When you’re home with your kiddos, you may think: “What’s next? I’m all out of ideas!” As a mom and former teacher, I know that feeling of hitting a wall! Having a few structured low mess, low-stress crafts for your kids can be the perfect antidote to boredom, restlessness, or even some anxiety you and your family may be experiencing. So roll up your sleeves and get started on these fun, easy crafts for kids—guaranteed to stir up some smiles and fun!
Easy Crafts for Kids
Pasta Butterflies And Springtime Scene
You’ll need a box of farfalle pasta (farfalle means butterfly in Italian!) and some non-toxic children’s paint. Use a paintbrush or sponges to paint pieces of the pasta in different colors. If it’s warm weather, go outside to look at butterflies in your yard or neighborhood, or pull up images of butterflies on your phone or T.V. so that your kids have a picture to reference. Snap some of the farfalle in half and paint those pieces green to make grass. Let painted pasta dry on a baking sheet, cloth, or paper towel. Once dry, you can glue the butterflies and grass to paper, the outside of flowerpots or jars, or tie them onto pieces of string.
Jar Flower Vase
If you have a glass jar or canning jar (of any type), wash and dry thoroughly. Then, spread out a selection of decorative items that your little one can use to design a vase that can hold flowers. Paint designs, shapes, or your child’s name onto the jar. Press fun stickers all over the jar, or glue items like buttons, sequins, and ribbon to the outside. Make sure the items you glue on are age-appropriate and not a choking hazard. If you make more than one, consider filling it with flowers and leaving it on your neighbor’s doorstep with a nice note to say hello!
Bonus idea: Instead of flowers, fill the jar with words of gratitude. Then, open up the notes at the end of the week and read together as a family. You’ll be surprised how much there is to celebrate and be thankful for!
Make A Rainbow
Take a piece of paper and sketch the lines of a rainbow with two clouds at either end. (Or be lazy like me and print a blank one you found online!) Then, using a colorful cereal such as fruit loops (You can substitute candy, painted pasta, or any other rainbow assortment for cereal), glue in the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and so on. For the clouds, glue cotton balls or white tissue paper. Finally, draw a yellow sun using a crayon, marker, or paint. Hang your child’s masterpiece somewhere visible so that you have a sunny day and a rainbow to look at, no matter the weather!
Toilet Paper Squids
This is a great low mess, easy craft for kids! Using an empty toilet paper roll, have your toddler color it with markers or crayons. Using construction paper, create the tentacles and head of the squid. Use tape or glue to adhere the tentacles and head to each end of the toilet paper roll. Glue some googly eyes onto the t.p. roll, add a smiling mouth, and you’re done!
Paper Plate Jellyfish
Take a paper plate and draw a line across the bottom third for your toddler to cut off. Have your artist color the leftover top two-thirds of the back of the plate. Then either glue googly eyes on the plate or have your kiddo draw eyes and a mouth. Next, take a hole punch and punch out several holes on the straight edge of the paper plate. Through the holes, loop colorful lengths of yarn to make the tentacles. Display your jellyfish proudly!
Suncatchers
For this easy craft, you’ll need a small to medium-sized embroidery hoop, colorful yarn, and assorted beads, poms, and feathers to make these sweet, kid-friendly suncatchers! Using one or two yarn colors, wrap the yarn haphazardly around the embroidery hoop, securing it to the hoop with a knot. Then tie several lengths of yarn to the bottom of the hoop and let them hang freely. On the hanging yarn, string some colorful beads or secure a feather or two at the ends. Add a loop of yarn to the top of the hoop for hanging!
Popsicle Stick Bird Feeders
For this easy, low mess craft, you’ll need a box of large popsicle sticks, some glue, some twine, and bird seed. First, create a base for your feeder by lining up about 7 popsicle sticks and securing them with a popsicle stick glued across the base on each end. Then glue popsicle sticks on each end of the base (they will rest on the first two sticks securing the base together; it will look like a square on top of the base). Then alternate gluing two sticks on opposite ends, then two more sticks on the perpendicular ends. Continue building up the sides of the feeder until you have them a couple of inches high. After the glue dries, tie a couple of pieces of twine around the feeder, creating a loop at the top. Hang the feeder outside where the birds can find it!
Easy and fun, right? Have fun with these easy crafts for kids!
