Paper Plate Jelly Fish DecorationFun for children and adults to make. These look pretty hanging in the house, or even better on a sunny day blowing in a gentle breeze in the garden.
Clothespin Click BeetleThis beetle is fun for kids to make after reading Eric Carle's, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle". They will have a blast getting the beetle back onto its "feet".
Button Hair TiesThis is such a simple idea and lots of fun for little girls to make their own. Have a good search through your button box and see what you can find to make these super easy hair ties.
Huichol Style Yarn or Thread PaintingsI came across this idea while trying to find art projects to teach at my daughter's school. This looked amazing. I don't think I could do this with 100 kids at once, but my kids loved it! It took us about half an hour and it was fun to see what they came up with.
Bathtub Finger PaintsThis is a very inexpensive way to let your kids have some extra fun in the bath. I found the recipe over 10 years ago and I make it all the time for my kids. They love it. This also makes a nice gift for friends with kids.
Hoo-to-You Owl Collage ArtworkSummer is a great time to let the kids make some unique artworks. Let them make a beautiful collage of an owl, using dried seeds from the pantry. Using different textures provides an ideal opportunity for fine motor and sensory stimulation, so this activity also provides ample learning opportunities.
Making Watercolor Paints with Dried Up...Instead of throwing away all those dried up markers, you can create paint for the kiddos, or yourself, with them. Separate the colors - reds, blues, greens, etc. Put each group of colors in a small jar with water.
Soft Silky Play DoughThis dough is amazing. It is made with conditioner and corn starch. The texture is very soft and silky. It's perfect for younger kids because it is so easy to work with. Just keep an eye on them, to make sure they don't try to eat it. The dough feels wonderful.
Butternut Squash Print VaseCut a butternut in two and use the one side of the butternut to print a vase onto brown cardstock. Add some fall colored flowers and cherries, and celebrate the natural beauty of the fall season. Use this colorful artwork to brighten up your room, and impress everyone with your creative skills.
Safe Homemade Tempera PaintsWhen my kids were little, I did daycare. I soon found "homemade" supplies were cheaper and safer than buying them for crafts. I never had to worry about "not safe to eat" labels and the older children had a blast making supplies! Now I do them for my grandchildren!
Bucket Penholder for a TeacherTurn an ordinary galvanized mini tin bucket into a penholder for your favorite teacher, and show her some appreciation for all her hard work.
Creating "Canvas Art" Without a CanvasIf you want to create incredible, long-lasting, vibrant, and ready-to-hang masterpiece but all you have around you are old throwaway materials such as Sheetrock, plywood, or some other sturdy but unremarkable surfaces...
African MasksI had my 5th grade students create African masks from milk jugs. It was a great way to show them how to recycle materials and help our planet. I do a lot of recycle projects with all my students.
Who Remembers Paper Dolls?My 5 year old granddaughter's favorite words are "play with me". I try to find crafts to make, cutting out pictures, coloring, glitter, drawing; she loves it all.
