Easy Crafts to do with the Kids at Home

Mar 18, 2020

Leonora Bamford and Nanny Anita share a few easy crafts for families to try at home

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or currently working from home, you’ll no doubt be looking for a few ways to keep your children entertained over the coming weeks. Crafting is a brilliant method of distraction for kids, and you can conjure up all sorts of creations using the items you already have in your house. Here are a few ideas for easy crafts to do at home…

Drip painting

You’ll need:

Pipette
Concentrated liquid watercolour paint
Paper
Tray

Method:

Stand a sheet of paper upright in a tray, to collect any excess paint and avoid mess.
Using a pipette, add drips of paint to the top of the paper, then let it run down the paper to form lines.

Ice-skating Lego

You’ll need:

Tray
Water
Lego figures
Ice-cub tray
Freezer

Method:

Fill your tray up with water and place it in the freezer overnight.
Fill up an ice-cube tray with water and add your Lego people to it; make sure that they are standing up. Then put it in the freezer overnight. We’ve used a heart-shaped ice cube tray.
When it is ready take it out and play.

Glass bead magnets

You’ll need:

Glass beads
Glitter
Glue
Superglue
Mini magnets

Method:

Cover the underside of the glass beads with glue.
Sprinkle glitter all over the glue and leave them to dry.
Once dry, add another thick layer of glue and leave them to dry overnight.
Using superglue, attach mini magnets to each of them.

Cotton bud trees

You’ll need:

Cotton buds
Elastic band
Paper
Paint

Method:

Secure your ear buds together with an elastic band.
Paint the body of the tree onto your paper.
Use the cotton buds to stamp the leaves onto your tree.

DIY bee hotel

You’ll need:

Bamboo
Plastic pot
Secateurs
Twine

Method:

Cut your bamboo down so that it fits in your pot. Cut enough to fill the pot completely.
Tie some twine around the bamboo to secure it together.
Place the bamboo bundle back in the pot.
Set up the completed bee hotel in your garden, in a spot that gets plenty sunlight.

Bird cage

You’ll need:

Coloured card
Scissors
Tape
Thread
Tooth pick
Ruler
Pencil
Colouring pencils

Method:

Turn your piece of card landscape. Measure and cut out one strip that 4cm wide and four strips that are 1cm wide.
Loop the 4cm strip into a circle and tape the ends together. This creates the cage’s base.
With your four remaining strips, tape one end to the inside of the base, bend them over and tape the other side to the base as well.
Cut out a little bird shape and colour it in.
Tape the bird to a tooth pick.
Finally using some thread, hang the bird swing from the centre of the bird cage.

Kite sun catcher

You’ll need:

Sticky-back plastic
Black card
Scissors
String
Tissue paper

Method:

Start off by cutting out the shape of your kite.
Next, cut the sticky-back plastic to fit the kite, then stick the kite on top of it.
Cover the sticky-back plastic with pieces of tissue paper.
Finally, attach the string tail.

Bookworm bookmark

You’ll need:

Paper
Pens
Scissors

Method:

Draw a worm shape onto your paper and cut it out.
Then it’s time to decorate your worm. Use a mix of colours and patterns to make it stand out.

Paper plate crown

You’ll need:

Paper plate
Scissors
Pencil
Glue
Gems
Paint
Paintbrush
Cotton wool
Black pen

Method:

On the back of the paper plate, draw 4 lines across the flat part, then cut the lines up to where the plate starts to curve.
You should now have 8 triangles. Paint these gold, and the rim of the plate red.
Once it’s dried, glue cotton wool to the rim of the paper plate.
Add the finishing touches by gluing gems on and drawing some black spots onto the cotton wool.

Build your own London Bridge

You’ll need:

Long paper craft straws
Tape
3 loo rolls
Scissors
Celotape

Method:

Arrange 4 straws in a horizontal line and stick together using celotape, at both ends.
Evenly space out the 3 loo rolls, and then place the row of straws on the top.
Feed the straws through the row on either side of all 3 tubes, to give you your 3 uprights. Tape these into position.
Use different coloured straws to make your ‘V’ shape and celotape where necessary.

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