Arts & Crafts for Kids!

Paper Kites

construction paper
crayons, felts, stickers
crepe paper or ribbon
glue (or stapler)
scotch tape
hole punch
string

• Cut strips of crepe paper or ribbon for the tail and glue on colorful paper bows.
• Attach tails to kite with glue or stapler.
• Children can decorate kites with crayons, stickers, felts or whatever!
• Hole punch at top of kite to fly or hang.

Puzzle Trees

old puzzles (the ones with damaged or missing pieces!)
brown construction paper
yellow construction paper (or other contrasting color for backround)
glue
 

• With brown construction paper, cut out the trunk of a tree with limbs.
• Glue tree trunk to piece of yellow 8" X 11" construction paper.
• Select and glue the puzzle pieces to the branches of the tree.

sand
powdered tempura paint
plastic ziploc sandwich bags
baby food jar (or other type of small jar with lid)
glue
construction paper or shoe box lids

•  Fill sandwich bags with 1/2 cup sand.
• Add tempura paint (vary colors by adding more or less)
• Pour different colored sand into each jar
• Punch shaker holes in lid of jar

paper grocery bags
newspaper
rubber bands or string
glue
crayons
construction paper
scissors

Crumple up newspaper and stuff into paper bag until it is about half full.  Put a rubber band or tie a piece of string around it to form the neck.  Stuff the rest of the bag and close it off with a rubber band or piece string (this is the bottom half).  Decorate to look like desired animal.

thick paper or cardboard
glue
coffee grounds

Cut a bear shape out of thick paper or cardboard.  Spread glue all over the bear shape and sprinkle coffee grounds over top.

pink construction paper
shaving cream
brown tempera paint

Draw or photocopy from a coloring book, a large pig on construction paper and you or the kids can cut them out.  Give each child a cup of shaving cream with a few drops of brown paint for them to mix up!  They can paint their pink pig with "mud".

1 pair of kids plastic sunglasses per child
grey construction paper
pink construction paper
red pompom
paper cup (cone shape - or white paper shaped into a cone)
velcro strip or rounds
black pipe cleaners

Cut out shape of a mouse's head (including ears) out of grey construction paper.  Cut openings for eyes (large enough for kids to see clearly).  With pink paper, cut out circle for inside of mouse's ears.   Glue red pompom to pointed end of paper cup and attach cup to bottom centre of mask for snout (so that childs nose fits inside paper cup!).  Poke pipe cleaners into construction paper on either side of snout for whiskers (in one side - out the other).    Attach velcro piece to back of mask and to nose piece of sunglasses.

Make different animal shapes and the kids can chose "what" animal they want to be today!

construction paper (11"x14")
wallpaper or other paper to represent napkin - Cut in triangle shape
crayons, pencil crayons, or felt markers
plate (for tracing)
black construction paper (for fork, knife and spoon cutouts)
clear contact paper

Place the plate in the middle of your piece of paper and trace the outside of the plate.  Glue the triangle shape (napkin) on the left side of the traced plate.    Older children can draw a fork, knife and spoon and place on their placemat.  You may want to pre-draw and cut out these shapes for the younger ones!  Above the knife trace a circle for your drinking glass.

Decorate the rest of the placemat using crayons, pencil crayons or markers (you can also use stickers or stamps).  Don't forget to write the names of each child on their placemats.  Laminate placemats between  two sheets of contact paper for easy cleaning!  We make two for each child - one to stay at daycare and one to take home!

crayons, pencil crayons, felt markers
scissors
a clean, empty milk or juice carton
construction paper
glue or tape
craft sticks or straws

Open the top of the milk or juice carton and cut off the top to make the planter (4"-6" tall).  Wrap and tape or glue construction paper around the planter base.  Decorate the planter.  Cut a piece of construction paper (4" square) for signs.  Write the name of each child and draw pictures of the flowers (or have the kids cut pictures out of magazines) you will grow in your planters on the signs. Attach signs to craft sticks or straws.  After planting, stick sign in soil.

felt markers
scissors
cardboard egg cartons
pipe cleaners
green construction paper or ready-made fabric leaves

Cut apart the sections of a cardboard egg carton.  Depending on ages of children, you may want to do this ahead of time!  Decorate the sections with markers.  Use different designs for each flower. Make a hole in th ebotton of each flower.  Insert a pipe clceaner for a stem, bending and twisting it to keep carton section in place.  On green construction paper, draw and cut out leaves for each flower.

These work great with Milk/Juice Carton Planters - fill with styrofoam and poke the stems in with a dab of glue on the ends.