5 Home Craft Ideas for Kids
Inspire the inner musician, artist, environmentalist, scientist, or filmmaker in your child with these at home crafts.
1. Guitar
Objective: Playing music has many cognitive and emotional benefits for kids. This cardboard guitar instrument is a great way to start musical exploration and allows for a fun activity with your child.
Material: Cereal box, tape, spaghetti box, craft knife, rubber bands, glue, corks, straws, paint, paintbrush
Instructions:
- Tape the open side of the cereal box. Make sure the tape is not bulky or overly visible.
- Paint the cereal and spaghetti box.
- Cut out a circle in the center on one side of the cereal box.
- Stretch the rubber bands over the middle of the cereal box.
- Attach the spaghetti box to the cereal box with glue to create the guitar neck.
- Draw “strings” onto the neck.
- Cut holes on the sides of spaghetti box and insert corks for the tuning keys. Glue in place.
- Place a straw piece under the rubber bands underneath the hole to create the bridge (this helps with making the sound when you strum).
2. Windmill
Objective: Environmental education connects us to the world around us. Educate your child about the importance of the environment and the connection windmills have with this fun activity.
Material: Oatmeal container (painted or covered with colored paper), 2 toilet paper tubes, 1 brad, glue, 4 Popsicle sticks, paint, colored paper, scissors
Instructions:
- To make the blades, cut each paper tube in half lengthwise.
- Paint and let it dry.
- Draw guidelines and glue a Popsicle stick to the back edge of each blade.
- Glue the blades to your cardboard circle, allowing room for a brad at the center.
- Paint the oatmeal container and let it dry.
- Push a hole through the oatmeal container from the top.
- Attach blade to the top of the oatmeal container with a brad.
- Use a utility knife to cut the windows and a door.
- Make a cone of colored paper for the top of the oatmeal container and tape or glue it on.
3. Village
Objective: Have your little one feel like an architect or engineer by inspiring them to create their own village.
Material: Paper beverage cartons, pint, quart and half-gallon sizes, paint, cereal box cardboard, corks, colored paper, glue, toothpick, scissors
Instructions:
- Have an adult push the plastic into the cartons, cut the top “fin” and bottoms off the cartons, and cut the doors.
- Paint the cartons, and let it dry.
- Cut and decorate paper windows and doors, and glue to cartons.
- Cut, fold, and glue cereal box pieces on top of the cartons to create rooftops.
- Pop a cork into the spout hole and glue into place. Add smoke by attaching a cloud cut from white cardboard to a toothpick stuck in the cork.
4. Rocket
Objective: This rocket lets imaginations soar! Inspire learning through play by teaching your child about rockets and space while creating this crafty cardboard rocket.
Material: Paper towel tubes, paint and brush, paper, aluminum foil, tape or glue, clothespins, produce mesh bags, stickers, glue, scissors.
Instructions:
- Paint a towel tube, and let it dry.
- Cut a half circle of paper and shape it into a cone; secure with tape on the inside.
- Cover the cone with foil and tape or glue it to the top of the tube.
- Paint clothespins and let it dry; clip them on the bottom of the tube.
- Tape the mesh pieces to the inside of the tube for flames.
- Decorate with stickers or as desired.
5. Stop Motion Flipbook
Objective: Inspire the inner filmmaker in your child by teaching them the art of animation. Create stop motion animation with just a sticky notepad and marker!
Material: sticky notepad and marker
Instructions:
- Begin on the front side of the sticky notepad, and draw a small dot on the bottom page.
- On the next page draw another dot a little farther to the left (or right depending on which direction you start).
- Repeat step 2 while changing the position & size of the dot progressively as you get to the last page.
- Once completed, flip all the pages of the book very fast starting with the bottom page and working toward the top! What do you see?
Reblogged and Modified from Parents & PBS