craft ideas

apies · Guru

craft ideas

Robin · Guru

I like the Family Fun site for craft ideas.

Robin · Guru

My kids love decorating t-shirts--either with tie-dye, fabric paint, or fabric markers. Or a mixture of those.

I've found that fabric spray paint is the easiest but if it is a windy day, you may get quite a bit of paint on you. When we did t-shirts with fabric spray paint, we used duct tape to make designs (star, cross, name, whatever), then sprayed. The first time we used just one color (red), and the next time we used blue and yellow. Also I just sort of loosely accordion-folded one of Henry's and sprayed it, and that made stripes. I also just let the kids spray wherever, and the shirts turned out pretty cool. You could also tie-dye other things--pillowcase, socks.

My kids really like fuse beads but Mark is just now getting coordinated and patient enough to do most of a fuse-bead project without asking me to finish it. I bought a roll of magnet-tape stuff so that we could make the finished projects into magnets.

There's always the old Play-doh standby, and the family fun site has some cute ideas for animals and things to make. My kids also like actual clay--the white kind that comes in a tub. The fun part about that is painting the projects after they dry.

I'll get my kids to make cards for shut-ins at some point. My church has a list of elderly members that are home-bound that we use but you could probably find a nursing home or something around where you live and either get a list or just make a bunch of cards and take them there.

Robin · Guru

Kimberly did this craft with her daughter, and they hung them in their kitchen windows. I haven't tried it yet so I don't know just how smelly it gets when the plastic is melting but they're very cute finished products.

happylib · Guru

We bought a kit to make bouncy balls and Elizabeth loves it. It's pretty easy to do too.

Other things we have on our list:

Making animals out of pompoms

Tye dye t-shirts (Robin is the expert on this)

Decorate flip flops

Make an obstacle course (more of a physical activity but still fun to create)

Write and illustrate a book

Shaving cream play (going to try it in the water table)

Supafly · Guru

We are also very into crafts, but sometimes ours are not all that well organized, lol.

We DO have a tie dye kit to try this summer, and some other planned things, and I agree about the Family Fun site.

But sometimes I just hit the dollar bins at Michaels. They have foam stuff that my kids will cut out, decorate, glue together, etc. It makes dumb stuff, but they have fun and it takes up time.

Also, they have wooden things-just small stuff-that the kids can color or paint. They love those things.

sometimes I will just staple together a bunch of construction paper (we have a TON) and they will write books. Kate always needs help though. But they like to take pics from magazines to illustrate and they make up stories to go along.

I have a whole bunch of things I stocked up on for the same reason, and I am still looking for more ideas. We need fun things to do that don't involve running around at the park or riding bikes because I just can't keep up with that stuff this summer. Swimming, sure, but the other things are going to be too tough for me to manage. And like you, I don't want us to sit around watching TV all day.

Worst case? I will be taking their butts to the farm and giving them to their grandfather for manual labor, lmao. Maybe if they pick the veggies, they will learn to like them!!!!

happylib · Guru

I also want to do some science experiments. I bought some instant snow.

Here are a few easy ones you can do

http://www.easy-kids-science-experiments.com/kindergarten-science-experiments.html

Robin · Guru

happylib wrote:
I also want to do some science experiments. I bought some instant snow.

Here are a few easy ones you can do

http://www.easy-kids-science-experiments.com/kindergarten-science-experiments.html

We did a bunch of balloon science experiments last year. That was fun!

LucsMama · Senior Member

Making Crayons is always fun. You just peel the labels from old broken crayons and put them in cupcake tins (can't remember if you use wrappers or not) then you melt them in the oven and let cool.

Robin · Guru

LucsMama wrote:
Making Crayons is always fun. You just peel the labels from old broken crayons and put them in cupcake tins (can't remember if you use wrappers or not) then you melt them in the oven and let cool.

I think we'll try this one.

Sounds fun.

Corey · Guru

Robin wrote:
LucsMama wrote:
Making Crayons is always fun. You just peel the labels from old broken crayons and put them in cupcake tins (can't remember if you use wrappers or not) then you melt them in the oven and let cool.
I think we'll try this one.
Sounds fun.

we do this all the time. you use a silicone mini muffin pan or a silicone ice cube tray (think ikea). no wrappers, but baking spray is essential.

LucsMama · Senior Member

Wow, it's been a while since we did the crayons. I looked it up on my blog. We did use paper wrappers and they peeled right off. (I think the wax in the crayons helps with that)

http://karihun.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-crayons.html

Erin · Guru

Apies, what about cooking? My kids love cooking and I dont do it often enough.

happylib · Guru

Erin wrote:
Apies, what about cooking? My kids love cooking and I dont do it often enough.

Ohhh! That is a good idea and it reminded me of peanut butter playdough. Here's a link.

http://www.makeandtakes.com/edible-playdough-you-will-want-to-eat

It also has some other cute ideas on there for crafts. I hope you all keep posting. I am liking these ideas!

Corey · Guru

LucsMama wrote:
Wow, it's been a while since we did the crayons. I looked it up on my blog. We did use paper wrappers and they peeled right off. (I think the wax in the crayons helps with that)

http://karihun.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-crayons.html

interesting kari, i've never seen it done that way!

we have always used the shape molds (like hearts or flowers) which is why i've just sprayed the pan.