Crafts for Kids - Arts & Crafts for Children Directory

Backyard Wooden Boat - It only takes a little bit of imagination to create a small raft to float in your backyard streams. With some parental guidance and a chunk of balsa wood you can create a genuine craft to navigate that brook that will last for years to come. Follow this step-by-step guide and build your own floating masterpiece.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED

THE BOAT
final 7"'s of 1 1/2" x 2" chunk of balsa wood
Pencil and ruler
Carving knife with scooping and cutting blades
4" wide sheet of 1/8" thick balsa
2 or 3 large clip-on lead fishing weights
Krazy Glue
Drill with 3/16" bit
3/16" wood dowel
7" square water-resistant
Nylon cloth
Sandpaper
Waterproof paint
Silicone spray sealant

THE DOCK
4" x 36" sheet of 1/8" thick balsa
X-Acto knife
36"'s of 1/4" X 3/8" balsa molding
X-Acto saw
Krazy Glue
36"'s of 1/2" leading edge balsa molding (half-round)
Kite string

Kids arts and crafts idea to make a Bat Antenna Buddy - Black craft foam becomes high-flying fun with this easy bat antenna buddy for the car.

Crafts Materials Needed:

* Black craft foam
* Scissors
* Pen (gel pens may show up better)
* Pattern (see below)
* 2 (15 mm) wiggle eyes
* Hot glue gun or low temp glue gun
* Hole punch
* Glitter paint, optional

Kids, make this Indian Tribe Birch Bark Canoe Kids crafts project - Many Native American tribes made finely-crafted birch bark canoes. You can make a small model using construction paper and yarn.

Crafts Materials Needed:

# Brown construction paper or brown paper from a grocery bag
# Crayons, tempera paint, or markers
# Scissors
# Yarn
# A hole punch

Boat - Make a boat out of an egg carton, clay, and paper.

Crafts Materials Needed:
Egg carton Lid, Foil, A straw, Paper, Plasticine.

Box Car Derby - This freeway is so easy to construct, the road will be open to toy traffic in no time.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Cereal boxes
Ruler and pencil
Scissors
Tape

Candy Race Car - Make ornaments or decorations using an assortment of candies - a train, a race car, a plane, or a reindeer. These can be hung on trees, tied to packages, or used as decorations on a table.

Craft Materials:

Low temp hot glue gun
Ribbons or yarn for hanging
1 large package of gum (1 1/4" x 3" x 3/4")
4 round wrapped candies (we used peppermints)
1 shiny wrapped candy (about 1 1/4" long)
2 mini chocolate bars (1 1/2" x 1" x 3/8")

Candy Train Craft - This candy train is made from a roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers), wrapped peppermint candies, a wrapped caramel, and a wrapped chocolate kiss.

craft Supplies: Hot glue gun
A roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers)
4 wrapped peppermint candies
A wrapped caramel
A wrapped chocolate kiss
Optional - a short length of yarn or string

Dive with a Submarine! - Dive deep into the sea! This model submarine lets you explore what it’s like to live and work underwater.

craft materias:Crayola® Model Magic®, White
Crayola® Washable Markers
Cardboard roll, optional
Chenille stems
Construction paper, white
Glue
Paintbrush
Recycled box
Scissors
Water container

Easy Riders - Have fun with these envrionmentally-safe cars and planes that run completely on imagination.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Cardboard
Tongue depressors
Construction paper
Markers
Tissue paper
Glue
Scissors

Easy Train Craft - This simple train craft requires a printer, a piece of paper, some crayons (or paint or markers), scissors and glue.

This simple train craft requires a printer, a piece of paper, some crayons (or paint or markers), scissors and glue. I always prefer to use a heavy paper (like construction paper), but it isn't necessary. Optional materials include a cotton ball, photos or magazine clippings of children or toys, and spaghetti or linguini.
Print out the template of choice. If using the black and white template, try printing it on coloured construction paper.

Colour (where appropriate) and cut out the template pieces. Adults may need to help with the cutting.

Glue the face onto the front of the train.

Glue the smokestack onto the top. You can glue a bit of cotton ball to the smockstack as pretend smoke. If you want to make it a bit more environmentally realistic, you can colour the cotton grey or black with marker or paint.

Glue the wheels onto the bottom of the train.

You can stop here with TEMPLATE #1 or print template #2 as well.

Glue the car and caboose from template #2 onto the back of the train. Explain that the caboose of the train is always the last (the caboose is on the top of the page on template 2. The car is on the bottom).

You can cut out magazine pictures of toys or children, a picture from a coloring book, or a small photo of the child and glue them into the car or onto the back of the caboose.

Really young kids may have an easier time attaching the cars, cotton balls, etc. if they glue everything to a background piece of paper (they also have the opportunity to colour in a sky, grass, clouds etc. this way). This also allows you to use uncooked pieces of spaghetti or linguini, glued underneath of the train's wheels, to represent train tracks.

Egg Carton Dump Truck - Although children Age 3+ will enjoy playing with this craft, its a bit fiddly to make so Ive rated it Age 5+.

craft Materials:
styrofoam egg carton
small piece of a straw (about 3 inch piece)
glue
scissors
paint or markers (see NOTE)

Egg Carton School Bus - This is a simple craft for preschool children about to begin school or for young siblings of school age kids.

Materials:
lid (TOP) of an egg carton
yellow paint or markers
black construction paper or 2 lids from milk jugs (for wheels)
black marker
OPTIONAL: small cutouts of people from magazines, coloring books or hand drawn

Instructions:
cut the lid off an egg carton

Paint (or color with marker) the lid yellow. We only used one coat, but you could do two.

While the paint is drying, cut 2 circles out of black construction paper (you can have the children trace the lid from a baby food jar or orange juice container -- preschool kids enjoy tracing). Use white crayon, chalk or pencil crayon for tracing.
Allow the children to cut out their circles with safety scissors (or supervise them closely while they use regular scissors).
The wheels don't have to be perfectly round -- let them have fun.

OR use the lids from milk jugs as an alternative to construction paper wheels


OPTIONAL: Also while the paint is drying, have the children cut small images of people from magazines or coloring books or let them draw their own. once again, let the children roughly cut out the images with safety scissors.


Once the paint is dry, glue on the wheels.

OPTIONAL: Glue the images of people onto the bus. The carton we used had holes down the center, so we glued the people into the holes. If yours doesn't have holes, just glue the people onto the bus... you can draw "windows" around them with a black marker.


Write SCHOOL along the top of the bus (or if your child is beginning to write on their own, let them write it out).

Egg Shell Ship - With a tissue paper sail, this boat is kitchen sink-worthy (as long as the wind remembers not to blow too hard).

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Eggs
Tempera paint and brushes
Air-drying clay
White glue
Toothpick
Tissue paper

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Crack the egg in half and gently break off pieces to get a boat shape. Paint the shell.

2. When the shell is dry, gently glue a 1-inch ball of clay into the bottom of the boat. Use a toothpick to make a hole in the center of the clay.

3. For the sail, cut a rectangle out of tissue paper, about 4 by 3 inches . Apply glue to one side, lay the toothpick in the center and fold paper in half to make a triangle. Dab glue onto the end of the toothpick mast and insert it into the clay.

Engineer and his Train - Let your child be an engineer of a train that will surround the child and their wheelchair.

What you'll need:
Cardboard boxes
Sharp scissors
Paint
Paintbrushes
Clear packing tape
Overalls, shirt, and engineer's cap
How to make it:
Cut the cardboard to fit the wheelchair.
Paint the cardboard as desired to simulate an engine. Let dry.
Assemble the cardboard on the wheelchair and fasten with clear packing tape.
Dress up and have a great time!
Tips:

If you don't have an engineer's cap, purchase an inexpensive painter's cap and paint stripes on it.

Fire Truck Box Toy - Children can make these fire trucks to pretend to ride in or to use as a toy box. If you like, you can cut out the bottom of the box (before making the craft) and the children can enter the box, carry it, and walk around pretending to be a fire fighter.

Supplies: A cardboard box
Four paper plates
Red and black paint
3 paint brushes
Black, white, blue, and orange construction paper
Scissors
Glue

Paint a cardboard box red and let it dry.
Paint four paper plates black and let them dry.
Cut two headlights and fenders from white construction paper and glue them to one end of the truck.
Cut a windshield and windows from light blue construction paper and glue them to one end of the truck.

Glue the wheels to your truck.
Cut two ladders from orange or brown construction paper and cut two hoses from black construction paper. Cut white hub caps. Glue all of these to the sides of your truck.
You now have a great fire truck to ride in or to use as a toy box

Fire Truck Snacks - Children can make these tiny fire trucks for a preschool or kindergarten treat.

Supplies: A paper plate
Graham crackers (1 1/2 per fire truck)
Tiny Ritz crackers (for wheels)
Stick pretzels
Black licorice
Softened cream cheese (or thick frosting)
Red food coloring
A red jellybean, a red Dots candy, a cherry, or a strawberry

Have an adult mix a few drops of food coloring to the cream cheese (or frosting). The children will use this edible "glue" to put their fire truck together.
Start with a whole graham cracker. Using the back of a spoon, spread some of the "glue" on one side of it.
Put half a graham cracker on top of the "glue." This is the cab of the fire truck.
"Glue" a red jellybean, a red Dots candy, a cherry, or a strawberry on top of the cab. This is the fire truck's red light.
"Glue" four of the tiny Ritz crackers to the sides - these are the wheels.

On the back of the truck, "glue" two pretzels parallel to each other. Then "glue" in broken pieces to make a tiny ladder.
"Glue" on a piece of licorice - this is the firehose.
You now have a tiny fire truck that is great for snack time!

Fly Wright on the Beach - Step back in time to December 1903 when the Wright brothers first flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. You and your biplane are there with this diorama!

Crayola® Model Magic®, White
Crayola® Washable Markers
Crayola® Twistables™
Construction paper
Craft sticks
Glue
Recycled box lid
Sandpaper
Scissors
Toothpicks
Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Due to the seasonal nature of some merchandise, actual availability of some products pictured may vary.






Create a beach scene. Inside a box lid, color sky with Twistables™. Cut and glue on sandpaper to fit like sand dunes.



Design the plane. Use craft sticks, toothpicks, construction paper, and glue to make an accurate replica of the Wrights’ biplane with wings and propellers.



Shape a pilot and engine with Model Magic®. Add color from Washable Markers and knead. Glue them to the plane. Glue plane onto the beach.

Jet Boat - Kids will love being the captain of this balloon-powered jet boat -- perfect for racing in pools, ponds and bathtubs.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Plastic pipe elbow, 1/2 inch in diameter, and its accompanying plastic nut (ask at your local hardware store)
Two 5 1/2 x 8-inch Styrofoam food trays
Balloon
Rubber band

Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours
1. Thread the nut on the plastic pipe elbow. Then cut a hole in the bottom of one of the trays and push through the elbow's non-threaded end.

2. Stretch the balloon over the threaded end. Next, secure the elbow underneath the tray with the rubber band, wrapping it around several times.

3. Cut a rudder from the other tray, and insert it through a slit cut in the stern of the boat.

Tips:
To operate the vessel, inflate the balloon by blowing into the elbow. Block the end of the pipe with your finger as you set the boat in the water, then release it and watch the boat zip away.

Junkmobile - Drive the sturdy, smooth-riding Junkmobile around the neighborhood on regular collection days, or park beneath the Waste Shooter for a quick fill.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
4 plastic lids, cardboard liners removed (we used peanut butter jar lids)
Axles: 2 bamboo skewers or wooden dowels, 1/8 inch thick and a few inches longer than your truck body is wide
Hubcaps: 4 small plastic caps (we used soda caps)
Axle guards: 1 toilet paper tube, cut in half lengthwise
Body: 1 lidded plastic box (we used a wet-wipes box)
Driver's cab: 2 paper fasteners and 1 plastic container (we used a Nestle's Quick container)
Tools: craft knife, pushpin, pointy scissors, wire snips, tape

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Wheels and hubcaps: Make a hole in the center of each wheel and hubcap. The skewer axles should fit through snugly. Using the same method, create two evenly spaced larger holes near the bottom of each long side of the box.

2. Push a lid and a cap onto the pointed end of a skewer. Thread the skewer through the holes and attach a second lid/cap pair on the other side, as shown. Trim the excess skewer with wire snips. Repeat for the second set of wheels. Rest the trimmed toilet tube halves over the axles so the truck's contents won't interrupt wheel movement. Tape them down.

3. Driver's cab: Trim the smaller plastic container so that it fits beneath the edge of the truck body. Pierce holes and use paper fasteners to attach the cab to the body.

Milk Carton Pirate Ship - This is a really cool pirate ship made from milk cartons.

Materials:
2 milk cartons
2 straws
playdough
yellow, black and white construction paper
glue, scissors and tape

ALTERNATIVE: use craft foam instead of construction paper and you'll have a ship that you can play with in the bathtub.



tape a piece of construction paper about 1/2 way up the milk carton as shown in the photo to the right.

tape black construction paper all the way up the back of the milk carton, leaving about 1 inch sticking up over the carton

tape white construction paper over the rest of the milk carton

glue two blobs of playdough into the center of the pirate ship

cut a two to three inch piece off the bottom of the second milk carton.

Tape it onto the ship (covering the playdough)

poke two holes in it (with a pencil) right above the playdough blobs

cover with white construction paper

stick two straws through the holes you poked in the top carton

cut two large rectangles and two small rectangles from yellow construction paper

poke two holes in each rectangle with scissors or a hole punch and thread onto the straws as masts

draw windows and a door with markers

Cut yellow circles and glue them to the side of the ship as portholes

Add a gangplank made of cardboard.

Milk Carton Spanish Galleon - This is also a really cool ship.

Materials:
2 milk cartons
2 straws
playdough
black and white paper (construction paper)
glue, scissors and tape

OPTIONAL: template pieces (see bottom of this page) -- you could also make them yourself with white paper and markers.

ALTERNATIVE: use craft foam instead of construction paper and you'll have a ship that you can play with in the bathtub.



tape a piece of construction paper about 1/2 way up the milk carton as shown in the photo to the right.

tape black construction paper all the way up the back of the milk carton, leaving about 1 inch sticking up over the carton

tape white construction paper over the rest of the milk carton

glue two blobs of playdough into the center of the pirate ship

cut a two to three inch piece off the bottom of the second milk carton.

Tape it onto the ship (covering the playdough)

poke two holes in it (with a pencil) right above the playdough blobs

cover with white construction paper

stick two straws through the holes you poked in the top carton

Print out the template pieces

poke two holes in each rectangle with scissors or a hole punch and thread onto the straws as masts -- the largest goes in front, the medium and small go on the back

draw windows and a door with markers or glue on the template door and windows

Cut two small slits in the top of the front straw (about 1/2 inch long) fold the flag in half and glue so it is colored on both sides
slip it into the slits you made in the straw



OPTIONAL: Put a coffee stir stick or popsicle stick on the front of the boat with glue or tape. Tie a string or wool between this stick and the front mast



Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.

Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Model Car Factory - Liven up a rainy afternoon by test-driving a fleet of homemade cars.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Empty juice boxes or tea tins
Egg carton
Milk jug
Aluminum foil
Disposable plastic cup
Plastic straws
Plastic spoons
Markers
Tape and glue

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Empty juice boxes or tea tins work well as basic car bodies. Or, you can cut a more unusual model out of an egg carton or a milk jug. Cover the car body with colored duct tape, if desired. Then glue on chrome headlights made from aluminum foil.

2. WINDSHIELDS: For a see-through screen, cut a small rectangle from a disposable plastic cup or container and attach it to the car with tape or glue.

3. AXELS AND TREADS: To fit your vehicle with wheels, first tape two plastic straws to the bottom of the body for axles. Or, you can use a nail to poke holes in the sides of the body and fit pipe cleaners through the holes. Then cut eight cups from an egg carton. Trim the sides so they are 1/2 inch tall. Use two cups for each wheel, matching up the cut edges and taping them together. Poke a hole through the center of each hub. Now, fit the wheels onto the ends of the axles. Another option for wheel

4. THE AUTO CLUB: For passengers, use markers to draw faces on plastic spoons. Make slits in the car and insert the handles.

Noahs Ark - Materials you will need are a printer, paper (I prefer white construction paper or another heavier paper), scissors, glue, brown paint or markers and a dinner sized paper plate..

Materials you will need are a printer, paper (I prefer white construction paper or another heavier paper), scissors, glue, brown paint or markers and a dinner sized paper plate..

If you don't have a paper plate, just trace a dinner plate onto a piece of cardboard (from a cereal box or the like).


Fold the paper plate in half. Paint or color the bottom brown.

Print out the template of choice.

Colour pieces, as necessary.

Cut out the ark top. This step may require adult assistance and can be done prior to making the craft with the children.

Fold the ark top in half and glue. Cut it along the dotted line.

Once the paper plate is dry, cut halfway along the fold line

Slide the ark top cut into the paper plate cut as far as it will go (the ark top will end up positioned in the center).

You can tape or staple it a bit, as necessary, to make sure it won't fall apart (depending on whether it will be played with).

The ark will stand up on its own and will "rock" (the paper plate is curved).

OPTIONAL: clip out animal images from a magazine and glue to the ark.




Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.

Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Paper Gyrocopter - Take your kids for a spin around the neighborhood with a toy gyrocopter. You can make one in five easy steps.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
One sheet of plain paper
Pinking shears or scissors
One paper clip

Puddle Boat - Spring showers set the stage for the type of adventure found only in a big rain puddle -- like setting afloat a toy boat.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Fome-Cor or styrofoam
Craft knife
Acrylic paints and brushes
Nails
Rubber band

Simple Sailboat Craft - A very easy sailboat made from a plastic lid, a straw, paper, and modeling clay.

Box Barn Craft - You can make this cute barn using a cardboard box, scissors, and paint. The barn doors even open and close. If you want to put your toy animals in the barn afterwards, make sure you start out with a box that is the right size for your animals.

Cardboard Box Castle - Turn a plain cardboard box into an enchanted castle. The cutting in this project is heavy-duty and should be done by an adult. The child can help by supervising and by designing where the towers and turrets should go.

Did you always wonder how they make those Tie-Dye shirts? Well here are instructions and Ideas for learning how to tie dye so that you can go and tye die with your children. - L amyaa explained how the kids at her summer camp made tie-dyed t-shirts.

Plastic Bag Ghost

Arts and crafts have never scared up so much fun! Easy to make project instructions help get kids into the fun of the season with this scary ghost friend for your yard!


CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:

Balloons
White plastic garbage bags
Black marker
String
Scissors
Masking tape
General Instructions
Cover inflated balloons with the white plastic garbage bags.
Gather the bags under each balloon and tie off to form a head with the a piece of string.
Draw a face on the bag with markers.
Tape another piece of string to the top of the head to hang!! Great for outside since they are waterproof!!