Kids' Craft Ideas - Growing Your Own Balloon Garden

Crafts will always be a very important teaching tool for anyone teaching little kids. Kids learn best by "doing." Homeschoolers and especially Unschoolers can use this balloon craft as part of a biology lesson. This is a wonderful kids' craft idea, that is fun and easy to do and also a great first lesson about plants. This craft use balloons so watch the little ones, while you are doing this craft, to prevent suffocation!

All you need for this kids' craft idea is a medium or large sized, clear balloon, a little earth and water, some seeds, a small funnel and a piece of string. Radish seeds work well, but you could use almost any seeds that are easy to grow.

Kid's Craft Ideas Step by Step - How to make your first balloon garden

1. Don't blow your balloon up yet! Put the mouth of the balloon over the funnel and hold it firmly in place (this is where an extra pair of adult hands comes in useful!) Tip in around a ½ cup of earth - enough to almost fill the deflated balloon.

2. Now gradually add water, via the funnel again, until the earth is wet through. Don't put too much water in or it will all just turn to mud and start overflowing!

3. Dry your funnel, then add your final ingredients, the seeds, into the balloon, still holding it firmly in its upside down position.

4. Still holding the balloon upside down, so that you don't get a mouthful of dirt, carefully blow it up.

5. Tightly make a knot in the top of the balloon, then tie your string around it and use the string to hook the balloon garden up near a window or other well-lit place.

Making balloon gardens is a fun thing to do at birthday parties, and will keep the kids occupied and happy for ages - as long as you don't mind the mess! On a summer's day, it's best done in the backyard.

Balloon gardens also make lovely gifts, the children can make them for an adult friend or relative and the recipient will be delighted - especially when they hang the balloon garden up and it grows green and lush.

Grandmothers and grandfathers especially love this kid's craft idea - either to do with the kids (especially a granddad who is a gardening enthusiast) or just to receive a balloon garden craft as a gift. They will love that the kids will want to keep coming back to visit them and seeing how their balloon garden is growing.

When the balloon garden slowly dies off, it is a good opportunity to explain to your kids about the cycle of life, and to help them make a new balloon garden! Use this opportunity to teach them a variety of facts about nature, not only the cycle of life. Plants need water, fresh air, good soil etc. to grow. You can also work a lesson about seasons into this craft.

Enjoy your "Balloon Craft."

Magriet is a work at home "Gran" with websites on family related matters. Visit her insightful site about homeschooling at http://www.homeschooling.topknacks.com

She also have a site on Kids Crafts that is very related to homeschooling at http://www.kidscrafts.topknacks.com

You can also visit her fun website with easy science projects ideal for the homeschooler at http://www.learnerscience.com

Many of the kids crafts can be used for science lessons and many of the easy science fair projects will actually make fun kids crafts.

Kids Craft Activities - A Homeschool Perspective

One of the joys of homeschooling kids is being able to incorporate kids craft activities into their curriculum. Kids craftwork activities for ages 4 to 9 years, specifically sewing, is a fantastic way to aid the development of your child's fine motor skills. (Both Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner agree on this fact!) The amount of co-ordination needed to aim a needle at a particular spot appears to be huge. Despite this a 4 year old will soon manage without assistance. You'll be amazed at the skill really young children show when sewing.

It is best to start children off on a simple kids craft activity project that involves more threading and less stitching, until they get used to the needle. One of first Homeschool kids craft time projects we recommend is to make a "Homeschool Rainbow Snake". A Rainbow Snake is a needle threaded with about 30cm of thread. A knot is made at the end of the thread. A small piece of felt (2cm x 2cm) is threaded down to the knot. Then the child threads beads, bits of felt, buttons and bells until the thread is full. A small space is left at the top of the thread to tie off the snake and to tie a string at the top in order to hang the new "Homeschool Rainbow Snake".

Once a simple kids craft activity project is completed, small felt objects and animals can be made. The simpler the craft activity pattern the better.

Kids craft activities have many benefits, such as developing fine motor skills as well as definitely having a calming effect on most children. It's been my experience that children who usually struggle to concentrate can spend huge amounts of time crafting and sewing. It is not unusual for a child to spend up to 2 hours creating their masterpiece.

No matter what curriculum is being used. Whether it's a home school curriculum or a public school curriculum every child will benefit from having time spent on kids craft activities. Their imagination is engaged and as this happens their world is expanded. By using their imagination they are able to learn with ease. Isn't this what childhood is all about? Learning happens through play and fun kids craft activities.

To learn more about Kids Craft Time Activities, visit my site at Our Homeschool Journey for more information.

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A Paper Bag Craft – Sam the Sad, Sad Octopus

Your octopus doesn't have to be sad, but for some reason, Dot felt that ours was. Who am I to argue with and ar-TEEST?

We recently took a family trip to Seattle, and weeks later, Dot is still talking about the octopus we saw at the Seattle Aquarium.  We decided last week to make our own octopus.

Lunch-size paper bagMarkers or crayonsNewspaperGoogly eyesWhite glueRibbon/String A few simple craft supplies are all you need to make a paper bag octopus.

Crumple enough newspaper to fill the bottom of the paper bag about 1/3-1/2 way full.

Gather the bag below the stuffing and tie it off to make your octopus' neck.

Glue on some googly eyes, and draw in the rest of the face with your marker.

Cut the remaining part of the bag into eight pieces to make your octopus' legs. We drew on some suckers, too.

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Spooky House Pop-Up Cards

We don’t do scary around our house, but my girls do enjoy a little spooky fun this time of year. We recently spent an afternoon creating spooky house pop-up cards – it was so much fun!

I chose to prep a bunch of paper houses and set them out for the girls to decorate. Older kids could certainly learn this simple technique and make their own pop-up houses.

Here’s the simple how-to:

Step 1: Start with a rectangle-size piece of card stock or watercolor paper. Fold your paper in half, like a card. Make two cuts on the fold to create a flap. This will be the base of your house.

Step 2: Give the flap a good fold to the front and back, then pop it through to the inside of the card.

Step 3: With the first flap still tucked inside, cut another smaller flap on the upper fold only. This will be the second-story of the spooky house. Fold this new flap forward for a good crease, then pop it through to the inside of the card as well.

Here are a few of our houses, ready for decorating. You can experiment with cutting straight or slanted flaps. You could even try for a three-story house by cutting another flap!

Decorate your spooky houses any way you choose. We drew details with crayons, then painted our background with watercolors. Any combination of crayons, markers, paint, or collage would be fun.

Use a glue stick to add a paper roof and attach your house to a slightly larger piece of colored card stock.

If spooky houses aren’t your thing, you could make barns, castles, or gingerbread houses. Anything goes!

We’ll be dropping a few spooky house pop-up cards in the mail and the rest are providing excellent holiday mantel decor. Have fun!

Tagged as: cards, halloween craft, kids craft

Amy is happiest surrounded by her husband, two daughters, stacks of books, and craft supplies. With a background in psychology, early childhood education, and elementary teaching, Amy is a supporter of playing dress-up, digging in the dirt, and squeezing out puddles of glue. At her blog, Let’s Explore, Amy shares her family’s experiences creating, imagining, and playing together. Read other posts by Amy. Read other posts by Amy

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Saturday Spotlight: Halloween Fun

Marie LeBaron is the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes. Always having a love of crafts, she enjoys getting messy with glue and glitter. There’s always some sort of project going on, her kitchen counter is often cluttered with crafts. When she’s not crafting and creating with her kids, she loves to run, read, and blog! Read other posts by Marie

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Interesting Kids Craft Ideas - You Should Pay Attention To Them

Nowadays, a lot of adults are told to respect the ideas of their children. As you may know, it is very important for you to understand something about your kids indeed. You need to respect their ideas whenever they are trying to share something with you. If they are interested in sharing some ideas with you, this is actually a sign that they are interested in talking to you and you should grab the chance to talk to them and understand them more.

If you want you kids to be closer with you, you can try to ask them to generate some interesting kids craft ideas and you can try to make crafts with them using those ideas. These ideas would usually be quite innovative. It is because the mind of kids would not have a lot of restrictions due to the environment. They just know that they are going to tell everything that they know and they would not hide the truth. This is something that adults could hardly have indeed.

Therefore, whenever your kids give you some handmade craft ideas and declare an interest in making the products with you, you should try to search for information and try your best to create the products with them. This is a valuable chance for you to understand them more. In recent years, parents need to work busily and they will ignore their kids easily. Therefore, making craft works like mosaic tile craft could allow kids and parents to discuss and understand more about each other.

Sometimes, the crafts produced by the kids could be used as a kind of gifts for their friends as well. For example, some kids would like to make DIY products on their own and present the products to their friends as a kind of handmade birthday gift. This is innovative and this is unique so kids would not need to worry that someone else would give the same present to the friend.

During holidays, parents could search for methods to make free preschool crafts with their kids. In this way, you could teach your kids to be innovative and you can teach them to be brave in voicing out some of their innovative ideas in class when they attend schools later. This is regarded as a kind of art based education indeed.

Sometimes, directly lecturing your kids could be boring and your kids may hate that kind of feeling. But if you use the time of making craft to gradually tell them something you want your kids to know, your kids would not oppose to your words so easily and they will be happier in receiving your ideas. Therefore, you are strongly advised to find some time to make the crafts with your friends and you will surely experience the feeling that your kids will open up their minds to talk with you happily. This is something that all parents would love to have and you probably can have this kind of experience if you are willing to work hard to prepare for a DIY session with your kids.

More info at http://www.krafteebee.com/

Kid Crafts

Is your kid on vacation from his or her school? If yes, then it is time for you to introduce him or her to a creative hobby. One hobby that will keep him or her engaged and will keep his or her creative streak alive is the hobby of making kid crafts.

The kid crafts include attractive and playful things made of simple things like paper, paper or wood.

You can find various interesting and easy to do products which can keep your kid engaged. The activity of making kid crafts involve using obscure things like match sticks and colored rubber bands to make things that are really unique and are truly invaluable.

You can have your kid involved in making greetings card or friendship box. He/she would need some paper and some glitters to make beautiful cards for occasions like mother's day, father's day, Valentine's Day or friend's birthday.

You can also teach him/her the art of gift decoration for special occasions. Teach him/her how to use scissors, pencils, glue, ribbons, papers and glitters to make beautiful gift wraps.

There are a lot of websites and books that are filled with ideas to make kid crafts. These guides can help you to cultivate a creative hobby in your child.

If your kid starts to show some interest in kid craft making, make sure that you provide him or her with a new craft project everyday. Once he or she will successfully complete that task, he or she will get a sense of achievement. This will not only increase his or her confidence but will also help him or her to become self independent in the time to come.

So do not waste any time, introduce your kid to the hobby of making kid crafts and see him or her unleash his or her creativity.

Visit Crafts Advisor website to know more about creative kid crafts [http://www.craftsadvisor.com/little-kid-crafts-for-all-seasons/] or home crafts [http://www.craftsadvisor.com] for kids.

Black, Orange & GREEN: The Primary Colors of Halloween

Remember the ‘cool house’ that gave out full-size candy bars on Hallow’s Eve? I do, and once I got married I was determined to be “that house.” My husband thought it was ridiculous we were spending so much money on Trick-or-Treaters, but I hit up Costco and rationalized it was only one time a year. 

Fast forward a few years later. Now I’ve got my own little one (see our own version of “The Great Pumpkin” to your right), and for the most part we kept him candy-free until he turned two.  So how did I justify dolling out double serving sizes of chocolate covered goodness to other people’s children, when I was trying to teach my little one that raisins and fruit leather were a special treat?

Last year I thought I had found a decent compromise – candy bars and organic vegan fruit & nut bars that were packaged so delightfully, I think a few of the kiddos took them just based on looks. Not sure what happened to the bird-food after they got home to verify their spoils and discovered my mischievousness.

But this year I’m looking for something different, especially when you consider:

This generation of kids has a life expectancy that is shorter than their parents.The EPA considers that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all insecticides found in non-organically grown foods are carcinogenic.Over 6,000 synthetic chemicals are used in the processed-food industry.A 2004 study found that children’s behavior measurably improved after a one week diet without preservatives and artificial colors and dramatically worsened on the weeks they were given preservatives and artificial colors.Coco beans used for chocolate that are grown in full sun (as opposed to shade) are susceptible to disease and therefore require heavy doses of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.The chocolate industry has engaged in the use of child slaves and other unethical treatments of growers.Store-bought costumes, makeup and accessories may contain phthalates, cadmium, lead and other toxins.

-From “Green Halloween FAQ’s”

So I’ve been trying to find ways to make this year a less sugar crazed, more eco-friendly day (and month) of festivities. Fortunately I found it at Green Halloween – “a non-profit, grassroots community initiative to create healthier and more Earth-friendly holidays, starting with Halloween.” There are loads of ideas for making the holiday greener: from costume swaps and crafts, to ideas for neighborhood parties and ideas for ‘trick-or-treaters’ (yes,they mention tooth-brushes).

So in my search to still be a Cool Kid, I’m asking for your help, and offering up this month’s challenge. I’m not planning on overhauling our entire Halloween this year, but I do think a step in the right direction for our family starts at our doorstep. So what creative & GREEN treat ideas do you have for the little witches, ghosts and ghouls that visit us on the 31st?

**And if I may be so bold as to offer a “ps” since I won’t be seeing you until next month: It’s a good time to start thinking about, locating and ordering your heritage or locally raised turkeys for Thanksgiving!**

Tagged as: environment, green, Halloween, halloween treat

Sabrena is mom, yoga instructor, triathlete and barefoot runner with a passion for food and the environment. She writes the blog SuiteSpots, and resides in Salt Lake City with her husband and the master of disaster, their toddler Holden. Read other posts by Sabrena

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Ask Your Kids To Use Their Kids Craft Ideas To Make Toys On Their Own

Nowadays, a lot of people will find that it is quite difficult to earn a living especially if they have a kid at home. Many of the kids nowadays are so sophisticated that they will no longer lover to play toys and they will just want to play games like PSP games. This is something which could make parents feel very worried.

In fact, one of the reasons why kids are changing in this way is that they do not know that toys could be funny. If you want to make them think in this way, you should try to allow them to use their innovative kids craft ideas to make their own toys.

Yes, you can first discuss with your kids and ask them to provide some ideas about the toys that they are interested in playing. Then, you can try to search information on the internet with them regarding the materials needed to make some of the toys.

If they want to make dolls, the things that you need to prepare for them are definitely different from the things that you need to prepare for them when they are going to play some electronic toys. Therefore, it is very important for you to discuss this before finding something for your kids to make it.

Making toys is also one of the ideas that many parents nowadays would like to do. And many free preschool craft guides will teach people to make this kind of craft indeed. If your kids do not have a lot of ideas on the choice of design, you can ask them to read some online guides and get some ideas from those guides.

Sometimes, your kids may have plenty of different kinds of handmade craft ideas and some of them may not be really feasible. In that case, you can ask the reason why they want to include those ideas in the production of the toys. If they have special reasons which could touch you, you should try your best to think whether you can help them realize their dreams. Sometimes, nothing is impossible with a willing heart. You can always work hard to check whether there could be something useful for making the crafts if you are willing to search.

Nowadays, more and more kids are materialistic. They will not want to use some cheap products and they will think that expensive products could make them happy and feel proud when wearing it. In that case, you are strongly advised to use this kind of art based education to teach them that handmade crafts could also be interesting and they should never try to think in a way that money is the most powerful thing in this world.

You should let them understand that using various tools which could be found at home could also make something interesting, such as T-shirts, picture frames, etc. And you should ask your kids to work hard on these products and express their innovative kids craft ideas instead of indulging in materialistic world.

More info at http://www.krafteebee.com/

Paper Plate Caterpillar Craft

Have your kids been playing outside a lot this summer? They can bring the outdoors inside by making this fun, easy Creative Hands® Paper Plate Caterpillar Craft. You mostly need a small paper plate, craft foam sheets, poms and googly eyes.

You'll have tons of fun making this Creative Hands Paper Plate Caterpillar!

1 small paper plate

1 green foam sheet (5 ½ inches x 8 ½ inches)

1 red foam sheet (5 ½ inches x 8 ½ inches)

1 yellow foam sheet (5 ½ inches x 8 ½ inches)

1 orange foam sheet (5 ½ inches x 8 ½ inches)

2 small red poms (50 mm)

1 small yellow pom (50 mm)

2 googly eyes (1/2 inch)

1 bottle craft foam glue

1 bottle blue acrylic paint

1 paintbrush

1 hole puncher

1 scissors

1 pencil

paper towels or napkins

We love working regular household items like paper plates into projects.

Lay down the paper towels and paint the top of the paper plate blue. Let it dry for a few hours.

Projects that start off with painting are always fun!

Using the caterpillar template, trace and cut out six or seven body parts from the paper plate for your caterpillar, depending on how long you want your critter to be. Glue the parts together as shown. Let dry.

Make sure you put down enough napkins or paper towels. Paint can easily get messy.

Using the template, trace and cut out six or seven pairs of legs in the orange foam.

If you need help, ask an adult to cut out the legs for you.

Take the green, red and yellow foam sheets and punch out five to seven holes each, depending on how you want to decorate your caterpillar. Start gluing the foam dots to your caterpillar and glue the legs underneath. TIP: Keep paper towel scraps nearby in case you need to wipe away extra glue.

Give the caterpillar body enough time to dry before you start adding embellishments.

With the center of the plate—that should be the only part left over—cut out a small head or use the template. Decorate the head with 2 googly eyes, a small yellow pom for the nose and a red foam smile for the mouth. For the mouth, you also can use the template.

If you need help, ask an adult to cut out the mouth.

Using the template, trace and cut out the antenna in orange foam. Glue 2 small red poms to each end. Glue the antenna under the head. Then glue the head to the body and let dry.

Your Paper Plate Caterpillar is almost complete!

Now your Paper Plate Caterpillar Craft is finished! What other critter could you make out of paper plates?

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Aged Halloween Potion Bottle Labels

I’ve been working on spookifying my house for Halloween, and my favorite look has to be the vintage Halloween style. It’s somehow creepier if it’s old, right? Here’s how you can take ordinary household items and create vintage “potion” bottles for creepy ingredients like eye of newt and arsenic. And with a simple coat of spray paint, no one has to know the bottles are actually empty!

Supplies for Aged Potion Bottle Labels:

Glass bottles (try empty food bottles from the recycling bin, or pick something up at the thrift store for next to nothing!)Spray paint (optional)–I used Krylon’s Dual Paint + Primer in IvoryDigital Halloween labels, printed on card stock (find these all over the Internet, like here or here)ScissorsInstant coffee crystals or tea bags (coffee makes for a darker dye, and black teas work much better than herbal teas)Artist paint brushAdhesive (I used a strong double-sided tape)

1. Remove labels and wash and dry your bottles. Spray them with a coat or two of spray paint (so you don’t have to actually put anything in them!) or leave them clear.

2. Print vintage Halloween labels on card stock. There are many free images out there–try The Graphics Fairy or just search “Halloween labels” on Google images and you’ll find a ton to choose from! Some are already distressed for a vintage look. Print these for a quick and easy label. If you prefer a more realistic aged paper with some texture, continue on to the dying process.

3. To dye your labels, add a few teaspoons of instant coffee crystals or a tea bag to a small glass of hot water and allow to steep until the color is dark.
4. Cut our your vintage label image and crinkle it up in your hands. Unfold it and flatten it out.

5. Place your label on a folded paper towel to absorb any extra coffee or tea. Lightly dab your label with coffee or tea using your paint brush. Be careful not to drag the brush across the image–it may cause the ink to run or bleed. Some bleeding will probably occur, but not brushing it will provide a cleaner image. Continue dabbing label with dye until covered. Add more until it is your desired shade.

Blot with a paper towel and allow to dry. Repeat for each label.

6. Once your labels are dry, attach them to your painted bottles with a strong adhesive. I suggest a strong double-sided tape like Scor-Tape.

You might notice the “Potions” label in the picture does not look like the others. This is an example of a label that was already distressed–just print and cut! I found this one in the Silhouette store and cut it with my Silhouette machine.
Display bottles on a tray or as part of a larger display. They’re sure to add to the creepiness factor this Halloween!

Tagged as: Halloween, halloween craft, recycle

Little Birdie Secrets are a regular contributor to M&T and was born from the crafting obsession of friends living in the Pacific Northwest. From quilting to card making to baking, they love sharing tips, tricks, and tutorials to make crafting fun and easy. Visit them at http://www.littlebirdiesecrets.com/. Read other posts by Little Birdies

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Kid Crafts - How to Tame Craft Clutter

Crayons and paper and scissors . . . Oh my!

If kid craft clutter is making your house look like Nightmare in Munchkin Land.

If you find your house slippers are covered in ruby red glitter.

 

If you hope there's no place like YOUR home, then.

 

Perhaps what you need is an organizing Wizard?  Okay . . . enough of the Wizard of Oz parody!

 

Seriously though, every kid should be encouraged to be creative and enjoy arts and crafts. Despite the obvious benefits of keeping your kids entertained, childhood development experts agree that there is an actual benefit to children participating in arts and crafts. The benefits include: muscular development, general health and overall intelligence.

 

Extensive research has shown that children, who receive art lessons while they are still very young, grow up to be far more creative and imaginative as adults. Creativity and imagination are essential components for measuring IQ. Additionally, in the real world of business, there are advantages to having a creative mind. Creativity allows for innovation - something that is highly valued in the business world today.

 

I guess this means you need to know how to draw a box before you can think outside it?

 

It's not true that a messy area is the sign of a creative mind. In fact, research proves that living in chaos and clutter can actually hinder creativity, not help it.

 

Here are my tips for a well organized kid crafts area:


Have a special place for crafts (if space permits)
Have a place to store the different kinds of art and craft supplies
Make the supplies available and easy to get to
Make it easy for the kids (and you) to see what they have
Make it age-appropriate and safe
Make it easy to clean up
Make sure the kids have clear rules about clean up when they are done

I don't recommend letting kids craft in their bedroom because of the obvious mess as well as the potential lack of safety supervision. If you don't have sufficient space in your home to set aside a special craft corner, then make your craft supplies mobile so you can carry them around. The kitchen table is a great space to craft.

 

You can spend a lot of money on specialty products to store art and craft supplies. If you have the money to purchase these, great! However, if you're on a tight budget, you can use less expensive items or re-purpose things in your home. 

 

Need some ideas?


Use empty, clean vegetable or coffee cans and spray paint them in your favorite colors. You can personalize them by painting the kids' names on certain cans and labeling them for pens, crayons, etc.
Old canning jars make handy storage for yarn, string, stickers, buttons and other loose craft supplies.
Look around your house for small containers (plastic containers, baby food jars, etc.) for craft storage
You can even use the cardboard paper towel roll for storing ribbon and lace. Get creative!

The best rules for storing kid crafts are:


Make it fun
Make it colorful
Make it accessible (easy to get out and put back)

Using a little creativity and imagination, you and your kids can enjoy fun, peaceful times together building memories while creating and still maintain a decent amount of order and cleanliness.

These organizing tips are provided by Shelly Morton, professional organizer and owner of http://www.straighten-Up-Now.com

http://www.straighten-up-now.com/

Kid Crafts Help Your Child Develop Skills Early

Kid Crafts - Help your kids develop!

One of the best things you can do for your children is to give them a strong start to develop motor skills. Allowing them to learn and use crafts to engage these skills and those inquisitive minds is a great way to give them preparation for many of the challenges they will face as they grow up. A child's imagination is unlimited and you can help guide them in a direction that will give them a head start in life. In there early years kids are like sponges in the sense they soak up knowledge so quickly. One of the best gifts you can give your child is a chance to build on their creativity.

With your help they will learn colors, sizes, and shapes. With supervision they will learn gluing, cutting, painting. Drawing, copying from pictures, and learning to use tools, like rulers is another great way to help the kids gain the skills to succeed.

Allowing the kids to have play dates and organizing some crafts is a great way to teach them to work together.

Choosing crafts for the kids can be simple or challenging, depending on the time available. Are you planning a birthday party for a group of boy, girls, or a mixed group? How about something that is a fun craft to assemble and when done it is also fun to play with. Crafts can be a source of entertainment for any group. Find a fun craft that is something the kids will enjoy and be fun parent and yet give yourself some control of what the kids are doing. Easter, Halloween, Christmas are times for decorating and spending time with the kids. Imagine the fun, doing crafts that are special for the season. Take the time to watch and see if they have special talents, this may be your chance to encourage them and to help them grow these skills. Our children are our greatest assets not only for the parents but for the future of the country.

Ron is retired and involves himself in repurposing furniture

For more craft ideas for the kids visit [http://eazykidcrafts.com/wordpress]

Easy Kids Craft Ideas

Through craft making, children can be able to improve and develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It helps learn and explore the changes of objects as they create the crafts on their own. Basically, craft making is a good form of sensory play for children. Apparently, craft ideas for kids are relatively simple and easy. This is for better challenge and understanding appropriate for their age. As you read more of this article, you will learn more of some of the easy kids craft ideas that you can apply for your kids or even yourself if you are a beginner in craft making.

Easy kids craft ideas are best done every time there is an occasion be it special or an official holiday. Easter season is one of those special holidays where you can get bonding with your kids on the creation of their own kids crafts. This season is considered to be the best time of the year when kids should get involved with crafts because the celebration of Easter would always be crafty and funny to celebrate. One best idea is throwing a craft party in your house and invite some friends along and get involved in making those funny and creative kids craft.

There are plenty of easy kids craft ideas that you can choose from for your kids or the craft party. However, it is important to decorate first the Easter table for the convenience of the kids and the guests. You may cover the table with some pastel-colored construction papers or some card stocks of clear contact papers. If you have the time, you can also add on some cute placemats on the table. The placemats can be covered with some drawn Easter eggs or colorful stickers to make it more harmonious for the celebration. For more fun, you can also put some colorful or painted egg place holders on the table as well. Easter baskets can also be added on the table where all the materials needed for the craft making are put together for easier access of the kids.

Bunny finger puppets are great and easy kids craft ideas that you can create for the Easter celebration. It can easily be done by kids without the harm of too much cutting or usage of unsafe materials for kids. The puppets can be designed with whiskers, wiggly eyes and felt ears. Basket ideas are also great for kids crafts where it can be enhanced with some fuzzy and funny look. It can also be created into a baggy style with the proper following of directions of course. Easter cards ideas are also great for the celebration. Though it's the simplest form, it's the sweetest gift you can give to your loved ones. This idea is very practical since all you need is some stickers, markers or cardstocks. For more decorations, you can put in some extras like blue and pink rickrack.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Easy Kids Craft Ideas, please visit Working With Crafts Store for current articles and discussions.

St Patrick's Day Kids Crafts

Kids crafts are fun anytime of the year but during the holiday's they just seem to have extra excitement for the kids. Although some holidays are more fun than others, all holidays have a special appeal and are a great time to try out some new craft ideas. St. Patrick's Day is no exception. So get out the green and rainbow colors and let's have some fun with these St. Patrick's Day crafts for kids.

 

Sun Catchers

 

Sun catchers are always a favorite for many different craft ideas. But during St. Patrick's Day, these are the crafts for kids. That's because the rainbow is a typical symbol for St. Patty's Day. And of course a rainbow needs the sun to show off all the colors. Here are a couple of kids craft ideas for a rainbow sun catcher.

 

Sun Catcher Craft #1

 

Supplies

Large Plastic Lid (like from a tub of margarine or Ice Cream Container)
Colored Tissue Paper (in Rainbow Colors)
Elmer's Glue

Directions

Spread the glue generously around the plastic lid. Don't over do it as the thicker the glue the less sun will shine through.
Now tear small pieces of your first color and place it in the glue forming an arc for the rainbow.  Repeat with the other colors until your rainbow is complete.
Let the glue dry for at least 24 hours.  Then simply pop the rainbow craft out of the plastic lid.
Punch a hole in the top and thread it with string, yarn or ribbon for hanging. 

This rainbow kids craft idea will look great in your window and will "catch" the sun for a beautiful look.

 

Sun Catcher Craft #2

 

Supplies

Clear Contact Paper
Colored Streamers
Scissors

Directions

Place one sheet of contact paper (sticky side up) on the table. Now place your streamers on the contact paper in a shape of a rainbow. You will have to create some folds in the streamers to make an arc.
Now place the other piece of contact paper (sticky side down) on top to hold everything in place.
For a fun look to this kids craft idea, let the streamers hang down outside of the contact paper. This will add a fun and flowing look to your rainbow. You can also attach some shamrocks to hang down below the rainbow. 

Shamrock Kids Craft Ideas

 

St. Patrick's Day crafts would not be complete without a few shamrocks. These ideas can get you and your house green and bring you a bit of luck from the Irish.

 

Shamrock Craft #1

 

If you can't find any green clothes for St. Patty's Day, then make this simple shamrock pin for your green.

 

Supplies 

Green Construction Paper (in different shades of green)
Shamrock Template
Scissors
Safety Pin
Clear Acrylic Spray

Directions

Cut out three or four shamrocks in the different shades of green. Make each one slightly smaller than the first.
Glue all the shamrocks together with the largest at the back and smallest on top.
Poke the safety pin through the shamrocks or use hot glue to hold in place at the back. Now pin it on and be Irish for the day. 

Shamrock Craft #2

 

This is a shamrock tree craft. Okay, so shamrocks don't grow on a tree but this is a fun way to decorate your house for St. Patrick's Day.

 

Supplies 

Tree Branch
Green Craft Foam or Card Stock (use different shades of green)
Scissors
Hole Punch
String
Terracotta Pot or Container
Floral Foam

Directions

Look for a large branch outside that has several smaller branches coming off of it.
Place some floral foam in your container and stick the branch through the foam.
Now cut out several different shapes and sizes of shamrocks. Punch a hole through each one and tie it to your branch using string.

You can decorate your container in rainbow colors or make it look like a pot of gold.  This little shamrock tree will add lots of green to your St. Patty's Day decorations.

 

You can find kids craft ideas just about anywhere.  Look for craft books or online for your next crafting fun.

Check out these other St Patrick's Day Crafts for Kids.

Julie is the author and creator of Cool Kids Craft Ideas where you can find lots of crafts, coloring pages and more fun for kids.

Kids' Craft Ideas - Halloween Balloon Toys Crafts

Two free Kids' Halloween Crafts ideas!

If you can get two big balloons, one white and one black, then your kids will love these imaginative kids' Halloween crafts ideas we have for you to turn them into unusual Halloween toys or decorations.

Cute ghost kids craft idea with a white balloon

If your kids liked Casper the ghost they will enjoy this free kids' craft idea for making an adorable little ghost as a toy or a decoration for a Halloween party. It is very simple and cute.

What you need:


A big white balloon
Some white plastic grocery bags
Clear tape
A black marker
Blunt ended or rounded scissors

Give the kids some white grocery bags and ask them to cut out strips about an inch wide by about 8 inches long, avoiding any colored parts so that the strips are all white.

Blow up the balloon, tie a secure knot in the neck to prevent the air escaping, and then hang it up with string somewhere the children can reach it easily.

Draw spooky eyes and a mouth on the balloon to make a ghost. Now the kids can stick their white strips of plastic all around the bottom end of the balloon to make a floaty ghost effect. This kid's craft idea makes a great Halloween decoration!

Scary spider Kids Halloween crafts idea with a black balloon

Make a huge black spider for Halloween with this kids' craft idea.

What you need:


A big black balloon
4 long, black pipe cleaners
Some white-out (liquid paper)
A bit of string or yarn

Blow up the balloon so that it is only partially inflated, and tie a knot in it. Then make a twist in it so that you have a big ball and a little ball. The little ball will become the spider's head and should be at the end of the balloon with the opening.

Twist each pipe cleaner around the "neck" of the spider by folding it in half over the balloon and twisting tightly. (Adult help may be needed for this bit as the pipe cleaners have sharp ends that may burst the balloon!) Twist the pipe cleaner in such a way that they resemble the legs of a spider. If you have a careful look at a spider you'll notice that all legs are on the front part of the spider.

Your spider now has eight legs! Fold each leg to make it jointed. Using the white-out, paint scary eyes and fangs on the spider's face.

These balloon crafts are popular and fun free Kids' Halloween Crafts ideas for Halloween parties.

Get more Halloween Kid's Crafts when you visit Magriet's site Fun Kids Crafts

Simple Kids Crafts - Wood Projects

Are you in need of a few simple kids craft, consider wood projects. Simple kids crafts come in a variety of patterns, including paper crafting projects, mache, scrapbooking and beading, wood projects are not typically the first to come to mind. Don't worry, there are a number of easy and safe wood crafting projects that are great for children, and do not require any fancy or dangerous tools.

Simple Kids Crafts Build Confidence

There is no doubt that crafting is very popular and an excellent activity for children. It's fun and entertaining to work with your hands, and it helps the children express their creativity. Motor skills, and hand eye coordination are improved and a child develops a dexterity and connection with the project that is a wonder to behold. Creating unique pieces of art gives the children a sense of accomplishment and pride, and seeing the satisfied smiles on their face is a reward in itself.

Wood Craft Projects Are Easy

There are quite a few interesting and easy wood crafting projects that are appropriate for kids. For many reason, woodworking projects have been closed in schools, and unfortunately this has closed access for kids to what can be a very rewarding and creative activity. Unlike some other craft creations, a woodworking project will stand the test of time, and each completed project is a completed memory that they will be able to take with them for years to come.

The Key To Children's Wood Projects

But children of a young age shouldn't work with dangerous saws, nails and other woodworking tools you say? That is entirely true, and I don't recommend anyone strapping an adult tool belt on their 5 year olds waist! The answer to this woodworking dilemma is the dowel system. There are countless woodworking projects that are pre-formed, requiring no cutting or sanding. One need simply buy the woodworking set and connect the pieces of the project.

A common woodworking project is to create a key holder. This can be done, simply, safely and is also very functional. Your child can be involved in creating something that is not only gazed upon, but contributes to the families activities day in and day out. Depending on your child's age, you can get fancy by staining or painting the completed project.

Simple Projects for Older Kids

For older children interested in working with wood, you can resort to classic wood projects such as mailbox making or tree houses. These projects might require a little more supervision but the results can be very rewarding.

Whatever simple kids crafts you choose, remember that you are not just killing time, but creating quality memories of time spent together. Wood working, scrapbooking, beading, whatever the case may be, you will remember these moments with your loved ones for years to come.

Feel the satisfaction of working with your hands and creating beautiful simple craft projects.

Check out the definitive location for craft ideas, bead supplies, scrapbooking materials and more... check out the hundreds of quality craft kits and get started creating today!

Why Kids Crafts Are Important

Crafting is one of the most interesting hobbies one can enjoy. Many adults enjoy different types of crafts, such as sewing, knitting, and scrapbooking. However, crafts should not only be enjoyed by adults, but children should also be encouraged from a young age to be involved in craft making.

Children can reap many benefits from making crafts. By making crafts, children can build their imagination. This is very important for the children's development. Apart from having endless fun, they can express themselves creatively and achieve the sense of accomplishment. There are many types of easy kids crafts that children can enjoy. Crafts that involve drawing, coloring, painting, cutting, gluing, and even stamping can excite children. Parents should not be afraid of their children making mess. Simple precautions like lining the floor with old newspaper or old cloth, or even having their children wear old clothes should do the trick. Buy paints that are lead-free, do not stain and safe for children. Older children can handle more complicated crafts, such as sewing, knitting or carpentry. Most of the children who enjoyed making crafts as a child will usually enjoy them as they grow up and become adults.

Making crafts can help children learn educational values, such as learning more on mathematics by identifying shapes and sizes. They will be able to learn more about colors and shapes, learn how to measure using a ruler, and practice drawing and coloring. These activities allow them to express themselves better, thus helping them deal with the problem they might have in school. Many professional psychologists analyze children's drawings to understand them better. Children who enjoy making crafts also have great hand-eye coordination and motor control. They will be able to do things like drawing an animal by copying from a book or even imitating what their teachers are demonstrating in art classes. Apart from that, they are also able to think faster and make decisions quicker, hence making them smarter.

Parents can organize birthday parties and have their children invite their friends and have craft-making activities. Easy kids craft such as making party hats, friendship bracelets or simple origami like paper planes should be a hit with the children. Let the children make crafts together and encourage them to exchange them. Crafts like friendship bracelets should be perfect for this. The children can learn the value of friendship and this will help them communicate better. Parents can also join their children and make crafts together, like making a huge collage of the family photos. Frame it and hang it where everyone can see it. Each time anyone asks about it, be proud and tell him or her how a lot of the works were done by the children. Any child will feel happy, knowing that their parents are very proud of them.

Making crafts together is a great opportunity for parents to spend more time with their children. Parents and children will definitely interact more, and they will get to know each other better. Parents should not feel that they are not creative enough to make crafts. There are many types of craft to make and there is bound to be something for everyone. Craft making should be a joyful activity for the whole family.

Katelyn Grace Willett is the busy mother of two boys. She gets free kid crafts ideas from KidCraftClub.net. She, also, suggests having your kids join a free kids forum to exchange ideas with other kids! Her favorite kids forum is BeTweenTalk.com

Make a Simple DIY Wreath Hanger

Is it just me…or do you end up having more than one wreath for each holiday? I love to craft…so I usually end up making a new wreath each year. The problem is… I only have one front door. This year I decided it would be fun to hang a wreath in my vignette and I think it added the perfect touch!

I searched my house for supplies and this is what I cam up with. These are super easy and very inexpensive to make…. let’s get started shall we?

Supplies:

Wooden Base (circle or square)Finial Topper (found from HD)Large wooden Dowel (I cut mine down to 20 in)Wire hangerMetal CutterSpray Paint

The first thing you’ll want to do is drill a hole into the wooden base. Make sure your drill bit is the same size as your wooden dowel. Also make sure to not go all the way through (about 3/4 of the way) the wood.

Next you’ll grab some “strong glue” and put a little glue in your hole. Then push your wooden dowel in and hold for about a minute or so.

Then snip off the top of a wire hanger with wire cutters and glue to the vertical side to the dowel.

Finally you’ll glue the finial to the top of the dowel. Then once it’s dry give it a few coats of your favorite color of spray paint and you’re good to go! Pretty simple huh!?

This wreath hanger ended up only costing me THREE BUCKS! I saw one in Pottery barn last year for $80! Crazy huh?!  These are super easy and they look great on your vignette with your holiday decor! You can find the yarn wreath tutorial here if you’d like to make that as well.

Who’s ready for Halloween now?!

Tagged as: diy, wreaths

Jamielyn created I {Heart} Nap Time where she shares her creativity, DIY Projects, crafts, sewing tutorials and recipes. Jamielyn enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 little ones in Phoenix Arizona. Join her on Facebook or Twitter.  Read other posts by Jamielyn

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Snickerdoodle Recipe to Make with Kids

Seriously, how did I not know about this!?

I’ve always heard of snickerdoodles, but I had NO IDEA how good they really are.  Now, my how family is aware, and we’ll likely be using this snickerdoodle recipe many, many times.  The cookies stayed soft for days, even when left out in the air.

1/2 cup butter1 1/2 cups flour1 cup sugar1 egg1/2 tsp vanilla1/4 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp cream of tartar (Yes, there is something other than home made play dough that uses cream of tartar!)2 TBS sugar1 tsp ground cinnamon How to make snickerdoodles.

Beat the butter on med-high for about 30 seconds before adding half of the flour, the sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Then add the rest of the flour and beat it all together.

In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

Roll your dough into 1-inch balls and then roll them around in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Place the balls two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 11 minutes at 375 degrees (F). The edges will brown slightly.

Cool your snickerdoodles on a wire rack (or, you know, whatever).

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