Summer crafts your kids will love

Crafting is the perfect summer activity for children of all ages, especially on hot or rainy days. It’s a wonderful way for parents to entertain their children (away from screens) and it encourages kids to exercise their creative muscles.

And in case you need more reasons to create a craft cupboard, crafting has also been proven to reduce stress, help with depression and anxiety and build self-esteem. To get you started, here are five simple craft ideas for kids of all ages.

PAINT ROCKS

Painting rocks is wonderful because it allows kids to be creative and allows parents to schedule physical activity before and after the crafting session. My boys and I love to walk along the beach looking for the perfect rocks to paint. Then, after the rocks are painted (with acrylic paint), we spray them with an acrylic sealer and leave them on a trail for people to find.

MAKE SOMETHING FROM YARN

Yarn is a fantastic crafting material because it’s easily available, extremely versatile and it appeals to all ages. Some of the most fun things to make with yarn are pompoms and tassels.

You can find simple step-bystep tutorials for these crafts on my blog (EastCoastMommy. com) or you can Google them. Trust me, they are all simple to make and your kids will love making them.

CREATE SOMETHING FROM PAPER

Paper is the best crafting material because most people already have it in their homes, it comes in a variety of colours and textures and the possibilities for creating with it are endless. Young kids love creating pictures and artwork featuring a photo of themselves, while older children enjoy painting, drawing and folding paper into origami. If you get stuck for paper-crafting ideas, consider looking up drawing tutorials on YouTube.

CRAFT A TOY OR PIECE OF CLOTHING

The best summer crafts result in something kids can play with or wear when the crafting session is over. For example, kids can make binoculars from toilet paper rolls, penny spinners from pieces of cardboard and coins, finger puppets from felt, kites from paper bags and string or a paper fan from cardstock with a craft stick taped to the back. Tie-dying T-shirts is also a popular, ontrend activity right now.

DIY DECOR

Kids take a lot of pride in displaying something they have made, so crafting their own bedroom decor is a fantastic option. Children can easily create a unique photo hanger to place on their wall. All they need to do is find a stick, wrap the stick with colourful yarn, secure the yarn with hot glue (with adult supervision), attach a string hanger and use hot glue (again, with adult supervision) to attach a couple of small clothespins.

Other options for DIY decor kids can make include painted canvases, yarn-wrapped letters and pompom wreaths.

The key to getting kids excited about summer crafting is to have a well-stocked craft cupboard and a few simple ideas for inspiration. The above examples are fantastic, budget-friendly options. Give them a try this season.

Gina Bell is a mother of three and can be found online at www.eastcoastmommy.com.