Xmas with spare kids in covid-controlled Australia. Ideas?

We used to string popcorn and cranberries for the tree. The strings were the garlands. No idea if that's a common 'old tradition.' Here's some history.

If the littlest one can make a Creche out of toilet-paper tubes, how about angels? Make wings with a sheet of paper, pleated up in folds, fastened in the middle, and the folded sides opened up into wings. Paper-roll body, maybe dressed up with a skirt, and heads out of whatever roundy things you have on hand. Either standing on their tube-bases, or hanging from strings or thread (attached to the wing-bases.)
BTW, what would a 'non-Christian Creche' be? I am thinking dinosaurs, perhaps.
In that vein, how about more creches?
Or, fold sheets of paper and let them make Christmas cards?

You might need to brush up on the latest TV, movies, video games and music. Get some intel from their mom if you can. Just show interest and they'll happily lead the way on the discussion. Be prepared to watch the same movie maaaaaany times, hear the same song until you're ready to scream, and cheer them on for hours as they expertly navigate game controllers with more buttons than the space shuttle command console.

Stringing popcorn? The pieces always fell apart for me as soon as I poked them with the needle.

If you have any craft supplies, you could peruse YouTube for ideas. And even if you don't think you have much, YouTube has all kinds of crafts like making animals out of water bottles and such. And there's always the bread dough clay that you color with food coloring and bake in the oven, which used to be a common craft, at least in the US.

Also, since they're Christian, a good theme that you'd probably be able to get behind is making ornaments that have to do with things or people that they're thankful for. Or crafts generally with that theme. Or they could write letters to all their loved ones for Christmas telling them why they're thankful for them (did that one for many Valentine's Days--it works very well, especially if you combine it with origami to make decorated cards.)

And of course, origami is a terrific activity all on its own. They might like to be able to make a bouquet of flowers whenever they're stumped for a gift. My kids gave these things to teachers, significant others, or as small birthday gifts for friends. I did a quick search and found YouTube videos for three different ones right off the bat.

ETA: It just hit me--you're in late spring. In that case, you could also consider making flower pots from recyclables and starting cuttings in them. Or planting a bean or sunflower in them, since both are edible and make impressive-looking plants in a short period of time. : )

We used to have fun making Christmas ornaments by decorating Styrofoam balls with sequins and glitter. You can get stuff like that in craft stores. We used pins for the sequins back then, but I imagine white glue would work and be safer for little ones.

Also, there's the technique of making salt flour dough and cutting it into cookie shapes (with Christmas cookie cutters) to bake in the oven, then decorating with paint and glitter when hardened.

My mom still has some of those ornaments we made as kids.

Oh, and also holiday baking, assuming everyone can eat cookies and so on. Kids love making and decorating (and eating) gingerbread or sugar cookies.

And, if they make multiples of stuff - gifts! For their relatives, for their friends, etc. Christmas is a-coming!
Let us know how it goes!

One year me and my kids made baubles out of ping pong balls, bent paper clips, glue, glitter and various stickers.

A word of caution re googly eyes: a similar activity involving styrofoam eggs at Easter time resulted in one of my kids gluing googly eyes of all different sizes in an irregular manner over the surface of a single egg. It was the most hideously creepy and unnerving "craft" thing I've ever seen in my life. Too scary even for halloween decorations! Thankfully kiddo intended it to look hideous so I didn't have to pretend to like it!!

So, how did the weekend go? What got made, how did the kids like it?

So glad that it all went well! (I love other people's children!) Let us know the next time you get them, and we can doubtless provide more ideas. Just let us know what season you're in, or what festivity is near!

Nice!