“Mommy, I’m bored!” Those three words are often the most dreaded by moms during the long summer break from school. But you shouldn’t let the summer doldrums strike at your house; be prepared with an arsenal of clever craft ideas that the kids can have fun making and using.
Make homemade kites out of thin sticks, paper and twine. Let the kids festoon them with paint, glitter and ribbon and head out to the beach or an open field on a windy day and let them soar.
Remember how much fun it was to catch fireflies in a jar as kids? Introduce this simple pleasure to your children by letting them make and decorate their own bug catchers out of mayonnaise jars topped with bug screen and let them catch, observe and release their own creepy crawlies this summer.
Flashback to the 1960s as you teach your kids how to tie-dye their own clothing. All you need is a pack of T-shirts, some dye and rubber bands to make some awesome psychedelic patterns.
Make your own bubble solution and have fun blowing bubbles with the kids. Use a fan and a large wand to create big bubbles you can even put a “magic” marble in!
Have you been beachcombing at the ocean and wondered what to do with all those shells that the kids gathered? Let them make their own set of windchimes out of small pieces of driftwood, string, sea glass and different sized seashells.
Make a piñata that opens with a pull, spilling down candy treats as a reward. All you need is a piece of corrugated cardboard and some ribbon. Cut a little “trapdoor” in the cardboard and thread colored ribbons through like streamers. One will operate the secret doorway. Let the kids draw, paint or paste pictures on the outside and suspend it from above, then have a blast seeing who can make it burst open first.
One of the great things about summer is being outside, and you can make all these children’s crafts outdoors to avoid the mess and clean-up. Dress the kids down in old clothes and don’t forget sunglasses to protect their eye from the sun’s UV rays, as well as sunscreen!
Don’t have any children’s sunglasses? Grab a pair this summer from Real Kids Shades!
For more fun craft ideas to complete with your kids, be sure to follow Real Kids Shades on Pinterest!