Crafts for Kids – Teaching Kids Creative Skills With Crafting

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Crafts for kids are a great way to help develop your child’s creativity. Whether it is easy art projects for kids to do in summer, winter, or on special occasions, there is always a craft idea for you. Not only is crafting a lot of fun, but you get to create a wonderful bonding experience. There are also many benefits to crafting, such as improving fine motor skills. Since there are so many ideas, we have gathered together a few easy craft ideas for kids you can do at home.

Simple Crafts for Kids

You do not have to be an arts and craft expert to get going with craft ideas for kids. In most cases, all that is required is some inspiration and a few materials. So, you do not need any special skills, and it usually only takes up a short amount of time. Many of these simple crafts for kids are basic ideas that are pretty straightforward and require little supervision. Most of the supplies you will need are also easy to come by, as they are items you can find around the house, such as buttons, glue, paper plates, and paper bags, among others. So let us begin with some easy crafts for kids.

Windsocks for Kids

A DIY windsock is not only fun to make, but it can also make great gifts and can teach the kids all about how the wind blows. There are a few ways you can do this, but a simple idea is to take some cardstock and fold it into a tube shape. You then attach streamers or strips of crepe paper to one end. The cardstock can be decorated, for example, to create a monster windsock, with printed paper eyes and drawn-on mouth and teeth. You can also attach some string so that you can hang the windsock up.

The windsock can also be made from a tin can and ribbons.

Puff Paint for Kids

There are a few ways to make this homemade puff paint. One is to combine some white glue or Elmer’s glue with shaving cream and food coloring to create puffy paint. This paint can then be used to paint on paper or canvas. Another idea is to combine some flour and salt, and then add a little water until you get a smooth paste. You can also mix in some food coloring. You use this mixture to paint your picture and once done, you place it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

The paint should puff up.

Clothespin Airplane for Kids

There are quite a few ideas for using clothes pins for crafting from clothespin dolls to butterfly clothespins. One of these ideas includes using a single clothespin and some craft foam to make a simple airplane. All you have to do is cut out the plane wing shapes and glue these to the clothespin.

Paper Bag Kite for Kids

If it is a beautiful day outside, it is the perfect time to fly a kite. The kids can easily make their own kites using a paper bag. The kids can decorate, paint, add stickers, and embellish the paper bag. You can then attach some streamers, ribbons, and yarn, and the kite is ready to fly. Paper bags can also be used to make cute animals, monster faces, or paper bag puppets.

Larger paper bags can be turned upside down and into different types of masks.

Simple Terrarium for Kids

You can transform a simple mason jar into a fake mini terrarium. You can add some sand, small stones, marbles, and even some green moss to the bottom of the jar. To this, you can add small toys like plastic dinosaurs, flowers, or insects. To make this a night light, you can then attach a mini submersible LED tea light to the inside of the mason jar lid.

Pool Noodle Crafts for Kids

Besides being a pool noodle, these foam items can also be used to create some fun crafts for kids. Cut them into sections and use googly eyes and pipe cleaners to create monster faces. Create some fun pool noodle boats by cutting them into slices, adding a straw, and sails made from craft foam. Another idea is to simply wind some gray tape around one end of a pool noodle, and using a black marker, draw in some details to create a DIY lightsaber.

Giant pool noodles that are cut in half can also make a great racetrack for toy cars.

Craft Stick Ideas for Kids

A simple popsicle or craft stick can be used to create a variety of crafts for kids. There are many ideas for kids to explore from creating cute animals, airplanes, lanterns, bookmarks, and puppets, or using craft sticks as a building base to make containers, frames, and simple shapes. Create popsicle monsters by painting several craft sticks and sticking them together.

Add some googly eyes and a cut-out mouth and horns to stick on.

Simple Collages for Kids

You do not need many materials to make this craft idea happen. All you need is some cardboard, glue, scissors, paint, and other materials you have lying around the house, such as glitter, beads, ribbons, or buttons. Cut out a shape from the cardboard, for example, a heart, and then decorate it with the materials you have on hand. How you put everything together is completely up to you.

Wine Cork Crafts for Kids

If you would like to recycle those bottle corks you have lying around, there are plenty of easy art projects for kids using them. Using a few beads, googly eyes, twine, pushpins, and markers, you can create cute little characters from the corks. Add some cardboard cut-out wings and you can make the cutest little butterfly. You can easily carve out shapes on one end of the cork, to make stamps.

Since corks float nicely, strap a few together and add a sail to make cute little boats.

Play Wands for Kids

These are very easy to make, and the kids will enjoy them. The materials needed for this kid’s craft include a length of wooden dowels, some card stock or craft foam, glue, ribbons, plastic gems, glitter, and anything else you would like to use. You can first wrap the stick with washi tape or ribbon. Cut out a star shape from the card stock and decorate it with glitter and gems. You can also attach streamers or more ribbons for flair.

Attach the star to the stick to create the wand.

Buttons, Glue, and Paint Ideas for Kids

There are many crafting ideas you can do that use only buttons, glue, and paint. For example, paint a tree and some branches on paper or canvas. Take the different color buttons and glue them to make the leaves on the tree. Take some colorful buttons and create a rainbow or make an outline of an animal and fill this with the buttons.

Larger buttons are perfect as a base to create cute snails or flowers.

Pasta Necklace for Kids

There are very few of us who have not, at some point in our lives, made a pasta necklace. This is a classic kid’s craft that is both fun and simple to make. All you need are some macaroni pasta shells, and a bit of string. Instead of pasta, you can also cut up some straws into sections, which you can then use to thread and make the necklace.

Soda Bottle Art for Kids

Do not throw away those empty plastic soda bottles, as they can be reused in many different ways. A simple idea is to take the soda bottle and use the base as a stamp or painting tool. The plastic bottles can be cut, painted, and decorated to create any number of fun craft ideas. You can even use several plastic bottles to create a fun bowling game.

Toilet Roll Kids Crafts for Kids

If you had to keep the empty toilet rolls, by month’s end, you should have enough to create some cute toilet roll craft ideas. As with soda bottles and paper plates, there are plenty of ideas you can try. Some simple toilet roll ideas include creating a pair of binoculars or painting the toilet rolls and adding googly eyes and a mouth for a monster-looking character.

You can make all sorts of characters and animals by simply using toilet rolls.

Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

We had to place paper plate crafts for kids in a separate heading, as there are so many ideas you can check out. You should be able to find some paper plates already in your pantry, but they are easy to find and not expensive to buy. Other materials needed are also minimal and can most probably be found around the home.

Paper Plate Hats for kids

Paper plates can easily be transformed into paper plate hats. There are a lot of different designs you can choose from, such as a bunny ear hat, paper star or heart hats, and lots more. You can color, draw, paint, and add embellishments like ribbon, glitter, or plastic gems.

Paper Plate Rainbow for Kids

To make the paper plate rainbow, you can use the paper plate as your cloud with cotton balls stuck to it. Different colored tissue paper can then be used to create the rainbow. Another way is to cut the paper plate in half and paint or draw the rainbow on the surface. Make this more interesting by making smaller colored pieces of paper and using this to create a mosaic effect.

Paper Plate Fish for Kids

This can be done by taking a paper plate and cutting a “v” shape into a section of the plate to create the fish’s mouth. You can then cut out some fins from another paper plate or cardboard, which can be stapled or glued onto the fish’s body. The fish can then be painted and remember to include eyes.

You can also use googly eyes and other elements, such as beads, cotton balls, and other embellishments.

Under the Sea Paper Plate Idea for Kids

If you are having a family holiday at the beach, then this is the perfect fun idea. Simply take a paper plate and paint it blue. Once dry, apply some glue to the lower half of the paper plate. Take some sea sand and sprinkle over the glue. You can then add shells and cut out paper fish and shapes. Using marker pens, you can add any other details to finish off your under-the-sea theme.

Paper Plate Musical Instrument for Kids

The kids can make a fun tambourine musical instrument by using two paper plates. These plates can be decorated as you wish. Place the paper plates together and punch a couple of holes all around. To keep the plates together, use some colorful pipe cleaners. String some small craft jingle bells onto the pipe cleaners before attaching them to the paper plates.

Another idea is to take a single decorated paper plate and fold this in half.

Staple the open edges closely together and leave a small opening. Take some dry beans and pour them into the opening. Staple shut the rest of the open edges, and once done, you can shake and make some noise.

Fun Crafts for Kids

When we say fun crafts for kids, we mean the messy and hands-on type of fun. Some of these ideas are best done in summer and outside, to avoid making a mess on the furniture. Many of these ideas might also be slightly more entertaining and interactive.

Clay Crafts for Kids

Working with clay can be fun and offers many benefits. For kids, it can help to improve fine motor skills, aids sensory development, is a way of self-expression, and builds confidence. Clay is very versatile, so you can make anything from bowls and jewelry to creating cute figures, animals, flowers, or simple shapes.

Glow in the Dark Craft Ideas for Kids

Glow-in-the-dark paint can be used to make unique and interesting items. You can touch up some old white sneakers, by painting on a design or pattern with the glow-in-the-dark paint. You can also use the paint on rocks, add googly eyes and a mouth, and you have some cute monster rocks.

Simply use the paint to create some glow-in-the-dark art.

Glitter Sensory Bottles for Kids

This is an easy and cheap craft using a plastic bottle, glitter, and some hot water. Once you add everything to the bottle, make sure you securely glue the lid shut, so no leaking occurs. Shake the bottle, and then look at the glitter slowly descending as it sparkles in the light. This has a calming effect on both adults as well as children.

Play Dough and Slime for Kids

Always a favorite, play dough and slime are great sensory crafts. There are a few different DIY recipes you can use, with ingredients that can be found at home. You can also make glow-in-the-dark slime by adding special glowing powder.

Cardboard Marble Run for Kids

The marble run can be created by using old paper towel rolls and toilet rolls. These can either be secured against a wall or placed in positions where the marbles can run freely from one roll to another paper towel roll. You can also take it a step further and create a stand for the toilet rolls.

Bubble Painting for Kids

You can do the bubble painting outside, or just make sure to cover your surfaces if you are going to do it inside. Maybe consider having a few towels available nearby as well. All you need is some paper, paint, dish soap, some cups, and straws. Mix some soap and paint in the cups, using a different color in a separate cup. Take a straw and use it to blow in the cups, which then creates bubbles that push to the surface of the cup.

Position the paper over the bubbles, which will create a colored bubble imprint. Repeat the process a few times, using the different colors.

Toy Car Painting for Kids

This is a fun and simple painting craft idea if you have toy cars or larger toy trucks. Preferably, the painting should be done outside, where making a mess is not a problem. You can use plain paper or a canvas if you want to keep the completed art piece. The process is easy, take the toy truck, dip the wheels into some paint, and then move it over the paper. Do this multiple times, using different paint colors.

Salad Spinner Painting for Kids

You can use an old salad spinner, or there are cheaper salad spinners you can purchase for this purpose. If done correctly, there should not be too much of a mess, but cover your work area all the same. Using different color paints, you can create a firework effect on some paper or cardboard. You might have to slightly water down the acrylic or tempera paint so that it can provide the best effects. Open up the salad spinner and place some round-cut paper that should fit into the bottom of the spinner. Squirt or drop some paint onto the paper, and then close the spinner.

Turn the salad spinner handle a few times, and open to see how the paint has created a pattern.

Handprint Art for Kids

For this kid’s craft idea, you can use paint to create the handprints, which is a lot more fun, or draw the handprints and cut the shape out of some paper. Use the painted handprint to create a tree stem, and paint the rest of the tree, or draw the wood stem and use the painted hands to create the leaves. To the painted handprints, you can simply add googly eyes and other features for monster handprints.

There are numerous animal handprints you can create, from elephant shapes to butterflies and birds. In a similar way, you can paint only the thumb to create various ideas.

Rain Stick for kids

This is another excellent sensory idea for the kids and is really easy to make. Take a paper towel roll and duct tape one end closed. Create a long piece of rolled-up aluminum foil and place it inside the towel roll. Next, fill the towel roll with rice, small noodles, and dry beans, and tape the open end shut. Wrap a piece of construction paper around to fit the paper towel roll and secure it at each end with more duct tape.

The construction paper is just to make the rain stick a little more sturdy.

Sand Art for Kids

You can easily purchase colored sand or try making your own. To make colored sand, you can use some food coloring, which is added to the sand in a sealable bag. Mix it up and leave overnight to dry properly. Besides sand, you can also use colored salt for these types of projects. Print out some coloring pages and apply some glue to the areas you want covered with sand.

Sprinkle the colored sand over these areas to create your sand art.

Another sand art method is to take some shaped bottles and add layers of different colored sand to create rainbow bottle art. You can follow a similar method for a mini bottle, which can then be worn as a pendant.

Most of these fun crafts for kids are aimed at children between the ages of four and ten, however, we are sure that many of these craft ideas can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter what age. Crafting is also a wonderful way to spend family time together, as it allows everyone to get involved. We hope we have given you enough crafting ideas to help keep your kids busy for some time!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should Kids Do Crafts?

When children participate in crafting projects, it is not only a lot of fun, but it can also be a great social experience. Crafting is a great way to play, experiment, and explore different ideas. Crafting is also necessary for child development, as it helps to improve fine motor skills and confidence, among other benefits.

What Paint Is Best for Kids’ Crafts?

The best paint to use for younger kids’ crafts is tempera paint, because it is long-lasting, dries quickly, and is non-toxic. The paint is also water-soluble, making it easy to clean, and comes in many different colors.

What Glue Is Best to Use for Kids’ Crafts?

PVA (polyvinyl acetate), also known as white glue or school glue, is the most popular choice of glue when it comes to arts and crafts. The glue is affordable, easy to work with, and non-toxic, making it perfect for use in easy art projects for kids.

Charlene Lewis( Content Writer for Painting and Crafting )

In 2005, Charlene completed her wellness degrees in therapeutic aromatherapy and reflexology at the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for several years before opening her own therapy practice. In 2015, she was asked by a digital marketer friend to join her company as a content creator, and it was here that she discovered her enthusiasm for writing. Since entering the world of content creation, she has gained a lot of experience over the years writing about various topics such as beauty, health, wellness, travel, crafting, and much more. Due to various circumstances, she had to give up her therapy practice and now works as a freelance writer. Since she is a very creative person and as a balance to writing likes to be active in various areas of art and crafts, the activity at acrylgiessen.com is perfect for her to contribute their knowledge and experience in various creative topics.

Learn more about Charlene Lewis and about us.