Most kids enjoy crafts, but stocking up on craft kits and art materials can be quite costly. But with a bit of imagination you can use things you probably already have at home to create things for your children. Here are three suggestions to inspire you to create your own kids craft ideas.
Make a Robot
Making robots is a craft which will appeal to children of all
Reusable wipe alternative and doesn't have to cost you anything. It will probably require some forward planning as to make the robot you will need to collect toilet rolls, cereal packets, tin foil and any other materials you can possibly think of that would make a good robot.
Creating a robot can be tailored to the ability of the child. For instance, you may need to help a toddler tape toilet rolls to a box to make its body then let them glue on buttons for eyes and the controls. Older children can probably manage with little or no help.
If you have poster paint, get your children to paint their robot creation afterwards. You will probably need to mix a little PVA glue in with the paint to get it to stick properly and avoid flaking.
Create a Story Book or Diary
For this you will need a drawing pad, notebook or you can create your own by stapling or sewing lots of sheets of paper together. Just tailor this kids craft idea to suit whatever materials are available to you.
Once you have the basis of your book, get your child to create a story in it. This can be written, pictures or a combination of the two. Alternatively, they can use the book to document an event (such as their birthday), what they did in the school holidays, or write about their hobbies or their families.
Instead of drawing pictures they could take photos and print them out to stick in the book. For example, if they are writing a book about their family, they could take photos of their parents, siblings or pets. Or if they have made up a story about knights, dragons and castles they could set up the different scenes using Lego and take a photo of each scene.
Obviously, it is not a good idea to let your child use your £400 SLR camera for this. If you trust them, let them use your digital camera. Preferably, let them use their own children's camera or borrow one for the weekend from someone who does have one. The Vtech Kidizoom is best for toddlers and the Lego digital camera is more suitable for older children.