Arts and Crafts for Kids Throughout the Year

“Kids Crafts” — these two words cause me to shudder whenever I hear them.  Even now as my littles are growing up and can do easy projects by themselves, I still dread these.  But I am growing and learning.  Here’s what I’ve learned about arts and crafts for kids in my 13 years of parenting.

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The Three Step Process to Enjoying Arts & Crafts for Kids

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Arts and crafts for kids in the winter is all about being creative when we are stuck indoors.

January Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Puppets
  Supplies Needed: Varies per type of puppet, Find 40 DIY Puppet Ideas here.
  Want to make it even easier?
  Get Paper Bag Puppet Templates Get Paper Bag Puppet Templates HERE
• Washi Tape Notecards
  Supplies Needed: Cardstock (Heavier Paper), Shape Punch, Washi Tape
  Get Directions at Kenarry

Find Cold Weather Crafts to enjoy in the Winter

February Arts and Crafts for Kids

• • DIY Rolled Paper Roses Valentine
    Supplies Needed:  Colored Craft Paper – 4-5 different colors including white, Scissors, Craft Glue, Pencil, Black Maker Pen
    Get Directions at Easy Peasy and Fun
  • Valentine Love Journal
    Supplies Needed: An old hard-cover picture book, The pages for your journal, One sheet of paper twice the size of your other sheets, X-ACTO Knife, Paper cutter or scissors,  Mod Podge, Binder clips or a vice, Books by Hand pH Neutral PVA Adhesive other glue for binding.
    Joy has all the directions for the Valentine Journal here
  • Chinese Paper Lantern
    Supplies Needed:  pipe cleaners, paper (solid or printed), scissors, ruler, hole punch
    The Family Focus Blog has full directions.

March Arts and Crafts for Kids

Spring arts and crafts for kids celebrate the winter being over.

• Bunny Butt Paper Plate Craft
  Supplies Needed: 1 large white paper plate, Grey paint, Paintbrush, Pencil, Grey construction paper, Pink construction paper, Scissors, Glue stick or white glue, 1 large white pom pom or cotton ball
  Get Directions Here
• Handprint Tissue Paper Flower
  Supplies Needed:  Orange Tissue Paper, Green/White Cardstock, Scissors, Pen, Glue
  Get Directions Here

More St. Patrick’s Day Crafts

More Easter Crafts

April Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Accordian Paper Snakes
  Supplies Needed: colorful paper, scissors, glue, eye stickers or googly eyes (you don’t need these, you can use the next supply mentioned), black marker
  Get Directions Here
• Painted Twig Bouquet
  Supplies Needed:  Twigs, Acrylic Paint, Paintbrush
  Get Directions Here

May Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Paper Hyacinths by www.korkotak.com

• Handprint Lilies
  Supplies Needed: Pink Paper, 6″ green and yellow pipe cleaners, pencil, tape, scissors
  Get Directions Here

Mother’s Day Ideas

June Arts and Crafts for Kids

Arts and crafts for kids in the summer celebrate fun in the sun.

• Balloon Elephant Card
  Supplies Needed: Latex Balloons, Large Glue Dots, Cardstock, Scissors, Glue Stick, Wiggly Eyes
  Get Directions Here
• Easy Flamingo Ornament by Red Ted Art
  
  
  Get Directions Here

Father’s Day Ideas

July Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Firework Salt Painting
  Supplies Needed: Table Salt, Black paper, watercolors and paintbrushes or food coloring and eye dropper, White Glue, Cookie Sheet
  Get Directions Here
• Paper Plate Giraffe
  Supplies Needed: Large Paper Plate, Yellow Tissue Paper, Yellow/Black Cardstock, School Glue, Scissors, Stapler
  Get Directions Here

More Summer Crafts

August Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Fancy Flowers
  
  
  Supplies Needed: Colorful paper, black marker, glue
  Get Directions Here
• Squirt Gun Painting 
  Supplies Needed: Squirt Guns, Watercolor Paper and Liquid Watercolors (I admit that this group of supplies isn’t a normal thing to have around the house, but it will be worth it, I PROMISE)
  Get Directions Here

September Arts and Crafts for Kids

Arts and crafts for kids in the fall celebrates the harvest.

• 3D Paper Caterpillar
  Supplies Needed: red or yellow paper for the head, green paper for the body, glue, scissors
  Get Directions Here
• Colorful Patterned Owls
  Supplies Needed: small paper plates, various colors of acrylic paint, paint brush, scissors, stapler (optional), school glue, colored construction paper, black construction paper, markers (optional)
  Get Directions Here

October Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Tin Can Pumpkins
  Supplies Needed: Tin Can of various sizes, Nail, Screwdriver, Twigs, Dried leaves from your yard, Variety of Orange acrylic paints, raffia
  Get Directions Here
• Book Pumpkin
  Supplies Needed: old paperback book, orange paint, paint brush, water, scissors, stick, rafia, marker, glue or paper clip

November Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Easy DIY Crafty Turkey
  Supplies Needed:  Strips of paper (1–  2 inch x 12 inch, 2– 3 inch x 1/2 inch), Paper feathers in an array of colors, 2 inch circle for head, googly eyes, 1 small yellow triangle paper, 1 small pink/red teardrop-shaped paper, scissors, scotch tape, glue stick
  We shared the directions for this crafty turkey here.
• Stuffed Paper Turkey Craft
  Supplies Needed:  brown paper bag, plastic bags for filling, tape or sticky tack, stapler, colored construction paper (at least black, yellow, white, orange and red), scissors, pen or marker

December Arts and Crafts for Kids

• Paper Plate Christmas Tree
  Supplies Needed: paper plate, green paint & brushes, colored paper we used “paper scraps,” scissors, glue stick, stapler, hole punch, yarn/string/twine
  Get Directions Here
• Giant Paper Plate Lollipops
  Supplies Needed: Paper plates, Wooden dowel (from the craft store), Cellophane, Ribbon, Green and red paint plush paint brushes, Scissors, Hot glue gun (or tacky glue for kids)
  Get Directions Here
  

More Christmas Crafts

Sometimes it’s easier to do crafts if you can get all the supplies in one fell swoop.  That’s when craft kits are helpful.  Here are some of our favorites from Amazaon.

And there you have it.  Arts and crafts for kids throughout the year.  If you try any of these ideas, post a picture on Instagram ( @familyfuntc ) or Facebook ( @FamilyFunTwinCities ) and tag us!  We would LOVE to see what you make with your kids!!