Easy Kids Craft Projects

 

               SUMMER CRAFT PROJECTS FOR EVERY KID IN THE HOUSE

 If you have several kids at your house, one craft project may not work for all of them.  This book has a variety of projects that most kids would enjoy.  Start the summer out right by stopping that old, "I'm bored," refrain before it has a chance to even cross their minds.

 Photo by Pippalou at Morgue Files 

 

If you have run out of ideas for cheap summer fun projects, here are a few I have gleaned from the library over the years and used successfully with my own kids.

CRAFTY USES FOR ORDINARY DRINKING STRAWS

Musical instruments made from plastic drinking straws can provide a lot of entertainment, as well as teach students how such instruments work.

Anyone can make a straw kazoo by flattening one end and cutting it into a pointed v shape on the end. Have students pair off, and experiment by using scissors to cut off a bit of the partner’s kazoo to see what happens to the sound.

Ask them what is happening as the kazoos grow shorter.

Have them make a longer kazoo by using a pencil to widen the end of one straw and inserting another into it. What happens?

Make more kazoos and cut the flattened end into different shapes to see if it changes the sound.

Other reed instruments can be made from straws by making small holes in the top of them. Covering one or more of the holes when blowing into it will produce a variety of sounds. These, too, can be extended in length by adding an extra straw to each one.

You won't have any trouble finding plastic straws at a reasonable price at your local grocery store.


SIMPLE SCREW HOLDER FOR DAD FROM EMPTY BABY FOOD JARS

You attach the lids to the underside of a board, fill the jars with different sized screws, and screw them in. Dad later attaches board to underside of a shelf in the garage. Great Fathers’ Day gift.

HANDY WASTEBASKETS  FOR EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE

Ask for left-over ice cream containers at the local ice-cream store. Clean and dry them well. Paint them with a bright colored paint. Glue a large picture (those from old calendars work well) on one side, give the whole project a coat of shellac from a spray can and let dry. Makes great gifts for everyone.

GROW MINI-GARDENS IN EMPTY MILK CARTONS

Use empty pint milk cartons for this project. Rinse and fill with soil. Plant several seeds and cover. Beans work the best as they grow quickly and grow tall. Have children water and keep track of their plants each day. The plants may need propping with a dowel if they are tall. Teaches kids about the need of plants for water and sunlight. To use mini garden as a gift, have them paint the container before planting using stickers to decorate.

MAGNET PROJECT

Are you inundated with free magnets? It seems as though every business person in town has suddenly started handing out little calling-card sized magnets with their advertising on the front---as if we need a magnet to remind us to use the local hardware store, to get our oil changed at a particular service station, or to visit Dr. X the next time our teeth need to be cleaned.

Anyway, the point is that most of us have accumulated a bunch of these little magnets ranging from a couple of inches to 7 or 8 inches in size. What a great free supply for your kids' next craft project.

Have your kids choose a favorite photo of themselves, a friend, or a relative and, using a glue stick, glue it onto the front of one of the magnets. After the glue dries, encourage each child to use a marker to draw an outline around the picture they have glued to the magnet, leaving space between the figure in the picture and the line. Encourage variety by suggesting heart shapes, flower shapes, rectangles, or circles. You may even end up with a dinosaur or two. (If photos aren't available, have them create their own picture with crayons or markers.)

Next, let each child cut carefully around the outside of the line he has drawn around his photo or artwork. Voila--a brand new magnet ready to find its place on your refrigerator door. These make great Mothers' Day gifts or everyday gifts for the kids to give to Grandma.

Start saving those junk mail magnets now and put the word out to your friends. It won't be long before you have enough for every kid to make not just one, but several personalized magnets, and it will cost you practically nothing.


For more ideas, check out the dozens of ideas in either of the craft books below. 

                                                                                                                                                                  
        


* And, to keep even smaller little hands busy this summer, here's a book that may be a big help. 
 
Most of us already have all the materials needed to make these adorable paper plate bugs,  around the house, and the directions are simple enough for even very young children to follow on their own.  (You may want to use a stronger glue than some of the projects recommend, since paper plates may vary in thickness making some more likely to come apart.)  Click the photo to order the book for your smaller kids.


BEAD PROJECTS CAN BE ADAPTED TO KIDS OF ALL AGES



You won't be sorry for adding this book to your kids' collection of craft projects.
                
Check out the link below for a great Kindle format bead book for beginners. Beading can keep those kids busy for hours, and also end up with them producing some really nice gifts for future gift-giving later in the year. The bead book below is one of the best I have seen for the beginning bead crafter. The projects are not difficult and most kids can do them without help from an adult.

BUCKET O BEADS

Beads come in a huge variety of sizes, shapes, and prices, so spend some time looking around before you decide what kind to start with.............and, finally, a really different kind of bead book project for kids.  One where they choose a design to form on a card provided when you buy the accompanying bucket of beads.  After completion, the design is covered and ironed, using one of three methods shown in an online video at Amazon where  the purchase was originally made, until the beads fuse together and form a little picture that can be hung on the wall of the child's room or displayed elsewhere.  (Grown-ups will love trying their own designs.).  The book sells separately from the beads as there are a number of different assortments of beads available. Try a bucket and it's my guess that, like the potato chip advertisement tells us, you won't be satisfied with just one.

Unique Uses For Ordinary Plastic Drinking Straws

                                                    Photo by Stephaniec at Morgue Files

Plastic drinking straws have been around for a long time and, although used primarily for drinking, have also been converted to a number of other uses.

ART PROJECTS

An eye-catching mobile for a child’s room can be made by cutting out a circle of colored cardboard and using a hole-punch to make holes around the outside edge of the circle. Then, using a needle threaded with sturdy thread or yarn, run a 4-6 inch piece of thread through the top of each plastic straw you wish to include in your mobile. Poke one end of the thread from each straw through one of the circles in the piece of cardboard and tie securely to the other end. Using different colored straws and cutting each one to a different length with scissors, makes the mobile even more interesting. Attach the mobile to the ceiling with another piece of thread stapled to the center of the cardboard circle. A fan in the room will enhance movement of the mobile.

Another great “kids” project using plastic straws is mystery painting. Give each child a large piece of paper and drop a few drops of thin, watery paint on it. Let them use a plastic straw to blow the paint gently across the paper to create mystery designs. After the designs dry, have each child tell the others about his or her own painting.

Plastic straws also work very well for making strong center holes for hand made beads. Simply cut a few thin plastic straws into the lengths you want your finished beads to be. Then mold your clay or bead material around the straw piece. When your beads are dry and painted, they will be easy to string using the uniform-sized hole provided by the plastic straw sections.

Green plastic straws make wonderful stems for a variety of paper flowers, and paper pinwheels look good mounted on any color of straw.

Three-dimensional art can be created by cutting pieces of various colored plastic straws and gluing them to a drawing. Blue straws for the sky, green ones for grass, etc.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Musical instruments made from plastic drinking straws can provide
a lot of entertainment, as well as teach students how such instruments work.

Anyone can make a straw kazoo by flattening one end and cutting it into a pointed v shape on the end. Have students pair off, and experiment by using scissors to cut off a bit of the partner’s kazoo to see what happens to the sound. Ask them what is happening as the kazoos grow shorter. Have them make a longer kazoo by using a pencil to widen the end of one straw and inserting another into it. What happens? Make more kazoos and cut the flattened end into different shapes to see if it changes the sound.

Other reed instruments can be made from straws by making small holes in the top of them. Covering one or more of the holes when blowing into it will produce a variety of sounds. These, too, can be extended in length by adding an extra straw to each one.

SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS

Schoolteachers have not overlooked the versatility of using plastic straws in school projects.

Math students have long glued straws together to produce geometric forms, and a national competition has developed using plastic straws to build model bridges. The bridges must adhere to particular design features to insure that they would, if actually built, withstand certain weather conditions, load limits, etc.

Science classes may display models of molecules using plastic straws joined by inserting them into marshmallows. A little more interesting than the more traditional method of using glue.)

MISCELLANEOUS USES FOR PLASTIC STRAWS

A “just for fun” activity using plastic straws is to add a bit of detergent to a bowl of water, and allow the younger kids to use their straws to blow bubbles. For variety, add a bit of food coloring to produce different colored bubbles.

The older kids can join in the fun by making flexible straw tubas. Use flexible plastic straws for this project. Have them bend a straw at 90 degrees, place one end under their armpit, making sure the armpit provides an airtight seal, and blow on the other. This may take some practice, but it is sure to cause a lot of laughter.

COMMERCIAL USE OF PLASTIC STRAWS

And finally, on a more serious note, plastic straws are frequently used on dairies to store semen for the artificial insemination of cows. The straws can be labeled easily and filed until needed.

Whatever use you find for them, plastic straws are an inexpensive investment. Why not keep a few boxes on hand for art projects, creative musical instruments, school assignments, or just plain fun activities around the house? And, don’t forget, they also come in handy for drinking.