Have fun outside making your own shadow art with kids! Kids can design any sort of shapes or images they'd like on the cardboard and parents or caregivers can help cut them out. RELATED: Sidewalk
Leaf rubbing activity - a STEM project for kids from preschool to teens! Make leaf prints with tracing, foil, wax paper, crayons & pastels!
I've recently been looking into making more Chinese New Year crafts together as a way to celebrate the upcoming holiday. With my current infatuation with watercolor crafts, we recently made these watercolor painted paper fans together. Watercolor Painted Paper Fans This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support! Our Favorite Chinese New Year Books Prior to making the craft, we had already been reading books explaining the holiday. Here are some of our favorites! The Runaway Wok Bringing In the New Year My First Chinese New Year Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year Celebrating Chinese New Year Is it just me or are watercolor crafts like the best? The colors are always so vibrant and it's easy to make lovely, colorful art (and it doesn't require much clean up or prep too- score!) We've recently been going through some transitions over here when I gave birth to my second son. He's been such a gift to our family, but navigating transitions (even good ones) have never been my strong point. Luckily, painting and crafting make me feel happy... so I really enjoyed making these beautiful fans! Materials Needed: Ok, all you need for this craft are: Paper (We use drawing paper for the watercolors, but you can just use plain old computer paper too if you decide to go another route.) Other drawing tools (Markers, Crayons, these cool twistable crayons, Sharpies) Stapler Tape Let's Make Some Watercolor Painted Paper Fans You could go 3 routes when making these fans. Option 1: You could just draw/paint whatever comes to mind.... I made this design by drawing a bunch of dots randomly on the page with Sharpie marker and then connecting them with lines to make triangles. I find geometric shapes to be quite modern and aesthetically pleasing, don't you? Then, I just painted all the shapes in. Option 2: Plan a specific Design- Think in halves! Or, you could try to make a specific design on the fan. We'll be folding these fans in half, so imagine the paper divided in half and draw two different designs on each half. I also wanted to make a dragon fan for Chinese New year, so I drew this pattern out. (You can download it over here Chinese New Year Dragon Printable Fan ). When it's folded it makes a completed dragon fan. My son really liked this one, so he spent most of the time coloring it in... and then telling me that he didn't want to turn it into a fan. Oh well! Once you've finished your design, accordion fold it. Then, fold it in half. Staple yourself a handle and tape the two sides together. Spread your fan out and admire your completed design! Oh! Here's what the stripey design looked like folded. I went a bit crazy with painting and made several. Aren't they pretty? Option 3: Fold first, then paint! And... if you want to, you could also just fold up a bunch of these first and then paint them. That's another option too! (The stripey fan on the lower right corner was painted that way.) Another cute fan craft: Now if you liked making this paper fan craft, you should also check out my folding popsicle stick fans. They're a bit more work, but they also are a bit cooler because you can open and close them! Hope you have a fun time making these with your kiddos. Let's Keep in Contact! You can always find more fun ideas on my Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram accounts! Happy making!
FREE printable Symmetry drawing activity for preschool and kindergarten kids. A fun art and math activity in one! Kids will complete the symmetrical pictures by drawing the other half.
Choose from 58 fun STEAM art projects and activities for kids to explore art while learning science, technology, engineering, and math, too!
Your new readers will love making their own Magic Wand Reading Pointers that they can use to keep their place while reading. It's an easy way to make reading magical.
This fire breathing dragon made from a toilet paper roll is an easy kids craft that uses simple craft supplies. When you blow into the end of the tube the tissue paper looks like flames coming out of the dragon's mouth! Fire Breathing Dragon Craft Add this activity to your crafty bucket list, because it's SO MUCH FUN! And it's ridiculously simple to make. Kids, toddlers and preschoolers will love to see the dragon blowing fire! The photos make me smile, just looking at them. Watch the Video Tutorial Here: (Or scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial and printable
Introduce kids to binary code by teaching them to code their names - in jewelry!
Learn how to make a kaleidoscope in this fun STEM/science activity and craft for kids. It’s such a fun way to explore light, reflections, and symmetry! Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board! *This post was originally published 2/2/16 and has since been updated. Last week I made these super fun kaleidoscopes with my …
During winter we don't have so many outdoor activities because temperatures here are constantly below zero. But luckily there are tons of winter crafts and arts activities to make with kids and have cold winter days amusing. I especially love seasonal Waldorf activities inspired by nature, followed by Waldorf books that are helping us understand
This paper roll wizard craft is SO MUCH FUN. And with the free printable template, it's also really easy to make! We love making kids crafts that you can actually play with when you're done. Every time I make something that needs cut out pieces - like this paper roll wizard - I scan the pieces so I can make it again afterwards. I gave my 9 and 7 year olds the print outs with all the pieces (I'll include a link to the printable template below) and they made wizards for themselves without my help! And you know I
This is a perfect craft for big kids or older children - cardboard monster jaws. Made from cereal boxes, this is a fun, easy craft activity for summer.
Keep your kids busy and having fun inside on rainy winter days with this selection of 50 fantastic indoor activities for kids. Easy crafts + games.
Have you seen the flying carp streamers in Japan? They are known as Koinobori. (Admittedly, I just learned that term.) They are typically made from a woven fabric and flown during the Japanese celebration known as Tango no sekku. This celebration is dedicated to children and also referred to as Children's Day. This is a celebration of the children of Japan in the hope they may grow up to be strong and resilient like the carp that swim up the waterfalls. Read more about the festivities here. I'v
Make these adorable little quilled snails with your kiddos! List of Supplies: Colored craft paperPaper quilling stripsScissorsPencilCraft glueSlotted quilling toolMarker penPrintable Snail PDF Instructions: Step -1: Select colored craft paper for the snail and trace
This fantastic no-sew sock bunny by Handimania is a great way to bond and make memories with the kids. No special materials or skill required - check it out!
**Be sure to enter the Giveaway for a fabric key chain here!Need to keep the troops busy a bit longer before school starts? Have them design their own three dimensional buildings and designs using only mini marshmallow and toothpicks. My boys were entertained for over two hours seeing how many different designs they could come
CREATE GIANT KID SIZE SPIROGRAPH DRAWINGS
Make some adorable ballerinas out of craft sticks, cupcake liners, and other simple supplies. Draw on their cute ballet shoes. Fun craft for kids!
This week's theme is Knights and Dragons, with a To Go Kits for a Fire Breathing Dragon (more suited for younger children) and a Pom Pom Catapult (more suited for older children). The Fire Breathing Dragon craft was an idea from the CSLP Manual, with a link to One Little Project's original craft (which I borrowed the picture from for the instructions). Included in the kit was everything needed to make the dragons, except for scissors and glue/tape.I cut green construction paper in halves for the
With these easy yarn projects for kids, your littles will be inspired to make new and creative arts and crafts with an unfamiliar material: yarn!
When we travel with kids, regardless of our hotel choice and the amenities it provides, there are always a few occasions during our trip where we find ourselves looking for ways to entertain the kids inside the hotel room. One child might be having a nap, some family members might be showering or changing or you may just be up there for a bit of a rest and recharge before heading out again. These days, I always bring a little activity pack so they can be entertained. As you are travelling, the items you bring need to be light and not bulky. I only take things that can fit into one A4 size pencil case. The items that I take are generally open-ended which means that they can be used in more than one way and for more than one purpose. The materials that we use in our DIY Kids Hotel Activity Pack are: paper plates (x10) coloured paper-tape (washi tape) toy cars watercolour paint set/pens/markers plain paper notebook balloons rulers There are a number of different ways that you could use the items in this pack. Here are five different activity ideas. The rest of the ideas can come from the kids. Trust me, they'll have their own ideas. Activity 1. Paper plate tic-tac-toe (2 players) Materials: paper plates x 10 coloured paper tape marker (optional) Instructions: On the floor of your hotel room, lay down a tic-tac-tow grid using your paper tape. Make a large "X" on the back of five of the paper plates and a large "O" on the back of the other five (use your markers or tape for this). Players take turn putting their plates in the grid in an attempt to get 3 of their plates (either X or O) in a row. Activity 2. Tape roads Materials: coloured paper tape toy cars Instructions: Use the coloured paper tape (or masking tape) to make roads on the hotel room floor and drive your little cars around for some imaginary play. Activity 3. Paint what's out the window This view isn't too shabby. Materials: paper or paper plates to paint on watercolour set w/ brush (we use these as they are easy to pack, can be used anywhere, are easy to clean and don't stain) glass of water Instructions: Encourage your children to look outside your hotel room window and talk about the different features or objects that you see. They can paint or draw a picture. Don't forget to name and date the masterpiece as it can make a lovely momento of your holiday. Activity 4. Paper plate balloon tennis (2 players) Materials: paper plates (1 per player) plastic rulers (1 per player) coloured paper tape 1 x balloon Instructions: Use the paper-tape to stick your ruler to the back of a paper plate and blow up a balloon. Have fun hitting and catching your balloon with your paper-plate racket. Try some giant sized "egg-and-spoon" style races with them as well. Lots of fun to be had quickly and easily and balloons are much safer to use in hotel rooms over balls! Activity 5. Paint a Paper Plate Mask Materials: paper plates coloured paper tape ruler watercolour paint/markers Instructions: As well as making great rackets for balloon tennis, the same design can be used as a fun puppet or mask for children. Paint or draw on the extra details and then put on a puppet show. You may have noticed that I have recently been in Dubai! I was incredibly fortunate to be staying at the stunning Shangri La Hotel in Dubai as a guest of the hotel. What a luxury! The Shangri La Hotel Dubai is located just 15 minutes from the Dubai International Airport and a short taxi ride into the hub of Old Dubai. (You shouldn't pay more than $10AUD for a taxi there). With 8 different restaurants and bars, a gorgeous rooftop pool (that you can see the Burj Khalifa from!) and the most impeccable service I've ever received anywhere, I am sure that you would not be disappointed staying here. Oh, and did I mention the breakfast buffet? Don't get me started. Just remember to try the French Toast. Yum! At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how amazing the hotel is. It's the staff and customer service that you receive that impacts your stay the most. We were blown away by the fabulous staff and customer service that we received at the Shangri La Hotel Dubai. Happy and safe travels, Debs :) Disclaimer: I stayed at the Shangri La Hotel Dubai as a guest of the hotel whilst on a sponsored trip with Dubai Tourism. All opinions expressed are my own. Look where else we are. Are you following along? :)
Five engineering challenges for kids – with wooden clothespins, binder clips, and craft sticks! It’s a simple STEM activity that kids of all ages will love. Move over, expensive building sets! These simple materials were a huge hit with my boys. The first time we got them out, Owen (almost 7) spent well over an […]
Do you want easy arts and crafts ideas for kids? Try these engaging projects with kindergarteners, preschoolers, or toddlers!
One of the simplest and coolest ways to see engineering in action is by making catapults for kids. It's a STEM activity you can play with!
Build a craft stick chain reaction! Weave craft sticks together to make a chain that flies apart when you let go. Fun science!
Learn how do hands work with this fun, hands-on human body project for kids. In this working model children will learn about muscles!
My 5 Senses - Activities and Printables - Touch, taste, smell, sight, sound... so many fun kids activities!
This is the BEST paper tube Koi Fish, and one of several other Lunar New Year Animal inspired art lessons that we offer. This fun DIY craft is an original idea from ART CAMP Studio. It's a great year round project for all ages.
This paper roll wizard craft is SO MUCH FUN. And with the free printable template, it's also really easy to make! We love making kids crafts that you can actually play with when you're done. Every time I make something that needs cut out pieces - like this paper roll wizard - I scan the pieces so I can make it again afterwards. I gave my 9 and 7 year olds the print outs with all the pieces (I'll include a link to the printable template below) and they made wizards for themselves without my help! And you know I
Pipe cleaners are a versatile craft material easily obtainable if not already in your craft supplies at home. Kids can make all sorts of pipe cleaner crafts, and they're also perfect for learning activities such as STEM projects or fine motor activities. Kids can even make little toys to play with using pipe cleaners! Below
Straw Maze Activity
Color mixing with light is a fun activity for kids to learn about what happens when you mix different colors. The thing is, light does not always react the same way as mixing colored paints.
Create this woven bowl using the free printable template, a paper plate, & yarn. This is a great elementary / middle school art lesson to introduce weaving.
Teach your kids how to make their very own marshmallow catapult using common household supplies. How to construct a marshmallow launcher.
60+ amazing paper crafts for kids (and adults) to make! From paper mache to printables, we've collected awesome ideas for crafts to make with paper!
There is less than a month and our festive New Year spirit is rising again. Just like a sleeping fire dragon, who is raising from a volcano. Yes, it is
Create a fantasy fairy garden around your caterpillars to set the stage for those emerging butterflies. Kids will love setting the scene and these little paper houses are just right! You get two houses in this download, pink flower roof house and the pink mushroom house.
Today, I thought I would share one of the biggest resources that has ever been created for you. This post contains enough arts and crafts ideas to get you through the summer, fall, winter, spring... and many more rounds after that! I decided to have this resource include both art ideas AND craft ideas. The
Kids will LOVE these engineering challenges with craft sticks, cups, and wood cubes. Engaging, open-ended, and creative!
Easy DIY toilet paper roll knitting activity your kids will love! So easy your kids will want to do it for hours. Perfect to keep hands quiet while you read
Learn how to make a kaleidoscope in this fun STEM/science activity and craft for kids. It’s such a fun way to explore light, reflections, and symmetry! Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board! *This post was originally published 2/2/16 and has since been updated. Last week I made these super fun kaleidoscopes with my …
Enjoy these adventurous and easy crafts for kids that will spark their imaginations. With Gathered, keeping the kids entertained is easy!
Bring out your craft sticks and pipe cleaners as we're making a craft stick crocodile craft today! These little fellows look super fun, and what's even more fun is that once your kids make them,
So many ways to explore some extra creativity! These fun art challenges are perfect for kids and adults to stretch their imaginations!
Learn how to make a bouncy ball using 3 simple ingredients! These DIY bouncy balls are SO COOL! It's such a great craft that also doubles as a science experiment! Kids and adults can make a homemade bouncy ball toy in just a few minutes. They're so easy to make and a whole lot of fun to play with! This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission which helps us run this website. How to Make a Bouncy Ball Learn how to make a bouncy ball in less than