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Thursday, September 28, 2017

10 Learning Crafts to Do With Kids


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I've been a stay at home parent for four and a half years. Over this time, I try to do my awesome mommy thing and do projects and crafts with my kids to help them learn. As an expert, keep my kids out of trouble, mom, I've had experience with Pinterest and looking things up. I've compiled a list of my top 10 favorites crafts. Most of these I've tried and the others look promising. I hope you're able to enjoy. (Click the links for instructions on how to make some of these crafts.)


1.  Paper Chains  This was my favorite thing to do around Christmas time. It was super easy to make and it helped you count down the days until Christmas. Teach your kids counting, colors, how to use scissors and patterns. Click the link to learn how to make a paper chain.



2. Bake cupcakes! Grab your favorite box of Betty Crocker or use a family recipe. Have the kids help you measure out the ingredients to learn measurements or just how to help. When the cup cakes are done baking and are ready to be topped, make some vanilla frosting, divide it into bowls, and add food color to each bowl for different color. You can teach your child colors in a fun edible way and if you want to add sprinkles or other toppings, you can also teach your child to count along.




3. ABC Magnets! What's nice about magnets is that they can stick to your refrigerator or dishwasher. Have your child play with them and try to spell them out. They can play with them while you cook dinner or you can use them on some metal sheet pans. Encourage them to remember the letters and try to sound out goofy word concoctions, they'll get a laugh out of you trying.




4. Paint in a Bag- I wasn't sure how my kids would like this, especially my older kids, but they really enjoyed moving the paint around and mixing the colors. On the plus side, it's also mess free! Click the link to learn how to do this.



5. Peanut Butter Play Dough - Kids can learn all sorts of things when they play with play dough. It's even better when it's peanut butter! You can add chocolate chips or other edible ingredients to count with or to help sculpt. Play around with shapes, teach about size. If your child is allergic to peanut butter, try this one. You can color this, so that's a plus, but I'm not sure on the taste. 




6. Make a bird feeder! I've made my bird feeders with pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. It's super easy, you just tie a string around a pine cone or apple stem, layer it with peanut butter, roll it in bird seed, and then hang it up outside.  Teach your child how to take care of other creatures and sit and watch the different kind of animals that come by to eat from it. 






7. Colored Pasta- I haven't done this one yet, but I definitely want to try. This is such a great idea! you can teach your kids about colors, teach them math by adding and subtracting, and when you're finished, you can teach them motor skills by making jewelry. 



8. Sensory Bottles- Help your child learn texture, colors, density, and more with these Do It Yourself sensory bottles. 







9. Ornaments! I'm not an artist, but I try to do something creative each year with my kids to hand out to grandparents or to keep for myself. My favorite one to do is the salt dough hand print ornaments which is in the link above. This doesn't really teach your kids anything, but it's a nice keep sake to have.

10. Go outside and explore! This isn't a craft, but it is a great learning experience. Watch bugs and look at the clouds. Discuss the color and texture of the leaves and talk about the temperature. The outdoors has a never ending supply of learning tools.


   Tell me which crafts are your favorites or which ones that you like to do with your kids that aren't on this list. 




32 comments:

  1. There is nothing quite like crafting with kids is there, these sound like some wonderful things to do and make.

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  2. I am up for the backing of cup cakes! REALLY FUN TO DO WITH THEM.

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  3. Thanks for these great ideas! I have 4 grand children and am always looking for fun things for us to do together.

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    1. That's awesome! I hope you found something that interested you!

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  4. Nice list . The bird feeder is interesting one. The diy chain and play dough is easy to do for many kids and they like it too.

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    1. My kids collected pinecones for a year after we did this the first time to do more. They love watching the squirrels steal them.

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  5. All easy, healthy and passionate ideas that make children closer to simple things, but also the truest.

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    1. I find that if it's too complex, I don't really want to do it so that means my kids miss out on doing things at home. I want to do things with them, but not if I'm going to stress out because of it.

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  6. These are all such great ideas! I want my children to have the kind of childhood where gadgets don't rule their life, but there are days when I am just stumped and have no idea what to do with them for a day, thanks to this list, I'll be able to find something to do with them anytime. :)

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    1. Thanks! Most of them are so easy and require little.

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  7. aww so sweet! I love the bird feeder idea!

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    1. My oldest used to LOVE birdhouses, so it wasn't a surprise when he loved to do those.

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  8. All these crafts are adorable. I would love the cup cake.

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  9. When my mother-in-law does them with the kids, she likes to add twizzlers and marshmallows. It's always so fun doing them and tasty too!

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  10. Colored Pasta is definitely a good idea for me to do with my nephews! Great list you got there and will be very handy in terms of planning activities with kids.

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    1. They make the best jewelry and other crafts like mosaics.

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  11. These are great ideas! I am not a stay-at-home mom but these are things I would like to try with my daughter during weekends and breaks!

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    1. Thank you! I hope if you try something out that you'll enjoy it!

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  12. Pine cones were always so much fun to craft with. Loved doing crafts when I was a kid.

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  13. This is a great post I was a stay at home mom also and I love the painting in a bag idea !

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  14. This is a great list of activities to have in your pocket especially with spring break coming up. Keeping the kids entertained can sometimes be a challenge.

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    1. Our spring break is next week. We did a lot of these things over the last month or two, I'm going to have to find something different to do with my kids.

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  15. Although most of these may be considered boring to my 8 year old, he will never get tired of exploring the out doors. Especially when its a zoo or state park.

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    1. You make a very good point. My 9 year old has outgrown many of these. I'll have to come up with a list for the older kids.

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  16. I honestly don't have the time or the patience to figure crafts out with the kids. So I let them figure it out. Now, they are engrossed with fake snow. hehe

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    1. I definitely understand no patience. That's why I love that many of these things only take a few steps to do.

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