Easy Arts and Crafts For Children

By Deborah Lambeth

Do you have trouble finding something for your children to do to get them away from the television? Or finding something for them to do on a rainy day? While it may take a little advance planning on your part to gather supplies beforehand, it will be well worth it and your children will have a good time creating a memorable item. (You will keep it, right?) Be sure to set things up in a spot with plenty of room, and work on a cleared table that isn’t an antique or heirloom, so you won’t be heartbroken if something gets dropped or spilled on it. A linoleum floor underneath is your best option, for the same reason, and be sure to keep paper towels or a wet washcloth handy. Here are a few things you might want to try the next time you need an indoor activity.

GREETING CARDS

• Paper (various colors and kinds)
  
• Sequins, buttons, colored ribbons, or glitter
  
• Glue or glue sticks
  
• Rubber Stamps and Inkpads
  
• Colored pencils or markers (non-permanent)
  
• Fun foam shapes
  
• Scissors

Some arts/craft stores will have the equipment necessary to make your own unique rubber stamps. However, if this is not convenient, most arts and craft stores sell pre-made stamps and inkpads. Using these stamps and inkpads, children can create many different kinds of greeting cards. In addition, using colored pencils or markers to enhance the stamped image provides a more colorful card. Glitter, sequins, buttons, fun foam shapes, and ribbon are just a few of the things you can add to bring a different dimension to your cards. Most of all, let the children use their own creativity to design whatever card they want to, for an upcoming holiday or event, or just for fun, to give to someone they love.

COLLAGES
Around your house, there are many things that your children can gather to make a collage. A collage is an artistic composition made of various elements or textures. Making a collage is easy, and this is one of those activities that would be great to do on a rainy day. Have your children collect things inside your house to use on their collage. For example, pretty paper dinner napkins, egg cartons, old fabric remnants, plastic utensils, old buttons, construction paper, various kinds of lids, or even brightly decorated canned food labels are just a few of the things your child could gather to make their collage. The idea behind a collage is to help your child make a picture using the things they have gathered. You might want to encourage them to gather items that follow a particular theme, or items they can use to tell a story.

After they have collected the items they want to use, have them lay out the items in a nice arrangement. You can use anything for a background canvas—poster board, foam craft board, an old picture frame, even a piece of plywood. This is a great creative-thinking activity, so encourage your children to be creative in the items they select, how many different items they use, and the canvas they affix them to. Once they have finished arranging the collage, you can help them glue the items to the canvas using white glue, a glue stick, or a glue gun. Be sure to let the collage dry completely before trying to pick it up.

WAXED PAPER PICTURES

• Roll of waxed paper
  
• Leaves or flower petals
  
• Large piece of cardboard or poster board
  
• Large piece of paper (or paper bag cut open)

This is a good project for days when you need to turn off the television. Have your children collect leaves, flower petals, or flat greenery. It might be fun to drive someplace different to find unique or colorful leaves! While this project works really well in the fall, when leaves are at their most colorful, it can be adapted for the spring by using flower petals as well.

Once the materials are collected, heat an iron to its lowest setting. Place the cardboard or poster board on a table. Tear off a sheet of waxed paper and place it on the cardboard with the waxed side facing upward. Have the children arrange their leaves or flower petals on the waxed paper without overlapping, leaving at least one inch of paper free around the edges of the sheet of waxed paper. Tear off another sheet of waxed paper the same size as the first, and carefully place it on top of the arranged leaves, with the waxed side of the paper facing downward. Carefully place the piece of regular paper on top of the waxed paper arrangement.

Using the heated iron, "iron" the waxed paper arrangement together by placing the iron on different parts of the paper and holding for 4-5 seconds. Do not move the iron across the paper, or you may disturb the arrangement of the leaves; instead, pick it up and set it down again on different areas around the paper until you have ironed every section. Once the entire project has been "ironed" you can then slide the iron around gently to be sure all the wax has melted and the two sheets of waxed paper are completely molded together. Remove the paper and inspect the arrangement to be sure everything has been ironed sufficiently. If you see spots that aren’t fully adhered, cover it with the paper and iron more to seal all those spots. Uncover the arrangement and carefully move it to a clear spot on the table. Allow the picture to cool completely before handling it. Cut off the rough edges of the waxed paper to make a smooth edge all around, or use specialty scissors to make a decorative edge.

You can frame a waxed paper picture by gluing popsicle sticks together to make a frame. You can also make several small waxed paper arrangements, and after they have cooled, punch a hole in each one and hang them to make a mobile.

Helping children discover their creative side is important, as well as fun! And while you’re having fun, you can use your imagination to help them develop theirs.