A List of Craft and Fun Ideas! Ages Pre-K - 13
Coin Hunt
Go on a coin hunt using loose change. Hide coins by scattering them in hidden places. You can do this outdoors or indoors.
Tip: Use nickels which are larger for smaller children.
Name Calligraphy
Print out Arabic letters in script from the Internet. Get some ink, paper and paint brushes with a fine tip.
Have the children write their names in Arabic - use matting from a craft store to frame the picture and hang them in their rooms.
Sand Art
Take sand and put it into individual plastic bags. Put food coloring in the sand and rub the color in. Put on a paper plate to dry. Take paper and have the children spread glue on it (Elmer glue). Have the children make designs with the colored sand. Dry and hang. These can also be matted and framed if you like.
Birdseed feeder
Find a pine cone, smother it with peanut butter and roll the cones in birdseed (for outdoor birds).
Tie a string to the cone and attach it to a branch - watch the seed disappear!
Lace Race
Tie your shoe laces to your best friend or siblings laces. Challenge everyone to a race drawing a finish line with chalk!
Making Bubbles
Add a little water to a plate with some dish soap. Stick your hands in it and get them soapy. Put them together and blow.
Tip: See who blows the largest bubbles!
Follow the Clue
Hide something delicious. Use colorful paper to write your clues on and hang them around the house. See if the kids can guess what is hidden and where. For young children you can draw pictures of the item where you hid the treasure!
Tip: Use chocolate as treasures.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
List objects from outside or draw a picture of it for younger ones. Have the children go out and find the items.
Cloth Dolls
Get fabric cut out shapes such as dresses, pants, hair etc. Have the kids glue them together. Allow to dry. Decorate clothing with buttons and glitter, beads, string, lace and ribbon!
Homemade Picture Frames
Get popsicle sticks. Design them in a shape of your choice. Glue them together - allow to dry. Glue cardboard onto the back of 3 of the popsicle sticks to hold the other sticks away from the paper a few millimeters. Decorate with glitter, beads, paint etc. Allow to dry - insert picture.
Paint Garden
Using paper of your choice and washable paint, make hands and fingerprints until the paper is full. The hand prints can be turned into animals or bugs and the fingerprints into leaves and trees. Let it dry and hang.
Scoop & Toss
Get bottles with handles such as milk jugs - make sure you have the lids on them. Cut the bottom of the bottles or jugs out and decorate (if desired). Get a small ball - tennis balls are perfect and have the kids throw them from the jugs and catch the balls or scoop them up for younger children!
Bead Magnets
Using large beads easy for small children to grip. Cut out shapes on a piece of cardboard. Decorate your shapes with the beads using glue. Allow to dry - attach small magnets with glue to the backs - allow to dry and hang on the refrigerator.
Collages
Using large pieces of cardboard - let children cut out pictures from old magazines. You can make a theme for older children asking them to cut out what describes them best or choosing things they like. Have them cut enough pictures and even words to cover the entire cardboard. Glue it together without any particular order. They can use glitter and other decorative items to decorate their collages and even paint! Allow to dry and then hang!
Paper Mache' Pinatas
Make a batter using warm water and 3 cups of flour. Stir well until it reaches the desired consistency (like pancake batter or thick glue). Blow up balloons - cut or rip news paper into strips - you will need enough to cover the balloons. Dip the strips in the paper mache' and place them on the balloons until completely covered. Cover balloons with 3 layers of news paper - leaving balloon tie uncovered. Allow to dry overnight (may take 2 days depending on humidity). When completely dry pop the balloon and remove it through the hole where the tie was. Decorate with paint, strips of colored tissue paper buttons, glitter, beads and so on. Fill small hole with small candies or coins - hang - using a bat or stick blindfold each child, spin them around so they loose direction and have them swing to try to break it.
OR keep it and hang in their bedrooms as decoration!
