When you can’t send the kids outside to play all day, you need something else to occupy their time. Sometimes finding things to keep the kids busy for more than 5 minutes can be a really tough task.
Here are some ideas of crafts that the kids can do that will keep them busy for more than just a few minutes. Some of them are great for the kids to do on their own, others require some aid from a parent.
Crafts with parents help
Recycled Crayons- find the old broken crayon pieces and melt them over low heat in a saucepan. Make sure that you remove the paper! When they are melted you can pour them into cookie cutters to harden. Now the kids have new crayons that they want to use or you have a great gift for their friends!
Sand bottles- you can find colored crafting sand at any craft store. Buy several different colors and some fun shaped bottles. With or without a funnel you can help each kid pour the colors that they want into their bottles in layers. The colors can be mixed or left in layers for awesome designs.
Fun recipes- cooking with your kids can be a great learning experience for them. You can pick a favorite cookie recipe and work on it together or simply let them help you with the sandwiches for lunch. Whatever you do it will help them become more independent and learn to love cooking!
On their own
Molding clay- Letting the kids loose with clay is a great way to let them express themselves as well as keep them entertained. You can have them play with it for a while and put it away or you can let them create something to keep. Clay can be used in any season: during the summer you can have them make a picture frame for a vacation picture, make Christmas ornaments for the tree, or even make a pot to plant a spring flower.
Scrapbook- If you are a scrapbooker, then you know how often your kids want to help you. Find an old phonebook and take the time to glue about every three pages together. This becomes your kid’s scrapbook that they can work on beside you. Give them your scraps, markers, glue, and anything else that you want them to use and let them go to work. This saves your pages and supplies while satisfying their desire to help you scrapbook.
What you will need
Here are some ideas for things to have on hand for those rainy days. These can be kept where the kids have ready access to them or they can be put up for you to get them out when you want them out. This list is no where near complete, but it should spark some good ideas for you to add to your kids’ craft supplies.
Beads, jewels and glitter
Yarn, ribbon, wire and string
Tissue paper, construction paper and cardstock
Felt, foam and fabric
Seeds, paint, paintbrushes and shoeboxes
Old bottles, coloring books and molding clay
Crayons, markers and colored pencils
If you don’t feel like you are very artistic or crafty, then take this chance to learn with your kids. Find ideas that are easy and take the time to do them with your kids. This also gives you some quality time with your kids to grow together. Don’t limit yourself, give crafts a try, even if you feel like your kids projects seem to turn out better than yours.