5 Fun Crafts to Do with Your Children

Looking for ways to keep your kids busy, creative, and off screens for a while? Crafting is the perfect solution! It helps develop fine motor skills, encourages imagination, and most importantly, it’s fun. Whether you have toddlers or older elementary-aged kids, here are five easy, engaging crafts to try at home.

1. Paper Plate Animals

Ages: 4–8

What you need:

• Paper plates

• Paint or crayons

• Glue

• Scissors (safety scissors for younger kids)

• Construction paper

• Googly eyes (optional)

How to do it:
Let your kids pick an animal—lion, frog, bunny, owl—and decorate their plate accordingly. They can paint or color the plate, cut out ears or wings from construction paper, and glue them on. Add googly eyes for extra fun!

Why it’s great:
This is simple enough for little ones, but older kids can get creative with details.

2. DIY Popsicle Stick Picture Frames

Ages: 5–10

What you need:

• Popsicle sticks

• Glue

• Paint or markers

• Stickers, gems, or buttons for decoration

• Photos or small drawings

How to do it:
Arrange four sticks in a square, glue them together, and decorate. Once dry, tape or glue a photo to the back.

Why it’s great:
These make adorable keepsakes or gifts for grandparents!

3. Salt Dough Ornaments

Ages: 4–10

What you need:

• 1 cup flour

• ½ cup salt

• ½ cup water

• Rolling pin

• Cookie cutters

• Acrylic paint

• String

How to do it:
Mix flour, salt, and water to form dough. Roll it out and use cookie cutters to shape. Poke a hole at the top for string. Bake at low heat (about 200°F or 90°C) for 2–3 hours until hard. Once cool, paint them!

Why it’s great:
Perfect for holiday decorations or room decor.

4. Nature Collage

Ages: 4–10

What you need:

• Paper or cardboard

• Glue

• Leaves, twigs, flowers, grass (collected outside)

How to do it:
Take a nature walk to collect materials. At home, glue them onto paper to create a beautiful natural artwork.

Why it’s great:
It gets kids exploring outdoors and appreciating nature.

5. Tissue Paper Stained Glass

Ages: 5–10

What you need:

• Black construction paper

• Colored tissue paper

• Glue stick or diluted white glue

• Scissors

How to do it:
Cut a shape or design (like a butterfly or flower) from black paper, leaving empty spaces. Fill the spaces with glued-on colored tissue paper pieces. Hang in a sunny window to see the “stained glass” effect.

Why it’s great:
Kids can experiment with color and design—and the final result looks beautiful!

Final Tips:

• Always supervise young kids with scissors and glue.

• Let them lead the way creatively—it doesn’t have to be perfect.

• Display their creations proudly!

Crafting is a wonderful way to bond with your children and nurture their creativity. Try one (or all) of these projects this week!