Craft Ideas For Kids
Nothing feels longer than a rainy weekend at home with the kids. No matter how many DVDs or games they own – they always seem to feel bored. What they really want to do something new and if possible – something with you.
Looking for inspiration? Having two kids of my own, I have now collected quite a few ideas which should come to you aid on wet weekends. Even better, most of those can be used for birthday parties if you fancy a change from the usual.
I recently discovered you can buy clay that dries in contact of air. It arrives as a compact rectangle of a greyish colour that you can then roll as you would pastry dough. What to do with it – so many things! Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes, make a hole on top and let to rest overnight. It will turn white and can then be painted. Add a ribbon and they make adorable decorations. You can also cover the inside of a bowl with it then use beautiful craft stamps and bright ink to press designs into it. The following day, you can unmold it and have a very unique piece indeed, ideal as decoration. The Grandparents were particularly fond of those.
Have you heard of craft masking tape? They come in a variety of colourful designs and do not leave any trace on the walls. You could dedicate a wall for the kids to create a beautiful tree shape. Or lay a paper table cloth and let them imagine and create a scene around each guest’s place. Simple cupcake cases can be transformed in beautiful paper flowers: just pile them (the more colourful, the better) and slide a colourful thread through the centre, tying it at the back. A very original bouquet!
A cheaper option to decorate is to use the old trick of sculpting a shape in an eraser. That one takes me years back but still proves as enjoyable. There is no need to be very skilled either: with just a triangle and a rainbow of inks, you can create a bunting effect. This looks lovely on envelopes. As you get more confident, you could try a hat shape or even moustaches to decorate family pictures.
How about making pearls form colourful paper? Recycle small pieces of wrapping paper and cut rectangles of 1cm x 17cm. Glue one side and roll it tightly on a pencil. Secure with a piece of transparent tape and slide out. If you still have some clay left from the first activity, roll it in little balls, slide a skewer through and wait until the next morning to paint them over and sprinkle them with glitter.
Encouraging the kids to be green is always a good option and even in the winter there are fun things to be done. When washed, an empty egg shell makes a great planting pot. Add a little bit of compost and a seed and wait for the tiny leaves to appear. This is particularly fun with cress: draw a face on the side and these will look like hair! Also, try collecting a few yogurt pots and make some homemade bird feeders. Buy some bird feed and cheap lard and melt the latter in a saucepan. Add the grain to the lard to create your bird feed mixture. Spoon the mixture into the yoghurt pots and place a piece of rope hanging half in and half out of each pot. Leave to set in the fridge for a few hours. Once set, unmould them and tie them to a branch for the birds to enjoy eating and the kids to enjoy watching.
Although these rainy days may seem like a bad thing, it really is a good opportunity to spend some quailty time with your children and really involve yourselves in their lives for a few hours or so. These are just a few ideas for you to enjoy with the kids but there are hundreds more so go online and find some ideas your kids will like.
Some lovely ideas there! My little one is only 6 months but I would love to share these activities with her in the years to come