Create Craft
THESE CRAFTS FOR KIDS WILL CURE SUMMER BOREDOM — NO TV REMOTE REQUIRED
After eight years of parenting, I am aware that, besides playing board games as a family, having a well-stocked craft closet is one of the best playtime safety nets. It’s useful to have a few tried-and-true hands-on activities I can pull out at a moment’s notice to keep my kids engaged while also stimulating their creativity when bad weather thwarts my best-laid park plans or a low-grade fever keeps our family indoors.
As much as I’ve attempted to be the Pinterest-perfect DIY parent, I’ve come to appreciate the advantages of pre-made painting and craft kits. They are excellent choices for people who are short on time yet want to restrict their tablet use, and they are the ideal starting point for people who don’t have a lot of school supplies or don’t know a pipe cleaner from a glitter glue stick. Additionally, several are designed to teach your budding Picasso more talents than you might imagine.
I sought the advice of a teacher and a children development specialist over the top kid-friendly crafts now available. In order to make sure our selections are also kid-approved, I also included some of my child’s personal favourites. Continue reading for our list of the top ten kid-friendly crafts to give your children for endless hours of amusement.
1. Crayola Model Magic Modeling Clay
There are many wonderful things about sculpture in general. It improves sensory development, and working with clay helps with problem-solving and spatial awareness.
And the best of the best in clay is Crayola’s non-toxic Model Magic clay. Children can easily use and mould it since it is lighter, softer, and more malleable than traditional clay, according to Katilynn Blyth, a childhood development specialist and the creator of Happy Day Play, a data-driven early learning resource.
It comes in a variety of vivid colours that can be combined to create new tones, but it can also be painted with tempera or acrylic paints after drying for an additional, simple layer of creativity!
Even today, Model Magic remains my preferred clay. Even though my older children can’t make many intricate details, we all enjoy that I don’t have to “bake” their creations in the oven or, more impossibly, fire them in a kiln. Creations can be kept and displayed without the use of any additional processes or tools since Model Magic air dries.
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2. WikkiStix Waxed Yarn
There aren’t many reasonably priced craft projects your kids can work on while riding in the backseat, flying, eating in a restaurant or waiting in queue. The adorable exception is WikkiStix.
WikkiStix offer countless opportunities for play because they are made of non-toxic, food-grade wax (the same kind used in lipstick and bubble gum!). “Children can bend, twist, and shape the sticks into various forms,” claims Blyth. They don’t require glue, scissors, or any other additional adhesive to stick together, unlike many traditional craft materials. All it takes is a little fingertip pressure!
Since the sticks can be shaped into letters, numbers, and shapes, WikkiStix have also been used as a school teaching tool and as a fidget toy to help kids focus. This is simple to pack in a tote bag or glove box due to its handy take-along size and storage tube. And because it’s reusable—they can be separated, bent, and moved around numerous times—you can be sure that your child will always have access to a creative project.
3. WATINC Hand Puppet Making Kit
I’ve long realised that any felt-based craft is guaranteed to be successful. Compared to more typical materials, the texture of the cloth provides a novel sensory experience, and my kids have loved using it at almost every age. It’s simple to join in on the felt action with this hand puppet kit.
Additionally, it provides children with an abundance of inventive design options to experiment with. Although you might need to pull out the glue gun for a more long-lasting solution, this kit includes simple sticky dots to utilise because glueing felt isn’t always the easiest. However, this craft project would probably be most successful when done as a family activity, with parents helping with the building or perhaps making their own puppets, along with their children.
What are the advantages of taking the time to create hand puppets? Even after the project is over, it’s not over. “Hand puppets offer opportunities for social interaction and emotional expression,” claims Blyth. Children can use puppets for storytelling and role-playing after they have been made, which promotes communication skills, increases empathy, and allows kids to express their thoughts through play.
4. Veggie Baby Finger Paints
It can be intimidating to allow your toddler experiment with this activity when they seem mainly interested in ingesting the materials, even if Blyth promotes the perfect “sensory experience” that comes with finger painting. At this point, I almost prohibited finger painting unless I was in the ideal emotional state and had the rapid reflexes required to prevent my one-year-old from putting her painted fingers in her mouth.
Veggie Baby is now taking care of us. The natural, organic vegetables used to manufacture the eco-friendly finger paints make them enjoyable, simple to use, and even tasty. It’s safe for kids to eat even tiny amounts of paint while experimenting with their fingers, according to Blyth.
Simply mix two teaspoons of water with one teaspoon of the powder they come in to make “paint.” When you see the rich, authentic colours that emerge, the extra effort is more than worthwhile. For individuals who wish to prioritise sustainability and lessen their family’s environmental effect, it’s a really wonderful solution.
5. TOYLI Window Glitter Paint Suncatchers
Although window paint suncatchers appear to be simple art projects, they actually provide a hidden STEM learning opportunity. Children may investigate the chemistry underlying suncatchers and see how various colours interact with sunlight to produce vibrant patterns around the room, in addition to learning about colour mixing, according to Blyth.
My children, who are 6 and 8 years old, both enjoyed making a dozen TOYLI suncatchers, but it’s unquestionably more exciting for painters who want to get better. If they are up for the effort, the small size, narrow parts and thin window paint call for precise painting, which can be fantastic practise. Although Blyth advises giving them a few brushes, they are free to choose to utilise the bottles alone. They hone their grip, finger control, and hand movements as they handle the paintbrush and apply paint to the proper regions, according to Blyth.
Whatever the outcome, they make wonderful gifts for classmates, and unlike many crafts, they at least don’t take up any counter space if they all stay in your home!
6. SCS Direct Fuse Bead Super Kit
When I was younger, I was really enamoured with Perler beads, which are tiny plastic beads organised on a pegboard and then fused and ironed into a solid design. This “off-brand” version works just fine, even if you can happily still pick up a tub of them from your neighbourhood craft store (nostalgia alert!).
This Fuse Bead kit is preferred by Danielle Bettmann, a professional parenting coach and former elementary school teacher, since it includes tweezers to improve fine motor skills and because the organisation of the beads by colour results in a more pleasurable activity that is yet open-ended.
It’s important to strike a careful balance between needing adequate direction and being inspired, she explains. Craft kits with a huge variety of materials are excellent, but they can often leave kids feeling disoriented and unsure of where to begin. Most of the time, these beads come with a few shape moulds, colour templates, or a booklet of ideas to get them started, but the final design is entirely up to them.
7. The Original Spirograph Deluxe Set
Spirographs provide the ideal fusion of beauty and science. The straightforward plastic tools help kids learn fundamental geometric ideas like symmetry, forms, and patterns while they make their designs. They are able to see rotational concepts, angle relationships, and curves, according to Blyth. “This practical geometry experience fosters the visual understanding of mathematical ideas,”
I assure you that it isn’t too much for young minds to process. When I was a child, I had a spirograph set, and while I recall making elaborate images with it, what I remember most is how calm it made me feel. The tool’s repeated nature offers a calming, soothing impact. This advantage has also been noted by Blyth: “Children can engage in this activity to unwind, practise mindfulness, focus on the present moment, and discover a sense of peace.
Beyond that, the finished goods are very stunning without being exact replicas of what is shown on the package. Every single time, a new design emerges.
8. ZMLM Rainbow Scratch Paper Art Set
Do you want to start from scratch? Rainbow Scratch Paper is the ideal substitute for colouring books if you find them to be a little too unimaginative. With the wooden stick stylus that is included in the package, you may scratch away the top layer of the 50 sheets of black paper to reveal your design underneath, which is coloured in a rainbow. A distinctive stained-glass look is the end result.
Rainbow Scratch Paper comes highly recommended by Bettmann due to its “satisfying, open-ended process” and element of surprise. She said, “I also love when the product becomes a ‘new frontier’ on which to inspire creativity,” pointing out that the scratch paper offers a fresh way to use an already-possible talent. “Like drawing with a new tool on a new surface.”
The bundle also comes with a few stencils, which were helpful for my kids because they struggled to come up with ideas when they initially received the scratch paper.
9. Melissa & Doug Spill-Proof Paint Cups
It may seem like you’ve switched from one dirty, stressful art activity to another when your children are ready to move on from finger painting to wielding a paintbrush. With these spill-proof paint cups, Melissa & Doug, a company renowned for its high-quality, developmentally oriented toys, provides a superior answer.
This basic bundle of four is ideal: Each cup has a unique cover that, even if it is knocked over, keeps the paint inside from dripping or spilling. Additionally, they include sealable tops for simple cleanup and long-term storage.
They also help emerging artists.
They allow young children to paint more independently, according to Blyth. The lids on the cups make it possible for children to dip brushes or sponges into paint without adult assistance, fostering independence and promoting self-directed creative discovery.
10. L.O.L. Surprise! Made by Me Easy-to-Knot Quilt Making Kit
I was certain that my then six-year-old would not be able to complete this Made by Me quilting kit when it was given to us. While still providing my child with enjoyable challenges, this no-sew option turned out to be far simpler to use than anticipated.
The manufacturer proposes four various knotting ways to attempt; there is even a brief but helpful YouTube video instruction on each one, from a double-weave to a zigzag pull to a braided design. Younger children can stick to the basic knot tie-and-tuck method.
With seven distinct colours among the pre-cut fabric squares and those several knotting options, the final design—a patchwork fleece blanket they can actually use—is completely up to the creator.
“I love when products provide a wide range of examples and possible outcomes, where the child can make a number of choices to individualise the end result,” says Bettman. The more distinctive the work, the more “valuable” it is.
It was a true basic skill that opened the door to more sewing endeavours and eventually work with a needle and thread as well!