Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Craft Ideas for Kids

By Dawn Marcotte


Helping kids stay creative can be fun and easy by giving them some simple items commonly found around the home and the freedom to experiment. Crafts don't have to be difficult or involved and the less direction about the 'right' way to make something the better. Creative activities can also be great boredom busters for those rainy afternoons when they have run out of things to do. Here are 4 examples of some easy crafts that can be done at home.

Recycle Robot Recycling is a common cause supported by many kids and families Reusing items for a new purpose is one way to recycle. Gather empty cereal or food containers, toilet paper rolls, tin cans, plastic bottles and wire ties from around the home. Kids can use these items to make a robot. They may need scissors , glue, duct tape and markers to help create their robot.

Lay everything out on the table and tell the kids to make a robot from the items. Let them figure out how to make a body, arms, legs and a head. They may want to use other items such as tin foil, wax paper or construction paper to add details and additional elements. Once they have made their robot the kids may well spend the rest of the afternoon playing with it.

Food Art Kids are often told to stop playing with their food at the dinner table. These activities will allow them to play with food all they want. The first activity requires only frozen bread dough from the grocery store. The second activity uses marshmallows and toothpicks. Kids who love to play with clay will enjoy making bread art. Thaw out the frozen bread dough and follow the directions for letting it rise. Once it has risen divide it evenly between the kids and let them sculpt whatever they want with the dough. Let it rise a second time per package directions and bake in an oven set at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Then everyone can eat their artwork.

Children who like to build with blocks will like to build with marshmallows and toothpicks. The toothpicks are inserted into the marshmallows to create a beam that can be stacked. The beams can be used to make buildings, bridges or sculptures. Add more toothpicks for additional angles. Be sure to take a picture of the finished work before it gets eaten.

Group Art Art is often considered a solitary activity but it doesn't have to be. This activity will have everyone participating and creating an unusual work of art. There are two ways to do this activity, with clay or with paper and markers. Have everyone sit around a table and provide each person with a piece of paper and a single marker. Everyone is instructed to draw a straight line on the paper in front of them. Then they pass the paper to the person on their left. Now everyone is instructed to draw a circle on the paper in front of them and pass it again to the person on their left. Repeat the action with everyone adding a square, heart, curved line and triangle to the paper in front of them. Add other shapes and figures as desired. When everyone has drawn everything on the papers, show the results. It will be different every time. This activity can also be done with clay to create a sculpture. Each person has a different color of clay and they can determine what they want to add to each sculpture as it is passed to them.

These are fun and creative activities that will help kids think creatively. They are also great ideas for activities on a rainy day.




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