Most children love to create. The mind of a child is full of imagination, and arts and crafts projects are a wonderful way to stimulate creativity in your kids. Each project you present them with comes with endless possibilities, and they will be proud of their masterpieces. Presented here in this article are 5 craft project that your children will love, and they require only a small helping hand from you.
Mosaics
Kids will love making their own mosaics, and there are so many things you can use to make them! In separate bowls, place dried beans, seeds, rice, and various shapes and sizes of macaroni and pasta. Each child will need a sturdy piece of paper (card stock is best) and a bottle of craft glue. Have the kids make their own scenes on the paper by using the items in the bowls and gluing them on. Mosaics can also be made on thin pieces of wood or on wooden picture frames.
Beaded Jewelry
Many young kids, boys and girls alike, enjoy making jewelry. Your children can make their own beads out of paper clay. Paper clay is very easy to manipulate, and it does not require any baking. It’s perfect for small hands to use with adult supervision. Once the kids have shaped their beads, they can make holes in them for stringing by poking a toothpick all the way through each one. The bead should air-dry overnight, and then the kids can paint them! Acrylic paints work great, and there are many non-toxic brands available especially created for kids. Once the paint is dry, the beads can be strung on string, yarn, or a heavy fishing line. Kids will love showing off their homemade jewelry, and family members and friends will enjoy receiving these magnificent pieces as gifts.
Dioramas
Dioramas are fun to make, and there are so many things that kids can use to create them. A shoebox or small wooden crate works perfectly for the base, and the inside can be painted and decorated with just about anything. The interior walls of the diorama can be painted or lined with decorative papers, and you can encourage your kids to use found objects or treasures they’ve been saving in creating their special scenes.
Puppets
Puppets never go out of style with kids. Socks are inexpensive, and available in so many patterns and colors. Have your child select a special pair of new socks to make a couple of very unique puppets. For eyes, you can provide buttons, felt pieces, or pre-packaged “googly”eyes that can be glued on. Felt pieces can also be used for a nose, tongue, ears, or anything else your child wants on the puppet’s face. For hair, help your child glue on scraps of yarn or pom pom balls. Puppets can also be made out of paper bags or old mittens and gloves! A puppet theater can be made out of a large box–encourage your kids to make-up and perform their own plays using their newly invented characters.
Hand-Painted Flowerpots
For the spring and summer seasons, a fun project for kids is hand-painting or decorating small flower pots. Terra cotta pots are cheap and easy to find at craft or garden supply stores. Have your children paint them with non-toxic paints or decorate them by gluing on small tiles, charms, buttons, or even something silly like little plastic bugs. Once they’ve finished decorating them, have them fill them with potting soil and plant a few seeds or a small flower. These hand-painted flowerpots make fabulous gifts for mother’s day or father’s day. They will also be appreciated by other family members, friends, and teachers, too.
Craft projects are great for kids’ parties, rainy days, or anytime your children are looking for something new to do. Arts and crafts not only encourage children to use their imaginations, it will provide both you and your children with quality time spent together.
Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes for http://www.insurancequotes.org.
My daughter loves crafting! Thanks for the ideas!