Arts & Crafts for kids of all ages:?

Question

Hi all, I am looking for relatively inexpensive crafts that will entertain three kids (3 years old, 7 years old and 9 years old)?

Thanks

Answer 1

You can never outgrow Shrinky-Dinks!  I'm sure they still sell them at a craft store :)

What might be fun (time consuming) and help you out is to have them make their own mini-pizzas for lunch.  Get some dough ahead of time and prepare it yourself and prep all the fixin's..they'll have a blast creating their own pizza and then they get to cook and eat it!

You could buy some ceramic molds and have the kids paint...older kids enjoy it as much as the little ones.

You could go to the dollar store and buy some black picture frames and get some squeeze paints at walmart for them to decorate.  paints, glitter, add ons...whatever.  let them be creative!

good luck!

Answer 2

Bread Dough Clay

2 cups Flour

2 Cups Salt

1 Cup Water

Mix together and let the fun Begin. You can also  mix colors into the dough.

Bake at 300 til it's hard....depends on how thick the projects are.

Good Luck ;)))))

Answer 3

How about a trip to an art store there are many entertaining inexpensive things there. Buy some coloured paper, glue and glitter and use the glue to draw a face and then use the glitter to outline the face, very cheap and fun! Have a nice day :)

Answer 4

there are several neat things you can do with corn starch; also many recipes for things to do with flour as well.  here is a link to a neat corn starch recipe, and a clay recipe with corn starch

http://www.argostarch.com/gobbledyGook.a...

ARGO PLAY CLAY

Makes about 2 pounds

1 cup Argo® or Kingsford's® Corn Starch

1 pound (2 cups) baking soda

1 1/4 cups cold water

1 tablespoon Mazola® Oil

1 tablespoon liquid food color, or

1 to 2 teaspoons Rit® Dye

1 to 2 teaspoons paste food color

In medium saucepan stir corn starch and baking soda. Add water and oil all at once and stir until smooth.

Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until mixture reaches the consistency of SLIGHTLY dry mashed potatoes. (Mixture will come to a boil, then start to thicken, first in lumps and then in a thick mass; it should hold its shape.) If Play Clay is overcooked, crafts may crack.

Turn out onto plate and cover with damp cloth; cool.

When cool enough to handle, turn play clay onto work surface dusted with corn starch; knead until smooth and pliable. If not to be used immediately, store completely cooled clay in tightly closed plastic bag or container.

Shape Play Clay as desired by molding into shapes, balls or ropes with hands. Or roll flat with a rolling pin or press with hands, making pieces of moderate thickness. (Thin items [less than 1/4 inch thick] tend to be fragile; very thick pieces often dry unevenly and may crack.) Press or etch designs into soft Play Clay. Plan to glue small pieces together and heads to bodies rather than press Play Clay shapes together.

Air-dry Play Clay overnight on wire racks, turning occasionally to speed up drying and make objects dry evenly. Oven Drying: Preheat oven to 350ºF, then turn oven off. Place undecorated items on a wire rack on a cookie sheet. Place in oven until oven is cold. Repeat as necessary.

Decorate with water color or acrylic paints, felt tip markers, colored glue, glitter glue, crayons. Let dry completely. Coat decorated items with clear acrylic to seal.

Store un-shaped Play Clay in an airtight container or heavy plastic bag in a cool place up to 2 weeks. Knead stored clay until smooth before using.

MICROWAVE METHOD: Stir corn starch and baking soda in 2 ½-quart microwavable bowl. Add water and oil all at once and stir until smooth. Microwave at High (100%) uncovered, 2 minutes; stir. Microwave 3 to 4 minutes longer, stirring after each minute until mixture reaches consistency of SLIGHTLY dry mashed potatoes. Complete as above.

Answer 5

I have an 8 and 10 year old Granddaughter, so for several years I have saved my recycling items. Styrofoam, plastic cups and things, cardboard boxes etc.  Anything that I think something can be made of. Shoe boxes are great for diaramas in elementary school.

They have such creative minds. We made a huge movie theater out of a box and icecream sticks.  I do buy some extra things to make things special.  We cut sections of straws to make drink cups, and stuffed slightly larger straws with broken styrofoam for pop corn.

Just let your imagination run wild.  Watch yard sales for crafting materials.   Advertise on Freecycle.org for free craft materials.

My sun room has a large desk and book shelves that is our craft area.  It does stay cluttered all of the time.

Make sure you have glue, paste, clay, and I buy bulk scotch tape at Christmas, (when they were young they used tape) now this year they have the low temp hot glue guns.

We are presently making styrofoam bean or hemp balls. I saw them at Michaels for $4 to $8 each.  We will then go yard saleing for baskets, these will become Christmas gifts for their parents living rooms coffee tables.  About 5 per baskets. Last year we did jars of Christmas candy for everyone.  I got a dozen jam jars from someone in freecycle.org.   Through the diswasher they went.  I bought new lids and they decorated them and filled and wrapped them for teaches, parents and friends.

Walk around a craft store for ideas, Google craft ideas on the internet, watch craft shows on cable.  You will come up with great ideas  for the age range.

Finger paints for the little one and even the next one.  What the heck finger paints are for all ages.  You just need to watch the difficulty factor with that age range.  Plus you must give them all guidance.  Preplan what they can do and lay everything out.   Then supervise the littlest most by 9 they can be very creative.

We still have space monsters around made from bottles and cups and all sorts of recycling stuff.  Just save and prep so you have things for them to works with.  Having a designated craft area, even a rubbermade tub should you not have the space is a start.

Year before last we made record bowls in the oven. Lay a record over an baking pan or bowl with a special shape, put in the oven for five minutes at 300 degrees.  It will mould around the pan or bowl. They will mold for a minute or so. They gave them to their parents as a popcorn bowl set for snacks.

Good Luck and have fun.  Remember this is a fabulous way to encourage their creativity.

Supplies:recycled things, tape, glue, construction paper, clay,

acryic paint and brushes, the back of computer paper for pictures.  Glitter is popular also.They have sponge bright colored cutouts at the craft store.  These are great for young children/

I do prep some things by spray painting them in advance with a holiday suitable color.  One day I let them take cardboard and spray cans outside and make art.  Boy what a mess.  But they had a great time.  

Let your spirits run free and have fun.  It will not be great art but they will treasure the time you spend with them doing projects.

Answer 6

Check the following sites.  The first is geared toward preschoolers but might be able to adjust it for the older kids.

http://www.preschoolplaybook.com

http://www.create-kids-crafts.com

http://www.coloring.ws

Good luck