A lot of the material required for these projects are easily found around the house, so to add an extra layer of fun you could set up a scavenger hunt for your kids. Give them a list of items to hunt down and frame it as a scavenger hunt and not only will it add an extra layer of adventure but it will convince your kids to help you set up the craft.
To make it extra easy for you, this list will be organised based on how likely you are to have the necessary materials (or ingredients) on hand! So have fun, and share your creations with us if you decide to make any of these.
Papercraft
Papercraft is a simple classic that can be adapted to any situation. Here are a few of our favourites at the moment:
‘Snow’ Scenes
Grab some paper, scissors, pencils, glue, and cellophane (any thin non-sticky plastic will do). Optional extras include cardboard and white or silver glitter. Create a frame for your scene from a few layers of paper or some cardboard. Glue a layer of cellophane to the back of the frame, this will become the background for your scene. On the paper let your child’s imagination run wild with what might be happening out in the snow. Are there snowmen? Bears? Penguins? Cut out the figures and scenery and glue them to the background. Now it’s time for the snow! If you’re using glitter carefully pour some into the frame before sealing it up with another layer of cellophane. If you’re not using glitter, shredded paper makes an excellent (and more realistic) substitute. Be careful to only glue the cellophane to the frame or the snow effect won’t work fully. Once everything is sealed up, and the glue is dried, you can turn the picture upside down then watch it snow once it’s turned right-side up.
Fingerprint Snowflakes
All you need is some paper and skin safe paint or ink. Two of the most unique things on the planet collide when using your fingerprints to make a snowflake. Everyone loves finger-painting, but this special snowflake is formed by carefully pressing your fingertips into paint then onto the page. This is also an excellent opportunity to talk to your child about individuality. No two snowflakes or fingerprints are the same, and neither are any two people.
‘Snow’ Paint
We found this delightful recipe for homemade ‘snow’ paint. Not only will your kids love painting with this puffy paint, but they get to make it from scratch!
Sock Craft
We finally have a use for all of those odd socks that keep turning up! These simple no-sew sock animals are cute and can be scaled in difficulty depending on the age of your child. Our favourite no-sew options were a Penguin and a Snowman, but this excellent blog has a variety of different animals for you to choose from. If your kids are a bit older, there are some amazing options to teach them some basic sewing skills as well. If you don’t know how to sew either, you could learn together as a family project!
Scarf
This winter has already been a cold one, and it provides the perfect opportunity to learn some crafty skills and make a scarf. There are all sorts of ways to make a scarf depending on your child’s skill level and whether or not you want to go out and buy knitting needles. If you don’t already own knitting needles or crochet hooks (and you don’t want to buy them) finger knitting is an excellent and fun way for kids to make a skinny scarf. It’s straightforward and a great way for kids to make something useful. We found this excellent YouTube video to teach you how.
If you or your child would like to take it to the next level traditional knitting and crochet are both great crafting skills to learn and more accessible than you might think. They require a bit of dexterity though, so they might not be appropriate for younger kids. We found this step-by-step knitting tutorial, and this crocheting for beginner’s article to get you started. Kids love doing things that are practical, and they will glow with pride when showing off their new creations. And if they really enjoy it, they will have learned a lifelong skill!
Bonus: Fake snow!
If you’re in Australia at the moment it’s unlikely that it’s snowing where you are, so we found some fun and easy fake snow recipes.
0 Comments