe cleaner pieces and use a magnet on the outside of the candy cane to experiment. 

How about a candy cane fishing game? First, make a fishing pole with a dowel, string, and candy cane. Then, fish for other candy canes OR try to catch ornaments with your candy cane fishing pole. Great idea from Kindergartners on the Go!

Try this magical Grow a Candy Cane experience from Growing a Jeweled Rose.

I love seeing how different kids react to this experiment. 

Free, printable Candy Cane Letter Matching from 1+1+1=1. It is a fun way to practice matching capital letters and lowercase letters this time of year. 

Candy Cane play dough is a fun activity for this time of year. I love that this recipe from Kids Activities Blog is scented. 

We hope you are inspired by our favorite Candy Cane Crafts and Activities this holiday season. Let us know what you tried and how it went!