Inside teacher Amanda Walls’ classroom on Dec. 16, nearly 20 students were in a cheerful and festive mood as they switched from one station to the next, making crafts like stuffed Christmas tree ornaments, snowglobes with their pictures inside and Grinch-themed decorations — including slime.

For third grader Blake Eckenrode, what made the day special was getting to see his mother, his father and his grandmother in school.

He started the activities by making a stuffed Christmas tree ornament with his parents, Justin and Nicole Eckenrode, who taught the students some life skills as they sewed, by hand, a needle through pre-dotted holes on a Christmas tree-shaped cloth, stuffed it full of polyester fiberfill and decorated it like an ornament.

Third grader Liam Couturiaux said making the ornament with the Eckenrodes was his favorite activity.

Class parent Nicole Eckenrode helps Jude Legdon create a stuffed tree ornament in Amanda Walls’ third grade class at Cambria Heights Elementary School in Carrolltown on Tuesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Rather than hang the ornament on his Christmas tree, Couturiaux said he plans to display it in his room.

Couturiaux and Eckenrode then moved to another station, making snowglobes with Kyle Reasbeck, the father of their classmate, Grace Reasbeck.

“We’re building snowglobes with their picture on the inside, so everybody can stare at their faces all Christmas,” Kyle Reasbeck said. “We’re giving a little bit of the Christmas spirit to everybody; it’s wonderful.”

At another station, the students made Grinch-inspired slime with Allece Jensen, the mother of student Joy Jensen, who came up with the idea of making slime by using clear glue, a tiny amount of water, green food coloring and activator.

“They’re having fun,” Allece Jensen said of the students, noting her daughter has been in the Christmas spirit since the family started playing Christmas music in November.

Shayna Barton crafts a snowman from a paint stirrer in Amanda Walls’ third grade class at Cambria Heights Elementary School in Carrolltown on Tuesday. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Christmas music was played continuously throughout the afternoon, including “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Jingle Bells” and “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

This year, Joy Jensen said she asked Santa Claus for pajamas, Squishmallows and slime.

“I love slime,” Jensen said while making a snowman ornament. “I love to play with it.”

Thea Kline, Jensen’s friend, said she likes to play with slime, too, noting she enjoys the feeling of goo between her fingers.

While Jensen made a snowman, Kline made a beaded Christmas tree ornament with Melissa Bender, the mother of student Shayna Barton.

Class parent Kyle Reasbeck helps Blake Eckenrode create his own snow globe in Amanda Walls’ third grade class at Cambria Heights Elementary School in Carrolltown on Tuesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Barton said she enjoyed making the crafts and spending time with her mother in school. For Christmas this year, she asked Santa for some hairstyling tools, a makeup kit and a Barbie doll.

Third grader Carter Ryan said he asked Santa for an iPhone 17 Pro and a PlayStation 5 — a popular wish among the students.

Ryan said he wants a PlayStation 5 so he can play his favorite video game, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.”

“My favorite thing I do when I get home from school is I go to the gym,” Ryan said, noting he can lift a lot of weight using a leg press.

Third grader Emlynn English said her favorite activity of the day was making Grinch-themed ornaments with Jessica McConnell, the mother of Jaxon McConnell.

Class parent Kylie Harber helps her son, Calvin Harber, 8, create cupcake liner Christmas trees in Amanda Walls’ third grade class at Cambria Heights Elementary School in Carrolltown on Tuesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

The Grinch is Jaxon’s favorite Christmas character, his mother said, noting he was eager to go to school Tuesday so he could make the ornaments with his classmates.

“I think it’s so neat that we got to come in and spend the day with the kids and do something fun,”

McConnell said. “I love being able to volunteer and spend time with the kids in school.”

The students also made Christmas bell wreaths with Cheryl Vescovi, Blake Eckenrode’s grandmother, and used cupcake liners to make Christmas trees with Kylie Harber, whose son, Calvin, is in Walls’ class.

“I just wanted to come and help out with the kids, making sure that they’re having a good Christmas and have something to take home for their families,” Harber said.

Class parent Nicole Eckenrode helps a student create a stuffed tree ornament in Amanda Walls' third grade class at Cambria Heights Elementary School in Carrolltown on Tuesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Vescovi said this was her second year of volunteering at the school.

“It’s just so fun to help these kids and they enjoy it,” she said.

Every student in the third grade class participated in the “crafternoon” festivities, with similar stations set up in teachers’ Kelli Pearce, Laken Lennon and Terri McGinnis’s homerooms, according to Eric Nagel, the school’s principal, who stopped by every classroom to visit with the students.

“The kids are having a great time,” Nagel said. “It’s the holiday season and to have family members come in and do crafts and holiday projects with them, it’s just a great opportunity to bring the community into the school.”

According to Walls, the annual event is a tradition that was started at Cambria Heights by Darla Kochinsky, a former teacher who taught at the school for many years.

Current teachers have continued the tradition because they want their students to feel connected to each other while embracing the magic of Christmas, Walls said.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.