Crafting with kids is not just about keeping them busy; it’s a delightful way to spark their creativity and teach them valuable skills.
From simple materials found around the house to more structured kits, these 20 fun kids crafts are designed to engage little minds while providing a joyful outlet for self-expression.
Get ready to gather your supplies and watch as your children create masterpieces that are educational and entertaining!
1. Painted Rock Animals
Transform ordinary rocks into delightful animal companions with this creative craft!
Start by gathering some smooth river stones, which you can find here. Let your kids unleash their imagination as they paint these stones with vibrant colors using kid-friendly paintbrushes, available here. Whether they choose to recreate their favorite animals or invent fantastical creatures, this craft not only sharpens their painting skills but also sparks their storytelling abilities as they come up with names and backstories for their creations.
Once the paint is dry, you can protect their masterpieces for outdoor display by applying a sealant spray, which can be purchased here. These painted rocks can then add a whimsical touch to your garden or serve as playful paperweights, keeping your little ones engaged and creative for hours!
Product Recommendations:
2. DIY Friendship Bracelets
Crafting friendship bracelets is a classic activity that not only sparks creativity but also nurtures social skills among children.
With a friendship bracelet-making kit, kids can explore a variety of colorful threads, beads, and even recycled materials while learning different knotting techniques. This engaging craft promotes fine motor skills and patience as they carefully design their unique accessories.
To enhance the experience, consider using colorful embroidery threads that add vibrancy to their creations. Don’t forget to have some craft scissors on hand for cutting and finishing touches! Encourage them to make matching bracelets for friends or family, fostering a deeper sense of connection and kindness in the process.
Product Recommendations:
• friendship bracelet-making kit
3. Paper Mâché Craft Creations
Unleash your child’s creativity with the exciting world of paper mâché!
Using old newspapers and a simple glue mixture, kids can craft anything from vibrant masks to decorative bowls. To get started, consider investing in a paper mâché kit that includes all the essentials they need for their crafting journey.
Enhance their experience with white glue for a strong adhesive, and equip them with high-quality paintbrushes to apply their artistic flair.
Once their creations are dried, let their imaginations run wild as they use acrylic paints to bring their unique pieces to life. If they’re making shapes like bowls or masks, don’t forget to grab some balloons for shaping to help them create fun and whimsical forms!
Product Recommendations:
4. Nature Collage Art
Bring the beauty of the outdoors inside with nature collage art!
During a family walk, gather leaves, flowers, and other natural materials to use in your creations. With glue sticks, kids can arrange and adhere these items onto art paper, crafting stunning collages that reflect their environment. This engaging activity not only promotes an appreciation for nature but also enhances artistic skills, allowing children to explore color and texture in a creative way.
Don’t forget to include some scissors for cutting and shaping materials, making the process even more enjoyable. To kickstart your adventure, consider using a nature exploration kit to help identify and learn about the different plants they find, adding an educational twist to the fun!
Product Recommendations:
5. Recycled Material Sculptures
Transform everyday trash into stunning treasures with recycled material sculptures!
Gather items such as plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, and tin cans, and watch your children’s creativity soar as they design and construct unique sculptures. This engaging craft not only fosters imaginative play but also teaches valuable lessons about recycling and environmental responsibility.
To enhance their creations, consider using assorted recycled craft supplies that will inspire even more innovative designs. A glue gun with safety features is perfect for securely assembling the various materials, ensuring a safe crafting experience. Don’t forget to equip your little ones with craft scissors for easy cutting and shaping of their sculptures.
Once the sculptures are complete, your kids can paint and decorate them, adding another layer of fun to this educational activity!
Product Recommendations:
• assorted recycled craft supplies
• glue gun with safety features
6. DIY Tie-Dye T-Shirts
Unleash your child’s creativity with DIY tie-dye t-shirts, a fun and vibrant way to make unique fashion statements!
All you need are some plain white cotton t-shirts and a tie-dye kit filled with colorful fabric dyes. Kids can twist, fold, and secure their shirts using rubber bands to create mesmerizing designs.
As they experiment with colors and patterns, they’ll not only express their personal style but also learn about color mixing and design principles. Don’t forget to provide them with plastic gloves to keep their hands clean while they work! Once the shirts are dry, they can proudly wear their custom creations or gift them to friends, spreading joy and creativity all around.
Product Recommendations:
7. Homemade Playdough Fun
Engage your child’s senses with the delightful experience of making homemade playdough that they can mold and shape!
This easy recipe requires just a few simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and food coloring, allowing kids to create their own vibrant playdough in any color they can imagine. The process of measuring and mixing these ingredients is a fun and educational activity that teaches essential skills.
Once the dough is ready, children can use a variety of tools, such as a cookie cutter set and a rolling pin, to craft imaginative shapes and figures. Don’t forget to store their creations in storage containers to keep their playdough fresh for future fun!
Product Recommendations:
8. Easy Origami Animals
Introduce your little ones to the delightful world of origami with easy-to-make origami animals!
With a vibrant origami paper set, children can explore simple folding techniques to craft charming creatures such as cranes, frogs, and dogs. This engaging craft not only enhances their dexterity and concentration but also provides a rewarding sense of achievement as they complete each unique design.
To further enrich their experience, consider adding a step-by-step origami instruction book for kids that guides them through various projects.
Encourage your kids to unleash their creativity by making an entire zoo of origami animals to proudly display or share as thoughtful gifts with friends. Don’t forget to let them personalize their creations with decorative markers for an extra touch of flair!
Product Recommendations:
• step-by-step origami instruction book for kids
9. Colorful Paper Plate Masks
Unleash your child’s creativity with colorful paper plate masks that can transform them into any character they desire!
With paper plates, non-toxic paints, and various craft supplies, kids can design their very own masks representing animals, superheroes, or even fantastical creatures.
This engaging craft not only encourages imaginative play but also fosters storytelling skills, allowing children to embody their creations in exciting ways.
Once they’ve decorated their masks, they can put on a mini play or puppet show to showcase their characters, making for hours of fun and educational entertainment. Don’t forget to secure those masks with some handy elastic bands for a perfect fit!
Product Recommendations:
10. Sensory Bottles
Create calming sensory bottles that are both visually stimulating and relaxing for your little ones!
Using clear plastic bottles, kids can fill their creations with a delightful mix of glitter, colorful beads, and vibrant food coloring. This fun craft not only enhances fine motor skills but also serves as a calming technique for children during overwhelming moments.
Encourage them to experiment with different combinations of materials to observe how the contents interact, making each sensory bottle a unique masterpiece! And don’t forget, you’ll need some water to bring it all together!
Product Recommendations:
• glitter
11. DIY Garden Markers
Add a personal touch to your garden with DIY garden markers!
Using popsicle sticks or stones, children can unleash their creativity by painting or writing the names of the herbs and plants they are growing. This fun craft not only encourages artistic expression but also immerses kids in gardening knowledge, teaching them about plant care and responsibility.
To create vibrant and long-lasting designs, consider using waterproof paint or permanent markers. Once these markers are crafted, they will help children easily identify their garden plants, allowing them to take pride in their green thumb.
If you’re starting a garden from scratch, don’t forget to grab some seed packets for planting to get the whole experience going!
Product Recommendations:
12. Felt Storytelling Board
Encourage your little ones to dive into the world of storytelling with a customizable felt storytelling board!
By using felt sheets in various colors, children can craft unique scenes and characters that bring their imaginative tales to life. This engaging activity not only nurtures their creativity but also enhances their narrative skills as they invent and share their stories with others.
To make the crafting process even smoother, be sure to have some scissors on hand for cutting out shapes, and fabric glue to secure their creations. For those who need a little inspiration, a storytelling prompts book can provide fun ideas to spark their imagination.
The tactile nature of felt allows for endless possibilities, making it an exciting craft that combines storytelling with play!
Product Recommendations:
• scissors
13. Color-Changing Slime
Make science exciting with a captivating craft: color-changing slime that will keep your kids entertained for hours!
Using clear glue, baking soda from this link, and some color-changing pigments, children can create their very own slime that shifts colors when it’s stretched or squeezed.
Not only does this craft provide endless squishy fun, but it also introduces kids to fundamental chemistry concepts such as reactions and polymers.
Encourage them to experiment with a variety of colors and textures, making their slime uniquely theirs, and don’t forget to have some mixing bowls on hand for easy preparation!
Product Recommendations:
14. Handprint Art Projects
Capture precious moments with delightful handprint art projects that parents will cherish for years to come!
With the use of non-toxic acrylic paint, kids can unleash their creativity by crafting handprint animals, vibrant flowers, or even intricate family trees on canvas or paper. This engaging craft not only fosters artistic expression but also encourages meaningful family bonding, as parents can easily join in on the fun.
To keep little ones clean during this colorful activity, don’t forget to equip them with children’s aprons. Once the masterpieces are dried, these unique artworks can be beautifully framed or transformed into personalized greeting cards, making them perfect keepsakes to celebrate special moments!
For added precision and fun, consider using some quality paintbrushes to enhance the painting experience and bring those creative ideas to life!
Product Recommendations:
15. Miniature Fairy Gardens
Create enchanting miniature fairy gardens that spark your child’s creativity and imagination!
With a shallow container, such as these shallow containers, children can fill them with soil like this high-quality soil and choose from a variety of small plants to create their own magical landscapes.
Add a touch of whimsy with miniature garden accessories that enhance the charm of their fairy worlds. This delightful craft not only encourages gardening skills and a sense of responsibility but also invites imaginative play as they weave stories around their enchanting creations.
Encourage your little ones to incorporate natural materials or recycled items, giving their fairy gardens a personal touch that reflects their unique visions!
Product Recommendations:
• Shallow containers for gardening
• miniature garden accessories.
16. DIY Bird Feeders
Bring nature closer to home with delightful DIY bird feeders that your little ones can create and hang outside! Using pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed, children can easily craft feeders that attract a variety of local birds.
This engaging activity not only sparks their creativity but also teaches them valuable lessons about wildlife and responsibility as they observe the feathered friends visiting their creations.
Encourage your kids to unleash their artistic flair by decorating the feeders with vibrant colors and unique patterns before proudly hanging them in the garden or on a balcony.
Product Recommendations:
• birdseed
17. Bubble Wrap Printing
Unleash your child’s creativity with the exciting craft of bubble wrap printing, which offers a wonderful opportunity to explore textures and patterns!
By using bubble wrap along with some vibrant paint, kids can make unique prints by rolling or pressing the bubble wrap onto large sheets of paper. This hands-on activity not only encourages experimentation with colors but also allows them to discover different printing techniques.
Once the prints are dry, they can be transformed into beautiful cards, delightful gift wrap, or can simply be showcased as colorful art pieces. To enhance the printing process, consider using rollers for printing to achieve even more interesting textures!
Product Recommendations:
18. Pencil Toppers
Add a personal touch to your child’s stationery with delightful pencil toppers!
Using felt sheets or foam sheets, kids can craft adorable characters or animals to embellish their pencils. This engaging activity not only sparks creativity but also enhances fine motor skills as they design and assemble their unique toppers.
Don’t forget to grab some glue and scissors for crafting to make the process even smoother!
For an added twist, kids can host a pencil topper swap with their friends, sharing their creations and inspiring one another in the process.
Product Recommendations:
19. Colorful Wind Chimes
Create beautiful sounds with colorful wind chimes that kids can hang outside!
Using materials like seashells, beads, and fishing line, children can design unique wind chimes that catch the breeze and produce delightful music.
This craft not only enhances fine motor skills but also encourages creativity as they experiment with different arrangements.
To add a colorful touch, use colorful strings for hanging that will make their creations stand out even more.
Once hung, these charming wind chimes can be a delightful addition to any garden or balcony!
Product Recommendations:
• beads
• colorful strings for hanging
20. DIY Puzzle Craft
Combine creativity and problem-solving skills with a delightful DIY puzzle craft!
With blank puzzle pieces, either wooden or cardboard, children can unleash their imagination by designing their own unique puzzles. They can express themselves through art by using non-toxic paints or colorful markers to decorate each piece.
This engaging craft not only enhances their creativity but also fosters critical thinking as they work to solve their own creations. After completing their masterpieces, they can challenge family and friends to put the puzzles together, turning it into an exciting group activity. Don’t forget to store their creations safely in a puzzle storage box for future fun!
Product Recommendations:
Conclusion
These 20 fun kids crafts are perfect for keeping your little ones engaged while providing educational opportunities.
From painting to building, every activity encourages creativity, critical thinking, and a love for learning.
Gather your supplies and embark on a crafting adventure that your kids will cherish!
Note: We aim to provide accurate product links, but some may occasionally expire or become unavailable. If this happens, please search directly on Amazon for the product or a suitable alternative.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.