Tag: imagination

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Paper Sand Dollars

papersanddollar

White or cream-colored card stock

Round cotton pad or circle of packing foam

Glue

Clothespins

Dry barley

How to make it

To make your own paper sand dollars, first cut a pair of circles, about 3 inches in diameter, from white or cream-colored card stock.

Sandwich the 2 circles together with a round cotton pad or circle of packing foam between them.

Glue the circles together, using clothespins to hold them in place until the glue has dried.

Finally, glue on a star-shaped design of dry barley, white beans, or uncooked pasta shells.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Paper Birds For Kids

paperbirds

Scrapbook paper

Scissors

Pencil

Colored paper clips

Tape

Glue stick

Hole punch or pushpins

How to make it

For each, draw a bird figure on a piece of scrapbook paper. You can download a bird template here.

Bend a colored paper clip or two into feet and tape them to the back side of one figure. Use a glue stick to join the two matching figures, sandwiching the paper clip legs between them.

Make an eye with a hole punch or pushpin and adjust the legs so that the bird can stand on its own.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Vibrant Color In A Bag For Toddlers

colorinabagforplay

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups cold water

Food coloring

2 gallon-size ziplock bags

Duct tape

How to make

Over medium heat, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and water in a saucepan, stirring continuously.

Once the mixture begins to thicken, remove the pan from the heat and stir for another minute or so until it thickens to a pudding like consistency. Let it cool for 30 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into two bowls, stir a few drops of food coloring into each , then divide the colors between the ziplock bags. Seal the bags with duct tape and let your child mix and mash the colors (they’ll keep for up to a week). Always supervise your child during play.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Tissue Paper Bowl

tissuepaper

2 small bowls

Cooking spray or vegetable oil

Plastic wrap

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup water

Paintbrush

2 sheets of tissue paper cut or torn into roughly 2- by 2-inch pieces

Bowl of white vinegar (optional)

How to make

Coat the outside of one small bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap.

In the other bowl, whisk the flour and water together until smooth.

Have your child brush the paste onto the plastic wrap, then cover it with pieces of tissue paper as shown. She may need your help pressing down the pieces so that they stick to the paste. When the bowl is covered with one layer, have her brush on more paste and add another layer. Continue until you have a thick, defined bowl shape; you’ll need at least five layers. If the brush gets too goopy, dip it in white vinegar, then rinse it with water. Let the papier-mâché dry (at least 12 hours).

Gently remove the papier-mâché bowl from the bowl mold and peel the plastic wrap away. For a smooth edge, trim the bowl’s rim with scissors.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ No More Monsters Spray!

monsterspray

Squirt Bottle (no paint needed if you find one solid in color)

Buttons, plastic beads, pebbles etc..

Craft Paint – Only if your squirt bottle is clear

Foam paint brush

Stickers, wiggly eyes, sparkly gems, etc

glue dots for items without adhesive

scented oil- non toxic

Water

Helpful Tip:

Be careful of any choking hazards. The small beads or buttons may cause a risk if your child places them in their mouth.

Variations:

You can decorate your bottle any way you want. Maybe you want to add shiny streamers, stickers or gems.

How to Make Monster Spray

Gather your materials. You could even have your child help you if you think it would help.

If your squirt bottle isn’t a solid color, paint the outside of your bottle with a darker craft paint. Let it dry completely.

Now that your bottle is dry. Time to fill it with the magic! Fill with water, scented oil (not too much, just enough to give it a light scent) and your plastic beads or buttons. The beads give it sound which makes it more magical!

Spray areas you think Monsters like to hide.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Cotton Ball Counting Sheep

sheepcottonball

White construction paper

Cotton balls

Scissors

Transparent adhesive tape

Glue stick

Pencil and eraser

Black crayon

Black marker

Cotton swabs

How to make it:

Draw the sheep by hand very softly with a pencil. They do not have to be all the same or perfectly drawn.

Trace the pencil drawings with a black marker. Draw numbers in the center of each animal.

Have your toddler color the face and ears of the sheep with a black crayon (or any other color you choose) and then proceed to cut out each drawing.

Cover the sheep’s body and hair with glue avoiding the middle area, where the number is.

Use cotton balls to cover the parts that have glue.

Cut the cotton swabs in half with a pair of scissors.

Turn the sheep and use transparent adhesive tape to attach the feet of the sheep to the back.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Make Your Own Rainstick

Rainstick

What you’ll need:

A long cardboard tube from a roll of gift wrap, or a poster shipping tube

Dried beans

Tan packing tape

Brown magic marker

Optional: aluminum foil

What You Do:

Make a pad of tape by taping a few pieces together, sticky side in. Tape over one end of the tube so it is completely covered, but won’t cause the contents of the tube to stick once your child starts using it.

Have your child add a few handfuls of beans to the tube.

Want to change the sound? Kids can crumple a long “rope” of aluminum foil and insert it into the tube to slow the beans down.

Tape over the other end as in Step 1.

Help your child to draw patterns over the tube to make it look like wood, or just let her use her imagination to make colorful designs.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Scented Play Dough

KidsPlaydough

1 large pan

1 mixing bowl

1 mixing spoon

1 pack Kool-Aid powder, any flavor

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

3 cups water

Food dye (optional)

Pick a flavor of Kool-Aid mix.

Help measure and mix all the ingredients, and put them into the bowl. If you want to add some color to the play dough, squeeze in a few drops of food dye and mix it in well.

Pour the mixture into the pan over very low heat.

Stir until the mixture is no longer sticky, and then remove it immediately.

Let it cool, and then present it to your child to play with! Store dough in a large plastic ziplock bag. Experiment with different scents for a never ending fun time!

Holiday Crafts For Kids ~ Painted Handprint Turkey

turkey handprint

This is a lovely keepsake that you will treasure for years! I love doing this with my kids. Always have. <3

Items needed:

Brown, orange, red and yellow paint

Paint brush

Paper

Markers

How to make:

Paint your child’s palm brown. Paint their fingers different colors – red, orange or yellow.

Press their painted hand onto the paper to make your turkey handprint.

When the handprint is dry, use markers to add an eye, feet, a waddle and a beak to the handprint to turn it into a turkey.

DIY – Chalkboard Table

chalkboard table

 

Have an old end table in the garage? All you need is a coat of chalkboard paint (can be found at most hardware stores, and a helper to cut a hole in the middle to hold a silver cup (purchased at a dollar store).

Don’t forget to grab a box of colored chalk!

This is great, inexpensive way to allow your little ones to create timeless art on a rainy afternoon. They’ll love it!