12 easy craft ideas for kids

You don’t have to go the local art shop and load your car with expensive craft kits and supplies to occupy your little one. Kids have huge imaginations which means that even the most basic of materials can provide hours of entertainment!

So using bits and pieces from around the house and, of course, the basics like glue and glitter follow our simple craft ideas to keep them amused.

These aren’t the fussy kind of activities that involve endless lists of materials and instructions – no, they are simple, easy and extremely effective. They provide great bonding time for you and your child and then when it gets to the easy/messy bits like painting you can leave them to it and well… enjoy a moment’s peace.

1. Blow art
This is an easy-peasy, little bit messy way of keeping your little one occupied. Just put small amounts of soluble paint onto a piece of paper then let your child blow it around to create swirly patterns. It’s probably wise to put down some newspaper first if you don’t want your kitchen table redecorated.

2. Make a snow jar

This is a lovely ornament to make with your little one that they can always keep.

You will need

• an old jar with a screw-lid top
• waterproof glue
• wallpaper paste
• glitter
• oil paints
• small toys and ornaments (anything you have lying around!)

Instructions

1. Start by glueing small toys and ornaments to the lid of the jar with the waterproof glue and create a pretty landscape.
2. Paint the back of the jar white to create a snowy background.
3. Let the paint dry and then fill the jar with water - add a teaspoon of wallpaper paste and a good helping of glitter. Stir it all and allow to settle.
4. Put the lid on and turn the jar upside down and shake!

3. Pasta decorations

Have you got some old pasta lying in the back of the cupboard? Get it out and help your child make some pasta decorated ornaments.

You will need

• Dried pasta
• PVA glue
• White vinegar
• Food colouring
• Plastic sandwich bag

Instructions

1. You don’t have to do this part but if your want to brighten up the pasta ornament place the dried pasta pieces in a plastic sandwich bag. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and 2-3 drops of a food colouring. Close the bag and have your little one shake it until the pasta is covered and coloured beautifully (warning: be careful!)
2. Leave the pasta to dry on a paper towel.
3. Now with some old ornaments or a paper plate and PVA glue let your child get decorating! Alternatively they could string together pieces of pasta to make a pretty necklace for you and yes you will have to wear it everywhere.

4. Create a rainbow crayon

If your child has managed to successfully break all their old crayons just help them to gather up the pieces – you can make this part a ‘crayon treasure hunt’ around the house.

Then let your child arrange all the old scraps of crayon into a muffin tin that you have pre-oiled. Then pop in the oven until the crayons melt and allow to cool.
Your little one will be so excited at the rainbow crayon they have created they will probably spend the rest of the day on ‘art projects’ so you to get on with other stuff.

5. Colourful carnation

This craft is great fun for kids but has educational value too. You can show them how flowers ‘drink’ water to live.

You will need

• white carnation flower
• scissors
• two glasses
• water
• red and blue food colouring

Instructions

1. Take the white carnation and cut its stem lengthwise up the plant from the bottom to about half way.
2. Fill the glasses with water and add a few drops of red food colouring to one and blue in the other.
3. Put the glasses next to each other and place one half of the carnation’s stem in each glass.
4. You might have to wait a couple of days but slowly your child will see that the carnation has been sucking up the water and is turning multi-coloured.

6. Polish pennies

Ok, this doesn’t sound like the most thrilling of crafts but kids love doing simple, repetitive and effective tasks.

Spend some time with your little one rooting around for old change and discussing what all the different coins are. Then get cleaning! Place a coin in a cup and add lemon juice until it covers the penny. After five minutes take it out and rub it off with a paper towel – the penny will magically brighten! Keep going until all the pennies are clean.

You can try to explain the science behind it depending on your child's age. Explain that the penny is made from copper which mixes with oxygen in the air until a nasty coating of something called ‘oxide’ builds up. Then the acid in the lemon juice burns away the oxide.

7. Egg carton caterpillar

Kids love to make toys that they can play with and this is a really cute and easy craft without all the fiddly bits.

You will need

• one egg carton
• paint
• pipe cleaner
• glue
• googly eyes
• scissors

Instructions

1. Get rid of the egg carton cover and then cut the bottom half of the carton lengthwise until you have two ‘caterpillar’ shapes.
2. With your child spend time painting both halves with lots of bright colours and patterns.
3. Cut a suitable length of pipe cleaner for the caterpillar’s antennae and make little holes in the egg cup that your little one can poke the cleaner through.
4. Finally get them to glue the googly eyes onto the head.
5. Cue: hours of playing with the caterpillars.

8. Make a mask and stage a show

Masks are so much fun for kids to play with – they can pretend to be all sorts of characters and put on a show for you to watch. You can play imagination games with them getting them to ‘act’ as different creatures would and if you make the masks yourselves there are even more hours of entertainment involved.

You will need

• paper
• crayons
• scissors
• a stapler
• elastic

Instructions
1. Draw a mask template onto the paper or print out a template from a website and cut it out including some eye holes. This website has lots to choose from.
2. Staple the elastic to one side of the mask then measure it on your child’s head so you can work out how where you just staple the other end of the plastic.
3. There you have it - an instant mask ready for their breathtaking theatrical performances.

9. A creative collage

This one is so simple and easy but will take them hours of careful concentration freeing you up for the afternoon! Just collect together lots of cuttings from magazines, old materials, ribbons – anything you can get your hands on - you could even have them collect leaves from the garden.

Then with some kids glue let them create a collage with all the pieces. You can give them some themes to add to the challenge like a special spring collage or a Christmas wonderland.

10. Pressed flower cards

Pressing flowers is one of those timeless activities that kids have always enjoyed – I’m sure you did it when young!

You will need

• flowers
• a book
• A4 card
• glue

Instructions

1. Go and collect some pretty flowers from the garden – have your child choose lots of varieties with interesting shapes and colours.
2. Take them back inside let your little one place them inside a big, thick book one by one. Then shut up the book and put some weights on top of it. They’ll now have to wait about a week (let them have a peek every day if they really insist).
3. After a week the plants should be flattened but still pretty and colourful and create the perfect decoration for cards that your child can make.
4. Fold some A4 card in half and let them decorate the front with the flowers. Brush just a thin layer of glue on the paper where they want the plants to go and then place them very delicately – this will be a skilful art for your little one to practise. 
5. Give cards to relations who will praise your child’s creative genius.

11. Life-sized self-portrait

Ok this one involves getting hold of a some large paper or you could sellotape some A3 sheets together. Then get your child to lie down on the paper while you draw around their body. Then let them do the same for you – just don’t get insulted if they can’t quite follow and make you look twice your size!

Then give them lots of felt tips and crayons to fill in the outlines. Let them add the face, clothes and body parts. It's brilliant - life-sized portraits will keep them occupied for so much longer!

12. Pinecone bird feeder

You and your child can make this easy bird feeder and then spend the afternoon watching for birds in the garden.

You will need

• pinecone
• bird seed
• peanut butter
• twine
• butter knife or wood craft sticks

Instructions

1. Take the pinecone and attach the twine into a loop by tying it around a few sections at the top.
2. Place the pine cone on a paper towel and have you child cover all its crooks and crannies with peanut butter.
3. Get them to sprinkle bird seed over the whole thing until it is completely covered (embrace the mess!)
4. Hang it up in the garden and watch.
5. Alternatively you could use an apple core.