Kids naturally want to be creative. That’s the easy part. The hard part is for parents to think of ways to foster creativity. The good thing is that there are many easy craft ideas for kids.
1. Birthday cards
Kids love birthdays. They love their own birthdays and they love celebrating other people’s birthdays. Keep up this enthusiasm by having your child make a birthday card for a friend or family member.
Any paper will do, but construction paper or card stock will work the best. Fold the paper in half. Let your child decorate with markers and stickers. If your child can’t write yet, have them tell you a message and you can write it out. If your child is learning his letters, have him sign his name or print the first letter of his name on the card.
If the birthday card is for someone out of town, be sure to include your child in addressing the envelope. This way they get to understand about addresses and stamps.
2. Bird house or fairy house
Little creatures delight children. Inspire this fascination by creating a bird house or fairy house. Pre-made wooden houses can be found at any craft store. Have your child accompany you so that they can pick out their favorite style.
Once home, set out some paint and brushes, and have your child decorate. Be sure to pick acrylic paint that can withstand the elements as these houses will be outside. Don’t worry, as the paint will still wash off little hands. However, when using acrylic paint, be sure to wear a protective smock over children’s clothes.
Once the houses have dried, find a place to hang them. Some parks have fairy groves that you can add to. If not, find a tree branch or corner of your yard for the new home.
3. Hand prints
Hand print art is a great way to personalize just about everything. Plus, children get to paint with their hands, which is always a bonus. There are varying degrees of creativity that can result from hand print art. But all are easy craft ideas.
You can keep it super simple and put hand prints, your child’s name, and age on a paper or card as a memento. You can put hand prints on a rock for a garden. This is a great yearly activity and can be the perfect Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift tradition.
Hand prints can form a lot of different shapes including flowers, moose antlers, and even rainbows. Really, there is an endless amount of uses for hand print art.
If you want to step it up a notch, you can add foot prints into the mix. Baby feet are adorable, and a cute way to memorialize just how tiny they used to be.