When you have limited time with your children, you want to maximize your time with them. One of the best bonding activities you can do with your children is fun arts and crafts!
Children need lots of quality time with their parents. You’ll find that when you work together with your child on the same project, they will open up, ask questions, and tell what’s on their mind.
Arts and crafts are also a great way to practice fine motor skills. Coloring, cutting, and gluing are all builders of fine motor skills.
Plus, when the project is done, your child has something to feel proud of, play with later, and remember the quality time they spent with you.
These arts and crafts activities use materials that are likely already around your house, but a trip to the dollar or craft store is also a fun bonding experience. Here are some easy and fun arts and crafts activities.
Paper Squishies
With all the rage surrounding Squashmallows, the next trendy craft is paper squishies. Simply draw or print the front of an animal on one paper and the back of the animal on another paper. Color these however you choose, and then cut them out. Cover with tape, tape both sides together, stuff with a plastic bag, and tape the bottom closed. You have a cute, personalized, squishy toy!
Materials:
- 2x colored paper sheets
- White paper
- Black marker
- Transparent tape
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Small plastic bag
Follow the assembly instructions here.
Pom Pom Shooter
This fun toy is simple to create but provides hours of entertainment for young ones. Just tape a deflated balloon to the inside of a toilet paper roll and use the balloon as a slingshot to fire colorful pom poms.
Materials:
- Paper Cups or toilet paper rolls
- Balloons, 12”
- Pom Poms, Assorted (for firing)
- Duct Tape (or heavy-duty tape)
- Construction/Scrapbook Paper
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Craft Knife/scissors
Find the instructions for this craft here.
Use your imagination to create unlimited games with these pom-pom shooters! Try to get the pom poms in cups, shoot various targets, or play Nerf-like games with them.
Different colored pom poms create a unique opportunity to practice color identification, patterns (alternate two or three colors), and color sorting (getting only one color into a specific cup)
Paper Chain Octopus
Children love to cut and glue just about anything, so this is the perfect project for little artists!
Cut a cardstock or construction paper circle (or, for more fun, paint a paper plate!) to make the octopus’s head. Color eyes, and a smile, and decorate the octopus head however you’d like. Then, cut out strips of cardstock or construction paper and use glue to create four paper chains for octopus tentacles. Find the full instructions and template here!
Materials:
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers
Coffee Filter Butterflies
The best crafts are made with supplies lying around the house. Coffee filter butterflies let you utilize everyday items and transform them into beautiful, cherished artwork!
Simply color a design on the coffee filters with washable markers. Then drip water onto the coffee filters with water (be sure not to oversaturate the filters or you will lose the design). Wait for the coffee filters to dry, then pinch them in the middle and secure them in place by twisting a pipe cleaner around the center. Find the full instructions here!
Materials
- Pipe cleaners
- Coffee filters
- Washable markers
- Paintbrush
- Water
“Stained Glass” Suncatchers
Hanging artwork in the window feels extra special to young children, so these “stained glass” suncatchers are the perfect bonding craft to do with your child!
Cut out a shape from clear plastic, such as from an empty plastic food or fruit container or a lamination page. Using black glue, draw a stained glass design on the plastic. Wait until the glue is dry, and then color with colored Sharpies. Hang in the window with double-sided tape. You can find the instructions here.
Materials:
- black glue (white Elmer’s glue + black acrylic paint)
- clear plastic (from an empty plastic container, a plastic folder, or an empty laminated pouch)
- sharpies (the more colors the better!)
- Double-sided tape
Creating keepsake crafts shouldn’t break the bank, and the focus should be on building a relationship with your child. These simple crafts will help boost your child’s confidence, practice their fine motor skills, and grow your relationship.
Children’s Academy Childcare and Preschool is proud to offer an outstanding curriculum that is educational, fun, and prepares your child for kindergarten per state educational standards.
If you’re looking to give your child a head start in school, contact Children’s Academy Childcare and Preschool today!