Busy Elves is an accurate name for the event hosted by the CSKT Early Foundations Home Visiting Program at the Joe McDonald Health and Fitness center on Dec. 4. Children and parents, grandparents, and older siblings participated in a fun, Christmas-themed crafting evening.

His Grouchiness the Grinch greeted everybody and headed them toward a dinner designed to fuel creative brains — sandwiches, chips and cookies.

Then it was off to tables around half of the gym staffed with folks who enjoy children and making things. There were snowflakes to decorate, stickers to select, beads to slip on string and pipe cleaners, glittery heart and tiny hide ornaments to make for Christmas trees, seeds to plant, colors of ribbon to pick, and cookies to eat.

One group even had bananas sliced in half lengthwise to turn into Santas with strawberries for hats, and marshmallow creme as glue to stick on teeny chocolate-chip eyes.

A photo booth, complete with hats, scuba masks, ski glasses, bow ties and other props, offered an opportunity for families to gather for a Christmas memory photo.

Alvin said he liked the reindeer ornament table where the Never Alone Recovery Support Services group used pipe cleaners in Christmas colors to twist into reindeer shapes. Alvin’s little sister, Kaylon, sporting reindeer antlers, was interested in stickers and markers.

Little boys chased each other, while Estella O’Roake executed backbends and cartwheels to show other kids how much fun gymnastics can be. These extracurriculars were just part of the overall success of the event.

Lona Boushie, one of the event hosts, said seven tribal groups, including Food Sovereignty, Tribal Health, Early Childhood Health, NARSS and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Program, collaborated with EFHVP to think up interesting crafts for children. She said Busy Elves has been going for the 11 years she’s worked for the Tribes, and she’s confident it was started before that.

The sign-up sheet listed 456 attendees of all ages, which reflects the event’s popularity.

“We do Busy Elves as a fun, free event for families for the holidays,” Boushie said. “It’s heartwarming.”

The EFHVP works with children from prenatal to age 5 to offer child development screenings and referrals and conduct home visits. Learn more at cskt.org/dhrd/early-foundations-home-visiting-program.

    Francis Pierre shows Aria how to make a reindeer ornament from pipe cleaners at the Busy Elves event in Pablo. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Children draw animals and plants on tiny ornaments made of hide at the Busy Elves craft night at the Joe McDonald Health and Fitness Center last Thursday, (Berl Tiskus/Leader)