It can be hard to keep your children occupied with interesting things to do. Here are some of the best creative craft ideas to inspire you!
It’s no news flash that children love arts and crafts. And with the endless possibilities of a hot glue gun and some glitter, who could blame them?
But did you know that arts and crafts don’t just help kids choose their favorite colors? Without these simple projects, kids would miss out on essential motor and social skills that will serve them later in life!
As important as it is, however, crafting doesn’t have to be hard. We’ve gathered together some amazing ideas that will help you bond with your children while making a creative craft.
Science Crafts
The Volcano is a famous and even cliche craft, but that’s because it never fails to impress.
Combine baking soda and vinegar in a bottle for a quick reaction, or create a family project with papier-mache to create a real volcano with trees and dinosaurs!
Cornstarch and water is an understated yet fascinating craft. Combine equal parts in a large bowl or pan and let your children discover how the concoction can be both a solid and a liquid. If they’re older, this can be a perfect opportunity to learn about the science behind the creative craft.
Storm In a Jar is perfect for parents who want to save time and still make something interesting.
Simply fill a jar with water and swirl it to create a small whirlpool inside. Let your kids get creative by adding glitter or food coloring to make art they can play with all day.
Yarn Crafts
Finger knitting is a perfect way to teach kids to work with their hands, and it’s one of the easiest crafts available! No glue, no scissors, just yarn. Click here for a full tutorial.
Soda Straw Weaving is great for making bracelets or bookmarks. Use 3 plastic straws as a loom to weave multicolored yarn into a thick band. Tie them together at the end for bookmarks or in a loop for bracelets.
Glue Yarn Balls double as both a simple craft and a vibrant Spring decoration. Combine glue and water, dip your yarn in the mixture, and wrap it around an inflated balloon in random directions. Once it’s dried overnight, pop and remove the balloon.
Make a lot and use them to fill decorative bowls, jars, or even hang them outside on your patio!
Making creative crafts with lasting materials such as yarn is important for teaching children how to take pride in making things that they can use.
A Creative Craft with Paper
Airplanes, snowflakes, Christmas cards for Grandma. You name it! Paper has endless potential in crafts. Everything from construction paper to printer paper to parchment paper can be used to stretch the limits of the imagination.
Origami is a perfect example. Although it might seem like a daunting skill to learn, did you know that any time you fold a piece of paper, you’re technically doing origami?
There are all sorts of shapes to choose from. You can start small with the ninja throwing star or the classic fortune teller. For older kids and even adults, there are more advanced options like the famous paper crane or even an origami dragon!
Origami, in particular, is great for building hand-eye coordination and mental concentration, both of which are very important for over-all development.
Paper Plates
Another underappreciated material, paper plates can be used to make tons of different crafts.
These are good for letting kids really exercise their creativity with shapes and colors.
Cut shapes out of the center of the plate, leaving one edge of the shape attached, to create adorable hats for every holiday, birthday, and family reunion.
Cut the plates in half and glue on popsicle sticks that cross diagonally. Draw, paint, and decorate to add a little flair, and you’ve got yourself a fan!
Cut your plate in half again, only this time, glue cotton balls to the entire surface of the plate.
Then take strips of ribbon and glue the edges to the back, arranged in colors of the rainbow (or even blue for rain!). These adorable rainbows can go up on a fridge, a wall, or even be hung outside to flutter in the wind.
Toilet Paper Rolls
Making a creative craft with used toilet paper rolls is everyone’s favorite go-to for one simple reason.
You never run out.
As long as you keep buying toilet paper, you will always have those little cardboard tubes that bring back so many memories for parents.
Roll them in peanut butter and birdseed to hang in a tree during Spring.
Cut them into smaller sections and decorate them to create napkin rings. Asking your kids to make them for holidays will help them feel included in the preparations, and Grandma can even take them home after dinner.
For your little Da Vinci, cut the rolls into smaller sections to use as stamps. Simply dip the edges in the paint and press them onto paper to create perfect circles.
Take a roll, fold one end shut and glue to hold, and fill with candy. Decorate it however you want and use tiny clothespins to secure shut. These little candy bags are perfect for parties and to even give out to other trick or treaters.
Time is Precious
We’ve all heard that time is money, but for a parent, time is precious, and free time even more so. As a society, we’ve come to expect a child’s free time to be stuffed with as many extracurricular activities as possible.
The trade-off for that, however, is that they’re bonding with their band teacher or their coach, and not you. Take time out of each day to spend with your child, to really listen, and teach them something new. Build things and problem solve alongside them and ensure that they’re learning skills and values that will benefit them in the future.
Making a creative craft here and there throughout the week will benefit your children immensely over time. Use these amazing craft ideas to keep their minds active and their hearts full.
If you have any questions or great ideas to share, feel free to contact us.