Getting crafty with your kids doesn’t always have to include complicated processes and it doesn’t require a degree in the fine arts. If the kids are constantly asking to craft, try a few easy art activities that get the creativity flowing without too much muss or fuss.
Whether you’re looking for a simple Saturday afternoon project to keep the kids busy or you want to introduce your children to an art experience without going overboard, check out these easy craft ideas that entertain, excite and even educate!
Torn Tissue Paper Collage
This couldn’t be easier for little fingers to create. Remember the last time that your child tore your favorite magazine or the pages of a newspaper to shreds? Even though you may not have been thrilled to see pages of the latest fashions or the day’s news torn into a pile of shredded shapes, this type of activity actually builds fine motor skills such as dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Translate simple tearing into a colorful collage that’s packed with textures.
Materials:
- Tissue paper
- Cardboard – Reuse the side of an old cereal or cracker box instead of buying new board.
- A glue stick
Instructions:
- Tear a few different colors of tissue paper into a variety of shapes and sizes. Toddlers and young preschoolers can explore the tearing process, creating free-form shapes. Older preschoolers and grade school-aged kids can get more complex, tearing geometric shapes such as triangles, circles and squares.
- Glue the tissue onto the cardboard. Encourage your child to overlap the edges of different pieces or fluff up the tissue to create a textured collage. For example, your child can crumple and bunch a few of the larger tissue shapes. Glue the bottom of the crumpled tissue onto the cardboard. The result? A fluffy flower garden effect!
No-Sew Crafts
Your child can craft pint-sized purses, pockets and even her own mini pillows without even threading a needle. There’s no need to buy a pricey sewing machine just to create fabric crafts at home. Instead, swap out a needle and thread for a hole punch and yarn.
Materials:
- Craft felt
- A hole punch
- Scissors
- Yarn
- A marker
Instructions:
- Brainstorm ideas to ‘sew’. Easy options include a pouch-style purse, a pillow or a simple stuffed animal.
- Draw the outline of the shape onto a felt sheet. For example, if your child is making a pillow, she would draw a rectangle.
- Place the felt sheet on top of a second piece of the fabric.
- Cut both sheets out together, making two shapes.
- Holding both felt sheets together, punch holes along the edges. Leave 1-inch in between the holes. If your child is making a purse or pouch, she doesn’t need to punch holes along the top.
- Cut a piece of yarn that is long enough to go all the way around the felt shape.
- Start at the top set of holes, and have your child ‘sew’ the pieces together.
- Tie at the ends to complete the craft.
No-Brush Painting
Don’t have a paintbrush handy? No problem! Your child can create with everyday objects instead. Go on a scavenger hunt around the house, collecting items that she can use to make paint prints. Cotton balls, an old wash cloth (cut into pieces), holiday bows, fallen leaves from a tree and a new kitchen sponge all make great paint ‘brushes’.
Materials:
- Tempera paint
- Wax paper
- Everyday items
- Construction paper
Instructions:
- Pour the paint in pools on the wax paper.
- Dip the objects into the paint.
- Press the paint-covered items onto the construction paper. Your child can make textured prints or smooth on the paint to create a picture.
Just because a craft is easy doesn’t mean that it won’t look like your child spent hours creating her masterpiece. Show us the crafts that she’s most proud of or share these art activities with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or your favorite social media spot!
