13 KID FRIENDLY CRAFTS + ACTIVITIES FOR STAYING HOME
As a stay at home mom, entertaining kids is kind of my specialty, yet we're about the finish the first week of social distancing and I'm already beginning to wonder how the heck we're going to make it through the next few weeks without going to the library or Target...
Before having kids, I was a total homebody! I loved staying home any chance I could and binge-watching all the shows my parents didn't let me watch as a kid lol. But now I jump at any available opportunity to get out of the house with Bruce and Rose just to shake things up and prevent anyone from going stir crazy.
A typical week for us looks something like this:
Monday and Wednesday are library days, Tuesday or Friday we go to the park (weather permitting), Thursday is family outing day with Nate, Saturday is "hair day", and Sunday we go church.
Now all of that has been canceled. We may still go to the park once the sun decides to come back, but we'll see.
Anyway, I've been doing some brainstorming on Pinterest and Instagram trying to come up with a wide range of activities to keep myself and my kids engaged and stimulated until this whole pandemic issue ends (fingers crossed) and I thought it might be beneficial to share with you.
Potato Stamping
Potato stamping has been on my list for a long time. You can stamp on plain dish towels like this, or just paper. I love that the design options are literally anything you can imagine -- or you could simply slice the potato in half and stamp lumpy circles. You can also get creative with the veggies! I've seen people use sweet potatoes, onions, even a bunch of celery rubber-banded together. The sky is the limit!
Blow up balloons and have a dance party
Is there a child out there who doesn't love balloons?? Well yes -- Rose. But she loves dancing!
Paint butterfly wings using cardboard
How cute are these?? All you need is one or two big pieces of cardboard, paint, and string for the shoulder straps. Let the kids go nuts painting their own set of wings -- they are going to be obsessed! *crown optional
from mermag blog
Everyone can benefit from the beautiful symbol of hope that a rainbow is! If you look on Pinterest, there is no shortage of rainbow-inspired crafts. My favorite, like the collage rainbow below, are those that the kids are able to do mostly on their own. They can even cut out their own shapes if they know how to use safety scissors.
Read a book (or 10)
When things are getting a bit crazy and tensions are on the rise, I've realized that the best way to diffuse that tension is to sit down with the kiddos and read a few books. It calms the kids down and relaxes you in the process :)
Make rainbows
Everyone can benefit from the beautiful symbol of hope that a rainbow is! If you look on Pinterest, there is no shortage of rainbow-inspired crafts. My favorite, like the collage rainbow below, are those that the kids are able to do mostly on their own. They can even cut out their own shapes if they know how to use safety scissors.
Make your own play-doh
Molly from almost makes perfect recently shared a great two-ingredient play-doh recipe on her blog. It's perfect for using up those old bottles of conditioner that somehow keep piling up in the back of the bathroom cabinet. Just me?
Collage art
I love collage art for kids because it allows them so much freedom of expression with the colors and objects they use, as well as where they choose to glue them down. Bruce is three years old and Rose is two and collage works great for both of their ages. Bonus point because it can double as 2-3 crafts in one! First, paint a few pages. Second, cut shapes out of the pages that were painted. Third, put them all back together again as a collage!
Get out in nature
If you have the ability to get to the mountains or especially a water source -- be it the ocean, a river, or creek -- I can't recommend it enough. Water 100% has restorative properties. But even just a walk around the neighborhood or playing with the hose in the backyard works wonders. If your kids have plastic animals (we love Schleich dinosaurs), let them use the hose to make a mud puddle and splash their animals around in it.
Use those toilet paper tubes
...that you may or may not be hoarding ;) There are so many fun things you can make with toilet paper or paper towel tubes! I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to crafts using cardboard boxes and tubes. Check it out for a ton of inspiration. These Trojan horses are my fav. I might use yarn instead of tissue paper for the mane and tail.
Extra-long bathtime
Kids and moms will agree that bathtime is the best. Since Rose doesn't nap much anymore, it's pretty much the only time I get a break. So why not extend it a little more by adding a few unusual elements? To keep it simple: throw a few plastic Tupperware bowls and colanders in. You'd be surprised just how exciting this can be. If ya feel like being a bit crazier, these bath crayons and color bath drops look like fun.
Clothespins and popsicle sticks airplanes
The best crafts are the crafts that end up being toys as well.
Send off some snail mail
Take a piece of construction paper, cut it in half and let your kid color/paint/glue googly eyes all over it, then fold the paper in half, write a little note inside and send it off! Fun for the giver and the receiver.
Geometric cardboard shape structures
Also doubling as ninja throwing stars!
I made an Amazon list filled with supplies for a few of our favorite crafts. You will also find board games in there, puzzles, and a few other fun things. I'll continue to add to it throughout the weeks.
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Please let me know if you have any more ideas! I love that we can all come together (in our own homes of course lol) as a community during this challenging time. I'm praying for all of you to stay healthy and safe.
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